Lacey Police Arrest Manasquan Man For Burglaries Of Sportman Camps

Lacey police recently arrested a Manasquan man and charged him with the burglary and theft of items from two hunting camps, Police Chief Michael C. DiBella said.

Both of the camps reported the burglaries in late February.

Several pieces of stolen property from each burglary were recovered at two separate second-hand dealers during the investigation. Lacey Township police detectives arrested Ralph Boyd, 29, on March 13, after they recovered six tree stands belonging to the Sportsman's Gun club in Boyd's vehicle, the chief said.

Boyd was charged with two counts each of burglary and theft. He was released pending a court appearance. The total value of stolen property exceeded $2,000, DiBella said.

Officer John Simonson responded to the Year Round Sportsman Club, located off of Long Ridge Road in Forked River on a burglary report at 12:43 p.m. on Feb. 25.

Investigation at the scene revealed that a large container box stored on the property had been broken into and the stored items inside were stolen. The container was secured with multiple locks which had been chiseled off with some type of tool, the chief said.

The criminal mischief to the container box is estimated at $250. The items stolen were a Champion Multi Gas electric generator valued at $800, seven hunting tree stands valued at $700, two sets of climbing sticks valued at $100, and a gas-operated handheld brush hog valued at $400. The total amount of property stolen was valued at $2,000, DiBella said.

It also appeared that the suspects entered the breezeway of the hunting cabin by taking the screen door off the opening, but were not able to gain entry into the cabin itself. The last known visit to the camp was on or about February 1, 2017, the chief said.

The owners from a second nearby recreational trailer reported that someone stole a generator. Both properties are located in Lacey Township but are accessed off Route 532 in Waretown, NJ.

Several pieces of stolen property from each burglary were recovered at two separate second-hand dealers during the investigation. Lacey Township police detectives Ralph Boyd on March 13, after they recovered six tree stands belonging to the Sportsman's Gun club in Boyd's vehicle, the chief said.

Image: Patch file photo.