Point Pleasant Borough Man Charged with Burglary of Catherine Street Home

A Point Pleasant Borough man was charged with burglary and theft after a Catherine Street home was ransacked, police said Tuesday morning.

Keith O'Connell, 21, who is related to the homeowner, was charged in connection with allegedly stealing a $1,400 laptop from the home on Sunday, said police Capt. Richard Larsen.

The laptop was later recovered in good condition from a pawn shop in Toms River and returned to the victim, Larsen said.

Police had received a call at 1:17 p.m. Sunday from a resident at the Catherine Street house, reporting that someone had forced entry through the back door, ransacked the house and stolen the laptop, Larsen said.

The door window had been smashed and the door knocked down, he said.

Police Officer Loren MacIver and Detective Lt. Adam Picca, through their investigation, established O'Connell as a suspect, Larsen said.

A resident at the home had filed a domestic violence restraining order against O'Connell, Larsen said.

The police department was notified that O'Connell was wanted, prompting Officer Chris Woit to pull over his car on Bay Avenue, Larsen said.

MacIver then arrested O'Connell on Bay Avenue and also charged him with contempt of court for violating the restraining order, Larsen said.

O'Connell was lodged in Ocean County jail on $50,000 bail.

The Ocean County Sheriff's Department helped police gather evidence and process the crime scene at the home, Larsen said.

Larsen said he did not want to release any details about the relationship between the suspect and the homeowner or the circumstances that led to the restraining order being filed.