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Police & Fire
Jersey Shore Man Caught Sending, Receiving Child Porn: Prosecutors Jersey Shore Man Caught Sending, Receiving Child Porn: Prosecutors
Jersey Shore Man Caught Sending, Receiving Child Porn: Prosecutors A Brick Township man was accused of downloading and sharing child pornography, authorities said. Dennis Hubert, 42, was charged with possession of child pornography, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer said in a news release on Thursday, Oct. 24. The investigation started when the state police Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force received a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Investigators with the county prosecutor's office discovered an IP address associated with a Brick Township home was accessing child porn pictur…

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by Chris Spiker
Police & Fire
Man Admits To Driving High On Meth, Injuring Four People In Toms River Crash: Prosecutors Man Admits To Driving High On Meth, Injuring Four People In Toms River Crash: Prosecutors
Man Admits To Driving High On Meth, Injuring Four People In Toms River Crash: Prosecutors A Jackson Township man admitted to driving a stolen pickup while high on methamphetamine in a crash that injured another man and three children, authorities said. Charles Sharkey Jr., 35, pleaded guilty on Monday, Oct. 21 to aggravated assault, driving while intoxicated, and certain person not to possess a firearm, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer said in a news release.  Sharkey was charged in a crash on Thursday, Mar. 23, 2023. Toms River police responded to the wreck near the intersection of Route 70 and Massachusetts Avenue at around 4 p.m. Invest…

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by Chris Spiker
Police & Fire
Man Accused Of Willingboro Baseball Bat Attack Pleads Guilty In Crime Spree: Prosecutors Man Accused Of Willingboro Baseball Bat Attack Pleads Guilty In Crime Spree: Prosecutors
Man Accused Of Willingboro Baseball Bat Attack Pleads Guilty In Crime Spree: Prosecutors A Farmingdale man admitted to trying to kidnap a teen girl and groping a woman in a Target parking lot during a two-county crime spree, authorities said. Quamel Benton, 36, pleaded guilty on Monday, Oct. 21 to attempted kidnapping, two counts of eluding, and criminal sexual contact, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer said in a news release. Lakewood police responded to a report of an attempted kidnapping near Forest Park Circle at around 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Mar. 21. Officers learned that a man tried to force the girl into a "smaller model" white SUV. The …

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by Chris Spiker
Police & Fire
CNAs Attack Patient At Jersey Shore Rehab Center: Prosecutor CNAs Attack Patient At Jersey Shore Rehab Center: Prosecutor
CNAs Attack Patient At Jersey Shore Rehab Center: Prosecutor A pair of certified nursing assistants are accused of beating a patient now listed in critical condition at the rehabilitation center they worked at, authorities in Ocean County said. Dhenmark Francisco, 28, of Toms River, and Jovi Esperanza, 31, of Beachwood, were each charged with aggravated assault in connection with the Sunday, Oct. 14 attack at Crystal Lake Rehabilitation Facility in Berkeley Township, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer said. The Berkeley PD was contacted by officials at the Crystal Lake Rehabilitation Facility regarding a patient that had been assa…

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by Cecilia Levine
Police & Fire
Knife-Wielding Woman Steals Money, Cigarettes In Jersey Shore Crime Spree: Prosecutors Knife-Wielding Woman Steals Money, Cigarettes In Jersey Shore Crime Spree: Prosecutors
Knife-Wielding Woman Steals Money, Cigarettes In Jersey Shore 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…

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by Chris Spiker
Police & Fire
Former Jersey Shore Fire Dept. Treasurer Who Stole $100K+ Sentenced, Prosecutors Say Former Jersey Shore Fire Dept. Treasurer Who Stole $100K+ Sentenced, Prosecutors Say
Former Jersey Shore Fire Dept. Treasurer Who Stole $100K+ Sentenced, Prosecutors Say A Point Pleasant Beach man will spend several years in prison after stealing more than $100,000 from a volunteer fire department, authorities said. Salvatore Umek, 46, was sentenced on Friday, Oct. 11 to five years in state prison, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer said in a news release. The former treasurer of Point Pleasant Beach Fire Company No. 2 pleaded guilty to theft on Monday, June 10. Investigators said Umek stole about $100,000 from the fire company's bank account to pay off personal credit card debt between February 2019 and November 2021. He als…

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by Chris Spiker
News
'A Significant Milestone': State-Of-The-Art Veterans Medical Clinic Opening In Toms River 'A Significant Milestone': State-Of-The-Art Veterans Medical Clinic Opening In Toms River
'A Significant Milestone': State-Of-The-Art Veterans Medical Clinic Opening In Toms River A new medical clinic is about to open for Ocean County veterans, officials said. The new Department of Veterans Affairs community-based outpatient clinic in Toms River will open on Tuesday, Oct. 22, the VA said in a news release on Thursday, Oct. 9. The center is located at 1051 Hooper Avenue. The state-of-the-art facility will replace the James J. Howard Veterans' Outpatient Clinic in Brick Township, which will close on Monday, Oct. 21. All appointments after that day will be transferred to the Toms River clinic and vets will get new appointment cards with updated information. Ocean …

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by Chris Spiker
Real Estate
12 Years After Sandy, Residents Returning To Rebuilt Jersey Shore Oceanfront Community 12 Years After Sandy, Residents Returning To Rebuilt Jersey Shore Oceanfront Community
12 Years After Sandy, Residents Returning To Rebuilt Jersey Shore Oceanfront Community Dale Parisi's third-generation cottage near the Mantoloking beachfront was destroyed by Hurricane Sandy in 2012. "It was a very sad day," he said. "We had no idea what the future held for any of us. While some people cashed in their chips, I believed that someday we were going to return and rebuild." Nearly a dozen years later, Parisi moved into his new three-bedroom duplex in the Osborn Dunes at South Mantoloking community. The neighborhood off Route 35 has reopened for some new and returning residents after suffering catastrophic damage from Sandy, developer Walte…

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by Chris Spiker
Police & Fire
NJ Volunteer Fire Chief Sexually Assaulted Woman Sitting In Vehicle, Prosecutors Say NJ Volunteer Fire Chief Sexually Assaulted Woman Sitting In Vehicle, Prosecutors Say
NJ Volunteer Fire Chief Sexually Assaulted Woman Sitting In Vehicle, Prosecutors Say A volunteer fire chief in Manchester Township was accused of sexually assaulting a woman more than two years ago, authorities said. Michael Trimarchi, 55, of Manchester, was charged with sexual assault and criminal sexual contact, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer said in a news release on Tuesday, Oct. 8. Trimarchi is the chief of the Ridgeway Volunteer Fire Company, according to a Facebook post on Saturday, Sept. 21. A woman told Manchester police on Friday, Sept. 6 that Trimarchi sexually assaulted her on Wednesday, Aug. 10, 2022. Investigators with …

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by Chris Spiker
Police & Fire
Jersey Shore Man Admits To Recording Children's Sex Acts During Video Chats, Prosecutors Say Jersey Shore Man Admits To Recording Children's Sex Acts During Video Chats, Prosecutors Say
Jersey Shore Man Admits To Recording Children's Sex Acts During Video Chats, Prosecutors Say A Brick Township man admitted to recording children performing sexual acts for him in video chats, authorities said. Christopher Budelman, 37, pleaded guilty on Friday, Oct. 4 to two counts of sexual assault, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer said in a news release on Tuesday, Oct. 8. Prosecutors said they're seeking seven years in state prison for Budelman, along with registering as a sex offender, a ban from contacting the victims, and lifetime parole supervision. The state police's Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force found a person was using the …

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by Chris Spiker
News
NJ Water Company Pauses Billing After Cyberattack NJ Water Company Pauses Billing After Cyberattack
NJ Water Company Pauses Billing After Cyberattack A water utility company based in Camden said it is pausing billing in the wake of a cyberattack on Thursday, Oct. 3. American Water serves 2.8 million people in the Garden State, providing water to municipalities in Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Gloucester, Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth Ocean, Salem, Somerset, Union and Warren counties. "American Water learned of unauthorized activity in our computer networks and systems," the company said in a release. "This activity has since been determined to be the result of a cybersecurity incident. In an effort to protect our …

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by Sam Barron
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…

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by Chris Spiker