Bang-Up Job Is Trouble In Barnegat

Two dented cars and a run-over mailbox are enough to land a Barnegat driver in trouble with the law.

Anthony Tagliarino, 29, is charged with driving while intoxicated after the episode that took place around 3:45 Monday morning.

Police say that a patrol officer was dispatched to look into a call about an individual acting erratically on Lexington Boulevard. The patrolman says he watched Tagliarini's car hit the other two and the mailbox as he tried to maneuver out of a parking space, noting that both unoccupied cars sustained "moderate" damage.

The officer then lit out on foot after him, stopping the car on nearby Potomac Court. Tagilarino was suspected of being under the influence of  "a narcotic, hallucinogenic or habit producing drugs," according to a statement issued by Barnegat PD.

Tagliarino also faces charges of reckless driving, leaving the scene of an accident, failure to report an accident, failure to notify of change of address, and improper backing. He was released pending a municipal court appearance.