By: Tracie Carter
A 37-year-old woman from Brick Township has been charged in connection with a robbery and burglary that occurred in Berkeley Township during the early hours of October 15, according to Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer.
Jessica Napolitano faces multiple charges, including robbery, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, unlawful possession of a weapon, burglary, and criminal mischief.
Ocean County officials said approximately 4:20 a.m. on October 15, officers from the Berkeley Township Police Department responded to a report of a robbery at The Corner Store on Ocean Gate Drive.
Investigators determined that a woman entered the store, brandished a knife at the cashier, and demanded money and cigarettes.
After the cashier complied, the suspect fled the scene with cash and cigarettes.
Further investigation revealed that just before the robbery, a female suspect had thrown a rock through the window of the Dollar General Store on Atlantic City Boulevard in an attempt to steal cigarettes.
When her efforts were unsuccessful, left the store and proceeded to The Corner Store.
Officers later identified Napolitano as the suspect in both incidents. She was apprehended in Lakewood Township and taken into custody without incident.
Napolitano is currently being held at the Ocean County Jail, awaiting a detention hearing.