Toms River Duo Face Charges Following Police Stop of Stolen U-Haul

Toms River Duo Face Charges Following Police Stop of Stolen U-Haul

Stafford Township police intercepted a U-Haul that had been reported stolen earlier that day and charged two men from Toms River.

The investigation started on March 19, 2026, according to the police, when Dominic Joa, 28, of Washington Street in Toms River, drove a U-Haul truck to the Stafford Township Municipal Complex and parked in the public lot.

According to authorities, Joa then walked inside to deal with personal matters with the Stafford Township Police Department. Police learned shortly after he departed that the Toms River Township Police Department had reported the vehicle he was driving stolen that day.

Police said patrol officers later spotted the vehicle heading west on Route 72. A felony traffic stop was carried out near Wendy’s, where Joa was taken into custody along with a second suspect, 24-year-old Eliangel Perez of Hooper Avenue in Toms River, who was also believed to be involved.

Both individuals were transported to police headquarters, where detectives from the Stafford Township Police Department and the Toms River Township Police Department continued the investigation.

Authorities determined that the suspects had taken the U-Haul from a rental facility in Toms River and attempted to access several U-Haul locations across southern New Jersey with criminal intent. Investigators also found that the pair were in possession of stolen credit cards and identification.

Joa was subsequently charged with third-degree receiving a stolen motor vehicle and fourth-degree credit card theft. Perez was charged with third-degree receiving a stolen motor vehicle.

Both men were lodged in the Ocean County Jail and are scheduled to appear in Ocean County Superior Court.