Wanted man causes worry in Millstone

State police want to dispel rumors

surrounding incident

BY JENNIFER KOHLHEPP

Staff Writer

New Jersey State Police continue to search for a man wanted for getting into a shoving match with a Millstone boy last week, officials said.

According to state police Lt. Kathleen Devlin, officials received a report of a potential abduction of a 12-year-old male in a wooded area behind a Patterson Lane residence at 3:30 p.m. on May 17.

“The call came in, and the [boy’s] mother was shaken by the turn of events, so we responded accordingly,” Devlin said.

Within minutes of receiving the report, according to Devlin, the state police dispatched patrols and set up a perimeter around the area where the alleged incident occurred. The area is located near the Dairy Queen and Ely Harmony and Stagecoach roads.

Because most of the wooded areas in Millstone interconnect, Devlin said, “We also sent out two K-9 units to try to track the suspect’s movements,” Devlin said. “And we had support via helicopter.”

Mayor Elias Abilheira said the state police “responded in very good form.”

“They had helicopters and search dogs out promptly,” Abilheira said, “and [in] working with the state police, we were able to get the composite sketch to the school Wednesday morning to send home with all of the students.

“The police also promptly posted the sketch at local businesses,” Abilheira said.

Despite their efforts, Devlin said the state police remained unsuccessful in locating the alleged suspect, whom the victim described as a white male in his 30s. The male reportedly had on faded blue jeans and an orange T-shirt. His hair was dark and appeared matted down, as if he had recently been wearing a baseball cap, according to Devlin.

“What the young man saw was a person standing on the wooded edge of his property,” Devlin said. “The man appeared to be a stranger so the child called out to the person, but the person did not answer.”

Initial reports said that the trespasser “grunted and fled,” but only after the victim resisted the individual’s attempts to grab onto him.

Upon investigation, Devlin said police discovered that the boy had approached the suspect.

“It became clear that the boy approached him and the two grabbed one another, getting into some sort of pushing and shoving match,” Devlin said. “The kid’s shirt tore, and they apparently ran away from each other.”

As a result of the investigation, Devlin said the initial charges of attempted abduction have been reduced to trespassing and simple assault.

Devlin said police “have a couple of leads but no identity for the suspect as of yet.”

When asked if it was true that the 12-year-old initially went after the trespasser with a baseball bat, Devlin said, “It was only reported that the victim walked toward him first, to see what the stranger was doing there.”

According to Devlin, residents have spread many rumors regarding the incident.

“I’ve heard that the person is a registered sex offender,” Devlin said.

Devlin said police are following all potential leads in the matter but have not found any evidence to corroborate most accounts.

When asked whether it was true that area residents had previously seen the trespasser in the area, Devlin said, “If that’s true, that’s a lead we haven’t gotten yet. People need to call us if they think they’ve seen this person before.”

Abilheira said the incident reinforces the need for parents to impress upon their children regularly that they should stay away from strangers.

“We are fortunate to have a very low crime rate in Millstone Township,” Abilheira said, “but this reminds all of us of the importance of looking out for each other.

“By working together to make it clear to criminals that Millstone Township is a place where we notice and report strangers to police immediately,” Abilheira said, “we can make sure our town remains an undesirable place for criminals to stake out.”

When asked how such an incident could affect a community that still leaves most of its doors unlocked, Abilheira said, “I still think Millstone is one of the safest places to live in Monmouth County.”

In the event that an area resident encounters someone matching the description of the alleged suspect, Devlin said, “call the state police or dial 911.

“Use caution and do not approach the stranger,” he added. “Let us do our job.”

Anyone with information regarding the incident should call the state police at (609) 584-5000.