LAKEWOOD, NJ – Authorities in Ocean County responded to an apparent hate-crime-related incident in Lakewood Township Sunday morning after what appeared to be a grenade was taped to a telephone pole outside a Jewish Synagogue.
The incident was reported early in the morning in the Forest Avenue and 4th Street area, just feet from the entrance to the Satmar Shul of Lakewood.
The New Jersey State Police Bomb Disposal Unit was called to the scene shortly after the 7:45 am call was made to 911.
Police arrived to discover a grenade taped to the utility pole. After removal by the NJSPBU, the grenade was deemed to be inert, intended to intimidate the local Orthodox Jewish community. The bomb was placed in one of the most dense sections of Lakewood Township, home to one of America’s largest concentrations of Orthodox Jews.
“The device was found to be inert and non-explosive. There is no danger to the public, and this remains an active and ongoing investigation,” said Ocean County Prosecutor Billhimer.
The incident comes as Ocean County Sheriff Michael Mastronardy was visiting Israel to meet with law enforcement officials there in the aftermath of the terrorist attack by Hamas on October 6th. During that attack, terrorists from Gaza infiltrated Southern Israel and killed as many as 1,500 innocent people, including women, children, and babies.
“The device was found to be inert and non-explosive. There is no danger to the public, and this remains an active and ongoing investigation,” Prosecutor Billhimer stated.
The Anti-Defamation League released a statement in the aftermath, “At a time when communities are already experiencing a rise in hate, a grenade outside of a synagogue stokes fear in Lakewood, NJ, a hub of American Jewish religious life. We urge law enforcement to thoroughly investigate this threat, and as a community, we will stay vigilant but we must not be intimidated.”
Anyone with information regarding this investigation should contact Officer Alex Guzman of the Lakewood Township Police Department at 732-363-0200, extension 5341 or Sergeant David Petracca of the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office at 732-929-2027, extension 2186,” Prosecutor Billhimer concluded.