Police: Man Broke Into BellCrest Plaza To Steal Copper Pipe

Police said a man inside a vacant portion of BellCrest Plaza claimed to be there for a carpeting job, but was arrested and charged with burglary after police said he broke in to try and steal copper.

The incident was at 1 p.m. in the BellCrest Plaza on Fischer Boulevard, the former home of Foodtown.

Police responded to the commercial building to find Morgan Augusto, 25, of Sky Harper Court in Toms River, inside a vacant store in the afternoon.

Toms River Police Chief Michael Mastronardy said the man claimed to be there to measure for carpet, but could provide no details on who hired him for the estimate. He also had no tools to help complete a carpeting job, but instead was inside with a wrench and pipe cutter.

Mastronardy said those tools are frequently used to rip valuable copper out of unattended buildings and then resold, and after an investigation policed believed Augusto allegedly broke into the building with the intention of stealing copper pipes.

 “Mr. Augusto told officers Mathew Broderick and Andrew Chencharick that he entered a commercial building in the Bell Crest Plaza to measure for carpet but could not recall who sent him to this location,” Mastronardy said. “Officers noted that Mr. Augusto did not have any measuring tools for carpet but he did have a wrench and pipe cutter tools commonly used for cutting copper.”

Augusto was charged with burglary. Bail was set at $15,000 withno 10 percent option, out of Toms River Court.