COPS NAB TRIO FOR AREA BREAK-IN SPREE
By LINDA G. RASTELLI
Three Red Bank residents have been arrested and charged for their alleged roles in a rash of burglaries of cars in Fair Haven, Rumson, Red Bank and Little Silver, according to Fair Haven Police Chief Darryl Breckenridge, Sr.
The suspects are Phillip A. Lewent, 18, Catalin David Larotonda, 20, and an unidentified male 17-year-old, said Fair Haven Det. Sherri Lambert, who questioned them Tuesday afternoon.
They were arrested Saturday by Ptl. Steve Solari of Little Silver Police Department for car burglaries committed in Little Silver, Lambert said.
Sixteen burglaries of unlocked vehicles have been reported in Fair Haven alone since the beginning of November, Lambert said. The crimes took place all over town, and the items taken included cell phones, GPS units, iPods, cash, wallets, and credit cards. The police recently issued an e-mail alert warning residents to lock their cars.
All of the suspects were charged with sixteen counts of burglary and twelve counts of theft.
“We think it’s solved,” Breckenridge said, although Lambert said they hoped to charge additional suspects. Some of the items have been recovered, but she said the department hopes to find all the stolen goods.
Nobody has been charged yet in Red Bank, said Red Bank Police Capt. Steve McCarthy. “At this stage, we’re still working with Fair Haven to put it together,” he told redbankgreen. He said the town has not yet determined how many thefts the trio may have committed in Red Bank.
The Fair Haven Police Department is cooperating with Lt. Joseph Mazza of the Little Silver PD and Det. Ron Vilardi of Rumson Police on the investigation.