Man Charged With Groping Woman, Teen At Toms River ShopRite

TOMS RIVER, NJ — A Manchester man is accused of groping two female customers at the Route 37 ShopRite in Toms River in March, and the victims have now filed lawsuits against the man and the store.

Robert Derflinger Jr. of the Whiting section of Manchester was charged with criminal sexual contact on March 18 by Toms River police, Jillian Messina, the media specialist for the police department confirmed.

Messina said police were called to the ShopRite at 2 Route 37 west about 4:20 p.m. on March 18 and the two victims — a 16-year-old girl and a 49-year-old woman — told police Derflinger had groped them while they were shopping in the store.

Neither victim knew Derflinger and said his behavior was completely unprovoked, and Messina said those statements were corroborated by video from the store's surveillance cameras. Derflinger was charged and released to await a court date under state bail reform guidelines.

Since then, the two victims have filed lawsuits against Derflinger, the management at the Route 37 ShopRite and the corporation itself, alleging a failure to properly screen and train Derflinger and alleging a failure by the store management to take action immediately when the incidents were reported.

In an email Tuesday afternoon, a ShopRite spokeswoman said Derflinger was terminated on March 21.

"While we cannot comment on pending litigation, the police were contacted after the incident was reported and we are cooperating fully with the police investigation," said Marla Camins, with ShopRite's corporate communications.

Robert Fuggi Jr., the attorney representing the two victims, said the lawsuits were filed April 17 in Superior Court in Ocean County. Copies of the lawsuits were not immediately available online.

In a news release, Fuggi said the two victims allege Derflinger smelled of alcohol and appeared to be intoxicated when he approached them in the store. Fuggi's letter alleges Derflinger approached the 49-year-old woman first, in the frozen foods aisle, commenting on the items in her cart. He then allegedly put his arm around the woman and grabbed her buttocks with his other hand, pulled her close to him and tried to kiss her. The woman was able to pull away and said, "Please leave me alone!" Fuggi writes.

The incident with the 16-year-old happened one aisle over, Fuggi alleges in the news release. Derflinger is accused of approaching the girl, saying, "Hey, hey, hey! How are you?" and then grabbing her and hugging her. The girl pulled away but Derflinger is alleged to have continued to follow her, pushing her, and at one point grabbing her breast, while telling other shoppers, "She's my girlfriend." The woman Derflinger is accused of grabbing first saw what was happening to the teen and intervened, Fuggi wrote, telling Derflinger to leave the girl alone and stay away.

Fuggi's press release alleges the management at ShopRite did not call police even after being told the teen had been assaulted, and that it was the girl's father who called police to the store.

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