Halfway house runaway arrested in Ocean Twp.

OCEAN TOWNSHIP – A Red Bank man was taken into custody last week after being wanted by police for leaving a halfway house in Hoboken.

Ocean Township Police Officer Randy Slawsky was patrolling in the Oakhurst section of the township on June 2 at approximately 12:30 a.m., when he spotted a male riding a bicycle with no light or reflectors, according to police reports.

Slawsky stopped the man and after a short investigation, determined that the suspect, later identified as Mark Friday, 19, of Red Bank, had given the officer several fake names, according to reports.

Friday attempted to flee the scene on foot but was caught by police and taken into custody, authorities said.

An investigation revealed that Friday had left a halfway house in Hoboken and was wanted by the New Jersey State Department of Corrections on a no-bail warrant for escape, according to reports.

It was also discovered that Friday had active warrants from Long Branch Municipal Court.

Friday was charged in Ocean Township with hindering his own apprehension and resisting arrest, according to reports.

His bail was set at $7,500 for the Ocean Township charges and $750 for the Long Branch warrant. No bail was set for the Department of Corrections warrant, authorities said.

Friday was held in default of the bail at the Monmouth County Correctional Institution in Freehold Township.