Toms River Pair Among 8 Arrested In Berkeley Drug Bust

BERKELEY TOWNSHIP, NJ — Two Toms River residents were arrested Thursday when police searched a Berkeley Township home and found heroin and methamphetamine being packaged for sale, police said Friday.

Philip Donofrio Jr., 35, and Tara Grande, 38, both of Toms River, were arrested Thursday when authorities executed a search warrant at a home on Chain Boulevard in Bayville, not far from Bayville Elementary School, Berkeley Township police said.

Donofrio was arrested on a warrant from Monmouth County for failure to appear on a weapons charge, police said. Grande was charged with possession of heroin, of a hypodermic syringe and drug paraphernalia.

Berkeley police said they had received numerous complaints from the neighborhood about what appeared to be drug distribution at the home. An investigation led to the search warrant and police searched the house at 8:30 p.m. Thursday.

There they found several different types of narcotics, some of which were packaged for resale; they included heroin, meth and marijuana. Police also seized drug paraphernalia related to the sale and use of narcotics.

In addition to Donofrio and Grande, six others were arrested:

Allen Hill, 31, of Chain Boulevard, has been charged with possession of marijauna, possession of heroin, possession of heroin with the intent to distribute, possession of heroin with the intent to distribute within 500 feet of a school, possession of counterfeit money and possession of hypodermic needles. He was taken to the Ocean County Jail.

Michael Masi, 37, of Chain Bolevard, has been charged with possession of a weapon (brass knuckles), possession of marijuana and possession of a hypodermic needle. He was taken to the Ocean County Jail.

Sylwia Kalinowski, 34, of Chain Boulevard, has been charged with possession of marijuana, possession of hypodermic syringe and possession of a weapon (brass knuckles), and was released on a summons.

Michael Centofanti, 33, of Beachwood, has been charged with possession of heroin and possession CDS paraphernalia. He was taken to the Ocean County Jail.

Amy Ferraro, 46, of Chain Boulevard, was arrested on a warrant out of Egg Harbor Township in connection with shoplifting and she was transferred to the Egg Harbor Police Department.

Maryann Garcia, 39, of Barnegat, has been charged with possession of heroin, possession of CDS paraphernalia and possession of a hypodermic syringe. She was released on a summons.

Grande also was released on a summons.

Donofrio was transferred to Monmouth County authorities.

Berkeley Township police said Detective Michael Tier was the lead detective on the case, and was assisted by Berkeley detectives and police officers, along with detectives from the Ocean County Prosecutors Narcotic Strike Force, the Lacey Township Detective Bureau, the Ocean Gate Police Department and the Ocean County Regional SWAT team.

Berkeley police said residents who reported the possible drug activity were crucial to the investigation and arrests.

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