Crime & Safety
Man Punches Liquor Store Employee, Runs From Lacey Police: Cops
The Bayville man punched a Lacey Liquors employee in the face, left the area and then came back shortly after, Lacey police said.
![Police tried to speak with the man, but he ran from them, police said.](https://patch.com/img/cdn20/users/25866962/20221202/031846/styles/patch_image/public/patch-editorial-lacey-police-nj-mirchuk-9___02151815749.jpg)
LACEY, NJ — A Bayville man was charged after punching a Lacey Liquors employee in the face on Black Friday, Lacey police said in their weekly blotter.
Police responded to the business at 6:40 p.m. on Nov. 25 where a store employee said he had been punched in the face by a customer who then left, police said.
At first, police were unable to find the suspect, but he returned to the store shortly after the incident, police said.
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The employee called police again, and once they came back they tried speaking with the suspect, but he ran from them, police said.
Police caught up with the man, Matthew Banks, 32, of Bayville, and placed him under arrest, police said.
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Banks also had a warrant out of the Berkeley Township Municipal Court, police said.
He was charged with simple assault, obstruction and refusal to submit to fingerprinting, police said.
Banks was served with a copy of his warrant, police said, and taken to the Ocean County Correctional Facility.
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