Five Charged In Overnight Burglary of Holiday Inn on Route 72

Stafford Township police arrested four men and one juvenile in connection with the early morning burglary at the Holiday Inn on Route 72.

Police were called to the hotel at 3 a.m. today on a report of two suspicious males. The caller told police that one man asked to use the bathroom. The caller saw the man let another man in the side door, then both entered an employee area of the hotel, police said.

When police arrived, they found three suspects in the hotel's back parking lot. The men - Melquan Kent, 18, Albert Souders, 31, and a juvenile identified as C.P. - told police they were waiting for their two friends inside the hotel, police said..

Officers Neil McKenna and John Morrin spotted the two men inside the employee area and attempted to speak to them. The men tried to flee but were apprehended by McKenna and Morrin outside the hotel. The men were identified as Curtis Turner, 31, and  Thomas Capece, 32, police said.

Police discovered the two men had broken into the soda machines in the employee lounge. Both men had burglary tools, including a bolt cutter and a ring of barrel keys to open the soda machine doors, police said.
Police recovered a large quantity of change believed to be stolen from the vending machines.

All five were arrested and charged with eluding police, conspiracy, burglary, theft, criminal mischief and possession of burglary tools, said police.

Municipal Court Judge Damian G. Murray set Turner's and Capece's bail at $50,000. Kent and Souders' bail was set at $10,000. All four adults were taken to the Ocean County Jail in Toms River, police said.

The male juvenile was released to his mother's custody, pending juvenile complaints, said police.