Man Charged After Stealing From 5 Stafford Homes: Police

STAFFORD, NJ — A man was charged with multiple counts of burglary and theft after he ransacked five different homes on Jennings Road, police said.

Gerardo Antonio Hernandez-Martinez, 24, committed the crimes between late December and early January, according to a Stafford Township Police Department news release.

Preliminary investigation found that the homes were "ransacked," with multiple pieces of property stolen including flat screen TVs, power tools, hand tools, other miscellaneous electronics and food, police said.

Some of the homes were seasonal homes, and they appeared to be unlawfully occupied in the owner's absence for an extended period of time, police said.

Police received an additional call in reference to an ongoing burglary at a Jennings Road home on Jan. 8. Patrol officers responded immediately and found Hernandez-Martinez on the scene, police said. He was taken into custody and charged with criminal trespassing, burglary and theft. However, due to bail reform, Hernandez-Martinez was released shortly after, pending a future court appearance, police said.

Another call on Jan. 12 from a Jennings Road resident, across the street from previous incidents, helped police connect the crimes to the previous incidents. Police were able to recover multiple stolen items and return them to their rightful owners.

That same day, police found Hernandez-Martinez at his place of work in Forked River, and took him into custody once again. He was charged with two additional counts of burglary, one count of theft and one count of criminal mischief. He now sits at Ocean County Jail pending a future court appearance.

Stafford police used these incidents to remind residents of the importance of contacting them when witnessing suspicious activity.

"Stafford Police relies on the public to be our eyes and ears," they said. "In this case, the victims reported the crimes immediately and cooperated with law enforcement, which ultimately led to the suspect being arrested, charged, and lodged in the Ocean County Jail."

Stafford police can be contacted by calling 911 or their Dispatch Center at 597-8581.