Police Trying to Link Multiple Car Burglaries Between Toms River, Barnegat

Toms River and Barnegat police departments are coordinating in an investigation of 65 car burglaries reported in late January.

Barnegat police announced today that two 19-year-olds have been charged in connection with the string of 65 car burglaries that took place Jan. 27 and 28 in several township neighborhoods.

Det. William Hetrick charged Donald Rivera of South Toms River and Nicholas Manochio of Effort, Pa. on Thursday, March 3 and Wednesday, March 2, respectively, with multiple counts of burglary, theft, credit card theft and credit card fraud, said Lt. Patrick Shaffery of the Barnegat Township Police Department.

Police got a lead early on in the case when the suspects used a credit card stolen from one of the burgled cars to buy gas at a Lukoil gas station on the Garden State Parkway the same day they allegedly committed the thefts, Shaffery said in an e-mail.

Detectives began viewing surveillance footage from the gas station right away, he said. It didn't take long to find what they were looking for, because the station attendant, who is also a seasonal police officer for Seaside, recalled the time the suspects stopped, Shaffery said.

"The video was from a distance and was grainy, but we were able to make out some identifying characteristics," he said. 

Monachio and Rivera also used a stolen card at a Dunkin' Donuts to buy breakfast, Shaffery said. With help from the Toms River Police Department, investigators were able to locate the vehicle the suspects were driving Jan. 28 and impounded it, he said.

Police obtained a search warrant, searched the vehicle and found several items belonging to victims from Barnegat and from Toms River, which also saw several car burglaries in late January, said Shaffery.

Monachio and Rivera only admitted to some of the burglaries, Shaffery said, but police are seeking indictments for all 65 break-ins. 

Detectives are currently working to return the stolen items to their owners, he said.

Monachio, who was already lodged in the Ocean County Jail on an unrelated matter, was charged with one count of third-degree burglary, three counts of fourth-degree credit card theft and one count of third-degree credit card fraud. His bail was set at $25,000.

Rivera was charged with 10 counts of third-degree burglary and one count of third-degree theft. He was lodged in the Ocean County Jail on $55,000 bail.