PRESS RELEASE

Armed Suspect Arrest – David Salvaty 

            On Monday, August 17, 2009, at approximately 12:21 AM, West Long Branch Police Dispatcher Thomas Dietrich received a telephone call from an adult male subject mumbling and making statements about being stalked by terrorists.  The man indicated that he had a gun.   Patrolmen Jeffrey Hanlon and David Brosonski responded to the area of DeForrest Place and observed a man standing on his front porch with a pistol in his hand.  They also observed a juvenile subject standing behind him.  The officers activated their emergency lights in an effort to warn the man that the vehicles he was seeing were police cars. 

            When the officers approached the man, ordering him to put the gun down, he advanced toward them and pointed the handgun at them.  They continued to shout warnings to him and he eventually put the gun down and was arrested.  A loaded .45 caliber handgun was recovered in addition to two other handguns and a rifle. 

            QUOTE FROM WLBPD ADMINISTRATION:  “These officers exhibited extraordinary restraint in dealing with this individual and therefore averted a tragedy.  Chief Cosentino and I commend them both.” – Captain Larry Mihlon

             The armed subject, David P. Salvaty (39) of Deforrest Place, West Long Branch, was arrested and charged with Aggravated Assault and Disorderly Conduct.  He was remanded to the Monmouth County Jail in lieu of $7500 bail.

PRESS RELEASE

2009-010893

Alejandro Rea Arrest

At approximately 7 PM on Wednesday, July 22, 2009, West Long Branch Police received a call from Sports Authority Loss Prevention Officers that a shoplifter had fled their store at 310 Highway 36 after taking over $2500 worth of women’s sports apparel.  During attempts by Loss Prevention Officers to detain the suspect, the suspect pushed and shoved them before fleeing.

The suspect, identified as Alejandro Rea, 37, of Queens, NY, fled East on State Highway 36 in his 2004 BMW Sport Utility Vehicle.  Rea pulled into the driveway of Monmouth Park Self Storage and hid the stolen merchandise in the underbrush.  Patrolman Jayson Moore located and arrested Rea.  Patrolman Scott Rockhill and Detective William Lynch had to use machetes to make their way through the underbrush to recover the stolen merchandise which was later identified by Sports Authority Loss Prevention.

 Rea was charged with Attempted Robbery, Simple Assault, Criminal Mischief, Tampering with Evidence and Shoplifting.  Bail was set at $35,000 and Rea was committed to the Monmouth County Jail.  Rea’s vehicle was also seized for forfeiture.

 Also assisting in the arrest was Corporal Archie Symonds, Corporal F. Douglas Haviland & Detective Marlowe Kuhl.