MANCHESTER TOWNSHIP, NJ – A woman who met an 18-year-old male to purchase items from him after arranging the sale on Snapchat earlier in the day doused him with gasoline and threatened to burn him as she robbed him.
According to Manchester Township Police Chief Robert M. Dolan, on Thursday, July 28, Eboni Hester, 27, of Manchester Township, was charged with Robbery, Aggravated Assault, and Unlawful Possession of Weapons, Possession of Weapons for Unlawful Purposes, and Theft.
According to police, on Wednesday, June 21, 2022, at approximately 2:12 pm an 18-year-old male arrived at the Manchester Township Police Department and reported that he was the victim of a robbery. According to the victim, a female contacted him on Snapchat earlier in the day.
“The conversation was in reference to purchasing items, which the victim was selling. Both parties later met at the Dollar General, located at 1924 State Highway 37, in Manchester. During the encounter, the female suspect poured a water bottle containing gasoline all over the victim,” Chief Dolan said. “The suspect then held a butane torch to the victim’s person and forced him to hand over sneakers, clothing, approximately $300.00 in cash, and his cell phone. After robbing the victim of these items, the female fled the area westbound on State Highway 37.”
Through various investigative efforts, Eboni Hester, 27, of Manchester Township, was identified as a person of interest. As the investigation, led by Detective Victoria Guarino of the Manchester Township Police Investigations Bureau progressed, sufficient incriminating evidence was recovered, resulting in Hester being arrested and charged with the aforementioned criminal offenses. Hester was lodged in the Ocean County Jail pending a detention hearing.
“As a reminder to the public, Manchester Township has established a “Safe Exchange Zone” at the Municipal Complex where residents can complete online purchase transactions and make child custodial exchanges. The “Safe Exchange Zone” was created as a means of addressing safety concerns brought about by patrons involved with online purchases from websites such as Craigslist, eBay, Facebook, and classified ads, as well as to provide a safe location for families with visitation rights to make custodial exchanges,” Chief Dolan added.