Crime & Safety
Suspicious Vehicle in Bar's Lot, Surveillance Leads to Brick Drug Arrests
Suspects arrested as part of Special Enforcement Team operations
A suspicious vehicle and surveillance operations resulted in several drug arrests recently, part of eight arrests in three days for the Brick Township Police Department's Special Enforcement Team.
Officers investigated a suspicious vehicle in the parking lot of the River Rock bar and restaurant around 4 p.m. Wednesday, finding a man, Michael Mokracek, 25, of 16th Avenue in Brick, in the midst of using a glass pipe to inhale the fumes of a burnt prescription narcotic pill, said Sgt. Henry Drew.
Based on the officer’s observations, Mokracek was placed into custody and transported to Brick Police Headquarters where he was charged with possession of drugs, and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was also issued a motor vehicle summons for having drugs in a motor vehicle.
Mokracek was released after being processed.
In a separate incident around 7:30 p.m. the same day, officers stopped a vehicle after conducting surveillance operations in the area of Greenville Road, Drew said.
An investigation after the motor vehicle stop led to the recovery of three hypodermic needles, said Drew. As a result, a passenger in the vehicle, Nicholas Kastner, 29, of Kettle Creek Road in Toms River, was placed into custody and transported to Brick Police Headquarters where he was charged with with possession of drugs and possession of a hypodermic needle.
Bail was set by Municipal Court Judge Robert Lepore at $1500 cash. Kastner was transported to the Ocean County Jail in lieu of bail.
The driver, Frank Lochli, 37, of Monmouth Road in Cream Ridge, was also placed into custody and transported to Brick Police Headquarters where he was charged with having drugs in a motor vehicle, failure to stop at a stop sign and failure to signal a turn.
In addition, Lochli had an outstanding warrant out of the Plumstead Municipal Court. He was transported to the Ocean County Jail and held on the Plumstead warrant.
Between March 10 and March 12, the Brick Police Department's Special Enforcement Team made eight drug arrests, Drew said.
Sgt. Art Rivaldo, Ptl. John Ziobro, Ptl. Mark Storch, and Ptl. Brian Ulman participated in the latest crackdown, according to police.
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