Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer announced that on September 26, 2025, Jessica Napolitano, 37, of Brick Township, was sentenced by the Honorable Kenneth T. Palmer, J.S.C., to five years New Jersey State Prison (NJSP) relative to her previously entered guilty plea to Robbery in connection with events that occurred in Berkeley Township in the early morning hours of October 15, 2024. The sentence will be subject to the terms of the No Early Release Act (NERA), meaning that Napolitano will be required to serve at least 85 percent of her prison sentence before she may be considered for parole eligibility. Additionally, Judge Palmer sentenced Napolitano to three years NJSP relative to her previously entered guilty plea to Burglary in connection with the same events. The sentences will concurrently. Napolitano pled guilty to both charges before Judge Palmer on August 4, 2025.
On October 15, 2024, at approximately 4:20 a.m., Officers from the Berkeley Township Police Department responded to The Corner Store on Ocean Gate Drive for a report of a robbery. An investigation by responding Officers revealed that a female had entered the store, brandished a knife at the cashier, and demanded money and cigarettes. The store staff turned over cash and cigarettes to the suspect, who then fled the scene.
Continuing investigation revealed that just prior to the incident at The Corner Store, a female threw a rock through the front window of the Dollar General Store on Atlantic City Boulevard and entered the store in an attempt to gain access to cigarettes. She left the store after her efforts were unsuccessful, and headed to The Corner Store.
Officers were able to identify Napolitano as the individual responsible for both incidents. She was thereafter located in Lakewood Township, and taken into custody without incident. Napolitano was transported to the Ocean County Jail and subsequently released as a consequence of New Jersey Bail Reform. She is presently lodged in the Ocean County Jail on an unrelated matter.
Prosecutor Billhimer commends Senior Assistant Prosecutor Taylor Toscano and Assistant Prosecutor Genna Moscato who handled the case on behalf of the State, and acknowledges the Berkeley Township Police Department and Lakewood Township Police Department for their diligent efforts in connection with this investigation leading to Napolitano’s apprehension, guilty pleas, and now her state prison sentence.