Barnegat Police Charge Four In Connection With Armed Robbery

Barnegat police recently arrested four people in connection a 3 a.m. armed robbery on Bowline Street

A 30-year-old male victim had gone to Bowline Street to meet with Melissa King, 32, of Long Branch on July 28. He was approached by another man who pointed a handgun at him, then struck him repeatedly in the head with the gun before he took the victim’s two cell phones. He then fled the area with King in a white BMW, according to the police report.

The victim followed the BMW to Berkeley Township, where he stopped to report the robbery and assault to Berkeley Township police. A short time later, a South Toms River police officer located and stopped the white BMW. Barnegat officers responded to the location in South Toms River and took Angelo Grenci, 38, of Toms River, Edwin Nieves, 39, of Seaside Heights, and Anastasio Skentzos, 35, of Toms River into custody. The BMW was impounded while officers applied for a search warrant for the vehicle.

Further investigation revealed that King was staying at the Clarion hotel in Toms River. Officers from the Toms River Police Department responded to the hotel and located King. Barnegat officers went to the hotel and conducted a consent search of King’s hotel room, which resulted in the recovery of a backpack believed to be connected to the robbery. The backpack was secured and transported to the Barnegat Police Department.

Police obtained search warrants for the BMW and the backpack. They recovered a Desert Eagle semi-automatic .50 caliber handgun, the police report states.

Skentzos was charged with first degree robbery and unlawful possession of a weapon. He is lodged in the Ocean County Jail in Toms River on $500,000 cash bail.

Grenci was charged with first degree robbery, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, and unlawful possession of a weapon. He was also taken to the Ocean County Jail in lieu of $500,000 cash bail.

King was charged with first degree robbery. She was lodged in the Ocean County Jail in lieu of $300,000 cash bail.

Nieves was lodged in the Ocean County Jail on a no-bail warrant for violation of probation.

The Barnegat Police Department was assisted by the Ocean County Sheriff’s Department CSI Unit, the Toms River Police Department, the South Toms River Police Department, and the Berkeley Township Police Department.