Toms River police have charged a 30-year-old Ocean View Drive man with a burglary that occurred on his street.
Detective’s Patrick Jacques and Louis Santora arrested Charles J. Smith III on Friday on charges of burglary and theft stemming from a break-in at a neighboring home. The neighbors were away on vacation at the time, said police spokesman Ralph Stocco.
The burglar forced entry to a rear porch door, entering and leaving several rooms within the home ransacked, Stocco said. Smith is alleged to have removed a large quantity of jewelry from the residence and pawned it at a local retail establishment. The detectives continue to work on retrieving the stolen valuables, according to Stocco.
Stocco said the investigation was aided by the fact that the residents of the home had photographs of all of their jewelry.
"It is strongly urged that all homeowners maintain a file of valuables that they possess in the event that they are needed for a police investigation or insurance claim resulting from unforeseen events such as theft, fire, or flood," said Stocco.
Smith is being held in the Ocean County Jail on $70,000 bail.
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