A composite sketch and cooperation from local towns helped Manchester police identify and charge two former township residents with stealing more than $11,000 worth of money and jewelry from Pine Lake Park homes earlier this year.

According to Chief of Police Brian Klimakowski, Travis Regg, 28, of Howell, and Salvatore Manto, 22, of Brick, each face five counts of burglary and four counts of theft after allegedly breaking in to five separate Manchester residences in February and March. 

Regg was arrested and charged on April 8 and is housed in the Ocean County Jail in default of bail, Klimakowski said, while Manto is currently wanted by police.

Police were able to identify Regg after he was confronted by a minor while allegedly attempting to burglarize a home in the township's Pine Lake Park section on March 25. Ptl. Michael Lynch was able to complete a composite sketch based on the eyewitness account.

The sketch and vehicle description were circulated to surrounding law enforcement agencies for help in identifying the suspect, Klimakowski said. A Brick detective identified the subject as Regg and the vehicle as his Dodge Dakota pickup truck. A subsequent investigation led police to identify Manto as a second suspect.

The charges come after a two-month investigation, Klimakowski said, as police first reported a string of burglaries in early February.

Regg and Manto were also charged by police departments in Brick, Berkeley and Waretown with multiple criminal offenses, Klimakowski said.

Klimakowski said that the investigation is still ongoing, but that the department nonetheless wanted to get the word out to residents.