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December 18, 2021Double Homicide Under Investigation in Ocean County
December 19, 2021
An off-duty officer interrupted a burglary and set off a crosstown wrong-way trip by the accused burglars who crashed at Burnt Tavern Road.
Arrests made in car burglaries at gyms, after a wild brick chase ends in a crash.
Two guys were detained Thursday after a frantic wrong-way journey across Brick Township after an off-duty cop leaving LA Fitness halted a vehicle burglary in the gym's parking lot, according to Brick police. They are suspected in vehicle thefts and burglaries at gyms around New Jersey.
Andrew D. Williams, 42, and Louis Candelario, 49, both of Brooklyn, are being held in the Ocean County Jail in Toms River on several charges following an encounter that ended in a wreck at the Burnt Tavern Road and Maple Avenue intersection. Jim Kelly, a brick sgt., explained.
Williams was one of two individuals named as suspects in two burglaries at LA Fitness in November.
Officer Kevin Ryan was leaving the gym at LA Fitness in Brick Plaza after working out at 2 p.m. Thursday, Kelly said.
Kelly said Ryan, who was off-duty at the time, heard a vehicle alarm go off in the parking lot from a tan Chevy pickup truck, which was parked next to a greenish gray minivan. Kelly said the minivan matched the description of one seen at car burglaries across the state in recent weeks.
Kelly said numerous police units were in the vicinity at the time and were keeping an eye on the minivan from afar. According to him, the minivan turned left from North Lake Shore Drive into Brick Boulevard, went north in the southbound lanes against traffic, and then turned east on the westbound side of Route 70 from Brick Boulevard.
According to Kelly, several automobiles were forced off the road as they attempted to dodge the minivan. Until they reached Burnt Tavern Road and Maple Avenue, officers continued to observe the minivan from a distance, calling out the location and direction they were travelling, he said.
They ran a red light and collided with a black Audi with two occupants inside. According to Kelly, the Audi toppled as a result of the collision, rendering the minivan useless.
Williams, who was driving at the time, leapt out and dashed to a vehicle that had stopped due to the incident, Kelly said, but the woman was wearing her seat belt and he couldn't get her out. Police officers approached him as he attempted to pull her out, but Williams fled and attempted to steal an unmarked police car, according to Kelly.
Lt. Terrence Covert and Lt. Jay Matthews grabbed him and detained him at that point.
Meanwhile, Candelario fled north on Burnt Tavern Road, but Officer John Boronkas apprehended him and arrested him.
Carjacking, burglary, theft, criminal mischief, aggravated assault, attempt to elude in a motor vehicle, obstructing justice, resisting arrest, and a slew of other charges were filed against Williams. According to Kelly, Candelario was charged with burglary, theft, criminal mischief, and obstructing justice.
"The victims of Thursday's violence are safe, and detectives are still looking into what happened," Kelly added. As the Traffic Safety Unit investigates the incident at Maple Avenue and Burnt Tavern Road, he warned that more charges could be filed.