Barnegat Man Indicted on Charges in Alleged ShopRite Robbery

A Barnegat man who allegedly robbed a cashier at the ShopRite on Route 70 earlier this year has been indicted on multiple charges related to the incident.

Thomas Tomlinson, 28, was indicted by an Ocean County grand jury last week on charges of second-degree robbery and second-degree eluding police for the July 27 incident.

According to police, Tomlinson bum-rushed a 59-year-old cashier, pinned her against the conveyor belt and grabbed $265 from the open cash drawer, despite the cashier's best efforts to block him.

Tomlinson took off in a white Subaru station wagon, police said, but Lakehurst officers spotted him less than a mile away on Route 70 and tried to stop him, but Tomlinson threw the Subaru in reverse and sped away from the scene.

Officers didn't pursue him because of concerns over the safety of other drivers in the area, authorities said, but Lakehurst Officer Mathew Kline got the tag number of the car, which was registered to Tomlinson.

Less than 12 hours after the alleged robbery, an off-duty Manchester police officer, Lt. Vincent Manco, spotted the Subaru at a Wawa in Barnegat, police said, and Barnegat officers arrested Tomlinson without further incident.

Tomlinson was originally charged with robbery, assault, theft and eluding police.