Man Texted, Called Woman Repeatedly, Broke Into West Long Branch Home, Police Say

A Toms River man who broke into a home, threatened a person in the home and repeatedly texted and called a woman is in jail in charges of violating a restraining order and burglary, according to a criminal complaint filed in Monmouth County.

Steven A. Ciufo, 39, of Savannah Road, Toms River, is being held in lieu of $50,000 bail in the incident that happened over the weekend in West Long Branch, according to the complaint.

According to the complaint, Ciufo called the woman, who has an active restraining order against him, 40 times and texted her 30 times from Saturday into Sunday.

Ciufo then went to a Locust Avenue home in West Long Branch where he believed she was staying, forced his way past the homeowner and searched for the woman, threatening to assault a person identified only as “John” in the complaint, according to West Long Branch police.

The homeowner repeatedly asked Ciufo to leave, police said, and Ciufo refused.

Ciufo is charged with burglary and violating the restraining order.