Tinton Falls and Rumson police charged a man in car break-ins that occurred over months. (Photo by Dustin Racioppi; click to enlarge)
By DUSTIN RACIOPPI
Tinton Falls and Rumson police have brought close to 75 charges against a Farmingdale teenager for his alleged role in car break-ins that occurred over the course of four months in each town.
Charges from surrounding towns and others in eastern Monmouth County may soon follow, officials said Monday.
The departments made the charges following the arrest of Rodney Tyler, 19, in Wall last Friday.
“It was a good catch for us,” Lieutenant David Scrivanic, of Tinton Falls police, said.
Tinton Falls charged Tyler on June 10 with 63 counts of burglary and thefts to motor vehicles and one count of burglary and theft to a structure within the borough, Scrivanic said.
He was held on $90,000 bail in the Monmouth County Correctional Institution, he said.
Tinton Falls police, who had been in steady contact with police in other area towns, believe Tyler was responsible for numerous, car break-ins that happened in different areas of the borough and beyond.
“The gentleman was going from town to town over the course of a few months,” Scrivanic said. After he was arrested in Wall, he added, “it unfolded from there.”
On Monday morning, Rumson police positively identified Tyler as a suspect in eight break-ins that occurred on April 11 — a month before the department arrested a trio for 18 break-ins — Detective Chris Isherwood said. Tyler was not among the trio, which included a 19-year-old man from Oceanport and two juveniles.
Isherwood said Tyler was caught on video at a residence breaking into a car, and after he was arrested Friday, police were able to match him to the video and seven other break-ins.
Tyler was charged with eight counts of burglary, two counts of theft and was held on $45,000 bail in the county jail on those allegations, he said.
Isherwood believes Tyler may be responsible for a rash of break-ins that have been reported by most departments within the redbankgreen coverage area. Scrivanic said Tyler is also facing charges in Deal and Ocean, as well as Wall.
“I definitely think there’s a good portion of the county this guy’s been involved with,” Isherwood said.
Rumson Police Chief Richard Tobias said Tyler’s arrest makes his town and others much safer now.
“It’s good for everybody,” he said.
And although Scrivanic said the arrest was huge for the borough, it’s possible Tyler was not the only one responsible.
“I don’t know if it’ll put an end to something like this, but I know it clears a lot of our cases,” he said.
Since April, Fair Haven, Rumson, Red Bank, Shrewsbury, Little Silver and Tinton Falls police have reported car break-ins.
Representatives from Red Bank, Fair Haven, Shrewsbury and Little Silver could not immediately be reached for comment on whether they believe Tyler is responsible for those crimes. redbankgreen will update this story if those departments believe that to be the case.
