Crime & Safety

Pair Arrested, Charged With Theft Of $10,000 In Jewelry In Holiday City

Items recovered in Toms River pawn shop

 Berkeley Township police recently arrested a man and a woman and charged them with the theft of more than $10,000 worth of jewelry and cash from a Boca Raton Street home, Sgt. Peter La Rocca said.

Cecil Nicholls, 28, Marlboro, and Christine Greenfield, 26, Waretown, have both been charged with burglary and theft. They remain lodged in the Ocean County Jail in Toms River, in lieu of $50,000 bail with no ten percent option, La Rocca said.

The arrests are connected to a June 26 burglary at the home. The residents were away at the time the incident occurred, sometime between 8:45 a.m. and 10 a.m., he said.

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"They were missing some jewelry and noticed the house was burglarized and called police," La Rocca said. "It was a lot of jewelry, rings, necklaces, bracelets and a small amount of cash."

Patrolman Warren Black and Detective Joseph Santoro responded and began processing the scene, he said.

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"They knocked on doors and asked people if they saw anything," La Rocca said. "They just pointed us in the right direction."

Greenfield turned herself in at police headquarters on June 28. Santoro arrested Nicholls on July 11 on Route 37 in Toms River, he said.

The jewelry was recovered in a Toms River pawn shop and identified by the owners.

"We match the pawn slips to the jewelry," La Rocca said. "The shops have to take pictures of it. Shops have to hold onto items for a certain number of days."

Both La Rocca and Police Chief Karin T. DiMichele cautioned residents to keep valuables and jewelry in secure places in their homes or in safe deposit boxes.

"I want to remind all residents to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity to police," DiMichele said. "Information received from concerned citizens who report suspicious activity are critical in many of our investigations."

 


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