Officials tight-lipped about search for fugitive baby killer Arthur Buckel

The search for fugitive Arthur Buckel continues. But unlike the massive police search that enveloped Barnegat earlier this week, authorities are not saying whether they know where prison-break convict may be.

After two days of an intense search for Buckel in Barnegat and southern Ocean County, the state Department of Corrections took the lead in the investigation after determining he had left the area by Thursday afternoon. The DOC remains tight-lipped about their search.

DOC spokesman Syed Hasaf said that he could not comment about any aspect about the case.

"We don't want to give any information that could help the escapee," Hasaf said.

A false sighting of Buckel at Marlboro High School on Friday put the school into “shelter in place” mode on Friday morning as police investigated. "Students were secure within the building and there was no threat to the school," Freehold Regional High School District spokeswoman Rebecca Policastro said.

Buckel, 38, was discovered missing from the Ancora unit of the Bayshore State Prison in Hammonton on Tuesday during an early morning head count. He was just over three weeks from being eligible for parole. Buckel worked as a janitor at Ancora.

Police said he stole a pickup truck and made his way to Barnegat, where he has relatives.

“A tremendous amount of resources have been allocated to this endeavor,” Barnegat Police Chief Arthur Drexler said, though he did not have specific details as to the exact amount of money that the municipality spent in resources and overtime in the past week. Ocean County Sheriff Mike Mastronardy, whose office was singled out by Drexler for their assistance in the search. "The chief asked for some resources and we provided them with resources" including K9 and officers Mastronardy said "When the chief wants something we do our best to give them what they request."

In 1996, Buckel pleaded guilty to aggravated manslaughter for slapping his girlfriend’s baby to death. More recently, Buckel’s record includes burglary, possession and aggravated assault charges that date back to 2014.

He is described as a white male with brown hair and blue eyes, standing 5 feet, 9 inches tall and weighing 180 pounds. His last known address was in Clifton

Anyone encountering Buckel should not approach him and should immediately call police.

Vin Ebenau contributed to this report