21 Cars Burglarized In One Night, 2 Men Charged: Lacey Police

LACEY TOWNSHIP, NJ: Lacey police have charged a Bayville man and a Brick man with 21 car burglaries that happened all on the same night, Police Chief Michael C. DiBella said.

Numerous Lanoka Harbor residents reported that their unlocked vehicles had been broken into and items taken. The total value of the thefts were more than $5,000, the chief said.

"From the 21 unlocked vehicles that were entered, some victims reported minimal thefts including loose change, while others had extensive loss including cash and electronics," DiBella said.

Lacey officer John Simonson stopped a vehicle at 3:22 p.m. on May 8 near Deerhead Lake and Lakeside drives for failure to signal. Further investigation led him to believe it was the vehicle suspected of being involved in the burglaries.

Detectives were able to positively identify the two occupants of Simonson’s motor vehicle stop on May 9.

Michael Connett, 35, Bell Street, Bayville and Michael Britton, 31, Leone Drive, Brick, were arrested on May 9 and charged with 21 counts of burglary and one count of theft in excess of $5,000, DiBella said.

Lacey detectives along with detectives from Berkeley Township executed a search warrant at 34 Bell Street in Bayville, where they recovered numerous stolen items, the chief said.

Britton also had an outstanding no-bail warrant after failing to appear in Ocean County Superior Court. Britton was taken to the Ocean County Jail in Toms River. Connett was released on his own recognizance in accordance with bail reform, DiBella said.

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