Toms River Child Luring: Man Had No Criminal Intent, Police Say

TOMS RIVER, NJ — Toms River police say they identified a man in connection with a pair of reports of child luring over the weekend and determined he had no criminal intent to lure or harm the children.

"The person of interest has been identified and interviewed along with members of his family," said Jillian Messina, media specialist for the Toms River Police Department. "It has been determined that there was no criminal intent to lure or cause any harm to the children."

Police were called to the Georgetown section of Toms River about 4:45 p.m. on Saturday for the two separate reports. One happened at Chippewa Road and Apache Drive and the second incident was nearby in the area of Shawnee Drive. The Georgetown section is just east of the Ocean County Mall.

In both instances, the children, who were 9 to 12 years old, ran away from the man and told their parents, who called police, Messina said.

Police investigated the matter through the weekend and extra patrols were added to the area, Messina said.

"At the conclusion of the investigation all parents and children involved have been updated of the outcome," she said. "These children acted appropriately, doing exactly what they should have done when approached by a stranger. We commend them for their actions and their parents for alerting authorities."

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