Bloody Apron, Videos Tie Toms River Man To 6 Break-ins: Police

TOMS RIVER, NJ —Blood on an apron and an alarm panel along with surveillance video helped Toms River police tie a Toms River man to a string of commercial burglaries, police said Friday morning.

Lawrence Deluise, 47, of James Street, was arrested Oct. 7, a few hours after a burglary at the Shut Up and Eat restaurant at 804 Main St., Toms River Police Department spokesman Ralph Stocco said.

Stocco said police were called to the restaurant about 12:20 a.m. on Oct. 7 when a burglar alarm was tripped. Upon arrival, the responding officers found someone had broken a window and gone into the building, he said.

Inside, officers discovered the cash register near the front of the building had been pulled open, he said. They also found blood on the alarm panel, which had been ripped off the wall, as well as blood on a white apron on the floor by the shattered window, Stocco said.

The Toms River police Detective Bureau's Burglary Task Force investigated and was able to link Deluise to the Shut Up and Eat burglary, Stocco said. Further investigation, and forensic and video evidence, subsequently linked him to four other commercial burglaries, he said.

Deluise has been charged with burglary and criminal mischief in connection with the burglary at Shut Up and Eat; burglary and theft in connection with an Oct. 5 burglary at All Star Bagel, Route 37 West, Toms River; burglary and theft in connection with burglaries Sept. 18 and Oct. 5 at Schiano's Pizza, Lakehurst Road, Toms River; burglary at the AT&T store on Sept. 28; and he also is charged with trespassing in a Sept. 15 incident at Blue Fountain Restaurant, Route 37 West, Toms River, Stocco said.

Deluise is being held at the Ocean County Jail, Toms River, in lieu of $50,000 bail.

Anyone with more information is asked to contact Detective Roger Hull at 732-349-0150, ext. 1291.

Lawrence Deluise photo via Ocean County Corrections Department; handcuffs image via Shutterstock