Middletown police released the following on Friday afternoon regarding a robbery Thursday evening:
On December 19, 2013 at approximately 6:45 p.m. the Middletown Police Department responded to a report of an armed robbery at the Rite Aid Pharmacy located on Newman Springs Road in Lincroft, NJ. The suspect, Jayson Turegano, age 24, from Hurley’s Lane in Lincroft, NJ, entered the store and jumped over the pharmacy counter. Turegano then grabbed the pharmacist, placed a scissor blade to his neck, threatened him and demanded Oxycodone pills. He then fled the store with a bottle of pills.
Patrolman Michael Pintilie, who responded to the scene, recognized Turegano from the store surveillance video and from a previous call he had handled earlier in the evening. Corporal Bernie Chenoweth and Patrolman John Mele then conducted a thorough canvass of the area and located additional witnesses. At approximately 3:30 a.m. Sergeant Gerald Weimer and Patrolman David Crenshaw located Turegano in a common area in Loftman Towers, a nearby housing complex. He was taken into custody and brought to police headquarters.
Detective First Class Kelly Godley and Detectives Laurence Schachtel and Keith Hirschbein conducted a follow up investigation which resulted in Turegano being charged with Robbery, Terroristic Threats, Theft, Unlawful Possession of Oxycodone, Possession of a Weapon for an Unlawful Purpose and Unlawful Possession of a Weapon. He was being held at the Monmouth County Correctional Facility in Freehold, NJ, on $75,000.00 bail set by Judge Richard Thompson.
Detective Lieutenant Stephen Dollinger credits the team work displayed by all of the officers involved which lead to the quick resolution of the incident. The officers should be commended for their professionalism and diligence in solving this crime.