Lacey Police Charge Lanoka Harbor Man In Daytime Burglary

LACEY TOWNSHIP, NJ - A Lanoka Harbor man has been charged with burglary, theft and criminal mischief, thanks to a resident who witnessed a burglary on Ranger Drive and called police, Police Chief Michael C. DiBella said.

The resident, who lived on Roanoke Drive, saw a man break the glass of a sliding glass door and enter a Ranger Drive home across the lagoon from her house at 9 a.m. on Dec. 22, the chief said.

She alerted her son, who was able to provide police with a description of the suspect's vehicle. Officers who responded were unable to find the suspect or the vehicle.

The homeowner - who was not present at the time of the burglary - was able to provide a list of the stolen items, which included a specific list of jewelry, DiBella said.

Police later identified a suspect as a person they had dealt at 7 a.m. earlier that morning, when they responded to Sinclair Avenue in Lanoka Harbor on a report of a suspicious person. They found Thomas Laffey, 30, sleeping in his parked vehicle. He was released at the scene, the chief said.

Berkeley Township police officers later located the suspect’s vehicle in the Baywick Plaza at noon. Lacey detectives responded and met with the driver, Thomas Laffey. He was arrested and charged with the burglary, theft, and criminal mischief after detectives discovered a piece of jewelry missing from the victim’s home, DiBella said.

Laffey is lodged in the Ocean County Jail to await a bail hearing. The stolen jewelry was recovered, the chief said.

Residents are urged to contact the Lacey Township Police Department at 609-693-6636 if they observe suspicious activity. In an emergency, call 911.

Photo: Courtesy of Lacey Township Police Department