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Police & Fire
Central Jersey Dad Indicted For Smothering His 6-Week-Old Baby, Prosecutor Says Central Jersey Dad Indicted For Smothering His 6-Week-Old Baby, Prosecutor Says
Central Jersey Dad Indicted For Smothering His 6-Week-Old Baby, Prosecutor Says A Monmouth County grand jury has indicted a 23-year-old man in the smothering death of his baby girl, authorities said. Austin Meli, a 23-year-old resident of Wall Township, was indicted on Friday for murder and endangering the welfare of a child in the death of his 6-week-old daughter, according to Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni. Meli already is in state prison on separate charges that he physically abused the girl's older brother. Meli was sentenced to 10 years in state prison in March 2020 for violently abusing his 15-month-old son, according to earlier n…

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by Jon Craig
Police & Fire
Unlicensed 'Happy Feet' Masseuse Touched Clients Inappropriately, Central Jersey Police Say Unlicensed 'Happy Feet' Masseuse Touched Clients Inappropriately, Central Jersey Police Say
Unlicensed 'Happy Feet' Masseuse Touched Clients Inappropriately, Central Jersey Police Say An unlicensed masseuse at a Central Jersey business has been arrested after not-so-happy clients allege that he touched them inappropriately, authorities said. An Qinghai, 55, of New York City, was charged on Tuesday with two counts of sexual assault, Wall Township police said on Facebook. Qinghai, who does not have a massage therapy license, worked at Happy Feet Reflexology at 1933 Route 35 in Wall Township for about two years, police said. He was charged with two counts of criminal sexual assault, police said. After his arrest, he was processed and released, they said. The alleged incid…

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by Jon Craig
News
No Charges For Jersey Shore Man Who Posted Facebook Threats Against Sparta Schools No Charges For Jersey Shore Man Who Posted Facebook Threats Against Sparta Schools
No Charges For Jersey Shore Man Who Posted Facebook Threats Against Sparta Schools A Jersey Shore man accused of posting threats toward Sparta school officials on social media will not face criminal charges, authorities said. The Wall Township man shared a message Friday calling for people to "knock down the doors of the BOE members and union leaders" if Sparta schools aren’t fully reopened soon, DailyRecord reports citing Police Lt. John Lamon. A follow-up investigation of the alleged threats determined that the man was “just venting,” the report says. "The detective bureau followed up and made contact with him," Lamon told the outlet. "The guy said 'I'm not looking to …

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by Valerie Musson
Police & Fire
Shooting Reported In Central Jersey Shooting Reported In Central Jersey
Shooting Reported In Central Jersey There was a shooting reported overnight in Monmouth County,  authorities said. Neptune police were called to the 300 block of Fisher Avenue about 1:30 a.m. on a report of shots fired, according to the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office. Shortly thereafter, Wall Township police stopped a vehicle for a motor vehicle infraction.  During the stop, a passenger was found suffering from a non-life threatening gunshot wound and was taken to a local hospital for treatment, said Chris Swendeman, a spokesman for the prosecutor's office.  The Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office a…

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by Jon Craig
Police & Fire
Ex-Monmouth Drug Court Officer Gets 10 Years State Prison For Sexually Assaulting Probationer Ex-Monmouth Drug Court Officer Gets 10 Years State Prison For Sexually Assaulting Probationer
Ex-Monmouth Drug Court Officer Gets 10 Years State Prison For Sexually Assaulting Probationer A former longtime Monmouth County probation officer has been sentenced to 10 years in state prison  for sexually assaulting a woman he supervised from Drug Court, authorities said. Henry C. Cirignano, 48, of Wall Township also was accused of making false representations to the court about the woman who was on probation, according to Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni. Cirignano was an 18-year veteran of the New Jersey State Probation Department in the Vicinage of Monmouth, Gramiccioni said.  Cirignano threatened to create false probation violatio…

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by Jon Craig
Police & Fire
Hit-Run Pedestrian Crash Investigated In Central Jersey Hit-Run Pedestrian Crash Investigated In Central Jersey
Hit-Run Pedestrian Crash Investigated In Central Jersey Authorities are investigating a hit-and-run crash that left a 32-year-old pedestrian seriously injured in Monmouth County. At about 8:55 p.m. on Sunday, Wall Township police were called to Belmar Boulevard and Birchwood Lane on a report of pedestrian struck by a motor vehicle. The vehicle involved in the collision left the scene before police arrived, they said. The pedestrian from Asbury Park was taken to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune with serious injuries by Wall Township EMS and paramedics from Hackensack-Meridian. Glendola Fire Department also assisted. The crash i…

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by Jon Craig
News
WINNERS: 3 Powerball Players Win $50K In Central Jersey WINNERS: 3 Powerball Players Win $50K In Central Jersey
Winners: 3 Powerball Players Win $50K In Central Jersey There were three lucky Powerball lottery players on Saturday, New Jersey Lottery officials said. Three Lottery tickets matched four of the five white balls and the Powerball drawn on Dec. 5, with each player winning a $50,000 third-tier prize.  The winning numbers for the Dec. 5, drawing were: 03, 04, 06, 48, and 53. The Red Power Ball number was 10. The Multiplier number was 02.  The winning tickets from Saturday night’s drawing were sold at the following locations: Fords (Middlesex County), AR-EX Pharmacy, 370 New Brunswick Ave.  Wall Township (Monmouth), Quick…

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by Jon Craig
Police & Fire
Coast Guard Helicopter Crew Rescues Fishermen From Burning Boat Off Jersey Shore Coast Guard Helicopter Crew Rescues Fishermen From Burning Boat Off Jersey Shore
Coast Guard Helicopter Crew Rescues Fishermen From Burning Boat Off Jersey Shore The U.S. Coast Guard rescued two fishermen after their boat caught fire approximately 34 miles off the Jersey Shore Thursday (click here for video). Coast Guard Sector Delaware Bay received a mayday call from one of the fishermen on the 53-foot Sport Fisher boat "Reel E Bugging," saying their engines were engulfed in flames and they needed immediate assistance. The fishermen were putting on life jackets and deploying their life raft just east of the Barnegat Inlet. Sector Delaware Bay watch standers issued an urgent marine broadcast notifying nearby vessels, and launched an MH-65 Dolp…

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by Cecilia Levine
Police & Fire
Jersey Shore Teens Arrested In Gang-Related Shooting Death Jersey Shore Teens Arrested In Gang-Related Shooting Death
Jersey Shore Teens Arrested In Gang-Related Shooting Death Teenagers from Asbury Park, Howell and Lakewood have been arrested in connection with a gang-related shooting death, authorities said on Tuesday. Two of the teenagers face murder charges, they said. A Howell juvenile and an 18-year-old fugitive from Asbury Park were arrested in connection with a March 23 homicide at a home on DeWitt Avenue in Asbury Park, according to Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni.  Jamir Styles, 20, of Asbury Park and the 16 year old juvenile from Howell were charged on Thursday with first-degree murder, first-degree conspiracy&…

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by Jon Craig
Police & Fire
Office Manager Charged With Stealing More Than $100K From Jersey Shore Law Firm Office Manager Charged With Stealing More Than $100K From Jersey Shore Law Firm
Office Manager Charged With Stealing More Than $100K From Jersey Shore Law Firm An Ocean County was arrested Friday for stealing more than $100,000 over the course of eight years from the law firm she was working for, authorities said Monday. Patricia Vaughn, 62, of Toms River, made numerous unauthorized transfers from the Wall Township office's various accounts to its operating account while working there from  2011 through 2019, Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni said. Vaughn hid the transfers by creating fake bank statements, and used the additional money from the account to give herself unauthorized salary increases and paychecks, total…

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by Cecilia Levine
Police & Fire
Authorities ID 31 Busted In ATM Thefts In Monmouth County -- And Only Eight Are NJ Residents Authorities ID 31 Busted In ATM Thefts In Monmouth County -- And Only Eight Are NJ Residents
Authorities ID 31 Busted In ATM Thefts In Monmouth County -- And Only Eight Are NJ Residents They flooded New Jersey by the dozens, mostly coming from the Bronx and Brooklyn armed with bogus debit cards. They nearly returned home with tens of thousands of dollars stolen from ATMs throughout the state. Police in a half dozen counties stopped them, though. Here’s a snapshot of several theft crews captured in Monmouth County on Tuesday: A total of 29 adults, two juveniles; Eight from New Jersey. (broken down by county below) Two suspects from Teaneck and one from Hackensack in Bergen County Two from Union County and two from Newark in Essex County; One from Mountain Lakes in Morris …

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by Jon Craig
Police & Fire
Motorcyclist Killed In Crash ID'd As Former Wall Township EMT Motorcyclist Killed In Crash ID'd As Former Wall Township EMT
Motorcyclist Killed In Crash ID'd As Former Wall Township EMT Authorities have identified the 26-year-old motorcyclist who died in a Wall Township crash. Kenneth B. Sosnowski, of Lavallette, lost control of the bike while on the ramp from Route 138 east to Route 35 north, Tuesday night, Wall police said. Sosnowski crashed around 10 p.m., and was pronounced dead at the scene, authorities said. According to his LinkedIn page, Sosnowski was a squad member of Wall's first aid squad from 2014 to 2018. Anyone with information can contact Wall police Lt. Chad Clark at 732-449-4500 extension 1143 or cclark@wallpolice.org.

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by Jon Craig & Cecilia Levine