Trespassing arrest, burglary re-arrest in Ocean Township

Allegedly casing an Oakhurst neighborhood was all the suspicion an Ocean Township man aroused - until a house in the same area was ransacked later in the day, according to township police.

Edward Byham, 25, faces burglary, criminal attempt burglary, trespassing and criminal mischief counts after being arrested twice in as many days.

Police said that a suspect identified as Byham was spotted running through Garfield Avenue back yards at about 1:30 PM Tuesday, and that a witness later reported seeing him peering into a home on Berger Avenue. Police said that Byham, confronted by a neighbor, ran off and damaged a fence gate on the way.

Detectives found him at home, charged him with trespassing and criminal mischief, and released him to await a municipal court date. Not long afterward, home owners on Roosevelt Avenue reported a looting in one house and an attempt at another, police said.

Investigators traced both to Byham, and apprehended him Wednesday on the additional counts. This time, he was sent to the Monmouth County Correctional Institution in Freehold to await court, with bail set at $50,000.