Suspect Identified In Home Depot Wire Theft In Toms River

TOMS RIVER, NJ — One of two men sought in connection with the theft of nearly $3,000 worth of copper wire from Home Depot in December has been identified, Toms River police said Wednesday.

An arrest warrant has been issued for Eric Jones, 41, of Wilmington, Delaware, Lt. Gene Bachonski said. He has been charged with theft, robbery and unlawful possession of a weapon in the Dec. 6, 2023 robbery at the Home Depot on Route 9.

Police say Jones was one of two men involved in the incident, where one man used bolt cutters to cut a lock on cages that held copper wire and removed 27 rolls of 12-2 wire, then walked out of the store without paying for it.

A Home Depot employee approached the man as he was leaving the store and the man pulled out a utility knife and threatened the worker, police said at the time.

The two men loaded the wire into a white Chevrolet Impala with Delaware license plate 562303 and drove off, police said.

The vehicle's registered owner said he had sold the vehicle at a gas station in Delaware before the robbery, police said.

In the weeks since then, Toms River police received information from license plate readers that the Impala was in Pennsylvania, around the King of Prussia/West Chester area, Bachonski said.

The car was found in a Lowe's parking lot in Plymouth Township, Pennsylvania, and officers there established surveillance and identified the person driving the car as Jones, Bachonski said. Jones matched the Home Depot suspect, he said.

Police ask anyone with information on the suspects, or the robbery, to call Toms River Police Department Detective Bureau at jmastronardy@trpolice.org or by calling 732-349-0150, Ext. 1346. All information will remain confidential.