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Saturday, feb 1
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Ocean County Prosecutor
Police & Fire
$9K Theft Gets Former Ocean County Rec Director Probation: Prosecutor
A former Brick Township recreation official, once celebrated as a top professional in his field, was sentenced to three years probation on Friday, Jan. 31 after he admitted to stealing more than $10,000 in township recreation fees, authorities said. Daniel Santaniello, 46, pleaded guilty last month to theft, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer said. Santaniello was previously the recreation director for Brick Township. The New Jersey Recreation & Park Association gave him their "Professional of the Year Award" in 2016. Investigators said Santaniello abused his position to c…
Police & Fire
Ocean County Man Indicted In Dad's Murder: Prosecutor
A 38-year-old Lacey Township man was indicted by a grand jury on Thursday, Jan. 30 with murdering his father, authorities said. On Wednesday, Sept. 7, 2022, Lacey Township police responded to a residence on Weehawken Avenue after Justin Donaldson would not let family members into the residence. Police found Justin's father, David Donaldson, dead with apparent trauma to his face, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer said. An investigation by law enforcement determined Justin was responsible for his father's death, Billhimer said. He was taken into custody at the scene without …
Police & Fire
Two More Plead Guilty For Role In Grisly Dismemberment: Ocean County Prosecutor
A 42-year-old Barnegat woman and a 36-year-old Manchester man are the latest to plead guilty for their part in the killing and dismemberment of 56-year-old Kerry Rollason, a Toms River resident last July, authorities said. Danielle Bolstad pled guilty to desecration of human remains while Jared Palumbo pled guilty to hindering apprehension on Monday, Jan. 13. Both are expected to be sentenced to probation per the terms of a plea agreement, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer said. Investigators said Rollason was killed by 35-year-old Maxwell Johnston of Manchester Township at a h…
Police & Fire
Matawan Man Sentenced For Hidden Bathroom Recordings, Distributing Child Porn: Prosecutor
A 59-year-old Matawan man was sentenced to nine years in state prison on Friday, Jan. 3, for recording women, including a 16-year-old girl using the bathroom at a residence in Brick Township, authorities said. Michael Mattina secretly recorded six female victims, including one 16 year-old victim, utilizing a hidden camera located in the bathroom of a residence in Brick Township. Further investigation revealed that Mattina posted the videos of the victims on two adult websites, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer said. Mattina was originally charged in August 2020, Billhimer said.…
Police & Fire
Knife-Wielding Brick Twp. Woman Steals Money, Cigarettes In Berkeley Crime Spree: Prosecutors
A Brick Township woman was accused of pulling a knife on a Berkeley Township store clerk and trying to break into another business, authorities said. Jessica Napolitano, 37, was arrested in Lakewood, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer said in a news release on Wednesday, Oct. 16. Berkeley police responded to a robbery report at The Corner Store on Ocean Gate Drive at around 4:20 a.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 15. Officers learned that a woman who pulled out a knife at the register demanded money and cigarettes. Store employees gave them to her before she le…
Police & Fire
Toms River Woman Sentenced In Roommate's Shower Rod, Tape Dispenser Killing: Prosecutors
A Toms River woman will spend at least eight years in prison after admitting to her role in the death of her roommate, a former Manchester High School janitor, authorities said. Mary Carbone, 60, was sentenced on Friday, Sept. 13 to ten years in state prison, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer said in a news release. She must serve eight-and-a-half years before she's eligible for parole under the No Early Release Act. Carbone pleaded guilty on Monday, July 8 to aggravated manslaughter. She had been indicted for murder in the death of 55-year-old Frank St…
Police & Fire
Campfire Accidentally Sparked Fishers Pit Wildfire In Bayville, Investigators Say
An illegal and abandoned campfire started a massive wildfire that burned for three days in Ocean County, authorities said. Investigators determined the wildfire was accidentally started by "an unknown person(s) improperly extinguishing a campfire," Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer said in a news release on Wednesday, Sept. 11. The roughly 189-acre wildfire burned near Fishers Pit, a sand and gravel pit in the Bayville section of Berkeley Township. In its final update, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service said the wildfire was 100 percent contained a…
Police & Fire
Brick Township Man Who Had 157 Cats At Home Indicted, Prosecutors Say
A Brick Township man was indicted after more than 150 cats were found in his home, authorities said. A grand jury indicted 56-year-old Jeffrey Finlay on Wednesday, Aug. 28 for 149 counts of animal cruelty, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer said in a news release. Finlay called Brick police to help remove the animals from his house on Thursday, May 4, 2023. Officers found about 157 cats and three dogs at the Mantoloking Road home. It took crews about 24 hours for the pets to be removed and brought to county animal facilities for treatment. Finlay was first charge…
Police & Fire
Toms River Woman Admits To Killing Roommate With Shower Rod, Wooden Board: Prosecutors
A Toms River woman admitted to her role in the death of her roommate, a former Manchester High School janitor, authorities said. Mary Carbone, 60, pleaded guilty on Monday, July 8 to aggravated manslaughter, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer said in a news release. She was previously indicted for murder in the death of 55-year-old Frank Stochel of Toms River. Manchester Township police responded to a report of an unresponsive man at a home on Sixth Avenue in the Pine Lake Park section of the township on Monday, Feb. 24, 2020. Officers found Stochel's body on the …
News
Former Employee Admits To Stealing $178K+ From Jersey Shore Engineering Firm: Prosecutors
A Manahawkin woman admitted to stealing nearly $180,000 from a Long Beach engineering firm, authorities said. Dona Carlo-Tanzola, 51, pleaded guilty on Monday, July 1 to theft, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer said in a news release on Monday, July 8. She's a former administrative assistant at Horn, Tyson & Yoder, Inc. Long Beach Township police said Carlo-Tanzola deposited checks for the business into her personal bank accounts between May and November 2022. She also edited the business’s financial records and deleted paid invoices in client accounts. …
Police & Fire
Man Left Scene Of South Jersey Crash That Seriously Injured Pedestrian, Prosecutors Say
A Jackson Township man was accused of seriously injuring a pedestrian in a hit-and-run crash in Lakewood, authorities said. Brian Huerta-Tochihuitl, 20, was charged on Thursday, June 20 with knowingly leaving the scene of a motor vehicle accident which resulted in serious bodily injury to another person, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer said in a news release. The charge was related to a crash on Route 9 on Sunday, June 16. Lakewood police responded to the crash at the intersection of Route 9 and First Street at around 12:30 a.m. Officers learned a white four-do…
Police & Fire
Jersey Shore Man Admits To Attacking 70-Year-Old Bicyclist Who Died, Prosecutors Say
A Seaside Heights man admitted to attacking a bicyclist who died from his injuries two weeks later, authorities said. Anthony Collins, 41, pleaded guilty on Monday, June 10 to manslaughter, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer said in a news release. He was charged in the death of 70-year-old Robert May of Seaside Heights. Prosecutors said they're seeking three years in state prison for Collins. "Certain proof problems in this case resulted in the state entering into a plea agreement with a recommended sentence that is below the normal sentencing range for manslaughter," Billhime…
Police & Fire
Adam Nevius Sentenced
An Ocean County contractor will spend time in prison after admitting to stealing nearly $700,000 in funds meant to help victims of Hurricane Sandy, authorities said. Adam Nevius, 49, of Manahawkin, was sentenced on Friday, May 3 to five years in state prison, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer announced in a news release. He pleaded guilty to theft by failure to make required disposition on Monday, June 19, 2023. Nevius and his wife, 55-year-old Kimberly Atkinson of Manahawkin, owned Coastal Restorations of New Jersey, LLC. Investigators said between Monday, Sept.…
Police & Fire
Realtor Convicted Of Killing Her Father, Girlfriend In Jersey Shore Waterfront Home
A Pennsylvania realtor was convicted of killing her father and his girlfriend on the Jersey Shore, authorities said. After a four-week trial, a jury found Sherry Lee Heffernan, 57, of Landenberg, PA, guilty of two murder counts on Friday, Mar. 1, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer announced in a news release. She faces life in prison for the late September 2021 killings of 87-year-old John Enders of Surf City and 75-year-old Francoise Pitoy of Manchester. Surf City police conducted a wellness check at a home on North Seventh Street at around 4 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 3, 2…
Police & Fire
Dealer Charged After Fentanyl, Heroin Mix Killed Ocean County Man: Prosecutors
A Monmouth County man is accused of giving a mix of heroin and fentanyl that killed a man in Ocean County on the day after Christmas, authorities said. James Liu, 30, of Ocean Township, was charged with strict liability drug-induced death, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer announced in a news release on Wednesday, Feb. 21. The charges come after a 33-year-old Berkeley Township man died of an overdose on Tuesday, Dec. 26. Berkeley Township police responded to a report of an unresponsive man. When officers arrived, they found he was already dead and investigators said Liu sold him the…
Police & Fire
Toms River Heroin Dealer Pleads Guilty
A Toms River man admitted to selling heroin throughout Ocean County, authorities said. Zachary Lockwood, 25, pleaded guilty on Monday, Feb. 12, to possession of one-half ounce or more of heroin with intent to distribute, being a certain person not to possess a weapon, and resisting arrest, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer announced. He also pleaded guilty to an unrelated eluding charge from a second incident. Toms River police started investigating Lockwood in July 2023 as someone distributing heroin in Ocean County. Police were granted search warrants for his home a…
Police & Fire
Jersey Shore Man Convicted Of Threatening To Kill Man, Possessing Fentanyl
A Toms River man has been convicted about a year and a half after he punched another man and pulled a gun on him, authorities said. A jury found 37-year-old Raphael Powell guilty of seven charges on Wednesday, Jan. 10, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer announced. Powell was accused in an incident in Toms River on Saturday, July 2, 2022. Toms River township police responded to a man who was assaulted while entering a home on Rory Road at around 11 p.m. The victim told officers that another man approached him and asked what he was doing in the area. Investigators said Powell punched …
Police & Fire
NJ Parents Tried To Get Son Psychiatric Help Right Before He Killed Them, Police Say
On Wednesday, Nov. 1, Cheryl Mulgrew called police seeking a psychiatric evaluation for her 34-year-old son, Michael Mulgrew, who had been experiencing a mental health problem, police documents say. But Michael Mulgrew came home later that night seeming calm, and so Cheryl, 69, told police not to bother, and she'd take him to the doctors in the morning, the affidavit says. Around 11 a.m. the following day, one of Mulgrew's parents called police again seeking a psychiatric evaluation, according to police papers. There, they found Cheryl and her husband, Michael's 71-year-old dad, Eugene…
Police & Fire
67-Year-Old Lakewood Man Killed By Natural Gas Explosion: Prosecutor
A 67-year-old Lakewood man was killed by an explosion caused by natural gas hitting an open flame, authorities said. On Wednesday, Noc. 1, at approximately 4:15 p.m., Lakewood Township police were summoned to the Lakewood Housing Authority on Sampson Avenue for a report of an explosion that developed into a structure fire. Police found a male victim, later identified as Ronald Prichard, the sole occupant of the housing unit, to be suffering from serious injuries. Prichard was transported to Monmouth Medical Center, Southern Campus, in Lakewood, where he later…
Police & Fire
Suspect Arrested In Double-Homicide In Barnegat: Prosecutor
A suspect has been arrested in a double homicide that placed Barnegat Township schools on lockdown Thursday, Nov. 2, authorities said. UPDATE: Michael Mulgrew, 34, has been charged with two counts of murder in the fatal stabbings of both of his parents. The incident placed nearby schools on lockdown. Schools were placed on a precautionary shelter in place due to a subject search being conducted in the area, local police said. The subject was eventually located following police activity at Lincoln Avenue and Bengal Boulevard, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer and …
Police & Fire
Jersey Shore Man Charged With Bias Intimidation After Puncturing Tires At 7-Eleven: Prosecutor
A 33-year-old Brick Township man has been charged with bias intimidation after an incident at a 7-Eeven store, authorities said. Ryan McDonald also was charged with criminal mischief and weapons offenses on Tuesday, Oct. 24, according to Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer. At approximately 2 p.m. Tuesday, Officers from the Brick Township Police Department were summoned to the 7-Eleven store on Mantoloking Road for a report of criminal mischief. An investigation by responding Officers determined that a male suspect became agitated with other customers in …
Police & Fire
Drug
Bust
: 1,500 Pounds Of THC, 607K Seized From Jersey Shore Man, Mom Helped, Prosecutor Says
A man was arrested in connection with illegally selling marijuana and THC-related products in Ocean County — and he had help from his mom, authorities said. Approximately 70 pounds of marijuana, 1,500 pounds of THC-related products, a 9 mm handgun, and approximately $390,000 in cash, were seized from Scott Carlino, 52, of Toms River, according to Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer. Ellen Carlino, his 74-year-old mother, was charged with Conspiracy to Commit Financial Facilitation, Billhimer said. The pair had been using a Toms River business, “EarthE CBD,” as …
Police & Fire
Swatted
: Bomb Threats Prompt Evacuation Of Jersey Shore Boardwalk: Prosecutor
Bogus bomb threats aimed at Seaside Heights businesses were swatting incidents, authorities said. At approximately 8:50 a.m., on Monday, Sept. 11, the Seaside Heights Police Department received four phone calls indicating that two bombs were hidden at businesses on the Seaside Heights boardwalk, according to Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer. Additionally, the callers indicated that they had operatives armed with guns on the Seaside Heights boardwalk, he said. The Seaside Heights boardwalk was temporarily evacuated as law enforcement assessed the credibility …
Police & Fire
Arsonist Left Trail Of Blood After Breaking Into Dad's Toms River Home: Prosecutor
A 45-year-old Ocean County man has been charged with breaking into his father's house, stealing a laptop and setting a fire inside the home, authorities said. John Voltolino, Jr., of Toms River, was charged with aggravated arson, burglary, theft, and criminal mischief, in connection with the incidents that occurred on Monday, Sept. 4, according to Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer. Officers from the Toms River Township Police Department responded to a residence on Sun Valley Road for a report of a burglary. The homeowner reported that his son broke into the re…
Police & Fire
Jersey Shore Man Charged In Fatal 86 MPH DWI Crash: Prosecutor
A 41-year-old man from the Jersey Shore has been charged with vehicular manslaughter in connection with a fatal high-speed crash in May, authorities said. John Zinkoski, 41, of Beachwood, surrendered himself to the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office on Tuesday, Aug. 22, according to Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer. The charges are in connection with the alcohol-related crash that occurred in Plumsted Township which resulted in the death of Judi Smith, 59, of Browns Mills, the prosecutor said. On May 12 at approximately 5:50 p.m., Plumsted Township police re…
Police & Fire
Pair Found Guilty In Toms River Shooting Death: Prosecutor
Two men from Toms River have been found guilty in connection with the shooting death of another man, authorities said. Daivon Sullivan, 21, and Leyron Jones, 26, were found guilty of murder after a jury trial on Thursday, Aug. 17, in connection with the death of Javon Cutler, according to Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer. A third defendant, Shadrach Correa, 21, previously pleaded guilty in the case. An investigation revealed that on Oct. 11, 2020, at approximately 8:15 p.m., Cutler, 19, of Bayville, and two friends were attempting to leave Toms Riv…
Police & Fire
Jersey Shore Man Was Driving 86 MPH In Fatal DUI Crash: Prosecutor
A 41-year-old man from Beachwood has been charged with vehicular homicide in a fatal crash, authorities said. John Zinkoski, 41, of Beachwood, was charged in connection with a motor vehicle crash that occurred in Plumsted Township in May resulting in the death of Judi Smith, 59, of Browns Mills, according to Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer. On May 12, at approximately 5:50 p.m., Officers from the Plumsted Township Police Department responded to the area of Pinehurst Road and Long Swamp Road for a report of a serious motor vehicle crash. An investigati…
Police & Fire
Motorist Charged As An Adult In Fatal Crash On Jersey Shore Is Actually A Juvenile: Prosecutor
The Toms River man previously charged in connection with a fatal crash that occurred in Manchester Township last week — and believed to be 22 years old — is actually a juvenile, authorities said. He gave false ID to police and has been additionally charged, according to Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer. He is actually 17 years old, the prosecutor said. The juvenile has been charged with Vehicular Homicide, Strict Liability Vehicular Homicide, Knowingly Leaving the Scene of a Motor Vehicle Crash Resulting in Death, being an Unlicensed Driver Involved in a Moto…
Police & Fire
Lakewood Man Charged With Dealing Cocaine, Heroin: Prosecutor
A 30-year-old man from Lakewood has been charged in connection with storing and selling cocaine and heroin/fentanyl in the Ocean County area, authorities said. Raheem Montgomery was charged with multiple drug and weapons offenses, according to Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer. In a multi-jurisdiction investigation, Montgomery was placed under surveillance, the prosecutor said. On Aug. 3, detectives allegedly observed Montgomery exit a residence and travel to Point Pleasant; he stopped at a local gas station, where detectives approached and detained him without inciden…
Police & Fire
Unlicensed Driver Charged In Fatal Hit-Run Crash With Motorcycle On Jersey Shore: Prosecutor
A 22-year-old unlicensed driver has been charged in a hit-and-run crash that killed a motorcyclist, authorities said. Yasmin Sanchez-Centeno, of Toms River, was charged on Friday, Aug. 4 with vehicular homicide, strict liability vehicular homicide, and more, in the crash that killed 23-year-old Jeffrey Schlinger the day prior, according to Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer. At 10 p.m., Manchester Township Police Department were called to the area of 1881 Route 37 for a report of a serious motor vehicle crash, where they found a 2007 Yamaha motorcycle and a 2005 Nis…
Police & Fire
Fatal Ocean County Fire Was Sparked By 'Improperly Discarded Smoking Materials'
A deadly fire in Ocean County could've been avoided, authorities are saying. The 8:30 p.m. blaze on Monday, July 24 on Laketree Court was caused by "improperly discarded smoking materials," Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer said. When firefighters arrived, parts of the first and second floors of the home had collapsed into the basement, and it was deemed unsafe to continue the fire investigation until daylight hours. The cause of the fire has been ruled accidental. During the investigation, the body of a male victim was found within the collapsed area of the structure.…
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