TOMS RIVER-On January 7, 2015 at 9:23 am the Toms River Police Department received a hold up alarm from the Santander bank located at 721 Route 37 west. Upon arrival it was determined that two men had entered the bank and demanded money. They fled on foot out of the front door and crossed over Route 37 in a northerly direction with an undetermined amount of cash. They continued on foot into the Oak Ridge section of the township, which is a residential area. No weapon was shown during the Robbery.

The men were described as both being white males in their 20’s. They are between 5’6” and 5’8” tall and wearing dark clothing and hoodies and turtleneck shirts pulled up over their faces. One man had on sunglasses. One man was also wearing black sneakers with yellow stripes.

As a result of the proximity of the suspects direction of travel and them fleeing on foot, the West Dover Elementary School was placed on “Shelter in Place” status. There was never any specific threat to the students however this was done out of an abundance of caution. We thank the school employees for quickly implementing the plan that is often practiced should events like this occur. The school returned to normal status at 10:58 am.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation along with the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office CSI and K-9 Units are assisting with critical aspects of the investigation. As a result of the investigation an individual was taken into custody near the intersection of Route 37 and Oakridge Parkway. He is being held on charges unrelated to the bank robbery. We continue to explore all leads and urge anyone with information to contact Detective Mark Bajada at 732-349-0150.

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