Who Beat Lakewood Couple In Their Home? Police Still Seek Answers

LAKEWOOD, NJ — As a Lakewood couple continues to recover from injuries suffered in a home invasion, authorities are following all leads "to exhaustion" in what police said is a continuing and extension investigation.

Frederick Robison, 68, and his wife, Patricia Robison, 64, remained hospitalized at Jersey Shore University Medical Center, Neptune, on Saturday, recovering from head injuries suffered when the intruder into their Eagle Ridge Circle home beat them both, apparently using a flashlight, Lakewood Police Capt. Gregory Staffordsmith said.

The investigation so far has shown the intruder or intruders got into the Robisons' home through a garage window sometime around midnight on Aug. 29, and confronted the couple a short time later and demanded money, he said. At some point during the robbery the intruder assaulted them both.

"The cowardly act resulted in significant head injuries," Staffordsmith said.

The intruder then fled in Mr. Robison’s car, which was quickly located by responding patrol units in the Highpoint Condominium Complex, he said.

A search warrant was executed at the Robisons' home "in order to give us the legal authority to maintain possession and control of the premise so that we could have access in order to assist in any of the leads we investigated thus far," Staffordsmith said. "We released the home back to the family yesterday (Friday) around 3 p.m."

Staffordsmith said Lakewood police are following "all leads to exhaustion" and are receiving assistance and resources from the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office, the Ocean County Sherriff’s Deptartment, the New Jersey State Police, the United States Marshal’s Office, and the FBI.

The Asbury Park Press reported the Robisons have been vocal opponents of plans for development at Eagle Ridge Golf Course, which was sold to GDSM Holdings last year. A settlement in late October 2017 between GDSM and the state Department of Environmental Protection would allow 1,034 residential units, some as duplexes, some as apartments, at the site, a significant reduction from the 1,800 units GDSM originally sought. But the plans have remained mired in legal wrangling as homeowners in The Fairways have filed suit to stop development, according to the Asbury Park Press.

Anyone with any information is urged to contact Detective Eric Ciccerello at 732-363-0200 or Det. Lindsay Woodfield at the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office at 732-929-2027.

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