Armed Men Posed As Utility Workers, Broke Into Home, Tied Up Residents

Two men posed as utility workers brandished a gun at two Holiday City at Silverton residents, then tied them up and robbed their home yesterday morning, police said.

Chief Michael Mastronardy said the suspects likely targeted the family at Yorktowne Boulevard for an armed he residents’ home around 10:30 a.m. yesterday.

“The Department believes that the victims’ house was specifically targeted and are investigating various associates of the victims,” said Mastronardy in an email.

Police arrived shortly after 10:30 a.m. to find a five year-old boy in the living room of the home, said the police chief. Det. Chris Fluck arrived first and removed the child from the home before proceeding with Sgt. David McCallum to check the remaining rooms.

They found two victims — the 48 year-old male and 61 year-old female residents — tied up on the floor of a back bedroom, Mastronardy said.

Police believe two white males, dressed as utility workers in construction hats, approached the male occupant while he was outside in the backyard.

“The men had clip boards and resembled utility workers.  The men then produced a handgun and demanded to be brought into the residence,” Mastronardy said.

The entered through the front door and from there the residents were tied up while the two men proceeded to steal $1,000 in cash and jewelry. There were no injuries reported, said the police chief.

The two men were about 30 years old, wearing blue jeans and white t-shirts, he said. One had a yellow construction hat, while the other wore a white one. Police are investigating leads based on people known to the two victims.

The men fled in a white van parked outside the home in the senior citizen community. Mastronardy said the van had no windows. No further description is available.

Police were responding to a 911 call placed from the home, he said, where the caller reported a home invasion was underway.

The incident is the first reported armed home invasion this year in Toms River.

The Holiday City at Silverton community, located off Hooper Avenue and Church Road, has Yorktowne Boulevard as its main entrance road with a network of side streets to the large-scale adult community, one of Toms River’s oldest senior citizen developments.

Officer Mike Gallipoli and Detective Randy Petrick are investigating along with the Ocean County Sheriff’s Department.

Anyone with additional information is encouraged to call police headquarters at 732-349-0150.