By JOANNE L. PAPAIANNI
An Asbury Park man has been cited by police for impersonating Yankees pitcher Joba Chamberlain at several places along the shore.
Ryan Ward, 29, was reported to Belmar Police Aug. 1 after telling workers at Belmar Bagels that he was the famed pitcher and accepting free food from girls working at the shop.
According to Captain Thomas Palmisano, Ward showed the girls a picture from a newspaper of Chamberlain and said he was the pitcher.
“The girls asked for his autograph and gave him free food,” Palmisano said.
Ward, pretending he was Chamberlain, told the girls not to tell anybody he was in town.
“He must look close enough because he’s been pulling this off,” Palmisano added, but said police do not have Ward’s picture.
Palmisano said similar stories about Ward have been reported in Spring Lake and other towns, including the Sunrise Deli in Lake Como.
“He’s been thrown out of bars,” he said.
Palmisano said there is an outstanding warrant out of Belmar for Ward for impersonation and theft of services.
“He took the bagels and didn’t pay,” Palmisano said.
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He took the bagels that they gave him for free and he didn’t pay for the free bagels they gave him!