Overcast 34°
Police & Fire
Toms River Arsonist Started Blaze That Injured Three Firefighters, Prosecutors Say Toms River Arsonist Started Blaze That Injured Three Firefighters, Prosecutors Say
Toms River Arsonist Started Blaze That Injured Three Firefighters, Prosecutors Say A Toms River man was accused of intentionally starting a fire in Brick Township, injuring three firefighters, authorities said. Charles Maulbeck, 51, was charged with aggravated arson, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer said in a news release on Tuesday, Oct. 8. Brick Township police saw smoke and heavy fire at a home on Falkenberg Road on Friday, Sept. 13. Two firefighters were treated and released from a nearby hospital, while a third declined medical attention. Investigators said the fire started in the north side of the home's split basement by someone who used "a…

SHARE

by Chris Spiker
Police & Fire
Toms River Sex Offender Who Assaulted Lost Girl In His SUV To Stay In Jail: Prosecutors Toms River Sex Offender Who Assaulted Lost Girl In His SUV To Stay In Jail: Prosecutors
Toms River Sex Offender Who Assaulted Lost Girl In His SUV To Stay In Jail: Prosecutors A Toms River man accused of sexually assaulting a lost teen will remain in jail, authorities said. A judge ordered 46-year-old Keith Hahn to stay in Ocean County Jail through his trial, county prosecutor Bradley Billhimer said in a news release on Tuesday, Oct. 8. He was arrested in the case on Tuesday, Oct. 1. Investigators said the 14-year-old girl got lost while she walked along Route 70 in Manchester Township on Sunday, Sept. 29. A man driving a white Jeep Grand Cherokee stopped and talked to her. The girl asked the man to drive her to the animal shelter i…

SHARE

by Chris Spiker
News
'Worst Pain Known To Humanity' Once Plaguing NJ Woman Now Controlled With Cellphone 'Worst Pain Known To Humanity' Once Plaguing NJ Woman Now Controlled With Cellphone
'Worst Pain Known To Humanity' Once Plaguing NJ Woman Now Controlled With Cellphone A New Jersey resident who one day woke up and began experiencing the most excruciating pain of her life is now able to manage it through a cell phone, thanks to physicians at Jersey Shore University Medical Center. Mary Rice, 42, of Toms River, began experiencing the extreme facial pain one day in January 2018. She described it as electric shocks over her left eye, and almost anything set it off. "Healthcare professionals talk about a 10-point scale of pain with their patients," she said. "My pain was mostly a 10+, off the scale, leaving me unable to do the most simple of tasks and prevent…

SHARE

by Cecilia Levine
Police & Fire
Toms River Sex Offender Assaulted Girl Who Needed Ride To Animal Shelter, Prosecutors Say Toms River Sex Offender Assaulted Girl Who Needed Ride To Animal Shelter, Prosecutors Say
Toms River Sex Offender Assaulted Girl Who Needed Ride To Animal Shelter, Prosecutors Say A Toms River man was accused of sexually assaulting a teen who asked him for a ride, authorities said. Keith Hahn, 46, was arrested on Tuesday, Oct. 1, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer said in a news release. He was charged with aggravated sexual assault, sexual assault, aggravated criminal sexual contact, kidnapping, luring, and endangering the welfare of a child. Investigators said the 14-year-old girl got lost while she walked along Route 70 in Manchester Township on Sunday, Sept. 29. A man driving a white Jeep Grand Cherokee stopped and talked to her. The girl a…

SHARE

by Chris Spiker
Police & Fire
Arrest Made In Hit-Run Crash That Left Pedestrian, 25, Critical In Toms River: Police Arrest Made In Hit-Run Crash That Left Pedestrian, 25, Critical In Toms River: Police
Arrest Made In Hit-Run Crash That Left Pedestrian, 25, Critical In Toms River: Police A 60-year-old Toms River man has been charged in connection with a crash that left a 25-year-old man critical earlier this week. Stacy Jordan was heading north on Massachusetts Avenue when it struck the Toms River pedestrian around 9:40 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 21, and fled the scene, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer and Toms River Township Police Department Officer in Charge Peter Sundack said. The pedestrian was taken to Community Medical Center in Toms River, where he was listed in critical condition. Jordan was identified as a suspect and taken into custody on Friday, S…

SHARE

by Cecilia Levine
Police & Fire
Louisiana Man Who Traveled To NJ To Sexually Assault Toms River Teen Sentenced: Prosecutors Louisiana Man Who Traveled To NJ To Sexually Assault Toms River Teen Sentenced: Prosecutors
Louisiana Man Who Traveled To NJ To Sexually Assault Toms River Teen Sentenced: Prosecutors A Louisiana man will spend several years in prison after admitting to sexually assaulting a Toms River teen girl, authorities said. Spencer Caudle of Prairieville, LA, was sentenced on Friday, Sept. 20 to seven years in state prison, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer said in a news release on Monday, Sept. 23. The 36-year-old pleaded guilty to a sexual assault charge on Tuesday, Apr. 2. Investigators said Caudle drove about 2,700 miles roundtrip from Louisiana to the Toms River area to have "sexual contact" with the 14-year-old girl on Saturday, May 27, 2023…

SHARE

by Chris Spiker
Business
OceanFirst Bank Agrees To $15M Settlement For Redlining In Middlesex County, Feds Say OceanFirst Bank Agrees To $15M Settlement For Redlining In Middlesex County, Feds Say
OceanFirst Bank Agrees To $15M Settlement For Redlining In Middlesex County, Feds Say A Jersey Shore bank will pay more than $15 million in a settlement for racially discriminatory lending practices known as redlining, authorities said. OceanFirst Bank agreed to the settlement to resolve the accusations that date back to 2018, New Jersey's U.S. Attorney Philip Sellinger said in a news release. The Toms River-based bank was accused of redlining in predominantly non-white neighborhoods in Middlesex, Monmouth and Ocean counties. The $15 million settlement came after the Department of Justice launched its Combating Redlining Initiative in October 2021, aiming to s…

SHARE

by Chris Spiker
Police & Fire
Toms River Woman Sentenced In Roommate's Shower Rod, Tape Dispenser Killing: Prosecutors Toms River Woman Sentenced In Roommate's Shower Rod, Tape Dispenser Killing: Prosecutors
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…

SHARE

by Chris Spiker
Police & Fire
Toms River School's Music Teacher Shared, Received Child Porn: Prosecutors Toms River School's Music Teacher Shared, Received Child Porn: Prosecutors
Toms River School's Music Teacher Shared, Received Child Porn: Prosecutors A Toms River music teacher was accused of sharing child pornography online, authorities said. Christopher DeCesare, 31, of Matawan, was charged with second-degree distribution of child sexual abuse materials. Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond Santiago announced his arrest in a news release on Friday, Sept. 13. Investigators said DeCesare was distributing child porn to other users through social media and received it on a personal email account. The investigation started in July after a tip from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. DeCesare is …

SHARE

by Chris Spiker
News
'Gas Station Heroin' Killed Toms River Man, Family Says In Lawsuit 'Gas Station Heroin' Killed Toms River Man, Family Says In Lawsuit
'Gas Station Heroin' Killed Toms River Man, Family Says In Lawsuit The family of a Toms River man has filed a lawsuit claiming he was killed by a supplement known by many as "gas station heroin." The suit, filed on Thursday, Sept. 5 by the family of 32-year-old Matthew Cornier, names Neptune Resources, LLC; Super Chill CBD Products; and Hometown Market. Philadelphia-based law firm Feldman Shepherd announced the legal action in a news release on Thursday, Sept. 12. Cornier died on Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2023, after consuming Neptune's Fix Elixir purchased from a store in Point Pleasant, the suit claimed. The product is marketed as a dietary supplement…

SHARE

by Chris Spiker
Lifestyle
'General Hospital' Star Moonlights As Middlesex County Realtor — And He Loves It 'General Hospital' Star Moonlights As Middlesex County Realtor — And He Loves It
'General Hospital' Star Moonlights As Middlesex County Realtor — And He Loves It When he's not breaking hearts on soap operas, Rick Hearst is selling homes in New Jersey. The "General Hospital" star revealed his second career in an Instagram video on Monday, Sept. 9, where he showed off his big backyard and extolled the virtues of living in the Garden State. "I just kind of wanted to show folks what it looks like," Hearst said. “There’s different parts of New Jersey. The part that I live in, South Central New Jersey, is a beautiful place. I also happen to be a real estate agent here. I love helping people find homes here, sell their homes here. It’s really a great …

SHARE

by Sam Barron
Obituaries
South Toms River Officer Killed In Parkway Crash, Treated Friends 'Like Gold': Fundraiser South Toms River Officer Killed In Parkway Crash, Treated Friends 'Like Gold': Fundraiser
South Toms River Officer Killed In Parkway Crash, Treated Friends 'Like Gold': Fundraiser A former South Toms River police officer died when his motorcycle crashed with a dirt bike on the Garden State Parkway, according to a fundraising campaign. A GoFundMe page was created for 26-year-old Antonio Caprara. The Beachwood man was killed in the crash in Toms River at around 1 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 8. South Toms River Police Chief William Kosh tells Daily Voice that Caprara was terminated from the department in May 2024. Kosh did not provide further details. "Antonio was a wonderful person, known for worth ethic, kindness, and selflessness," wrote Rue. "He treated his fri…

SHARE

by Chris Spiker