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Fugitive Who Drove High On Cocaine In Deadly Jersey Shore Crash Arrested In Philly: Prosecutors Fugitive Who Drove High On Cocaine In Deadly Jersey Shore Crash Arrested In Philly: Prosecutors
Fugitive Who Drove High On Cocaine In Deadly Jersey Shore Crash Arrested In Philly: Prosecutors A Howell Township man was arrested exactly one year after he drove while high on cocaine and killed another man in a crash, authorities said. Thomas Redding, 45, was arrested in Philadelphia on Monday, July 29, Monmouth County First Assistant Prosecutor Julia Alonso said in a news release. He was facing charges in a deadly crash in Wall Township on Saturday, July 29, 2023. Wall Township police responded to a three-vehicle crash near the intersection of Old Mill Road and Route 138 at around 5 a.m. Leonard Akers, 55, of Wall, was rushed to Jersey Shore University Medical Center…

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by Chris Spiker
Police & Fire
Four Jersey Shore Men Charged After Selling Ghost Guns To FBI Informant: Feds Four Jersey Shore Men Charged After Selling Ghost Guns To FBI Informant: Feds
Four Jersey Shore Men Charged After Selling Ghost Guns To FBI Informant: Feds Four Ocean County men were accused of using a 3D printer to sell ghost guns to an FBI informant, authorities said. The men facing charges in the case are James Hyres, 38, of Toms River; Dennis McMickle, 35, of Brick Township; James Opalenik, 51, of Ocean Gate; and Edward Trost III, 36, of Toms River. New Jersey's U.S. Attorney Philip Sellinger announced the charges in a news release on Monday, July 29. According to the criminal complaint, the four men were part of a gun-trafficking conspiracy throughout Ocean County in April and May 2024. Hyres created the ghost guns by using seve…

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by Chris Spiker
Police & Fire
Central Jersey Man Sexually Assaulted Second Child 20+ Years Ago, Prosecutors Say Central Jersey Man Sexually Assaulted Second Child 20+ Years Ago, Prosecutors Say
Central Jersey Man Sexually Assaulted Second Child 20+ Years Ago, Prosecutors Say A South River man was indicted after he was accused of sexually assaulting a second child about 25 years ago, authorities said. A grand jury indicted 45-year-old Robert Wisiak on first-degree aggravated sexual assault. Acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Julia Alonso announced the indictment in a news release on Monday, July 29. Wisiak, who used to live in Keansburg, was arrested on Friday, Oct. 20, 2023. Investigators said he sexually assaulted one child who was under 13 years old between 1999 and 2001. A second victim came forward after Wisiak was arrested. That vi…

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by Chris Spiker
News
Lucky Again: $4M Mega Millions Ticket Sold In NJ Market's Second Massive Winner Of 2024 Lucky Again: $4M Mega Millions Ticket Sold In NJ Market's Second Massive Winner Of 2024
Lucky Again: $4M Mega Millions Ticket Sold In NJ Market's Second Massive Winner Of 2024 A convenience store in Monmouth County sold a lottery ticket worth at least $1 million for the second time in less than three months, officials said. A Mega Millions ticket worth $4 million was purchased at Laurel Market on Laurel Avenue in Hazlet, the New Jersey Lottery said in a news release on Wednesday, July 24. The ticket matched five numbers and had the Megaplier of four in the drawing on Tuesday, July 23. The winning numbers were 3, 9, 14, 26, and 51. The Mega Ball was 21. Laurel Market also sold a Jersey Cash 5 ticket that won $1 million in t…

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by Chris Spiker
Police & Fire
Monmouth University Lockdown Order Lifted After Email Made Bomb, Shooting Threats Monmouth University Lockdown Order Lifted After Email Made Bomb, Shooting Threats
Monmouth University Lockdown Order Lifted After Email Made Bomb, Shooting Threats A lockdown order was lifted at Monmouth University after students were asked to shelter in place for several hours as investigators looked into a threat on campus, officials said. The university posted on Facebook about the main campus lockdown at 3:15 a.m. on Tuesday, July 23, as university police and other first responders checked various buildings. West Long Branch's emergency management office said there were no safety concerns outside university property in a Facebook post at 7:20 a.m. Monmouth president Dr. Patrick Leahy posted an update on the university's website after students were…

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by Chris Spiker
Police & Fire
Former NJ Teacher Accused Of Sexually Assaulting Another Student Years Ago: Prosecutors Former NJ Teacher Accused Of Sexually Assaulting Another Student Years Ago: Prosecutors
Former NJ Teacher Accused Of Sexually Assaulting Another Student Years Ago: Prosecutors A former Wall Township High School teacher was facing more charges after she was accused of sexually assaulting a second student, authorities said. Julie Rizzitello, 36, of Brick Township, was charged with one count of second-degree sexual assault and one count of third-degree witness tampering, Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond Santiago said in a news release on Wednesday, July 17.  She was previously charged with two counts of second-degree sexual assault, third-degree witness tampering, and three counts of fourth-degree criminal sexual contact. Investigators said they found e…

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by Chris Spiker
Police & Fire
Central Jersey Man Who Raped Two Girls Over Several Years Sentenced, Prosecutors Say Central Jersey Man Who Raped Two Girls Over Several Years Sentenced, Prosecutors Say
Central Jersey Man Who Raped Two Girls Over Several Years Sentenced, Prosecutors Say An Eatontown man will spend at least four decades in prison after he was convicted of raping two girls over several years, authorities said. Gerell Schmitt, 36, was sentenced on Tuesday, July 9 to 48 years in state prison, Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond Santiago said in a news release on Monday, July 15. He was charged in several sexual assaults of two young girls that started a little more than a decade ago. A relative of the two victims first reported the abuse to Eatontown police in September 2020. Both girls were under 13 at the time of the sexual assaults. Investiga…

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by Chris Spiker
Police & Fire
Fishermen Rescue NYC Man Treading Water Off NJ Coast For Hours Overnight, Police Say Fishermen Rescue NYC Man Treading Water Off NJ Coast For Hours Overnight, Police Say
Fishermen Rescue NYC Man Treading Water Off NJ Coast For Hours Overnight, Police Say A man was rescued off the coast of Monmouth County after he was caught by the tide in New York City, authorities said. Middletown police received a call about a man who had been pulled from the water at around 9 a.m. on Monday, July 15, the department said in a news release. A commercial fisherman and his son spotted him about two miles off the coast of Sandy Hook. The fishermen got the man on their boat and brought him to Monmouth Cove Marina in Port Monmouth. Police spoke with him and he was identified as 34-year-old Pete Ordane of New York City. Ordane told poli…

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by Chris Spiker
News
$28M Estate Is NJ's Most Expensive Listing — And Perfect Fit For Movie Star $28M Estate Is NJ's Most Expensive Listing — And Perfect Fit For Movie Star
$28M Estate Is NJ's Most Expensive Listing — And Perfect Fit For Movie Star A home fit for a movie star is on the market in New Jersey. The sprawling 25,000-square-foot estate spanning 160 acres in Monmouth County is listed at $28 million, making it the most expensive listing in the Garden State. The property at 318-322 Route 537 in Colts Neck is located approximately seven miles from the $1 billion Netflix production studios coming to the former Fort Monmouth campus. The home's proximity to the new Netflix studios make it the perfect abode for a Hollywood star, according to listing agents Tom Postilio and Mickey Conlon of Compass. Last year, the township wa…

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by Cecilia Levine
News
Water Restrictions Issued Across These Jersey Shore Counties Water Restrictions Issued Across These Jersey Shore Counties
Water Restrictions Issued Across These Jersey Shore Counties Customers in two counties were asked to conserve water as crews made emergency repairs at a treatment plant, officials said. New Jersey American Water issued a mandatory outdoor water conservation restriction for customers in Monmouth and Ocean counties, the company said in a news release on Sunday, July 14. The order was expected to last for 48 hours. The company said crews will fix a 36-inch valve at its Jumping Brook Water Treatment Plant in Neptune. "Increased summer demands" were also cited as a reason for the restrictions. The order applies to customers in the fol…

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by Chris Spiker
News
Expectant Mom With Six Flags Great Adventure Love Story Shamika Bodino Dies At 32 Expectant Mom With Six Flags Great Adventure Love Story Shamika Bodino Dies At 32
Expectant Mom With Six Flags Great Adventure Love Story Shamika Bodino Dies At 32 Shamika Bodino, a 32-year-old mom from Monmouth County, died at home on Wednesday, July 3, according to her obituary on the Clayton Funeral Home site. Shamika, of Freehold and formerly Toms River and Manchester, earned her master's degree in social work and went on to work as a foster care support clinician at the YMCA of Greater Monmouth County, according to her obituary. She met her husband, Zac, in the summer of 2016 while working at Six Flags Great Adventure, her obituary says. The two fell in love and welcomed their first daughter, Faith. They were expecting the other in Dece…

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by Cecilia Levine
Police & Fire
Man Wrote Bad Checks To Steal Vehicle From Central Jersey Dealership, Police Say Man Wrote Bad Checks To Steal Vehicle From Central Jersey Dealership, Police Say
Man Wrote Bad Checks To Steal Vehicle From Central Jersey Dealership, Police Say A Toms River man was accused of using bad checks to steal a vehicle from a Monmouth County dealership, authorities said. Robert Poelstra, 74, was facing two third-degree charges including theft by deception, the Hazlet Police Department said in a news release on Thursday, July 11. A Hazlet detective received "a crucial lead" in the investigation and conducted a stakeout outside an unnamed medical center in Ocean County. Poelstra was arrested there on Wednesday, July 10.  The stolen vehicle was recovered and will be returned to the dealership.  Anyone with information about …

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by Chris Spiker