HOWELL – Two residents of Lakewood have been charged in connection with residential burglaries that occurred in Howell in late August and early September.
Howell police said that on Sept. 5, officers arrested a 47-year-old man and and his 48-year-old girlfriend at their Lakewood residence. The burglaries in Howell occurred on Aug. 28 on Larabee Boulevard and on Sept. 4 on Lanes Pond Road.
The male suspect was charged with burglary and theft in connection with both burglaries. He was placed in the Monmouth County jail, Freehold Township.
The female suspect was charged with burglary and theft in connection with the Lanes Pond Road burglary. She was also placed in the county jail.
According to police, on Aug. 28, officers responded to Larabee Boulevard to investigate a burglary report after the homeowner arrived home and found a window air conditioning unit removed and jewelry and a laptop computer missing. The missing items were valued at approximately $1,500.
On Sept. 4, police were contacted by a homeowner on Lanes Pond Road who was viewing burglars in his home on his cell phone in real time using an interior surveillance camera and phone application.
Police said officers immediately responded to the home, but the suspects fled prior to their arrival. The officers discovered a side door to the residence had been forced open. Costume jewelry was reported to be missing from the home.
The interior surveillance footage of the suspects committing the burglary was posted on
the Howell Police Department’s Facebook page. Police said tips were made to the department’s anonymous tip line, P3Tips.
Tipsters identified the Lakewood man and woman as the suspects. The tips were later corroborated by investigators.
Detectives Robert Ortenzi, David Gilliland and Michael Maccia arrested the suspects at their home in Lakewood. Police said that at the time of her arrest, the woman was wearing a red wig to disguise her appearance.
Searches of the couple’s vehicle and home were conducted and all of the stolen proceeds from both burglaries were recovered and returned to the owners, according to police.
