Brick Cops Say They Used Surveillance, K9 to Catch Serial Burglar

Ryan Dautorio (Photo: Ocean County Jail)

A string of recently burglaries in a township apartment complex led to surveillance and a K9-assisted search to track down a suspect, police said Friday.

According to Sgt. Jim Kelly, Street Crimes Detective Ryan Talty set up surveillance Thursday in the area of the Cedar Garden Apartments, located off of Cedar Bridge Avenue, which has been the location of several recent “smash and grab” burglaries to businesses.

Within twenty minutes, a glass-break alarm had come in to police dispatch from the Added Touch Florist, located at 1021 Cedar Bridge Avenue, Kelly said. Moments later, Talty noticed a man later identified as Ryan Dautorio, 30, of Forked River, running toward the apartments from the direction of the florist. Dautorio entered an apartment through a rear slider, police said.

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While officers surveilled the apartment, the scene of the burglary at Added Touch Florist was processed. It was discovered that a landscape rock was used to smash the front glass door. Toms River Police K-9 Handler Martucci and his K-9 partner Cyrus conducted a K-9 track that led from the florist to the apartment occupied by Dautorio. Dautorio was subsequently apprehended and proceeds from the burglary were recovered, police said.

Dautorio was charged with four counts of burglary, three counts of theft, and four counts of criminal mischief. The charges included two burglary incidents at the Country Sudser Car Wash and one at Mr. Tire, which are both located on Cedar Bridge Avenue.

The investigation is ongoing. Dautorio was lodged in Ocean County Jail.