TOMS RIVER — A Brick Township woman has pleaded guilty to robbery and burglary in connection with incidents that occurred in Berkeley Township last fall, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer announced.
Jessica Napolitano, 37, entered guilty pleas on August 4 before Superior Court Judge Kenneth T. Palmer. At her sentencing scheduled for September 26, the state will seek a seven-year term in New Jersey State Prison on the robbery charge, subject to the No Early Release Act, and a concurrent three-year term for burglary.
The charges stem from events on October 15, 2024. Around 4:20 a.m., Berkeley Township police responded to The Corner Store on Ocean Gate Drive, where a woman brandished a knife at a cashier and demanded cash and cigarettes before fleeing with both.
Investigators later determined that the same woman had earlier broken into a nearby Dollar General by throwing a rock through the window in an unsuccessful attempt to steal cigarettes.
Police identified Napolitano as the suspect and arrested her in Lakewood Township without incident. She was initially released under New Jersey Bail Reform but is currently in the Ocean County Jail on an unrelated charge.
Prosecutor Billhimer credited Assistant Prosecutor Taylor Toscano, as well as the Berkeley and Lakewood Township police departments, for their work in the investigation and arrest.
