Toms River police make arrest in child door to door sales scheme, conjuring up the grisly history behind township’s no-knock registry
By Phil Stilton
Toms River, NJ – Ocean County has a grisly history when it comes to door to door sales. It’s one of the reasons why Toms River now has a no-knock registry. Once again, local door to door sales are in the spotlight after authorities arrested a Newark man after he sent children out on the streets of Toms River to sell products, with no adult supervision, food, drink or money to buy food. It started as Toms River police began getting calls about stranded young children throughout the township. Louis Cruz, 25 of Newark, NJ was arrested by police and charged with child neglect and child abuse.
Luckily, this time, local police and concerned residents made calls before things got too far out of hand for the children. In the past, things have gone from bad to worse. In 1997, 11 year old Jackson Township resident, Eddie Werner was brutally murdered by then 14 year old Sam Manzie as he was going door to door raising money for his school. Manzie was eventually tried and convicted of murder and sentenced to 70 years in prison.
In 2004, a door to door salesman from Chicago went into the home of 77 year old Shirley Reuter and brutally murdered the woman. 17 year old Azriel Bridge, of Chicago, spent his morning going door to door in the Chestnut Street region of the the township with rejection after rejection before being allowed into the home of Reuter. This story hit close because my house was one of the doors the teen knocked on shortly before murdering Ms. Reuter. I vividly recall the day because after answering the door, I told Bridge that I wasn’t interested and closed the door, which he stuck his foot in the door and said. “How do you know you’re not interested if you haven’t seen what I have?” It was at that point I instructed Bridge to remove his foot from the door and went about my day. A few hours later, the teen came down Citta Court again and asked a group of neighbors sitting outside after doing their lawn and yard maintenance if there was any way through the development across into the Toms River Little League complex behind. The men told the teen no and he went back up the hill. Again, nobody thought anything of it.
At the time, I didn’t think about it either, until the next morning, we had another knock on the door at 8:00 am. This time, it was the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office, asking if we had seen anything suspicious in the neighborhood and at the time, I didn’t even think twice, but once the news broke about the murder, it was all clear as to what happened. This case was the driving force behind the no-knock registry in the town.
Last weekend, it was the New Jersey Youth Club going door to door selling products in the Township. They dropped off kids around the township to go door to door to sell their products.
At 615p.m. on Saturday, Officer Greg Errion responded to check on a juvenile at the Dunkin Donuts in Silverton in reference to the welfare of a juvenile a 14 year old girl from Newark who has been there since 10 a.m. Officer George Fernicola was dispatch to a similar call at McDonalds on Fischer Blvd involving a 12 year old boy . That boy told police he told Mr. Cruz he did not want to work anymore cause no one was buying anything. He stated that Mr. Cruz stated he would find him a store to wait in till he came to pick him up. The juvenile had no phone nor money and was given food purchased by a concern citizen.
Office Joshua Pedalino responded to a call at 630 p.m. to check on a youth standing alone on Shenandoah Blvd. The 12 year old juvenile did not have a jacket and the officer brought him to police headquarters for his safety. Lt James Harris and Sergeant Ralph Stocco lead an investigation and found there were 14 children, males and females between 11-17 years old that were going door to door trying to sell products to residents who were not registered with the Township’s no-Knock program. These juveniles were under the supervision of Louis Cruz 25 168 N 12th street Newark who dropped them off in various neighborhoods in the Township from a van. As a result of the police investigation the Division of Youth and Family services were notified and Mr. Cruz was charged with child neglect and abuse and was released on a summons.
As a result of this investigation and numerous other complaints the Police Department is recommending that this group is no longer permitted to be authorized permits by the Township until the safety of these children and the concerns of the residents are properly recertified.
The department is also requesting any resident who is registered with the Township No-Knock program and believes that were illegally contacted at their home to contact the Chiefs Office at 349-0150 ext 1132. Under the No-knock program each violation of the ordinance is subject to a fine up to $1,250.
Short URL: http://www.tomsrivernjonline.com/?p=3393
Posted by Toms River, NJ
on Nov 13 2011. Filed under Toms River Community.
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