Fingerprint at Burglary Scene Matches Lacey Man

A fingerprint lifted at the scene of a Lacey house burglary was recently matched to a Forked River resident, police said.

Dillon Devlin, 21, of Forked River was arrested and charged after an automated fingerprint identification system identified him as a burglar of a Vaughn Avenue home, police said. Lacey police lifted the fingerprint at the Forked River home on April 15, 2011.

Detectives recently located and arrested Devlin during a traffic stop, police said. Devlin also had an outstanding warrant issued by the Ocean County Superior Court for failing to comply with probation.

He was charged with burglary and theft of moveable property for the 2011 burglary and was sent in the Ocean County Jail with no bail set.

The matter is still under investigation to locate and arrest another subject who was involved in the 2011 burglary.

Police Chief David Paprota provided the following information: 

March 17
A resident of Forrest Avenue in Lanoka Harbor reported that between the hours of 6:30 a.m. and 11 p.m. someone attempted to gain entry to the home through the garage door.

The garage door was forced open approximately two to three feet. The internal brackets that hold the door closed and locked were broken. Items from inside the garage that were stored against the door fell out onto the driveway.

It appeared that no entry was made, as the items falling out of the garage may have scared the person away. 

March 15
Sometime between 7 p.m. on March 15 and 8 a.m. March 16, a battery was removed from a forklift truck owned by a local business while the business was closed. The forklift was parked behind the business in an area that is outside the fenced in portion. The battery is valued at $100. 

March 14
A resident of Kenney Street in the southern Pines section of Forked River reported that his unlocked vehicle was entered sometime between 7 p.m. on March 13 and 4:30 a.m. on March 14. Various items were stolen from the vehicle, including cash, prescription medications, a silver and black backpack, and HVAC textbooks. The total value of the stolen items was in excess of $600. 

March 13
At 2:30 p.m. a homeowner on Taylor Lane in Forked River reported that gutters and piping were removed from the exterior of the residence. The theft occurred while the resident was not home. The theft was related to “scrapping,” as the items can be sold for a fraction of the actual value, police said.

Residents are asked to contact the police department immediately if they observe anything suspicious. 

March 9
The homeowner of a Baldwin Street residence reported that sometime between noon on March 9 and 8:30 a.m. on March 16, someone attempted to make entry to his locked shed. Cut marks were found on the lock hinge. No entry was actually made.