Crime & Safety

Brick Teens Arrested for Overnight Burglary of High School

Police: pair took athletic equipment from BMHS building

Two Brick men were arrested early Saturday morning, accused of burglarizing and taking items from .

Police first went to the school after an alarm went off at 3:35 a.m., Capt. John Rein said. At that time, Patrolman Joseph Rossi responded and checked the exterior of the building, which was found to be secured and all doors locked. He did notice an unoccupied, silver Dodge Stratus parked in the school's lot, however.

About an hour later, at 4:47 a.m., Patrolman Ryan Talty returned to the school after another alarm went off. Talty also found the building to be secured and locked, and the silver Stratus still in the lot.

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While Talty was still on scene, however, a third alarm was received while he was waiting for a school representative to check the building's interior. After the 5:16 a.m. alarm, Talty also noticed the Stratus pulling out of the parking lot, Rein said.

Talty pulled over the vehicle, which was being occupied by township residents Christopher Ribertone, 19, and Sean Morris, 18, said Rein. 

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While questioning the pair, Talty saw several items in the vehicle that were determined to be school property, Rein said, including athletic equipment (a football, kickball and a pair of kettlebells) as well as a pair of awards/plaques and water jugs.

The two were placed under arrest and charged with one count each of burglary and theft. After being processed at Brick police headquarters, both were transported to the Ocean County Jail in lieu of $5,000 bail set by Municipal Court Judge Robert Lepore.

No damage was found to the building. Police believe the pair entered through a side auditorium door that was inadvertently left unlocked, then locked by the suspected burglars on their way out.

Detective James Burgess assisted in interviewing the suspects and is continuing the investigation, Rein said.


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