Burglary Suspect Pulled Out of the Ocean in North Wildwood

NORTH WILDWOOD – North Wildwood Police Department (NWPD) officers, with the help of the North Wildwood Beach Patrol, arrested a burglary/theft suspect who, while being chased, ran into the ocean at the city’s north end.
The suspect, Ryan Verdi, 38, of Mullica Hill, was observed by Officer Steven Ransom riding a bicycle in the area of 300 E. Second Ave., where there was a report of an individual entering a garage with an open door.
Police said the door was open because of the power outage that occurred July 7 at around 12:30 p.m. Approximately two hours after the outage, at around 2:15 p.m., police were called to the Second Avenue address regarding an intruder and a stolen bicycle.
When officers approached Verdi, he ran onto the beach and into the ocean.  Sgt. Brian Harkins and Officer Dominic DeMusz entered the water and Verdi was placed under arrest. 
Verdi had been arrested barely two days earlier, July 5, at approximately 11:55 p.m., when Officers Zachary Frame and Christopher Johnson observed Verdi enter a vehicle in the area of 22nd and Surf avenues and use a flashlight to look through the center console. Police said Verdi then exited the vehicle and approached another vehicle and pulled the door handle.
Verdi was placed under arrest and charged with two counts of burglary. He was placed on a summons and released until he was arrested July 7, when he was placed on a warrant for burglary, theft, obstructing the administration of law, disorderly conduct, and failing to obey lifeguard and police orders. He was lodged in the Cape May County Correctional Facility. 
Verdi’s arrest was the subject of a social media post that erroneously suggested the NWPD officers had “caught the guy who blew up the electric plant,” causing the power outage.
The fire at the electrical substation on Lake Avenue, in Wildwood, which resulted in the power being out for the entire Five Mile Island area, was due to an electrical issue, according to the Cape May County Fire Marshal’s Office.
The NWPD reminds car owners to always lock their vehicle doors when the vehicle is parked.