Woman Faces Numerous Charges of Purse-Snatching, Burglaries

Ashley M. Massa, 21, was indicted last week on a theft charge, accused of stealing a pocketbook containing more than $500 from a woman in Toms River outside . 

She was released on a summons for the Jan. 12 incident.

However the Beachwood resident was also arrested last week in Berkeley Township, charged with numerous burglaries in the Holiday City community.

Berkeley Township detectives recently arrested a Beachwood woman at her grandmother's house in Holiday City and charged her with committing numerous burglaries in the area.

Massa was a person of interest in the burglaries since January and was suspected in two that occurred on the morning of April 1, Detective Joseph Robertazzi said.

Massa was arrested at her grandmother's Barbados Drive South home. She was charged with five counts of burglary, attempted burglary, theft and criminal mischief.  Municipal Court Judge John J. Sheehy set Massa’s bail at $50,000. She is lodged in the Ocean County Jail in Toms River, he said.

A big break in the case came when a 70-year-old Porlamar Court resident returned from shopping and heard a loud noise coming from the back of his home while he was entering his home, Robertazzi said.

"The homeowner ran to the back of his house and noticed that his rear window was pushed in and the screen was missing," he said.

The homeowner checked the back of his house for a possible suspect, then called police, he said.

When Patrolman Michael Riccardelli responded, he found a young white male walking in the area. He detained the man while he obtained more information from the Porlamar Court homeowner.

Robertazzi responded to the scene. The man, Kevin Butler, 22, Beachwood "was known" to be Ashley Massa's boyfriend, Robertazzi said.

Butler told police Massa was not in the house when he woke up that morning. He walked around the neighborhood because he knew she had committed residential burglaries in the past and was afraid she was "up to it again," Robertazzi said.

Robertazzi and Detective Joseph Santoro ruled out Butler as having any involvement in the Porlamar Court or Eves Place burglary.  Based on the information obtained from witnesses and evidence collected at the scene, they went to the Barbados Drive South residence and arrested Ashley Massa.

Massa was taken to police headquarters where she was interviewed at length about the burglaries.  She admitted to the Porlamar Court and Eve Place burglaries on Sunday morning, and other burglaries that occurred on Barbados Drive South, Oranjestad Street, Leeward Court, as well as a residential burglary on North Gateway in Toms River, Robertazzi said.

Berkeley detectives believe that Massa is responsible for several more area burglaries not only in Ocean County, but Camden County as well. More charges are pending, Robertazzi said.

Berkeley Patrolman Joseph Chrzanowski and Detective Michael Scheer of the Berlin police department  in Camden County assisted in the investigation.

Anyone with any additional information is urged to contact Robertazzi or Santoro at 732-341-6600.