Man Sought In Toms River Bank Robbery Captured In Friend's Bathroom: Police

Toms River, NJ — Like a scene out of bad made-for-TV movie, they found him hiding in a bathroom.

That's where authorities on Thursday apprehended a Toms River man who was wanted in a bank robbery that occurred eight days ago, police said.

Richard Winivaski Jr., 30, was found hiding in the bathroom of a friend's home in Paterson on Thursday and taken into custody by United States Marshals, Toms River police spokesman Ralph Stocco said Friday.

Winiavski, of the 2200 block of Hovsons Boulevard in Toms River, is accused of robbing the Wells Fargo at 1700 Route 37 on Sept. 22, Stocco said. The robbery occurred at 9 a.m. that day, when Winiavski walked in and demanded money from a teller and then fled with an unspecified amount of cash, Stocco said.

Social media followers and Toms River police detectives identified Winiavski after seeing photos from the bank's surveillance system, Stocco said. He was charged by Detective Robert O’Neill with one count of robbery.

Winiavski was located at 2 p.m. on Thursday in Paterson by members of the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force and the Ocean County Sheriff’s Department Warrant Division, Stocco said. He was apprehended after the culmination of surveillance operations and interviews, said Stocco, who praised the efforts of the Ocean County Sheriff’s Department CSI & Warrant Divisions as well as the U.S. Marshals for their cooperation and assistance.

Winiavski was transported to the Toms River Police Department for processing and is being held at the Ocean County Jail in lieu of $75,000 bail; there is no 10 percent option.

Bank surveillance photo from robbery via Toms River police; Richard Winiavski photo via Ocean County Corrections Department