Manahawkin Man Arrested For Shoplifting In Brick Township

by Karen Wall

BRICK, NJ — An off-duty police officer nabbed a Manahawkin man as the man tried to leave Home Depot with tools he hadn't paid for on Monday, Brick police said.

Brian Eckardt, 41, was charged with shoplifting, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of a hypodermic syringe and released on a summons, Brick Sgt. Neal Pedersen said.

Sgt. Paul Catalina was getting out of his vehicle at the Home Depot on Route 88 about 3:45 p.m. when he heard a beeping noise, Brick Sgt. Neal Pedersen said.

He looked toward the building exit and saw Eckardt leaving the store carrying two hard cases that are typically used to store tools, and wrapped with an anti-theft device that was beeping.

Behind Eckardt was a Home Depot employee, who was following him and telling him to return to the store, Pedersen said.

Instead of going back into the store, however, Eckardt started to walk faster and then began to run, and Catalina realized he was trying to get away, Pedersen said. So Catalina ran toward Eckardt and caught up to him just as Eckardt was getting into a 2014 Hyundai Sonata, he said.

Catalina identified himself as a Brick Township police officer, which caught the attention of another off-duty police officer, Matthew Hill of the Robbinsville Police Department, who ran over to assist, Pedersen said.

Catalina told Eckardt he was under arrest and ordered him out of the car, but Eckardt started the car and put it in drive while Catalina reached in and tried to turn the vehicle off, Pedersen said. Eckardt then put the car in park and Hill helped Catalina restrain and arrest Eckardt, he said.

Police recovered a Milwaukee M18 Fuel Drill Kit, valued at $399, and a DeWalt Compact Brushless Drill/Driver Kit, valued at $199, he said.

Photo by Renee Schiavone/Patch