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Cody Diaz, 30, was charged with several counts of burglary, theft, and receiving stolen property, the Manchester Township Police Department said in a news release on Thursday, Sept. 5.
Manchester police received about a dozen reports of overnight vehicle burglaries in the Pine Lake Park section on Tuesday, Sept. 3. Officers gathered evidence including surveillance video, which the department shared on Facebook.
The 15-second video showed a person with a backpack walking up to a white car's driver door and trying to open it. When the door didn't open, the person walked away from the driveway.
A "vigilant resident" called police at around 6:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 4 to report a suspicious man matching the suspect's description. Diaz was identified as the suspect and found with a stolen bicycle among other items linking him to the burglaries.
Diaz was held in the Ocean County Jail to await a detention hearing.
"We encourage the community to stay alert and report any suspicious activity to the authorities," the police department said. "Additionally, please ensure that your vehicles are securely locked to help prevent further incidents."
Anyone with information about vehicle burglaries should call Manchester police at 732-657-2009, ext. 4211.
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