Pair Charged in Copper Pipe Theft from Sandy Victim's Home

First incident of theft involving a Sandy victim, police said

Toms River police on Sunday made the first arrests for theft from a Hurricane Sandy victim's home on the township's barrier island section, Chief of Police Michael Mastronardy said. Two suspects, Maximo Panolaya Castillo, 25, and Israel Garcia, 24, both of Perth Amboy, were charged with burglary and theft after they allegedly stole copper pipe from a home in the area of 2nd Avenue, Mastronardy said. "Officers discovered they entered a vacant damaged home and removed 30 feet of copper pipe worth about $200," Mastronardy said. A contractor working in the area advised police of the two suspicious males at about 1 p.m. Sunday. "The witness stated he became suspicious as to what they were doing under the residence and they quickly fled when he …

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