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Berkeley Township, NJ

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NJ Parents Facing Long Road To Recovery After Being Shot By Angry Neighbor: Campaign NJ Parents Facing Long Road To Recovery After Being Shot By Angry Neighbor: Campaign
NJ Parents Facing Long Road To Recovery After Being Shot By Angry Neighbor: Campaign A pair of Jersey Shore residents are facing a long road to recovery after they were shot by their neighbor in their home on Monday, March 10, according to a fundraiser set up to support them. Please keep those prayers going for Jill Gawarkiewicz Kwatkoski and Tom!!! This article sheds some light on what... Posted by Linda Klimkowski Flynn on Tuesday, March 11, 2025 At 4:45 p.m., Berkeley Township police responded to Drake Drive and found Tom and Jill Kwatkoski suffering from a gunshot wound, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer said. Billhimer later identified the shooter as Joh…

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by Sam Barron
Police & Fire
NJ Gunman Dies By Suicide After Shooting Next Door Neighbors: Prosecutor NJ Gunman Dies By Suicide After Shooting Next Door Neighbors: Prosecutor
NJ Gunman Dies By Suicide After Shooting Next Door Neighbors: Prosecutor A husband and wife were shot by their next door neighbor, who later died by suicide in Berkeley Township on Monday, March 10, authorities said. At 4:45 p.m., Berkeley Township police responded to Drake Drive and found a man and a woman suffering from a gunshot wound, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer said.  An investigation determined John Adamo, 54, shot the man while he was located outside his neighboring residence, then shot into the home, striking the woman, Billhimer said.  Adamo retreated into his own residence, Billhimer said. The Ocean County Regional SWAT Team we…

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by Sam Barron
Police & Fire
Trio Including Ex-Track Star Charged In Toms River Drive-By Shooting Involving Kids: Prosecutor Trio Including Ex-Track Star Charged In Toms River Drive-By Shooting Involving Kids: Prosecutor
Trio Including Ex-Track Star Charged In Toms River Drive-By Shooting Involving Kids: Prosecutor Three men are facing attempted murder charges after authorities say they opened fire on a Toms River home with an adult and two children inside. Lyjhahn Cromartie, 19, of Lakehurst, and Shazir Vallade, 20, of Lakewood, were arrested on Feb. 28, 2025, after investigators identified them as suspects in the Jan. 13, shooting, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer announced. The arrests follow the earlier capture of Javir Askew-Mayweather, 21, a former track star in Manchester, who was taken into custody in Atlantic City and later released under New Jersey Bail Reform policies, …

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by Cecilia Levine
Police & Fire
NJ Man Used Kik Messaging App To Send, Receive Child Porn: Prosecutor NJ Man Used Kik Messaging App To Send, Receive Child Porn: Prosecutor
NJ Man Used Kik Messaging App To Send, Receive Child Porn: Prosecutor A 26-year-old Ocean County man has been arrested on child pornography charges, authorities said. Mario Calabrese, of Berkeley Township, was sending and receiving images of child pornography from the internet using a KiK Messenger account, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer said following an investigation. An investigation into the accounts found images and videos of child pornography that had been uploaded and sent via Kik by Calabrese, Billhimer said. On Feb. 13, the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office High Tech Crime Squad executed a court-authorized search warrant on Ca…

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by Cecilia Levine
Schools
Parents Fight Back After NJ DUI Super Returns To Work Parents Fight Back After NJ DUI Super Returns To Work
Parents Fight Back After NJ DUI Super Returns To Work A New Jersey superintendent who was arrested for drunk driving last fall has returned to work and some parents are none too happy about it. George Chidiac, the superintendent for the Stafford Township School District, was placed on leave last year after he was arrested for driving under intoxication last October, after crashing into a utility pole in Berkeley Township, causing a power outage, Berkeley Township police said.  Police said Chidiac, 52, was walking away from his gray Kia Forte when officers arrived. He told the officers he was "going home to get help." When questioned …

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by Sam Barron
Police & Fire
Men Living In Same Home Arrested In Child Porn Case: Ocean County Prosecutor Men Living In Same Home Arrested In Child Porn Case: Ocean County Prosecutor
Men Living In Same Home Arrested In Child Porn Case: Ocean County Prosecutor Two men living under the same roof in Ocean County have both been arrested on charges related to child pornography, authorities said. Both Keenan Black, 32, and Daniel Bailey, 20, of Berkeley Township, were lodged in the Ocean County Jail following their arrests, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer said.  The investigation began with Black, after the New Jersey State Police Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force was tipped off to a person sending/receiving images of child pornography, Billhimer said. An investigation by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s…

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by Cecilia Levine
Police & Fire
DUI Driver With Lengthy History Kills Passenger In Jersey Shore Crash: Police DUI Driver With Lengthy History Kills Passenger In Jersey Shore Crash: Police
DUI Driver With Lengthy History Kills Passenger In Jersey Shore Crash: Police A crash in Berkeley Township left one person dead and another facing charges for driving under the influence, police said. The incident occurred on Jan. 20, 2025, just after 12 p.m. when Berkeley Township Police responded to a single-car crash near 144 Grand Central Parkway, local police said. Upon arrival, officers found the driver and passenger had been removed from the vehicle and placed on a nearby lawn. Berkeley Township EMS provided medical care at the scene. The passenger was transported to Jersey Shore Medical Center due to severe injuries but later succumbed to those injuries, offi…

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by Cecilia Levine
Police & Fire
DUI Driver Wanted In Deadly Garden State Parkway Crash Arrested At JFK Airport, Prosecutors Say DUI Driver Wanted In Deadly Garden State Parkway Crash Arrested At JFK Airport, Prosecutors Say
DUI Driver Wanted In Deadly Garden State Parkway Crash Arrested At JFK Airport, Prosecutors Say A Long Island man accused of driving drunk in a deadly Garden State Parkway crash has been captured nearly 15 years after he jumped bail and became a fugitive, authorities said. U.S. Marshals arrested 52-year-old Chaudhry Yousaf at John F. Kennedy International Airport on Tuesday, Dec. 24, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer said in a news release on Monday, Dec. 30. Yousaf's last known address was in Valley Stream, New York. Yousaf was originally charged in the crash that happened on the southbound side of the parkway on Saturday, March 28, 2009. Troopers responded to …

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by Chris Spiker
Police & Fire
Jersey Shore Drug Dealer Captured After Attempted Scooter Escape, Prosecutors Say Jersey Shore Drug Dealer Captured After Attempted Scooter Escape, Prosecutors Say
Jersey Shore Drug Dealer Captured After Attempted Scooter Escape, Prosecutors Say A Berkeley Township man was arrested after trying to flee on a motor scooter during a month-long drug investigation, authorities said. William Manser, 44, was taken into custody, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer said in a news release on Friday, Nov. 22. Berkeley police and detectives with the county prosecutor's office identified Manser as someone using a home in the township to store and sell drugs. Officers set up surveillance around the residence on Wednesday, Nov. 20. Detectives saw Manser leaving the home and approached him but he tried to escape on the scooter.&nbs…

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by Chris Spiker
Police & Fire
Jersey Shore Man Confesses To Illegally Having Loaded Gun During Traffic Stop, Prosecutors Say Jersey Shore Man Confesses To Illegally Having Loaded Gun During Traffic Stop, Prosecutors Say
Jersey Shore Man Confesses To Illegally Having Loaded Gun During Traffic Stop, Prosecutors Say A Berkeley Township man admitted to illegally having a gun during a traffic stop in Manchester Township, authorities said. Charles Coley, 39, pleaded guilty to certain person not to possess a firearm, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer said in a news release on Wednesday, Nov. 20. He entered his guilty plea on Monday, Nov. 18. Manchester police said they pulled over Coley after he didn't stop for a traffic light on Route 70 near County Route 571 on Sunday, June 11, 2023. Officers saw the barrel of a loaded 9mm gun on the backseat floor of the Honda. Col…

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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
Jersey Shore Driver, 17, Airlifted In Crash With Tow Truck Jersey Shore Driver, 17, Airlifted In Crash With Tow Truck
Jersey Shore Driver, 17, Airlifted In Crash With Tow Truck A 17-year-old girl had to be airlifted to a nearby hospital after a crash with a tow truck on Friday, Oct. 4 in Ocean County, authorities said. At 5:54 p.m., officers in Berkeley Township responded to Veterans Boulevard and Eastern Boulevard and discovered the 17-year-old's red PT cruiser was struck by an Accurate Towing flatbed truck, Berkeley Township police said.  The girl unsafely entered the intersection, which was controlled by the intersection, before she was struck by the tow truck, police said. The girl was airlifted to Jersey Shore Medical Center and a juvenile passenger was…

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by Sam Barron
Police & Fire
Man Who Strangled Wife, Dumped Body On Side Of Ocean Township Road Sentenced: Prosecutors Man Who Strangled Wife, Dumped Body On Side Of Ocean Township Road Sentenced: Prosecutors
Man Who Strangled Wife, Dumped Body On Side Of Ocean Township Road Sentenced: Prosecutors A Forked River man will spend more than four decades in prison after he was convicted of strangling his wife to death and leaving her body on the side of a Monmouth County road, authorities said. Jeremy Cruz, 53, was sentenced to 50 years in state prison, Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond Santiago said in a news release on Friday, Sept. 13. A jury found him guilty of first-degree murder on Wednesday, Apr. 24. Investigators said a driver saw 51-year-old Dawn Cruz with severe injuries on Colonial Avenue near the intersection with Asbury Avenue in Ocean Township …

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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
Sidewalk Pedestrian Airlifted After Being Struck By Man With History Of Careless Driving In NJ Sidewalk Pedestrian Airlifted After Being Struck By Man With History Of Careless Driving In NJ
Sidewalk Pedestrian Airlifted After Being Struck By Man With History Of Careless Driving In NJ A woman was flown to the hospital after a careless driver drove onto the sidewalk and struck her while she was walking her dog in an Ocean County town on Friday, Sept. 6, police said. Eugenio Carta of Berkeley Township was operating a 1999 Buick Sedan when he drove off the roadway, struck the victim walking her dog on the sidewalk, then came to rest after hitting a tree around 3 p.m. at the intersection on Doral Drive at Cohansey Drive, local police said. The woman suffered a head injury from the crash and was airlifted to Jersey Shore Medical Center where she was in critical but stable con…

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by Cecilia Levine
Police & Fire
South Toms River Man Led Chase As Officers Investigated Kidnapping Report, Police Say South Toms River Man Led Chase As Officers Investigated Kidnapping Report, Police Say
South Toms River Man Led Chase As Officers Investigated Kidnapping Report, Police Say A South Toms River man was accused of leading police on a chase as they investigated a possible kidnapping in Whiting, authorities said. Thomas Stevens, 67, was arrested on Tuesday, Sept. 3, the Manchester Township Police Department said in a news release. His arrest came after officers responded to a report of a woman "being forced into a vehicle against her will" at the Wawa convenience store on Route 70 at around 3 p.m. An officer found Stevens driving a black 2005 Chevrolet Tahoe and stopped him on County Route 530. Stevens didn't give an explanation or show his identification and drove…

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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
Police & Fire
Two Women Hospitalized After Car Runs Stop Sign, Crashes In South Jersey: Police Two Women Hospitalized After Car Runs Stop Sign, Crashes In South Jersey: Police
Two Women Hospitalized After Car Runs Stop Sign, Crashes In South Jersey: Police Two women were hospitalized, including one who was airlifted, after their cars crashed in Ocean County, authorities said. Berkeley Township police responded to the crash at the intersection of Jamaica Boulevard and Bimini Drive at 9:15 a.m. on Wednesday, July 3, the department said in a news release. Officers found a tan Toyota Camry and a white Honda Civic with heavy damage. Investigators said the Toyota was heading west on Jamaica and failed to stop at a stop sign. The Toyota entered the intersection and was hit in the driver's door by the Honda, which was traveling north on Bimini. …

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by Chris Spiker
Police & Fire
Lightning Strike Confirmed Cause Of Death For 59-Year-Old 'Cowboy Hero' On NJ Beach Lightning Strike Confirmed Cause Of Death For 59-Year-Old 'Cowboy Hero' On NJ Beach
Lightning Strike Confirmed Cause Of Death For 59-Year-Old 'Cowboy Hero' On NJ Beach A Toms River man died from a lightning strike on an Ocean County beach, authorities said. A Seaside Park Police Department spokesperson confirmed to Daily Voice that 59-year-old Patrick Dispoto's cause of death was accidental and caused by a lightning strike. He was found unconscious on the beach near J Street at around 7:38 p.m. on Sunday, June 23. Police said Dispoto had no visible signs of injuries. He was rushed to a hospital where he was pronounced dead. Dispoto's girlfriend Ruth said he tried to warn a group of children on the beach about the thunderstorm aft…

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by Chris Spiker
Police & Fire
'Cowboy Hero' Dies After Lightning Strike While Warning Kids On NJ Beach About Storm: Reports 'Cowboy Hero' Dies After Lightning Strike While Warning Kids On NJ Beach About Storm: Reports
'Cowboy Hero' Dies After Lightning Strike While Warning Kids On NJ Beach About Storm: Reports A Toms River man died after a reported lightning strike on an Ocean County beach, authorities said. Patrick Dispoto, 59, was found unconscious on the beach near J Street at around 7:38 p.m. on Sunday, June 23, a Seaside Park Police Department spokesperson told Daily Voice. He was rushed to a hospital where he was pronounced dead. Police said Dispoto had no visible signs of injuries. There were also no witnesses so investigators haven't confirmed if his death was caused by lightning or "another medical issue." Dispoto's girlfriend Ruth said he tried to warn a group of children on the beach …

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by Chris Spiker
Police & Fire
Jersey Shore Man Who Robbed Pharmacy With Knife Sentenced: Prosecutors Jersey Shore Man Who Robbed Pharmacy With Knife Sentenced: Prosecutors
Jersey Shore Man Who Robbed Pharmacy With Knife Sentenced: Prosecutors An Ocean County man will spend more than a decade in prison after admitting to pulling a knife on a pharmacy employee in a robbery, authorities said. Christopher Hurley, 27, of Little Egg Harbor, was sentenced on Friday, June 7 to 12 years in state prison, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer said in a news release. He pleaded guilty to robbery on Monday, Mar. 18.  Berkeley Township police responded to an armed robbery report at the Rite Aid on Route 9 on Saturday, Feb. 5, 2022. Officers said a man entered the pharmacy, pointed a knife at a cashier, and demanded mon…

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by Chris Spiker
Police & Fire
Wild Street Brawl Sends Jersey Shore Repeat Offender, Officers To Hospital Wild Street Brawl Sends Jersey Shore Repeat Offender, Officers To Hospital
Wild Street Brawl Sends Jersey Shore Repeat Offender, Officers To Hospital A repeat offender from Toms River who was high on PCP fought violently with police who kept him from running into traffic outside a 7-Eleven in North Jersey, authorities said. The incident was another in a recent series of episodes involving Albert P. Fischetta III, 40, whose violent reaction sent two officers – and himself – to the hospital, they said. Fischetta had been freed after police in Berkeley Township said he attacked an elderly man while not wearing any clothes last fall, records show. This time, his girlfriend told police in Hasbrouck Heights (Bergen County) that Fischetta sudd…

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by Jerry DeMarco