Robin Marchant/Getty Images for Cantor Fitzgerald(NEW YORK) — An alleged home invader was arrested on Friday for the 2017 burglary involving former “Real Housewife of New Jersey” reality star Dina Manzo and her then fiancée David Cantin.
Manzo, then 46, and Cantin, then 37, entered the front door of their Holmdel, New Jersey, townhouse on May 13, 2017 and were met by two masked assailants. One of the burglars attacked Cantin with a baseball bat while Manzo was punched several times by the other invader, officials said at the time.
Nearly two years later, police arrested James Mainello at his home in Bayonne, New Jersey, on a slew of charges including second-degree robbery, second-degree burglary and second-degree aggravated assault, according to a press release issued on Friday evening by Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni.
The other suspect remains on the loose, prosecutors said.
Manzo and Cantin were bound together inside the house as Mainello and a co-defendant allegedly stole $500 cash, a Bank of America card and jewelry, according to the Holmdel Township Municipal Court records.
Before fleeing the residence, Mainello or the second suspect is alleged to have said, “Don’t f— with Paterson” and “This is what happens when you f— with people from Paterson,” according he probable cause report. The same expletive is alleged to have been used in both comments.
After freeing themselves, Cantin called police and described one of the suspects as an “Italian guy with a North Jersey accent.”
Both victims were hospitalized, with Cantin suffering significant facial injuries, including a broken nose. Manzo was also treated for facial injuries.
Mainello is currently being held in the Monmouth County Correctional Institution in Freehold Township pending his first appearance at the Monmouth County Superior Court sometime next week.
It was not immediately clear whether Mainello had retained an attorney, and efforts by ABC News to reach his relatives were unsuccessful.
If convicted of the first degree charge, Mainello could face up to 20 years in a New Jersey state prison on each count, prosecutors said.
Mainello was arrested 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 sometime next week, according to officials.
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