Hazlet Police K9 Bites Officer In Search For Suspect In Dark

HAZLET, NJ — A Hazlet police K9 mistakenly bit a police officer Wednesday night while they were searching for two burglary suspects in the dark, and in a very muddy terrain in the wooded area behind the Pep Boys.

"The dog bite was from our K9 while conducting a track in an area of muddy terrain," Hazlet Deputy Chief Ted Wittke told Patch. "It was also extremely dark, which led to the dog biting one of our officers by accident."

Hazlet police said they were working on a case and developed information that led them to believe that a home in town was going to be targeted in a burglary, police said in a press release.

After immediately notifying the owners for their safety Wednesday night, they set up surveillance of the house, which is located in a development behind the old Kmart plaza.

At 7:52 p.m. Wednesday, March 20 officers observed two black men in dark clothing attempt to break into the home in question, police said. As officers responded to the home, the suspects fled on foot. Other towns were called in, as well as the two Hazlet police dogs. Police chased one of the suspects into the wooded area behind the Pep Boys. While tracking the suspect through very muddy terrain, one of the officers, Steven Venticinque, suffered a non life-threatening dog bite.

The officers located one of the suspects, and Lt. Vincent Quinn apprehended him next to Cerlione's lawn and garden equipment store on Hwy. 35, police said.

The search for the other suspect continued for four more hours Wednesday night, and the State Police helicopter unit was even called in, as was Holmdel OEM's drone. That man was last seen in the area of Brooklawn Drive.

Hazlet police said several residents called in to provide surveillance video of the two men and tell police about possible evidence left in their yards. They said they have identified the second suspect who got away, and said he will be arrested soon.