TOMS RIVER – A Beachwood man remains behind bars after allegedly holding up a gas station on New Year’s Eve. Authorities believe he is the same man wanted in connection with three other incidents around town and one in his home town.
Toms River Police said 33-year-old Thomas Jann faces a number of serious charges after robberies at convenience stores during the last few weeks.
Police said on December 31, officers were called to the Exxon station on Route 37 East for a reported robbery. When officers arrived, the store clerk said that a white male threw hot coffee on him and then took money out of the cash register. The man fled on foot towards Route 166.
A joint investigation between the Toms River Police Department, Beachwood Police Department, Ocean County Sheriffs Department and the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office determined that the suspect was Thomas Jann. They were able to locate him at a hotel on Route 9 in Toms River at 2 a.m. January 1. Police said they took him into custody without incident.
Authorities were able to connect Jann to the Exxon robbery as well as the December 19th Wawa robbery, the December 26th Krauszer’s robbery and the December 30th 7-Eleven incident.
Jann was also implicated in a robbery that occurred on Christmas Eve at the Robin’s Convenience Store & Deli in Beachwood.
Jann is now facing five counts of robbery as a result of this joint investigation.
Toms River Police Chief Mitchell A. Little credits the teamwork between law enforcement agencies for taking him into custody before someone was seriously hurt.
Anyone with information about Jann or the incidents is asked to contact Toms River Police Detective Travis Seaman at 732-349-0150 ext 1368.
The media and the public are reminded that criminal charges are accusations only. Every criminal defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
