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Ocean County Sheriff’s Office

Police & Fire
South Toms River Man Strangled Wife With Belt, Charged With Murder: Prosecutor South Toms River Man Strangled Wife With Belt, Charged With Murder: Prosecutor
South Toms River Man Strangled Wife With Belt, Charged With Murder: Prosecutor A South Toms River man has been charged with murder after authorities say he killed his wife by strangling her with a belt, officials announced. Gustavo Juarez-Perez, 38, was arrested and charged with murder, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, and unlawful possession of a weapon in connection with the death of his wife, 30-year-old Cheyanne Juarez, according to Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer. At 9:15 p.m. on Saturday, March 8, 2025, officers from the South Toms River Police Department responded to a 911 call reporting an unconscious female at a home on Hummel Driv…

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by Cecilia Levine
Police & Fire
Juvenile Hit 118 MPH In Police Pursuit That Left Two People Dead In Toms River: Prosecutor Juvenile Hit 118 MPH In Police Pursuit That Left Two People Dead In Toms River: Prosecutor
Juvenile Hit 118 MPH In Police Pursuit That Left Two People Dead In Toms River: Prosecutor A juvenile driver has been charged with multiple felonies, including aggravated manslaughter, after a high-speed police chase ended in a deadly crash that killed two people and critically injured two others on Friday, March 7 in Toms River, officials said. The crash happened at 10:58 p.m., when a white BMW speeding at 118 mph collided with a Toyota Camry at the intersection of Route 37 and Route 166, according to Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer. The Toms River Township Police Department initially spotted the BMW speeding eastbound over the Thomas A. Mathis Bridge around 10:45 p…

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by Cecilia Levine
Police & Fire
Ski-Masked Masturbator Who Lured 4 Females To His Vehicle In Ocean County Arrested: Prosecutor Ski-Masked Masturbator Who Lured 4 Females To His Vehicle In Ocean County Arrested: Prosecutor
Ski-Masked Masturbator Who Lured 4 Females To His Vehicle In Ocean County Arrested: Prosecutor An 18-year-old man who lured multiple females including a pre-teen to his vehicle, masturbated in front of most of them, and then drove off in multiple Ocean County towns has been arrested. Massinissa Ladj, of Jackson, has been charged with sexual assault, three counts of endangering the welfare of a child, and four counts of lewdness, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer said. On Jan. 24, Lakewood police were notified that a male wearing a ski mask and driving a black vehicle motioned to a 16-year-old girl who was walking down East 5th Avenue to approach his car the previ…

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by Cecilia Levine
Police & Fire
Prosecutor IDs Man Killed In Ocean County Fire Prosecutor IDs Man Killed In Ocean County Fire
Prosecutor IDs Man Killed In Ocean County Fire A 75-year-old man has died after suffering serious burns in a house fire in Ocean County, authorities said. First responders from the Lacey Township Police and Fire Departments were dispatched to the reported structure fire on Signal Street at approximately 5:50 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 3, according to Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer. Upon arrival, they found the homeowner, identified as Edward Teixeira, outside the residence with severe burns. Teixeira was transported to Community Medical Center in Toms River, where he succumbed to his injuries on Jan. 4, the prosecutor said. A j…

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by Cecilia Levine
News
Woman Found Dead In Lagoon Behind Little Egg Harbor Township Home: Prosecutor Woman Found Dead In Lagoon Behind Little Egg Harbor Township Home: Prosecutor
Woman Found Dead In Lagoon Behind Little Egg Harbor Township Home: Prosecutor An elderly woman was found dead in a lagoon behind a residence on North Boom Street in Little Egg Harbor Township, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer announced on Sunday, Dec. 29. Officers from the Little Egg Harbor Township Police Department responded to a report of a female floating in the lagoon at approximately 7:45 a.m., Prosecutor Billhimer said. Upon arrival, officers removed the woman’s body from the water. The incident is being investigated by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Major Crime Unit, Little Egg Harbor Township Police Department, and Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Cr…

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by Jillian Pikora
Police & Fire
ID Of DUI Driver, Victim Released By Prosecutor Following Deadly Route 70 Crash ID Of DUI Driver, Victim Released By Prosecutor Following Deadly Route 70 Crash
ID Of DUI Driver, Victim Released By Prosecutor Following Deadly Route 70 Crash Authorities have released the name of the accused DUI driver and the woman he allegedly killed in the Friday morning, Dec. 27 crash on Route 70 in Brick Township. ALSO SEE: ER Nurse Anne Rasmussen Returning From Work ID'd By Grieving Family As Victim Of Wrong-Way DUI Route 70 Crash Jose Romero Quinteros, 53, of Howell, was heading east in in the westbound lanes in a Toyota Rav 4 and crossed over the concrete barrier that separates the roadway, before colliding head-on with a Volkswagen Beetle at approximately 5 a.m., near the Lowe’s home improvement store, according to O…

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by Cecilia Levine
Police & Fire
Man's Body Found In South Jersey Wildlife Management Area, Prosecutors Say Man's Body Found In South Jersey Wildlife Management Area, Prosecutors Say
Man's Body Found In South Jersey Wildlife Management Area, Prosecutors Say A man’s decomposing body was discovered in Manchester Township, prompting an active investigation by multiple law enforcement agencies, authorities said. The body was found in the Greenwood Wildlife Management Area on Saturday, Dec. 14, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer said in a news release on Thursday, Dec. 19. The man was "in a state of advanced decomposition." Investigators from the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit, New Jersey State Police Major Crime Bureau, New Jersey State Police Crime Scene Investigation Unit, Manchester Township Police Depar…

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by Chris Spiker
Police & Fire
Toms River Man Died In Police Custody: Bodycam Footage Shows His Arrest Toms River Man Died In Police Custody: Bodycam Footage Shows His Arrest
Toms River Man Died In Police Custody: Bodycam Footage Shows His Arrest Authorities have released body camera video of the incident when a Toms River man died while police tried to detain him. The state Attorney General’s Office of Public Integrity and Accountability made the footage public on Tuesday, Nov. 26. The video showed the Friday, Apr. 19 encounter that ended with the death of 47-year-old John Cassidy. The incident began at a gas station on Route 37 near West End Avenue at around 1 p.m. Island Heights police officers Peter Muscarella, Dominique D’Amico-Violante, and Lt. Paul Rutledge attempted to arrest Cassidy on active warrants. The f…

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by Chris Spiker
Police & Fire
Wall Township Man Admits To Selling Borrowed Vehicle To Someone In Georgia, Prosecutors Say Wall Township Man Admits To Selling Borrowed Vehicle To Someone In Georgia, Prosecutors Say
Wall Township Man Admits To Selling Borrowed Vehicle To Someone In Georgia, Prosecutors Say A Wall Township man admitted to stealing a vehicle he borrowed and selling it in Georgia, authorities said. Jaquel Accoo, 29, pleaded guilty on Monday, Oct. 28 to motor vehicle theft and witness tampering, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer said in a news release. A man reported to Toms River police on Saturday, Oct. 14, 2023, that his vehicle had been stolen. Investigators said Accoo borrowed the vehicle from the owner but instead of returning it, he sold it to someone in Georgia. Accoo was charged on Thursday, Nov. 22, 2023, a warrant was issued for his arrest, and his na…

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by Chris Spiker
Police & Fire
Campfire Accidentally Sparked Huge Wildfire Near Jersey Shore Neighborhood: Investigators Campfire Accidentally Sparked Huge Wildfire Near Jersey Shore Neighborhood: Investigators
Campfire Accidentally Sparked Huge Wildfire Near Jersey Shore Neighborhood: Investigators An illegal and abandoned campfire started a massive wildfire that burned for three days in Ocean County, authorities said. Investigators determined the wildfire was accidentally started by "an unknown person(s) improperly extinguishing a campfire," Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer said in a news release on Wednesday, Sept. 11. The roughly 189-acre wildfire burned near Fishers Pit, a sand and gravel pit in the Bayville section of Berkeley Township. In its final update, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service said the wildfire was 100 percent contained a…

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by Chris Spiker
Police & Fire
Smoke Diminshes As Crews Begin Containing Wildfire Near Jersey Shore Neighborhood (UPDATE) Smoke Diminshes As Crews Begin Containing Wildfire Near Jersey Shore Neighborhood (UPDATE)
Smoke Diminshes As Crews Begin Containing Wildfire Near Jersey Shore Neighborhood (Update) Smoke has diminished as a massive wildfire burned for a second day in Ocean County, officials said. The fire was first spotted at the Cedar Bridge fire tower at 4:44 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 9, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service said in an update. The roughly 189-acre wildfire was burning near Fishers Pit, a sand and gravel pit in the Bayville section of Berkeley Township. Conditions have improved after "erratic fire behavior" caused problems for the first firefighters at the scene. "Fire crews continue to secure and reinforce containment lines by mopping up hot …

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by Chris Spiker
Police & Fire
Crews Battle 150-Acre Wildfire Across Ocean County (DEVELOPING) Crews Battle 150-Acre Wildfire Across Ocean County (DEVELOPING)
Crews Battle 150-Acre Wildfire Across Ocean County (Developing) Firefighters were battling a massive wildfire in Ocean County that broke out late Monday, Sept. 9, officials said. The New Jersey Forest Fire Service said the fire was burning near Fishers Pit, a sand and gravel pit in the Bayville section of Berkeley Township. The NJFFS first posted on Twitter about the wildfire at 7:30 p.m. Monday. As of Tuesday morning, the fire had been 20 percent contained to 150 acres, after spreading near Northern Boulevard in the Barnegat Pines neighborhood of Berkeley. "When firefighters arrived on scene initial attack efforts were unsuccessful due to erratic…

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by Chris Spiker
Police & Fire
Four-Year-Old Pulled From Jersey Shore Pool Dies On Labor Day, Investigators Say Four-Year-Old Pulled From Jersey Shore Pool Dies On Labor Day, Investigators Say
Four-Year-Old Pulled From Jersey Shore Pool Dies On Labor Day, Investigators Say A young boy died on Labor Day after he was pulled from an Ocean County swimming pool a few days earlier, authorities said. The four-year-old was pronounced dead at Jersey Shore University Medical Center on Monday, Sept. 2, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer said in a news release. Berkeley Township police responded to "an accidental submersion" at a home in South Seaside Park at around 3:30 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 30. Paramedics performed CPR on the boy before he was rushed to the Neptune hospital.  The boy was originally listed in critical but stable…

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by Chris Spiker
News
Divers Pull Drowning Swimmer From Privately-Owned NJ Lake Divers Pull Drowning Swimmer From Privately-Owned NJ Lake
Divers Pull Drowning Swimmer From Privately-Owned NJ Lake Dive teams pulled a drowning swimmer from a privately-owned New Jersey lake Monday evening, July 29. According to Whiting Fire Company Station 33, multiple rescue agencies were called to Heritage Mineral's Crystal Lake in Manchester around 6:55 p.m. for a submerged individual. UPDATE: Police ID Crystal Lake Drowning Victim As 18-Year-Old Trespasser Whiting Fire divers and surface swimmers went into the water and, after a brief search, found the swimmer. The swimmer was turned over to EMS and the Ocean County Sheriff's Office took control of the scene. The victim's condition…

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by Cecilia Levine
News
Tattooed Gunman Charged With Shooting NJ Victim In Face In Tag-Team Assault: Prosecutor Tattooed Gunman Charged With Shooting NJ Victim In Face In Tag-Team Assault: Prosecutor
Tattooed Gunman Charged With Shooting NJ Victim In Face In Tag-Team Assault: Prosecutor A 26-year-old man has been charged with attempted murder after shooting another man in his face last month, authorities in Ocean County said. Michael Vulpis, 26, was arrested at his home in Freehold on Wednesday, July 3, in connection with the June 27 incident in Jackson Township, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer said. The 27-year-old victim and a female were sitting in a parked car outside of a home on Larsen Road when a blue sedan then parked in front of the vehicle, blocking it in, Billhimer said.  Vulpis and another man got out of the blue sedan, approached the ve…

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by Cecilia Levine
Police & Fire
Teen On Ventilator, Families Rebuilding After Massive Townhome Fire In Toms River: Fundraisers Teen On Ventilator, Families Rebuilding After Massive Townhome Fire In Toms River: Fundraisers
Teen On Ventilator, Families Rebuilding After Massive Townhome Fire In Toms River: Fundraisers A teen was put on a ventilator after a fire ripped through a Toms River townhome complex, according to a fundraising campaign. A GoFundMe page said the 17-year-old boy named Matthew was in the intensive care unit at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick after inhaling "a significant amount of soot and smoke." Two of his family members and three firefighters were also injured in the massive fire at Mariners Cove on Monday, July 1. Matthew's GoFundMe page had raised more than $2,200 from at least 39 donations as of Tuesday, July 2. "Our family is absolutely crushed over th…

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by Chris Spiker
Police & Fire
Six Firefighters, Residents Injured In Massive Toms River Townhouse Complex Fire Six Firefighters, Residents Injured In Massive Toms River Townhouse Complex Fire
Six Firefighters, Residents Injured In Massive Toms River Townhouse Complex Fire Six people were injured, including three firefighters, when townhomes caught fire near the Toms River waterfront, officials said. Silverton firefighters responded to the fire on Kettle Creek Road at around 3:20 a.m. on Monday, July 1, the Toms River Bureau of Fire Prevention said in a news release. Two townhome units were fully on fire and flames were spreading to neighboring units in the Mariners Cove townhome complex. First reports said a man was possibly trapped inside the building and fire crews began searching for him. They had to retreat because of how severe the fire was bu…

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by Chris Spiker
News
Manchester Shooting Victim, 25, Dies After Being Airlifted To Hospital, Cops Say Manchester Shooting Victim, 25, Dies After Being Airlifted To Hospital, Cops Say
Manchester Shooting Victim, 25, Dies After Being Airlifted To Hospital, Cops Say Police in one Ocean County town are investigating the shooting death of a 25-year-old woman on Thursday, June 27, authorities said. Officers responding to a 9-1-1 call found the woman on Ridgeway Road and Hope Chapel Road with a gunshot wound to her stomach just before 5 p.m., Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer said. ALSO SEE: Victim Of Ocean County Shooting, 25, Was 'Vibrant' Mom Survived By Young Son, Obituary Says The victim was airlifted to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune, where she died of her injuries, the prosecutor said alongside Manc…

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by Cecilia Levine
Police & Fire
South Jersey Woman Used Child To Sell Psychedelic Mushrooms, Prosecutors Say South Jersey Woman Used Child To Sell Psychedelic Mushrooms, Prosecutors Say
South Jersey Woman Used Child To Sell Psychedelic Mushrooms, Prosecutors Say An Ocean County woman was accused of using a child living in her home to sell psychedelic mushrooms, authorities said. Margaret Whalen, 60, of Lacey Township, was arrested on Wednesday, June 5. Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer announced her charges in a news release. Lacey police were told by the state Division of Child Protection and Permanency in March that Whalen was using her Elwood Street home to make and sell psilocybin mushrooms. Officers executed a search warrant on the home on Wednesday, Mar. 13. Detectives seized several jars with suspected psychedelic mushrooms and…

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by Chris Spiker