Two charged in purse snatching

JACKSON — Charges have been lodged against two men following their alleged involvement in a purse snatching at the ShopRite supermarket on North County Line Road.

The men are suspects in several other purse snatchings and one strong-arm robbery.

Police said that at about 2:45 p.m. June 4, a Jackson resident had her purse snatched from her shopping cart as she loaded groceries into her car at the Jackson Plaza. The victim was able to provide a detailed description of the suspect and the vehicle in which he fled the scene.

Incidents involving a similarly described suspect and vehicle had been reported in Manalapan, Freehold Township and Howell, according to police. Additional suspects may have been involved in some of those incidents, police said.

A purse snatching in Dover Township is also currently being investigated.

On June 8, a Howell police officer observed the suspect vehicle that the woman had described to police on June 4. The vehicle was seen on Henry Street in Jackson.

Jackson police officers and detectives watched the vehicle and two suspects at a Henry Street location and Detective Mitch Cowit subsequently arrested Kenneth Var-ner, 42, an unemployed resident of Howell, and Matthew Gershman, 43, an unemployed resident of Freehold, and charged them with the June 4 theft in Jackson.

Varner was also charged with obstruction of the administration of the law after providing fictitious identification to police.

Additional charges related to the purse thefts in other municipalities are pending, according to police.

Jackson Municipal Judge Daniel Hyman set bail for Varner at $10,000 and bail for Gershman at $50,000. Both suspects were held in default of bail and turned over to the Howell Police Depart-ment.

Police said another incident in Howell in which the victim’s purse was forcibly taken was determined to be a strong-armed robbery and is being investigated.

An additional arrest was made at the Henry Street residence on June 8. Police said Maynard Kern of Lakewood was arrested by Officer Christopher Parise and charged with failure to appear in court on unrelated charges. Kern was placed in the Ocean County jail, Toms River, in default of $1,080 bail.