Trio Charged In $117K Burglary String In Monmouth County: State Police

Two Ocean County men and a Monmouth County man have been charged in a string of burglaries that netted about $117,000 in stolen property in western Monmouth County, the New Jersey State Police announced Wednesday.

Dean Lombardi, 23, of Jackson, Thomas Ditre, 23, of Brick, and Tomas Sinkevicius, 20, of Howell, face varying charges in connection with eight residential burglaries in Millstone Township between Sept. 17 and Oct. 30, State Police said.

Lombardi was arrested on Halloween in Manalapan as the result of a bulletin issued by the State Police. Manalapan Police found him driving a Nissan Altima in the area of Sweetmans Lane, Manalapan, stopped him in his vehicle and notified State Police.

At the time of Lombardi’s arrest, detectives seized burglary tools and stolen jewelry from inside his car. Additionally, detectives later seized a loaded .22 caliber handgun from a residence on Wetherill Drive, which was previously reported as a burglary in progress. Lombardi is alleged to have previously stolen the handgun from a different home, police said.

Evidence from the investigation by detectives from State Police Troop C, with assistance from Hamilton-Sub Station troopers, also connected Ditre and Sinkevicius with the burglaries, police said.

Ditre was served the complaints on Nov. 4 at the Ocean County Jail, where he was lodged on unrelated charges, and Sinkevicius was arrested Nov. 24 and charged at Hamilton-Sub Station, they said.

Lombardi was charged with eight counts each of burglary and theft, as well as unlawful possession of a weapon, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, and certain persons not to possess a weapon.

Lombardi is being held in the Monmouth County Correctional Facility in lieu of $150,000 bail, no 10 percent option, State Police said.

Ditre was charged with six counts each of burglary and theft, unlawful possession of a weapon, and certain persons not to possess a firearm. Bail on those charges has been set at $50,000, no 10 percent option. His Ocean County Jail detainer information notes charges from Sea Bright and Trenton in addition to one from Monmouth County Superior Court but does not detail those charges.

Sinkevicius was charged with conspiracy to commit burglary for allegedly driving the suspects to and from a burglarized residence. He was served a summons complaint and released pending a future court date.