A Toms River North High School football player has been arrested and another man are now being sought linked to the hitting and robbery involving a township resident.
Toms River police arrested Asante Moorer, 18, and two juveniles. Authorities say the juveniles beat and robbed a man outside the Winteringham Village residential complex on June 1.
Moorer was at the robbery but didn’t participate in the assault, said Ralph Stocco, spokesman for the Toms River Police Department.
A fourth suspect, Jorge Ratliff, 24, who has ties to Toms River and New Brunswick, remains at large after the attack and robbery, Stocco said.
Stocco said the victim, a 23-year-old township resident, was near the basketball courts at Winteringham Village at 4 p.m. when this individual has been attacked. The suspects, Stocco stated, grabbed the man from behind and consistently punched him in the face. Soon after losing consciousness for a short period, this victim woke to discover the actual suspects rifling through his pants pockets and his backpack. They stole his billfold and cell phone, Stocco claimed.
Moorer accused of taking from the juveniles the money they stole from the victim, Stocco said.
Moorer, a Toms River North High School football standout helped the team earn its sixth sectional title in December.
Police officers discovered three of the suspects, including Moorer, a short time later and arrested them at the Hampton Garden Apartments nearby on James Street, Stocco said. Two of them, 17 years old, were being charged with second-degree robbery. Just one of the juveniles was also charged with possession of cannabis, Stocco stated.
The juveniles were charged and released to their parents and Moorer, who was charged with collecting stolen property, was released on bail. Ratliff is charged with robbery, and his bail has been set in advance at $60,000, authorities stated.
Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Ratliff is urged to call Toms River police at 732-349-0150.