MILLSTONE — Three men have been arrested and charged in connection with their alleged participation in a string of burglaries in Millstone Township.
According to a New Jersey State Police press release, police have arrested Dean Lombardi, 23, of Jackson, Thomas Ditre, 23, of Brick Township, and Tomas Sinkevicius, 20, of Howell, in connection with eight residential burglaries in Millstone Township that netted approximately $117,000 worth of stolen jewelry and property and a stolen .22 caliber handgun.
Detectives from the Troop “C” Criminal Investigations Office, with assistance from Hamilton Township substation troopers and the Manalapan Police Department, were able to develop the three men as the primary suspects following a string of burglaries that began on Sept. 17 and ended on Oct. 30, according to the state police.
Lombardi was arrested on Oct. 31 as a result of a bulletin issued by the state police. A Manalapan police officer located Lombardi driving a Nissan Altima in the area of Sweetmans Lane, Manalapan. Officers stopped Lombardi in his vehicle and notified state police.
At the time of Lombardi’s arrest, detectives seized burglary tools and stolen jewelry from inside his car.
Detectives later seized a loaded .22 caliber handgun from a residence on Wetherill Drive, Millstone Township, which was previously reported as a burglary in progress. Lombardi is alleged to have previously stolen the handgun from a different home, according to the press release.
Lombardi was charged with burglary (eight counts), theft (eight counts), unlawful possession of a weapon, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and certain persons not to possess a weapon.
Lombardi was initially placed in the Monmouth County jail, Freehold Township, in lieu of $150,000 bail with no 10 percent option.
State police said evidence also connected Ditre and Sinkevicius with the Millstone Township burglaries.
On Nov. 4, detectives served complaints to Ditre at the Ocean County Jail, Toms River, where he was lodged on unrelated charges.
Ditre was charged with burglary (six counts), theft (six counts), unlawful possession of a weapon and certain persons not to possess a firearm. Bail relating to the Millstone Township charges was set at $50,000 with no 10 percent option.
On Nov. 24, Sinkevicius was arrested and charged at the New Jersey State Police Hamilton Township substation.
Sinkevicius was charged with conspiracy to commit burglary for allegedly driving the suspects to and from a burglarized residence. He was served a summons complaint and released pending a future court date, according to the press release.