Police arrest suspect tied to home invasion at Holmdel home of “Dina” Manzo
Monmouth County investigators have made an arrest of one of the suspects involved in the 2017 Holmdel home invasion robbery of David Cantin and his fiancee Claudine "Dina" Manzo, an actress on "The Real Housewives of New Jersey", announced Prosecutor Chris Gramiccioni.
James Mainello, 51, of Bayonne faces multiple charges including robbery and aggravated assault stemming from the 2017 incident on Banyan Boulevard.
Holmdel Police were called to the home around 10:54 p.m. on May 13, 2017, on a 911 call reporting a home invasion robbery.
Police found both Cantin and Manzo who reported that as they entered the front door of to their residence, they were confronted by two men waiting for them inside of the home.
The two men immediately rushed towards the pair.
One of the two men struck Cantin several times with a baseball bat while Manzo was punched multiple times by the other assailant.
The two victims were then bound together within the home.
While Cantin and Manzo were bound together, their attackers stole cash and jewelry before fleeing the residence.
Cantin was able to free himself and called police, who arrived shortly thereafter.
Both victims were subsequently taken to a local hospital for treatment.
Cantin suffered significant facial injuries, including a broken nose.
Manzo was also treated for facial injuries.
Both were treated and released that night.
Holmdel Police contacted the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office and a joint investigation was launched, culminating in these charges being filed.
Mainello is charged with first degree Robbery, second degree Robbery, second degree Burglary, second degree Aggravated Assault, two counts of third degree Aggravated Assault, third degree Theft, third degree Possession of a Weapon for an Unlawful Purpose, fourth degree Unlawful Possession of a Weapon and third degree Criminal Restraint.
He was arrested without incident Friday morning at his home and is currently being held in the Monmouth County Correctional Institution in Freehold Township pending his first appearance at the Monmouth County Superior Court next week.
A detention hearing is also expected to be scheduled following his first appearance to determine whether Mainello will be released or detained pending trial.
The arrest was made with assistance from the Holmdel and Bayonne Police Departments and the U.S. Marshals Service.
“I want to congratulate our investigations team and our counterparts at the Holmdel Police Department for never letting up on finding answers for these violent crimes. Dogged determination and a lot of good old-fashioned police work went into making this arrest possible,” Gramiccioni said.
If convicted of a first degree crime, Mainello faces up to 20 years in a New Jersey state prison on each count, subject to the provisions of the “No Early Release Act” (NERA) requiring him to serve 85 percent of the sentence imposed before becoming eligible for release on parole. He would also be under parole supervision for five years following his release from state prison.
If convicted of a second degree offense, Mainello faces a sentence of five to ten years in prison.
A third degree convict carries a custodial sentence of three to five years in prison, while a conviction of a fourth degree offense carries a sentence of up to 18 months in state prison.
Anyone with information about this case is asked to contact Detective Wayne Raynor of the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office at 1-800-533-7443, or Detective Eric Hernando of the Holmdel Police Department at 732-946-4400.
The case is assigned to Monmouth County Assistant Prosecutor Caitlin Sidley.
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