WALL TOWNSHIP, NJ – A middle-of-the-night police response to a disturbance at a Wawa convenience store led to the arrest of a wanted man from Toms River after officers determined he was suffering from a medical episode, authorities said Thursday.
Around 12:55 a.m., Wall Township officers were dispatched to the Wawa North at 1310 State Highway 34 after receiving reports of a man acting erratically while wearing a traffic vest and camouflage pants. Police later identified the 35-year-old male as the same person seen hours earlier on a doorbell camera knocking on doors in the township’s “Presidential Streets” neighborhood.
While officers were en route, dispatchers advised that the man matched the description from a “Be on the Lookout” (BOLO) alert issued by Neptune Police in connection with a possible knife-point kidnapping. Patrolman Clint Forgach located the subject behind the store, where he reportedly refused to comply with commands, prompting a high-risk encounter during which he was held at gunpoint for safety reasons.
Officers determine no kidnapping occurred
Backup officers Josh Wheeler and Johan Moreno arrived shortly after, assisting in bringing the man safely to the ground and taking him into custody without injury. Neptune Police responded to the scene and later confirmed that no kidnapping had occurred, but investigators determined that the man was experiencing a medical emergency at the time of the incident.
A records check revealed that the individual was wanted by the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office, police said. Due to his medical condition, he was transported to a local hospital for evaluation by Patrolmen Forgach and Moreno.
- Wall Township officers responded to Wawa for a report of erratic behavior
- The man matched a BOLO alert tied to a reported kidnapping that proved unfounded
- The Toms River man was found to be wanted out of Middlesex County and taken to a hospital for evaluation
Patrolman Clint Forgach was identified as the arresting officer.
