Brick Couple Face Additional Burglary Charges

James Donegan and Amiko Huggins-Donegan (Photos: Ocean County Jail)

A Brick couple already charged in a string of burglaries in Brick and Berkeley townships are now facing additional charges, police said Wednesday.

James Donegan, 37, and Amiko Donegan, 35, of Ebb Tide Drive, have now been charged with burglaries they allegedly committed in Toms River. The charges were the resulted of a four month-long investigation into multiple residential burglaries within the Greenbriar Woodlands retirement community, said Toms River police spokesman Ralph Stocco.

The investigation, Stocco said, began in late November 2015 through February 2016 after several residential burglaries were reported within the retirement community. In each case, entry was forced into unoccupied homes during the daytime where jewelry, cash, and other valuable items were stolen.

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As leads began to be developed, a cooperative effort between police in the neighboring towns of Brick, Berkeley, Ocean Gate, and Lacey Township was initiated. The detective bureaus from each department were “instrumental in the identification and apprehension of these suspects,” Stocco said.

As a result of a search warrant executed by the Berkeley Township Police Department into their Brick home, evidence relating to the burglaries was seized including their vehicle, which was used in the commission of the crimes.  The investigation is continuing and more charges are expected as evidence is being identified, Stocco said.

In the latest round of court filings, both Donegans were charged with two counts of burglary, two counts of theft and two counts of criminal mischief. Bail was set at $150,000 each by the Toms River municipal court and both are currently incarcerated in the Ocean County Jail.