Two Manchester Township residents who allegedly stole lumber from a construction site between Second Road and Swan Street earlier this month have been arrested but it's a more heinous crime that did them in.

Two alleged lumber bandits in Manchester Township, Ocean County, NJ - Photo: Manchester Township Police Department
Two alleged lumber bandits in Manchester Township, Ocean County, NJ - Photo: Manchester Township Police Department
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Their crime wave came to an end when Manchester Police located the pair who fled the Cedar Glen West section of town last Friday following an assault that took place at a home on Robin Street.

Manchester Police said that they responded to the call around 8:20 pm on June 18 and found a 63-year old victim suffering from a number of facial and head injuries.

The victim was brought to Jersey Shore University Medical Center by Manchester EMS for treatment of their injuries.

The attackers had already fled the scene.

Manchester Detectives and Ocean County Sheriff's Office CSI Detectives were able to identify the suspects and then combed the area looking for them.

The search was a success, thanks in part police said, to people identifying the suspects based on an image they shared on social media earlier this month following the lumber theft.

As a result of the lumber theft, assault and investigation, police arrested and charged Joseph DePietro, 67, and Erzsebet Gyulai, 57, with simple assault, burglary, terroristic threats, criminal mischief, conspiracy to commit crimes and three counts of possession of weapons for unlawful purposes.

They've been brought to the Ocean County Jail where they remain pending a detention hearing.

When Ocean and Monmouth County Police saved the day

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