Police: Pair Burglarized Whiting Cars, Made Purchases with Stolen Credit Cards

Two Ocean County residents face multiple charges after a month-long investigation alleges that credit cards they stole from unlocked Whiting vehicles were used to make fradulent purchases.

Police allege that Toms River resident Matthew Mennillow, 31, and Lisa Clayton, 25, of Bayville, broke into "multiple" vehicles in The Reserves, Crestwood Village and Pine Ridge during the weekend of March 10, said Capt. Lisa Parker in a statement. 

The investigation, led by Detective Richard Jupinka, found that about $1,800 of goods was stolen from the vehicles, including GPS units, cash and coins, debit and credit cars and other personal property, Parker said.

Further investigation by police found that two debit and credit cards were used to make purchases at Manchester, Toms River and Lacey businesses, totalling about $700 in fraudulent transactions, Parker said. 

Police identified the pair at those stores through surveillance video, the captain said.

Mennillo and Clayton were charged with one count of computer criminal activity and one count of theft by deception. Clayton also faces a forgery charge for transactions that were made at the , Parker said. 

Additional charges are pending for the fraudulent transactions made in Toms River and Lacey, Parker said.

For their alleged role in stealing from the vehicles, the pair were each charged with nine counts of burglary, nine counts of theft and one count of criminal attempt to commit burglary, Parker said. 

Mennillo and Clayton were each lodged in the Ocean County Jail in Toms River on $40,000 bail. Police seized Mennillo's 2007 Dodge Charger — the vehicle identified as used during the alleged crimes. It is pending forfeiture proceedings, Parker said.