The Manalapan Police Department reported the following incidents that occurred in the municipality:
• On Dec. 4, a 53-year-old female resident of Manalapan reported that unknown individuals used her personal information and conducted multiple transactions on her Verizon account totaling $3,147.
• On Dec. 5, a 55-year-old female resident of Manalapan reported that unknown individuals used her personal information and conducted a bank transfer in the amount of $8,000 to an unknown bank account.
• On Dec. 9, a 65-year-old Manalapan resident reported that he formed a social media friendship with a woman from Ghana. The individual from Ghana was able to convince the man to lend her more then $10,000 over a six-month period. Due to the woman’s recent lack of communication, the man realized the incident was a scam and reported it to police.
• On Dec. 3 at 1:03 p.m., an employee of Marshalls, Route 9, reported a shoplifting incident. The employee reported that on Nov. 2 at 12:49 p.m., two known individuals left the store without paying for merchandise valued at $729. Police said the Marshalls employee was directed to municipal court to sign criminal complaints.
• On Dec. 3 at 10:38 p.m., a structure fire was reported at a business on McBride Road. Firefighters from the Gordons Corner Fire Company, the Manalapan Township Fire Company No. 1 (Millhurst), the Englishtown Fire Department and the Monroe Fire Company responded and extinguished the fire. Police said no injuries were reported as a result of the incident, however, the business sustained heavy damage. The incident is under investigation by Patrolman Jason Vigneault and Detective Dominic Donatelli of the Manalapan Police Department, the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office and the Monmouth County Fire Marshal’s Office.
• On Dec. 4 at 12:36 p.m., loss prevention employees at Target, Route 9, reported an incident of shoplifting in which an individual was using a knife to remove merchandise. Police said a 38-year-old male resident of Freehold was charged with shoplifting $399 worth of merchandise. The suspect was also charged with possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose. He was processed and released.
• On Dec. 7 at 5 p.m., Patrolman Adam Sosnowski responded to a residence on Shepard Way to investigate a report of the theft of a Christmas decoration. A resident reported that sometime between 7 p.m. Dec. 5 and 5 p.m. Dec. 7, unknown individuals stole a music/light synchronization box valued at $800 from the front yard.