Tag:

Somerset County Prosecutor's Office

Secret Rutgers Drug Network Exposed: Seven Arrested In Undercover Bust, Prosecutors Say Secret Rutgers Drug Network Exposed: Seven Arrested In Undercover Bust, Prosecutors Say
Secret Rutgers Drug Network Exposed: Seven Arrested In Undercover Bust, Prosecutors Say A covert social media network used by Rutgers University students to buy and sell drugs led to seven arrests following a months-long investigation, authorities said. The seven were arrested as part of the "Operation RU Pharm" investigation, Middlesex County Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone said in a news release on Thursday, Dec. 5. The undercover operation exposed a private social media network used by Rutgers students to distribute and purchase drugs. Investigators said they uncovered the online platform created by a former Rutgers student. Dealers posted menus of drugs for students w…
DNA Match Cracks 1997 NJ Murder Case, Suspect Arrested In Canada DNA Match Cracks 1997 NJ Murder Case, Suspect Arrested In Canada
DNA Match Cracks 1997 NJ Murder Case, Suspect Arrested In Canada After 27 years, authorities announced an arrest in a major Bridgewater cold case murder. Robert Creter, a 60-year-old Winnipeg, Manitoba resident was charged with the murder of Tamara "Tammy" Tignor, 23, of Newark,  Somerset County Prosecutor John McDonald said Monday, Dec. 2. Bridgewater police received a 9-1-1 call reporting the discovery of Tignor's body by a Bridgewater resident on a dirt access road that ended in a cul-de-sac off Gilbride Road near Washington Valley Park on Tuesday, Nov. 4, 1997, McDonald said. An autopsy determined her death to be a homicide, authorities sai…
Tragedy On Route 202: Motorcyclist, 36, Killed In Collision With SUV, Authorities Say Tragedy On Route 202: Motorcyclist, 36, Killed In Collision With SUV, Authorities Say
Tragedy On Route 202: Motorcyclist, 36, Killed In Collision With SUV, Authorities Say A 36-year-old motorcyclist from Basking Ridge was killed Wednesday afternoon, Nov. 6 in a crash with an SUV on Route 202 in Somerset County, authorities said. An SUV driven by a 37-year-old woman from Bedminster was making a left turn onto Old York Road from Route 202 South when it collided with the motorcycle near the intersection of Old York Road in Centerville around 3:10 p.m., Somerset County Prosecutor John P. McDonald said. The motorcyclist, who was traveling north on Route 202, was found severely injured at the scene by responding officers, McDonald said alongside…
Ex-Con Driving On 2 Flats Found With Gun, Hollow-Point Bullets At NJ School: Cops Ex-Con Driving On 2 Flats Found With Gun, Hollow-Point Bullets At NJ School: Cops
Ex-Con Driving On 2 Flats Found With Gun, Hollow-Point Bullets At NJ School: Cops A 49-year-old Burlington Township ex-convict was found with a loaded gun and drugs at a Somerset County school one early-morning this week, authorities said. Police in Franklin Township were notified around 6:10 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 15, that someone was driving on two flat tires on the property of a local private school, Somerset County Prosecutor John P. McDonald said. Arriving officers found Quincy K. Clark coming out of the bushes with his hands in his pockets, they said. Officers conducting the investigation found a high-capacity ammunition magazine on Clark, and a more extensive sea…
1 Dead In Head-On Somerset County Crash: Police 1 Dead In Head-On Somerset County Crash: Police
1 Dead In Head-On Somerset County Crash: Police One person was killed in a head-on crash early Tuesday, Oct. 15 in Somerset County, police said. UPDATE: Cops ID Victim Of Deadly Somerset County Crash the crash happened just before 7:25 a.m. on Amwell Road near South Middlebush Road in Franklin Township, police said. Police, fire, and EMS responded to the scene. The driver and sole occupant of one of the vehicles was pronounced dead. The driver and passenger of the other vehicle sustained non-life-threatening injuries. The factors that contributed to the crash are under investigation by the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Offic…
Dad Convicted In Route 287 Road Rage Shooting With Youngsters In Car: Prosecutor Dad Convicted In Route 287 Road Rage Shooting With Youngsters In Car: Prosecutor
Dad Convicted In Route 287 Road Rage Shooting With Youngsters In Car: Prosecutor A 41-year-old Middlesex County dad has been convicted of multiple charges in a road rage shooting on a Route 287 exit ramp in May 2023, authorities said. While driving in heavy traffic on Easton Avenue in Franklin Township by the Route 287 exit ramp, Gerald Chapman pulled alongside the victim's car and struck the passenger side mirror with his left hand, the Somerset County Prosecutor's Office said. Chapman then drove behind and around to the driver's side of the vehicle, pulled out a handgun and fired two shots at the car, striking the driver's window and the rear driver's side door while …
Body Of NJ Resident, 31, Pulled From Car Submerged In River After Crash: Prosecutor Body Of NJ Resident, 31, Pulled From Car Submerged In River After Crash: Prosecutor
Body Of NJ Resident, 31, Pulled From Car Submerged In River After Crash: Prosecutor The body of a 31-year-old man was pulled from a vehicle that had plunged into the Delaware Raritan Canal over the weekend, police said. Police were called to Canal and Grouser roads on Saturday, Aug. 24 around 12:25 p.m. after a kayaker saw a 2024 Honda Civic in the river, Somerset County Prosecutor John P. McDonald said. The body of the sole occupant, a 31-year-old Skillman man, was pulled from the vehicle, which was removed from the water by Mike's Towing and Recovery, McDonald said. An investigation found that the Honda had been heading west on Grouser Road when he entered the inte…
Central Jersey Man Sextorted Boy He Met In Online Gaming Chatroom: Prosecutors Central Jersey Man Sextorted Boy He Met In Online Gaming Chatroom: Prosecutors
Central Jersey Man Sextorted Boy He Met In Online Gaming Chatroom: Prosecutors A Somerset man was accused of trying to get a boy to send him nude pictures and videos in a sextortion scheme, authorities said. Sebastian Romero, 27, was arrested on Friday, Aug. 2, Burlington County Prosecutor LaChia Bradshaw said in a news release. The investigation started after the boy's family contacted the Cinnaminson Township Police Department in July. Investigators said Romero met the boy online through an online gaming platform's chatroom and knew the boy was underage. He got personal information about the boy before offering to pay him with electronic gif…
Kids Sexually Assaulted In NJ Church Bathroom, Police Say Kids Sexually Assaulted In NJ Church Bathroom, Police Say
Kids Sexually Assaulted In NJ Church Bathroom, Police Say A 68-year-old Plainfield man has been charged with sexually assaulting two minors in a church in North Plainfield last month, authorities said. On Sunday, June 23, at 4:38 p.m., police responded to a 9-1-1 call reporting a sexual assault of a minor earlier that day, Somerset County Prosecutor John McDonald, Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Chief of County Detectives Francisco Roman Jr., and North Plainfield Chief of Police William Parenti said.  Pierre Joseph, the suspect, was detained at the church while they awaited police, authorities said While Joseph was transported for questi…
NJ Man, 62, Busted On Child Porn Charges, Prosecutor Says NJ Man, 62, Busted On Child Porn Charges, Prosecutor Says
NJ Man, 62, Busted On Child Porn Charges, Prosecutor Says A 62-year-old Somerset County man has been arrested on child porn charges, authorities said. George Wohar, Jr., of North Plainfield, became the center of an investigation following a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), Somerset County Prosecutor John P. McDonald said. An investigation initiated by the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Special Investigations/Computer Crimes Unit confirmed that various electronic service providers containing numerous images of child pornography were all associated with George Wohar, Jr., McDonald said…
Ex-Cop Pleads Guilty In Double-Fatal Off Duty DWI Wreck In New Jersey, Prosecutor Says Ex-Cop Pleads Guilty In Double-Fatal Off Duty DWI Wreck In New Jersey, Prosecutor Says
Ex-Cop Pleads Guilty In Double-Fatal Off Duty DWI Wreck In New Jersey, Prosecutor Says A 30-year-old former police officer has pleaded guilty to charges filed in connection with a double-fatal wreck he caused while off duty last summer, authorities announced. Amitoj Oberoi, 29, of Somerset, was employed as an Edison police officer at the time of the accident on Route 27 in Franklin Township that killed Carlos Perez-Gayan, a 24-year-old Somerset resident, and Victor Cabrera-Francisco, a 20-year-old North Brunswick resident, as previously reported by Daily Voice. Oberoi pleaded guilty to two counts of vehicular homicide and driving while intoxicated, authorities said. His …
One Dead When Car Slams Tree In Somerset County (UPDATE) One Dead When Car Slams Tree In Somerset County (UPDATE)
One Dead When Car Slams Tree In Somerset County (Update) One person was killed in a crash Thursday, May 9 in Franklin Township (Somerset County), authorities confirmed. Firefighters and police were dispatched to the scene at Route 27 near Reler Lane, where a southbound vehicle struck a tree just after 8:05 a.m., Somerset County Prosecutor John P. McDonald said. Police offices, firefighters, and EMS personnel responded to the scene. Due to the extent of the injuries sustained, the victim was pronounced dead at 9:30 a.m.  A section of Route 27 was closed for approximately four hours. The factors that contributed to the crash remain unde…
NJ Driver, 33, In Deadly Hit-Run Made U-Turn Before Returning: Prosecutor NJ Driver, 33, In Deadly Hit-Run Made U-Turn Before Returning: Prosecutor
NJ Driver, 33, In Deadly Hit-Run Made U-Turn Before Returning: Prosecutor A Flemington man has been arrested in a deadly pedestrian crash, authorities in Somerset County said. Andres Estaban Silva, 33, was in a 2019 Toyota Tacoma pickup truck heading north on Veterans Memorial Drive and turning left onto Somerset Street in Somerville, when he struck a 72-year-old resident on Friday, April 26 around 6:10 p.m., Somerset County Prosecutor John P. McDonald said. Following the crash, Silva made a U-turn and fled east on Veterans Memorial Drive, McDonald said. It wasn't long before he returned to the scene and parked in a lot on Somerset Street near the crash site…
Wife Had Husband Sell Jewelry She Stole From Residents Of NJ Senior Living Facility: Prosecutor Wife Had Husband Sell Jewelry She Stole From Residents Of NJ Senior Living Facility: Prosecutor
Ana Rios Ezequiel Rios Arrest A husband and wife have been arrested for stealing and selling jewelry from the senior living facility she worked at, authorities announced. Ana Rios, 40, of Piscataway, would swipe pieces of jewelry from residents of a Bridgewater senior living facility where she worked as a housekeeper, then turned them over to her 43-year-old husband, Ezequiel Rios, Somerset County Prosecutor John P. McDonald said. Rios then sold two of the pieces, which McDonald said held a street value estimated at $45,000. Ana is believed to have stolen the jewelry between May 2023 and February 2024. P…
Burglar Validates $9,300 In Lotto Tickets Stolen From Convenience Store In NJ: Cops Burglar Validates $9,300 In Lotto Tickets Stolen From Convenience Store In NJ: Cops
Burglar Validates $9,300 In Lotto Tickets Stolen From Convenience Store In NJ: Cops A 41-year-old man has been arrested for stealing $9,300 worth of lottery tickets and then validating them, police in Somerset County said. Joseph Holman, of Willingboro, broke the glass door of a convenience shop on Easton Avenue in Franklin Township sometime overnight Wednesday, March 13 and Thursday, March 14, and snatched the New Jersey Lottery tickets, Somerset County Prosecutor John P. McDonald said. Holman was later identified as a suspect, and it was discovered he'd validated the stolen tickets, McDonald said alongside Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Chief of County Det…
NJ Field Hockey Coach Sent Sexually Explicit Texts To 17-Year-Old Girl: Prosecutor NJ Field Hockey Coach Sent Sexually Explicit Texts To 17-Year-Old Girl: Prosecutor
NJ Field Hockey Coach Sent Sexually Explicit Texts To 17-Year-Old Girl: Prosecutor A 39-year-old Flemington field hockey coach was arrested on Thursday, March 28, and charged with sending one of his players, a 17-year-old girl, sexually explicit texts, authorities said. Brett Clay, a travel field hockey coach employed by Centercourt Field Hockey in Mount Olive, exchanged the text messages with the teen, a Bridgewater resident, Somerset County Prosecutor John McDonald said. Clay began sending illicit text messages in late December 2023, at one point offering her money in exchange for her sending him sexually explicit images, said McDonald alongside Chief of Count…
Attempted Murder For Man, 61, In Somerset County Stabbing: Prosecutor Attempted Murder For Man, 61, In Somerset County Stabbing: Prosecutor
Attempted Murder For Man, 61, In Somerset County Stabbing: Prosecutor A 61-year-old Highland Park resident was arrested this week for stabbing a person in Franklin Township on Sunday, March 24, authorities. Thomas Carter is believed to have stabbed the victim found in Franklin Township who turned up at an area hospital that night around 8 p.m., Somerset County Prosecutor John McDonald said. The victim, a New Brunswick resident, underwent emergency surgery for life-threatening injuries, said McDonald alongside Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Chief of County Detectives Francisco Roman, Jr, and Franklin Township Public Safety Director Quovella Maeweathe…
Knife-Wielding Teen Home Invader Forced Victim To ATM In New Jersey: Prosecutor Knife-Wielding Teen Home Invader Forced Victim To ATM In New Jersey: Prosecutor
Knife-Wielding Teen Home Invader Forced Victim To ATM In New Jersey: Prosecutor An 18-year-old Bernardsville teenager was arrested and charged with a home invasion that occurred last week, authorities said. On the early morning of Tuesday, March 5, Maicol Fernandez entered a home in Bernardsville armed with a knife, and demanded money, Somerset County Prosecutor John McDonald, Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Chief of County Detectives Francisco Roman Jr., and Bernardsville Borough Chief of Police John Remian said. Fernandez escorted the victim to a nearby bank and demanded he withdraw money from an ATM, authorities said. At one point, a struggle ensued and the…
Arrest Made In Fatal Stabbing Of 27-Year-Old Woman At NJ Apartment Complex: Prosecutors Arrest Made In Fatal Stabbing Of 27-Year-Old Woman At NJ Apartment Complex: Prosecutors
Arrest Made In Fatal Stabbing Of 27-Year-Old Woman At NJ Apartment Complex: Prosecutors A 27-year-old Somerville man was arrested on Sunday, Feb. 4, and charged with fatally stabbing Maryrose Fealey last week, authorities said. David Shroitman was charged with first-degree murder, possession of a weapon, tampering with physical evidence, and hindering apprehension, Somerset County Prosecutor John P. McDonald said. Maryrose Fealey Facebook Fealey, a Somerville resident was found by Somerville police responding to a 911 call, outside a residential complex on North Bridge Street around 10:20 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 30, McDonald said alongside Somerset County Prosecuto…
Driver In High-Speed Pursuit From NJ Swim Club Headed To Prison Driver In High-Speed Pursuit From NJ Swim Club Headed To Prison
Driver In High-Speed Pursuit From NJ Swim Club Headed To Prison A 22-year-old Plainfield man was sentenced to three years in prison on Friday, Jan. 12 after pleading guilty to leading police on a pursuit in Somerset County that damaged multiple police vehicles in October 2022, authorities said. At 3:51 p.m. on Oct. 24, 2022, Berkeley Heights Police responded to the parking lot at the Brook Hill Swim Club in Watchung for a report of vehicles driving recklessly and revving their engines at a high volume, Somerset District Attorney John McDonald, Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Chief of County Detectives Francisco Roman Jr., and Watchung Borough Chief o…
Woman, 27, Dies After Being Found Stabbed Outside NJ Apartment Complex: Prosecutor Woman, 27, Dies After Being Found Stabbed Outside NJ Apartment Complex: Prosecutor
Woman, 27, Dies After Being Found Stabbed Outside NJ Apartment Complex: Prosecutor A homicide investigation has been launched after a 27-year-old woman was stabbed dead outside of a Somerset County apartment complex Tuesday night, Jan. 30, officials said. The unidentified woman was found by Somerville police responding to a 911 call, outside a residential complex on North Bridge Street around 10:20 p.m., Somerset County Prosecutor John P. McDonald said. The woman was pronounced dead at the scene, McDonald said alongside Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Chief of County Detectives Francisco Roman Jr., and Somerville Police Chief Dennis Manning. A postmortem ex…
NJ Man Promised Victims Luxury Cars, Instead He Kept Their $202K: Cops NJ Man Promised Victims Luxury Cars, Instead He Kept Their $202K: Cops
NJ Man Promised Victims Luxury Cars, Instead He Kept Their $202K: Cops A 32-year-old Rahway man has been arrested after he was given more than $200,000 to purchase luxury vehicles that the victims never received, authorities said. Jonathan Najarro, who ran J and J Auto Sound and Security Corporation, became the center of an investigation last October, when the victims reported he had $202,920 of their money, Somerset County Prosecutor John P. McDonald said. The theft occurred between July 2022 and October 2022 in Somerville, said McDonald alongside Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Chief of County Detectives Francisco Roman Jr., and Somerville…
NJ Woman Tried Killing Child: Prosecutor NJ Woman Tried Killing Child: Prosecutor
NJ Woman Tried Killing Child: Prosecutor A New Jersey woman has been charged with trying to kill a child, authorities announced. Alfonsina Anguita, 21, of Manville, became the center of an investigation after a 3-year-old child was hospitalized on Tuesday, Dec. 12, 2023, Somerset County Prosecutor John P. McDonald said. The child had signs of physical abuse and strangulation, McDonald said alongside Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Chief of County Detectives Francisco Roman Jr., and Manville Borough Police Department Officer-In-Charge Lieutenant Craig Jeremiah. "Further medical examination revealed patterns and …
69-Year-Old Repeat Child Porn Collector From NJ Gets Ten Years, No Parole 69-Year-Old Repeat Child Porn Collector From NJ Gets Ten Years, No Parole
69-Year-Old Repeat Child Porn Collector From NJ Gets Ten Years, No Parole A 69-year-old ex-con from New Jersey who'd previously avoided prison time for collecting child porn must spend the next decade behind bars for doing it again. Because there's no parole in the federal prison system, John Schulenburg of Basking Ridge will have to reach his 79th birthday in decent health before he'll taste freedom again. Schulenburg was sentenced on Wednesday, Jan. 10, to the mandatory 10-year minimum that U.S. law requires for a repeat offender as part of a plea bargain, U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Philip R. Sellinger said. Had he gone to trial and been convicted, Schulenbu…
Plainfield Pedestrian Dies After Being Struck By Vehicle In Bound Brook (UPDATE) Plainfield Pedestrian Dies After Being Struck By Vehicle In Bound Brook (UPDATE)
Plainfield Pedestrian Dies After Being Struck By Vehicle In Bound Brook (Update) A 66-year-old man died after being struck by a car in Bound Brook Monday, Nov. 20, police said. The Plainfield man was in cardiac arrest when responders arrived at the West Union Avenue crash scene in front of Burger King, around 6:10 p.m., Bound Brook Police Chief Richard S. Colombaroni said. Officers and paramedics initiated life-saving measures and the victim was taken to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead. The driver of the vehicle remained on scene and is cooperating with the investigation. Officers and detectives from the Bound Brook Police Department and the Somerset…
Hostage Emerges Screaming, With Stab Wounds After 4-Hour SWAT Standoff In NJ: Prosecutor Hostage Emerges Screaming, With Stab Wounds After 4-Hour SWAT Standoff In NJ: Prosecutor
Hostage Emerges Screaming, With Stab Wounds After 4-Hour SWAT Standoff In NJ: Prosecutor Police have released details and made an arrest in a nearly five-hour SWAT standoff involving a hostage Friday, Nov. 10 in Somerset County. Police received 9-1-1 calls saying a man later identified as Alonzo D. Blakey, 50, was holding a female relative against her will in his apartment on Columbia Drive in Finderne, around 7:20 a.m., Somerset County Prosecutor John P. McDonald said. Blakely was threatening to harm himself and the victim when Bridgewater police arrived, McDonald said alongside Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Chief of County Detectives Francisco Roman Jr., Bridgewate…
Arsonist Found Unconscious After Setting Fire To His NJ Apartment: Prosecutor Arsonist Found Unconscious After Setting Fire To His NJ Apartment: Prosecutor
Arsonist Found Unconscious After Setting Fire To His NJ Apartment: Prosecutor A 40-year-old arsonist was found unconscious after setting a fire that ignited a Somerset County apartment, authorities said. Dashawn Holmes, a tenant in an East Main Street building in Somerville, was found unconscious by firefighters responding to the alarm set off just before midnight on Wednesday, Oct. 25, Somerset County Prosecutor John P. McDonald said. Holmes was taken to an area hospital for treatment. The Somerville Fire Marshall responded to the scene and determined the fire to be suspicious in nature, said McDonald alongside Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Chief of…
Shooting Led To Car Crash In Somerset County: Prosecutor Shooting Led To Car Crash In Somerset County: Prosecutor
Shooting Led To Car Crash In Somerset County: Prosecutor Authoritiew in Somerset County are investigating a shooting that resulted in a car crashing. On Tuesday, Oct. 24, at 9:09 p.m., Franklin Township Police officers were dispatched to Matilda Avenue for gunshots fired and a vehicle crash, according to Somerset County Prosecutor John P. McDonald. Upon arrival, officers located a vehicle that crashed into a local business, he said.  A passenger in the vehicle, an adult male Franklin Township resident sustained injuries from the crash and was transported to a nearby hospital for treatment with non-life-threateni…
Sex Assault Strangulation Among Charges For Somerset County Attacker: Prosecutor Sex Assault Strangulation Among Charges For Somerset County Attacker: Prosecutor
Sex Assault Strangulation Among Charges For Somerset County Attacker: Prosecutor A 42-year-old Somerset County man has been charged with sexually assaulting a woman who he knew earlier this month, authorities said. Mateo Espinal-Brito, of Franklin Township, is accused of sexually assaulting the woman early Monday, Sept. 11, Somerset County Prosecutor John P. McDonald said. The alleged incident occurred in Franklin Township and was reported that day around 5 a.m., the prosecutor said alongside Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Chief of County Detectives Francisco Roman Jr., and Franklin Township Public Safety Director Quovella M. Maeweather. Following an investig…
NJ Data Analyst Admits Trafficking Child Porn NJ Data Analyst Admits Trafficking Child Porn
NJ Data Analyst Admits Trafficking Child Porn A data analyst from Somerset County admitted in federal court in Trenton on Thursday that he trafficked videos and other images of child pornography. Marcevan Manasse, 28, of Somerville, was nabbed following an undercover operation, authorities said. Detectives accessed five video files and 11 images containing child sexual abuse from an IP address at Manasse’s home, a complaint on file in U.S. District Court in Trenton says. The files included “multiple visual depictions of pre-pubescent children being sexually abused by adults” that he ended up sharing over the course of more than two ye…
DWI Off-Duty Officer Charged In Double-Fatal Somerset County Crash, Victims IDd: Prosecutor DWI Off-Duty Officer Charged In Double-Fatal Somerset County Crash, Victims IDd: Prosecutor
DWI Off-Duty Officer Charged In Double-Fatal Somerset County Crash, Victims IDd: Prosecutor An off-duty Edison police officer was charged with vehicular homicide in connection with one of the two double-fatal crashes that occurred in Somerset County over the weekend, authorities announced. Amitoj Oberoi, 29, of Somerset, was charged with two counts of first-degree vehicular homicide, as well as DWI, and several motor vehicle violations, Somerset County Prosecutor John P. McDonald said Wednesday, Aug. 30. Oberoi is employed as an Edison police officer and was off-duty at the time of the crash, the prosecutor said. Oberoi was driving a 2007 Audi Q7 heading southbound on Somerset St…