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Police & Fire
Suspected Toms River Hookah Lounge Killer Extradited Months After Virginia Capture Suspected Toms River Hookah Lounge Killer Extradited Months After Virginia Capture
Suspected Toms River Hookah Lounge Killer Extradited Months After Virginia Capture Nearly nine months after his Virginia capture, a Monmouth County man will face charges in New Jersey, authorities announced. Asbury Park's Eric Manzanares, 24 — the accused gunman in a triple shooting that left one man dead and two others injured at a Toms River hookah lounge in 2022 — has been extradited from Prince William County, VA, to Ocean County, NJ, Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer announced on Thursday, Jan. 25.  Toms River police responded to a shooting at Top Tier Hookah Lounge on Hooper Avenue at around 1:20 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 27, 2022. Officers found three victim…

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by Chris Spiker
News
Toms River Company Among 19 NJ Businesses Who Owe $1.1M In Unpaid Dues, State Says Toms River Company Among 19 NJ Businesses Who Owe $1.1M In Unpaid Dues, State Says
Toms River Company Among 19 NJ Businesses Who Owe $1.1M In Unpaid Dues, State Says Nineteen businesses who owe a total of $1.1 million have been barred from public contracting until they pay back their dues, the New Jersey Department of Labor said. R.A. Florio Building Contractors Inc., of Toms River, for example, has been ordered to pay $39,555.57 to the state, according to the department of labor and workforce development. The final judgment was given on Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2020.  The contractor is one of 101 total businesses on New Jersey's Workplace Accountability in Labor List, also known as the WALL. According to the state, Florio Building Contractors violated …

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by Chris Spiker & Cecilia Levine
Sports
'Always The Underdog:' Toms River Fighter Frankie Edgar Will Be Inducted Into UFC Hall Of Fame 'Always The Underdog:' Toms River Fighter Frankie Edgar Will Be Inducted Into UFC Hall Of Fame
'Always The Underdog:' Toms River Fighter Frankie Edgar Will Be Inducted Into UFC Hall Of Fame A Toms River mixed martial artist known for taking down more physically imposing fighters has reached the summit of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Frankie "The Answer" Edgar was named as the first UFC Hall of Fame inductee for 2024. The UFC announced his acceptance into MMA's most exclusive club during UFC 297 in Toronto on Saturday, Jan. 20. The UFC released a video tribute to Edgar's career when making the announcement. "Undersized, always the underdog, everyone could see themselves in Frankie," UFC commentator Din Thomas said in the video. "Frankie was really the first fighter to p…

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by Chris Spiker
Weather
New Forecast: Increased Snowfall Totals Expected, Arctic Temps To Follow Northeast Storm New Forecast: Increased Snowfall Totals Expected, Arctic Temps To Follow Northeast Storm
New Forecast: Increased Snowfall Totals Expected, Arctic Temps To Follow Northeast Storm Newly-released forecast maps show parts of the region could see up to six inches of snow in the end-of-week storm. Intermittent snow is expected to begin between 4 and 7 a.m. Friday, Jan. 19, with the heaviest amounts falling in the afternoon, the National Weather Service said. Snow will fall at about 0.5 inches per hour and will taper by the evening, with temps in the upper 20s and low 30s, the NWS said. SNOWFALL PREDICTIONS The areas expected to get 4 to 6 inches are Trenton, Long Branch, Allentown, and Philadelphia. Reading, Vineland, Parsippany and Toms River are expected to get 3 to …

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by Cecilia Levine
Obituaries
'RIP To The Queen:' Condolences Pour In For Toms River Icon Sondra Fortunato, 'Miss Liberty' 'RIP To The Queen:' Condolences Pour In For Toms River Icon Sondra Fortunato, 'Miss Liberty'
'RIP To The Queen:' Condolences Pour In For Toms River Icon Sondra Fortunato, 'Miss Liberty' Sondra Fortunato, an iconic New Jersey entertainer and model known to many as "Miss Liberty USA," has died. Condolences were widely posted online on Thursday, Jan. 11 for the well-known local celebrity from Toms River, including the town's Republican party organization. "Dear sweet Sondra, I first met you when I was about 12 years old. I'm now 66. We girls would see you in Seaside buying the latest fashion's," one mourner wrote. "We were all fascinated by your stunning appearance. You truly were the first Barbie doll!  "As the years went by it was a delight to see you in Toms River wh…

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by Chris Spiker
Police & Fire
CEO In Bergen Sold $35M Worth Of Banned Chinese Surveillance Cams To Police, Others In NJ: Feds CEO In Bergen Sold $35M Worth Of Banned Chinese Surveillance Cams To Police, Others In NJ: Feds
CEO In Bergen Sold $35M Worth Of Banned Chinese Surveillance Cams To Police, Others In NJ: Feds A Jersey Shore businessman conned state and local law enforcement agencies and others into buying nearly $35 million worth of surveillance cameras that were made in China and then illegally rebranded for sale by his Bergen County company, federal authorities charged. Tamer Zakhary, 49, of Toms River, modified license-plate readers and other cameras, then removed the original company’s logo, an FBI complaint says. He then told the police departments, prosecutor's offices and other buyers throughout the state that they were compliant with the National Defense Authorization Act, U.S. Atto…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
Masked Burglars Wake Toms River Homeowners By Opening Bedroom Door: Police Masked Burglars Wake Toms River Homeowners By Opening Bedroom Door: Police
Masked Burglars Wake Toms River Homeowners By Opening Bedroom Door: Police Police in Toms River are seeking four burglars who woke a sleeping family over the weekend. The Brower Avenue homeowner told police that they awoke around 2:30 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 23 to two people opening their bedroom door, located on the second floor of the home, police said. Video home surveillance provided by the homeowner revealed four suspects dressed in all black, and wearing face masks and gloves. They got out of a white BMW and approached the home.  While one suspect entered the driver side door of the victim’s BMW parked in their driveway and rummaged through the vehicle,…

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by Cecilia Levine
Police & Fire
UPDATE: Gunman Killed In Confrontation With Police Was Married To Ocean Prosecutor's Detective UPDATE: Gunman Killed In Confrontation With Police Was Married To Ocean Prosecutor's Detective
Update: Gunman Killed In Confrontation With Police Was Married To Ocean Prosecutor's Detective UPDATE: Authorities officially identified a 39-year-old man armed with a semi-automatic rifle who was shot and killed by police in Manchester Township last week as the husband of an Ocean County prosecutor's detective. Shannon “Shane” Rose, 39, encountered police responding to a 911 call on Elizabeth Avenue in the Ocean County township shortly before 8:30 p.m. Dec. 6, New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin said. Two of them fired their service weapons, fatally wounding Rose, the attorney general said. "A firearm was recovered near the subject," Platkin added. It was reportedly an AR-…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Weather
These NJ Towns Got The Most Rain, Snow In Weekend Storm These NJ Towns Got The Most Rain, Snow In Weekend Storm
These NJ Towns Got The Most Rain, Snow In Weekend Storm The National Weather Service has released rainfall totals from the weekend storm. Between Sunday morning, Dec. 10 and Monday morning, Dec. 11, the area that got the most amount of rain was Deerfield with 4.45 inches, then Flemington/Hopewell, with 4.29 inches. Franklin Lakes saw 4.09 inches, the NWS says. Flanders only got .13 inches, and Florham Park only had .38 inches of rain. High Point got 5.1 inches of snow, according to the NWS, the most across the state, while Wantage saw 5 inches and Hardyston saw .4 inches. Here are the average inches of rain that feel from across the s…

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by Cecilia Levine
Obituaries
Lauren Gaeta Of Toms River Dies, 59 Lauren Gaeta Of Toms River Dies, 59
Lauren Gaeta Of Toms River Dies, 59 Lauren Gaeta, a Toms River resident died on Friday, Nov. 17 at the age of 59, according to her obituary. A Totowa native who was born in Pequannock Township, Gaeta moved to Toms River three years ago, her obituary reads. She loved watching people on the boardwalk, shopping at flea markets and spending time with her family, according to her obituary. She is survived by her husband, Salvatore, her children, Kelsey and Erin, her stepchildren, Erica and Matthew, her siblings Donna, Shauna, her dogs, Mugsy, Dunkin and Cinnamon and other relatives and friend, her obituary reads. A funeral will b…

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by Sam Barron
Police & Fire
2 Broken Thumbs Down: Gambino Family Hothead Nearly Torches Jersey Shore Restaurant, Feds Say 2 Broken Thumbs Down: Gambino Family Hothead Nearly Torches Jersey Shore Restaurant, Feds Say
2 Broken Thumbs Down: Gambino Family Hothead Nearly Torches Jersey Shore Restaurant, Feds Say Life imitated art when a reputed Gambino crime family captain threatened to burn down a Jersey Shore restaurant, then went to a service station across the street and tried to buy and fill a plastic gas can, federal authorities said. In what could’ve been a scene from any number of modern-day mob movies, Joseph Lanni of Staten Island became a walking cliché, the Justice Department said in announcing an organized-crime takedown that stretched all the way to Sicily. Lanni and fellow Staten Islander Vincent “Vinny Slick” Minsquero “became belligerent” after being asked to leave Roxy’s Bar and G…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
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…

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by Cecilia Levine