Burglary Arrest Heralded as 'Prime Example of Teamwork' Toms River Police Chief Says

The apprehension of a Bayville man charged with burglarizing multiple area homes in Toms River is being called "prime example of teamwork" between residents and police departments. 

Based off of information from a March 1 burglary, subsequent investigation and cooperation from neighboring officers, Toms River police charged William Needham, 26, of Bayville, with breaking into multiple homes, according to Police Chief Michael G. Mastronardy. 

Officer Eric Divone responded to a residential burglary on Lester Road at 1 p.m. on March 1, after the homeowner received a call from a neighbor that a suspicious truck was parked in their driveway. When the victim "immediately" returned home from running some errands, it was discovered that a rear bedroom window was used to enter the home, where $800 of jewelry was missing, according to the chief.

"The alert neighbor was able to get a description of the vehicle and license plate that was broadcast to all Toms River officers and surrounding police departments," Mastronardy said.

Beachwood Detective Sean Langan spotted the truck and, along with Berkeley police, stopped it along Route 9. Needham was arrested and the jewelry taken earlier from Lester Drive was returned, Mastronardy said.

"This case is a prime example of teamwork in that the alert neighbor was instrumental in providing information that communication personnel distributed timely to street officers who worked with detectives to make a quick arrest that resulted in being able to return property to the victims," Mastronardy said. 

While police were interviewing Needham, Officer Jason Stallworth was dispatched to Brookside Drive on another burglary report. There, the rear door was forced open and $1,400 in jewelry was taken between Feb. 28 and March 1, according to the chief.

"As part of the investigation, detectives contacted a resident on Cedar Grove Road to advise them that their home was possibly burglarized. As a result the homeowner determined that an iPod and jewelry she thought was originally misplaced were actually taken in a burglary on Feb. 18," Mastronardy said.

Needham was charged with the three residential burglaries and an additional two burglaries that occurred on Lester Drive in Toms River, and one in Berkeley from last month, Mastronardy said. Needham is being held in the Ocean County Jail on $20,000 bail with no 10 percent option. 

The investigation by Detectives Chris Fluck, Roger Hull, Glen Lucas, MarkBajada, Thomas Dimichele, the Ocean County Sheriff’s Department and Berkeley Township police is continuing.