Man arrested in synagogue burglary series in Lakewood

LAKEWOOD, NJ — A 24-year-old man has been arrested following an investigation into multiple burglaries targeting synagogues.

Naor Chen, of Lakewood, was taken into custody May 7 after detectives executed court-authorized search warrants at a residence and vehicle connected to the investigation.

The burglaries began in March, with an individual entering synagogues during overnight hours and removing money from donation and charity boxes, according to the Lakewood Police Department.

Detectives used surveillance footage, investigative techniques, patrol operations and assistance from the Regional Operations Intelligence Center to identify Chen as the suspect.

Chen was arrested without incident.

Detectives expect several additional burglary cases to be cleared as a result of the arrest.

Chen was charged with multiple counts of burglary and theft before being transported to the Ocean County Correctional Facility pending court proceedings.

“This arrest was the result of outstanding detective work and coordination between our patrol officers, detectives, and law enforcement partners,” Chief Gregory Meyer said.

“These incidents targeted places of worship and created understandable concern within our community. I’m proud of the work done by our officers to identify the suspect and bring this investigation to a close,” Meyer said.

The investigation remains ongoing.