Crime & Safety
Man Indicted on Charges He Stole Brass Irrigation Parts in Manalapan
Backflow preventers are valued for their metal content.
A man accused of stealing outdoor irrigation sprinkler valves from Middletown and Manalapan will answer to charges.
A grand jury voted to indict Matthew J. Dorishook, 33, of Lawrence Dr. of Ocean Township on June 26 on charges he stole the valves, called backflow preventers.
In Manalapan, Dorishook faces charges he stole two devices from The Village Grand Community on Feb. 21.
In Middletown, Dorishook is charged with stealing two devices at the Chapel Hill Shopping Center, owned by Stavola Realty, between January 1-4.
He is also accused of stealing one from Cambridge Manor Condominiums managed by RPC between Jan. 1 and March 4.
Backflow preventors are valued at more than $500 each.
The alleged offense is considered a third degree crime. If convicted of the charge, a defendant could face a 3-5 year prison sentence.
The jury's vote to indict is merely a formal charge; it is not a finding of guilt or a conviction.
Dorishook was arrested by Holmdel Police in April on charges of stealing 15 valves, and by Ocean Township Police in March for stealing 10 more, but these allegations were not part of the indictment.Read more on Holmdel-Hazlet Patch.
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