North Jersey Trio Stole $100K+ In Business Checks From Jersey Shore Mailboxes, Police Say North Jersey Trio Stole $100K+ In Business Checks From Jersey Shore Mailboxes, Police Say
North Jersey Trio Stole $100K+ In Business Checks From Jersey Shore Mailboxes, Police Say Two men and a woman from North Jersey were accused of stealing more than $100,000 in business checks from Wall Township mailboxes, authorities said. James Miller, 37, of Passaic; Kaleik Easton, 29, of Bloomfield; and Asia Harrell, 31, also from Bloomfield; were arrested, the Wall Township Police Department said in a news release. Investigators said businesses were defrauded out of more than $100,000 after checks were taken from their mailboxes. Police executed two search warrants at the suspects' homes and they were taken into custody on Wednesday, Sept. 19. Detectives …
Central Jersey Taxi Driver Shot Dead Was Loving Dad, 'Friendly Face' Behind Wheel: Fundraiser Central Jersey Taxi Driver Shot Dead Was Loving Dad, 'Friendly Face' Behind Wheel: Fundraiser
Central Jersey Taxi Driver Shot Dead Was Loving Dad, 'Friendly Face' Behind Wheel: Fundraiser The family of an Eatontown taxi driver was rallying for support after he was found dead outside a Hazlet motel, according to a fundraising campaign. The body of 42-year-old Anthony Hill was discovered in the parking lot of Holly Hill Motel on Saturday, Sept. 14. Police found Hill with several gunshot wounds on the ground near a dumpster at around 7:18 a.m.  A GoFundMe page created in Hill's memory raised more than $950 from at least 24 donations as of Friday, Sept. 20. "Ant was a devoted husband, father, and friend, known for his kind heart and dedication to his fa…
Middlesex County Shooting Ruled Suicide, Prosecutor Says Middlesex County Shooting Ruled Suicide, Prosecutor Says
Middlesex County Shooting Ruled Suicide, Prosecutor Says A shooting death in Middlesex County on Wednesday, Sep. 18 has been ruled a suicide, authorities said. The victim's family member called 9-1-1 around 2:45 p.m., bringing Carteret police to Pershing and Union Avenue around 2:45 p.m., Middlesex County Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone and Carteret Police Chief Dennis McFadden said. Carteret Detective Keith Cassens and MCPO Detective Stephanie Redline found the man, who had suffered a gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The medical examiner completed an autopsy which determined that the cause of death was suicide. No further inf…
Historic Freehold Raceway To Permanently Close At End Of 2024 Historic Freehold Raceway To Permanently Close At End Of 2024
Historic Freehold Raceway To Permanently Close At End Of 2024 Freehold Raceway, the oldest racetrack in the U.S., will close after two centuries of competitions and Monmouth County history, officials said. Freehold Raceway will hold its final live races and simulcast operations on Saturday, Dec. 28, the half-mile track said in a news release. Harness racing has been held since the 1830s at the Park Avenue facility in the borough. Employees and affected stakeholders were notified of the closing on Thursday, Sept. 19. "This was an extremely difficult decision, especially given the historical importance of Freehold Raceway to the local community an…
Monroe Township Man Among Three Indicted In Jersey Shore Murder Plot, Prosecutors Say Monroe Township Man Among Three Indicted In Jersey Shore Murder Plot, Prosecutors Say
Monroe Township Man Among Three Indicted In Jersey Shore Murder Plot, Prosecutors Say A grand jury indicted three men accused of plotting to shoot and kill another man in Jackson Township, authorities said. Michael Vulpis of Freehold Borough, Noah Phelps of Monroe Township, and Glenn Franzson of Jackson Township were indicted on Wednesday, Sept. 18, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer said in a news release. The three were facing charges in the shooting on Thursday, June 27. Jackson police responded to the shooting report on Larsen Road at around 12:20 a.m. and officers found a 27-year-old man with a gunshot wound to his face. He was treat…
Ron Jon Surf Shop To Close Location Along Jersey Shore: 'Thank You All' Ron Jon Surf Shop To Close Location Along Jersey Shore: 'Thank You All'
Ron Jon Surf Shop To Close Location Along Jersey Shore: 'Thank You All' A popular surf shop chain founded on the Jersey Shore is shutting down its Ocean City store after three years of business. Ron Jon Surf Shop will close its location on the corner of Asbury Avenue and East Eighth Street, the store announced in a Facebook post on Wednesday, Sept. 18. The shop opened in 2021 and its last day will be Sunday, Oct. 6. "We would like to take this opportunity to thank the residents of Ocean City for welcoming us and thank our Ocean City team for their loyalty and commitment," the store posted. We would also like to express our appreciation to our custome…
North Jersey Man Arranged For Sex With Undercover Cop Posing As Boy, Prosecutors Say North Jersey Man Arranged For Sex With Undercover Cop Posing As Boy, Prosecutors Say
North Jersey Man Arranged For Sex With Undercover Cop Posing As Boy, Prosecutors Say A Bloomfield man was accused of trying to have sex with a Monmouth County investigator posing online as a teen boy, authorities said. Jonar Arenas, 48, was arrested on Wednesday, Sept. 18, Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond Santiago said in a news release. He was charged with second-degree luring, second-degree attempted sexual assault of a minor, and third-degree attempted endangering the welfare of a child. Investigators said Arenas contacted an undercover officer through an unnamed social media app in August. After chatting on the app and "other forms of communication," Arenas …
Custodian's Body Found At South Jersey Charter School, Classes Canceled Custodian's Body Found At South Jersey Charter School, Classes Canceled
Custodian's Body Found At South Jersey Charter School, Classes Canceled A South Jersey charter school was closed Wednesday, Sept. 18 after a custodian was found dead as staff arrived, according to authorities. The body was that of a woman maintenance worker at the Mastery High School on Erie Street in Camden, Dan Keashen, a spokesman for Camden County, said on Thursday, Sept. 19 as school reopened. Her body was discovered in the hallway around 7 a.m., he said.  The woman's name and age have not been released pending an investigation by Camden County Police and toxicology reports, Keashen said. Her death is not considered suspicious, he said. Calls to the …
OceanFirst Bank Agrees To $15M Settlement For Redlining In Middlesex County, Feds Say OceanFirst Bank Agrees To $15M Settlement For Redlining In Middlesex County, Feds Say
OceanFirst Bank Agrees To $15M Settlement For Redlining In Middlesex County, Feds Say A Jersey Shore bank will pay more than $15 million in a settlement for racially discriminatory lending practices known as redlining, authorities said. OceanFirst Bank agreed to the settlement to resolve the accusations that date back to 2018, New Jersey's U.S. Attorney Philip Sellinger said in a news release. The Toms River-based bank was accused of redlining in predominantly non-white neighborhoods in Middlesex, Monmouth and Ocean counties. The $15 million settlement came after the Department of Justice launched its Combating Redlining Initiative in October 2021, aiming to s…
Newly Minted Millionaire! Here's Where $1 Million Powerball Ticket Was Sold In NJ Newly Minted Millionaire! Here's Where $1 Million Powerball Ticket Was Sold In NJ
Newly Minted Millionaire! Here's Where $1 Million Powerball Ticket Was Sold In NJ It was a wonderful Wednesday for a Powerball player in Newark, who became a millionaire overnight. A ticket sold in Newark matched five numbers in the Powerball drawing held on Wednesday, Sept. 18, winning $1 million.  The ticket was sold at Variedades Ecualatinas on 262 Ferry St. The winning numbers were 1, 11, 22, 47, and 68 and the red Powerball was 7.  
Plainfield Man Convicted Of Dragging Police Officer On Dirt Bike: Prosecutor Plainfield Man Convicted Of Dragging Police Officer On Dirt Bike: Prosecutor
Plainfield Man Convicted Of Dragging Police Officer On Dirt Bike: Prosecutor A 39-year-old Plainfield man was convicted on Friday, Sept. 13 of assaulting a North Plainfield police officer by dragging him on his dirt bike in April 2022, authorities said. On April 13, Victor Ogando-Marte was driving an illegal dirt bike on Route 22 along with 15 to 20 others, the Somerset County Prosecutor's Office said. The dirt bikers were driving recklessly by weaving in and out of traffic, popping wheelies and obstructing the passage of other vehicles, authorities said. Officer James Kirchner attempted to apprehend Ogando-Marte near Rock Avenue, but he used his dirt bike to drag h…
10-Year-Old Charged With Making Threats Against NJ District 10-Year-Old Charged With Making Threats Against NJ District
10-Year-Old Charged With Making Threats Against NJ District A 10-year-old child is facing charges after posting a social media video that authorities said posed a threat to a school in Gloucester County. Police were made aware of the video on Wednesday, Sept. 18, that they said threatened a school in Franklin Township. Police "deployed all resources" to ensure the safety of the students, according to a release from the FTPD. All buildings were secured within minutes, and detectives identified the source of the video in ten minutes, police said. The 10-year-old student in the district from Franklinville was removed from the building and brought to p…