BARNEGAT – A man at the center of a federal manhunt was taken into custody in Barnegat just before midnight last night, after FBI agents and U.S. Marshals tracked him to the area. Although he has no known ties to the community, 51-year-old Keith Michael Lisa was found and questioned in Barnegat.
Barnegat Police Chief Jason Carroll confirmed the arrest took place within the township limits but stressed that Lisa is not a Barnegat resident. “He was arrested in our town a little after midnight,” Carroll said. “He just happened to be in Barnegat when the arrest was made.” Carroll said he could not speak to why Lisa was in Barnegat or whether he was visiting someone, noting that the case belongs solely to federal authorities.
Lisa had been the subject of an urgent nationwide alert after federal investigators released a wanted poster offering up to $25,000 for information leading to his arrest. According to the FBI, Lisa allegedly entered the Peter W. Rodino Federal Building in Newark on November 12, 2025, while carrying a bat. Security officers denied him entry. He discarded the bat outside, returned, and managed to get inside the building.
Once there, authorities say he made his way to the U.S. Attorney Alina Habba’s office and caused damage to government property before leaving the scene. A federal arrest warrant was issued the following day in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey, charging him with Possession of a Dangerous Weapon in a Federal Facility and Depredation of Federal Property.
Lisa has known ties to Mahwah and New York City, but no connection to Ocean County has been publicly identified. His presence in Barnegat at the time of his arrest remains unexplained.
Following his capture, Habba issued a statement on X, praising the collaborative effort that led federal agents to him. “We got him,” she wrote. “This @TheJusticeDept under @AGPamBondi and our federal partners will not tolerate any acts of intimidation or violence toward law enforcement. So grateful to @FBI @HSI_HQ and @USMarshalsHQ for their tireless work to capture him. Now justice will handle him.”
Chief Carroll said Barnegat Police assisted federal agents but emphasized that federal law enforcement led the operation. Out of caution, he declined to disclose the exact location of the arrest or whether others were present at the time. “It’s their case,” he said. “The only thing I can confirm is that he was arrested in our town, and his name is publicly available now.”
Lisa is expected to be transported to federal custody, where he will face his charges in Newark. Federal officials have not yet released additional details about the circumstances of his arrest or the investigation that led them to Barnegat.
