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David Giordano, of Toms River, was charged in the incident that occurred on Saturday, Feb. 6, according to Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer.
At approximately 9 p.m. that day, Toms River police were dispatched to Hooper Avenue and Washington Street for a report of a suspicious item in the roadway. Police found a car battery with a power inverter attached to it, Billhimer said. A strand of blue LED Christmas lights was plugged into the power inverter and the other end of the lights was attached to a Clorox bleach bottle containing liquid, the prosecutor said.
The device was set up in the center of Hooper Avenue between the Ocean County Courthouse and the Ocean County Administration Building, Billhimer said.
Out of concern that the device might be explosive in nature, the area between Hooper Avenue, Madison Avenue, and Washington Street was shut down to traffic.
An investigation by the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office K-9 Unit, Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit-Arson Squad, New Jersey State Police Bomb Unit, and Berkeley Township Hazardous Materials Unit, was able to determine that the device in the roadway was not an improvised explosive device, Billhimer said.
Further investigation by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit-Arson Squad and Toms River Township Police Department revealed that Giordano was responsible for placing the device in the roadway, the prosecutor said.
A warrant was issued for Giordano’s arrest for causing false public alarm.
On Monday Feb. 7, Giordano was involved in a motor vehicle accident on the Garden State Parkway near Bloomfield. He was taken to a medical facility in Belleville and treated for his injuries. Prior to his release from the hospital, Giordano was taken into custody by Toms River police, Billhimer said.
Giordano was searched and police discovered him to be in possession of alprazolam, methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia, the prosecutor said.
Giordano was additionally charged with the illegal possession of drugs and paraphernalia, he said.
Giordano was being held in the Ocean County Jail pending a detention hearing.
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