Manchester Police Cooperation Key In Carjacking Arrest: Chief

MANCHESTER, NJ — Manchester Township police say collaboration was the key in Friday's arrest of a man in connection with a gunpoint carjacking in Toms River.

Devin S. Copley-Clevenger, 20, of Lumberton, was arrested Friday in Manchester within minutes of a report of a carjacking in Toms River, Manchester Police Capt. Vincent Manco said.

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Manco said Toms River police were dispatched at 4:10 p.m. to respond to what was initially reported as a robbery in progress involving a handgun.

Three minutes later, Toms River police contacted Manchester police with a description and license plate number of the vehicle that had been stolen, a burgundy Dodge Dakota, saying the victim had last seen it heading west on Route 37, Manco said. That information was broadcast to Manchester police officers, he said.

A short time later Manchester officers saw the Dakota heading west on Route 37 in the area of Northampton Boulevard. They were able to catch up to it in Lakehurst and pulled it over in the parking lot of the Lakehurst Diner. Copley-Clevenger was arrested without incident by Sgt. Gatnarek, Patrolman Steffen, Detective Emmons, and Patrolman Brush, Manco said.

Toms River police arrived and took custody of Copley-Clevenger. A search of the vehicle turned up a loaded 9mm handgun with a high capacity magazine, he said.

The Toms River Police Department subsequently charged Copley-Clevenger with first-degree robbery, first-degree carjacking, second-degree unlawful possession of a weapon, and fourth-degree unlawful possession of a high capacity magazine.

"When law enforcement agencies collaborate, good things happen. This was a dangerous situation that was resolved quickly and safely by all the law enforcement agencies involved," Manchester Police Chief Robert Dolan said.

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