Manchester Township NJ -. On March 26, 2013, at approximately 900pm Ptl. Fusaro responded to the Spirit’s Bar and Grill, located at 108 Lacey Road, for a report of a vehicle being stolen. Upon arrival, Ptl. Fusaro learned that a 2007 Chevrolet Silverado, owned by Francis Jones of Whiting, had been stolen from the parking lot within the last 30 minutes. The owner reported that he left the vehicle unlocked with the keys in it, while inside the Spirit’s Bar and Grill. When the owner later went back out to his vehicle to leave he realized that it had been stolen.
Ptl. Fusaro later located the stolen vehicle abandoned on Columbine Avenue and he immediately began a search for the suspect. Ptl. Fusaro observed a suspect in the general area of the stolen car get picked up by another vehicle and leave the area. Ptl. Fusaro radioed the suspect vehicle description to other patrol units. A short time later, Ptl. Chris Cerullo located the suspect vehicle as it was pulling back into the parking lot of the Spirit’s Bar and Grill. A motor vehicle stop was conducted by Ptl. Chris Cerullo, Ptl. Arthur Cronk and Sgt. James Komsa. The suspect, 48 year old David Mansueto, of Columbine Avenue in Whiting who had been picked up near the stolen car, immediately became belligerent and began yelling profanities at the officers while refusing to comply with their commands. Sgt. Komsa and Ptl. Cerullo engaged in a brief physical altercation with the suspect before he was taken into custody. There were no injuries suffered by the suspect or the officers involved.
The investigation led by the patrol officers at the scene revealed the suspect had been at the Spirit’s Bar and Grill, walked out of the bar and stole the victim’s vehicle. David Mansueto was charged with Unlawful Taking of Means of Conveyance, Disorderly Conduct and Obstruction of Justice. Bail for Mansueto was set at $5000.00 by Judge Daniel Sahin and he was transported to Ocean County Jail. The vehicle was returned to the owner after processing for fingerprints. Assisting in the investigation were the Ocean County Sheriff’s Department Criminalistics and K9 Units.