HOWELL TOWNSHIP, NJ – The Howell Township Police Department expressed gratitude to the residents of Pine View Estates at Howell for their participation and warm welcome at a recent fraud presentation.
The presentation alerted seniors to the different types of fraud schemes occurring recently and how to prevent being the next victim of fraud.
The event, which took place earlier today, featured presentations by Detective Ortenzi and Detective Robertiello. Additionally, Traffic Officers Bush and Silvani were on hand to address all traffic-related inquiries. The police department used their Facebook page to extend thanks to all attendees and officers involved in the event.
- Long Branch felon guilty of killing woman while eluding police
FREEHOLD, N.J. — A Monmouth County jury has found a Long Branch man guilty on 18 charges stemming from an armed home invasion and fatal car crash that killed a passenger during a police pursuit, prosecutors announced Friday.
Altonia D. Williams, 47, faces the possibility of life in state prison after being convicted of armed robbery, felony murder, aggravated manslaughter, vehicular homicide, and a series of other offenses tied to an August 2023 incident that began before dawn in a residential neighborhood.
Just before 4 a.m. on August 14, Long Branch police responded to a home on Narragansett Avenue after reports that a man had entered armed and demanded money. The suspect, later identified as Williams, fled the scene in a white BMW and crashed into a responding police cruiser moments later.
Williams ran from the burning wreckage, abandoning his front-seat passenger, 38-year-old Tracee Blount of Long Branch. Officers pulled her from the vehicle, but she was later pronounced dead at a nearby hospital.
Police located Williams hiding in a nearby bush with a loaded handgun. Investigators later determined he had been intoxicated on marijuana at the time of the crash.
18-count conviction includes felony murder, vehicular homicide
The case was brought before a Monmouth County Grand Jury in December and proceeded to a four-week trial that ended with guilty verdicts on multiple charges across all degrees. The verdict was delivered in the courtroom of Monmouth County Superior Court Judge Joseph W. Oxley.
The charges included seven second-degree crimes, two third-degree crimes, and five fourth-degree crimes. Williams was represented by Middletown-based defense attorney Shane Paugh.
Sentencing is scheduled for Wednesday, September 17, and Williams remains in custody awaiting his fate.
- Gunfire on the beach leaves one dead at the Jersey Shore
LONG BRANCH, NJ — Authorities are investigating the shooting death of a man found Thursday night near the shoreline at Pier Village, according to Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago.
At approximately 8:58 p.m., Long Branch Police responded to reports of gunfire in the beach area between the shoreline and the boardwalk. Officers arriving at the scene located an adult male suffering from a single gunshot wound.
The victim was pronounced dead at the scene. His identity has not yet been released.
The Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Bureau and Long Branch Police Department are conducting a joint investigation into the circumstances of the shooting.
Law enforcement officials stated that the incident appears to be isolated and emphasized that there is no ongoing threat to the public.
The investigation remains active as authorities continue to gather information surrounding the fatal shooting near Pier Village.
- Reports of gunfire cause panic at Long Branch Pier Village concert
LONG BRANCH, N.J. — Chaos erupted at Pier Village on the Long Branch boardwalk when reports of gunfire sent crowds fleeing during a concert, according to local police.
The disturbance occurred as people were attending the event near the beach. Videos shared on social media and footage from surveillance cameras showed large groups running away while emergency crews assisted at least one person on the sand.
Authorities have not verified if any shots were actually fired. Both Long Branch police and the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office are investigating but have not provided specific details or identified anyone involved.
“People were running everywhere — it was total chaos,” one person wrote online, capturing the scene that unfolded during the scare.
By Friday morning, a section of the boardwalk remained cordoned off with police tape as investigators continued their work at the site.
Investigation continues as authorities seek answers
Law enforcement officials are gathering video evidence and speaking with witnesses to determine what caused the panic. So far, no injuries from gunfire have been confirmed.
Unconfirmed reports say a fight broke out on the beach, leading to gunfire, but police have not confirmed those claims.
Businesses surrounding Pier Village saw a sharp decline in activity following the incident, with some shutting down temporarily. The concert was interrupted and stopped as authorities worked to control the scene and move people to safety.
Investigators from the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office are encouraging anyone with information or relevant footage to contact them.
- Holmdel caregiver charged with exploiting elderly victims in financial theft scheme
HOLMDEL, NJ — A Parlin woman has been charged with financially exploiting two elderly victims, following a lengthy investigation by the Holmdel Township Police Department, officials announced Friday.
Akosua F. Frimpong, who worked for a senior home care company, allegedly gained the trust of her victims — one of whom suffers from dementia and another who is the spouse of a hospice patient — before accessing their bank accounts, stealing credit cards, and making multiple fraudulent transactions for personal gain.
During one large transaction, Frimpong used her husband’s bank account, identified as Kwaku A. Darko, and received assistance from an accomplice, Muhomed Koroma of Newark, to conceal her involvement.
Investigators say Frimpong also took one of the victims on repeated shopping trips, during which she made fraudulent purchases by linking the victim’s credit card to her Apple Pay account. She then misled the victim’s family by claiming the elderly woman made the purchases herself.
Frimpong is charged with credit card theft, fraudulent use of a credit card, two counts of theft by deception, identity theft, and two counts of computer criminal activity. Darko and Koroma are charged with theft by unlawful taking and computer criminal activity.
AUTHORITIES UNCOVER ELABORATE FRAUD SCHEME
According to police, Frimpong used her role as a caregiver to access sensitive financial information over time, carefully orchestrating a series of thefts that targeted vulnerable seniors.
The investigation was led by Detective Corrigan of the Holmdel Township Police Department, who worked to track the fraudulent activity across multiple accounts and transactions.
Authorities have not disclosed the total financial loss involved in the case but emphasized the seriousness of exploiting elderly victims.
Frimpong and her accomplices now face multiple felony charges as the legal process moves forward.
- A mob enforcer with 7 confirmed kills wins election in New Jersey town
Englishtown, NJ – Former mob enforcer John Alite has estimated that he shot between 30 and 40 people, beat about 100 people with a baseball bat, and murdered 7 people.
In a strange turn of events that can only happen in New Jersey, John Alite, a former Gambino crime family enforcer with a notorious past, has emerged victorious in the Republican primary for Englishtown Borough Council, securing 118 votes in an uncontested race.
Alite, alongside fellow candidates Janet Leonardis and Patsy Fierro, will run unopposed in the November general election, potentially putting him on a path to be the first convicted mafia killer elected to public office in New Jersey history.
Alite, 62, was appointed to the council in March by Mayor Daniel Francisco to fill a vacancy left by Kyle Jewusiak, who resigned.
The appointment sparked heated debate in the small Monmouth County borough of 2,300 residents, with some praising Alite’s transformation into a motivational speaker and anti-crime advocate, while others questioned the optics of elevating a man once tied to murders, extortion, and racketeering.
“This is a new chapter,” Alite told supporters outside Englishtown’s borough hall. “I’ve paid for my past, and now I’m here to serve this community, keep kids off the streets, and make our town better.”
Alite, who served 14 years in prison before cooperating with federal authorities in the 2008 racketeering trial against John “Junior” Gotti, has leaned heavily on his redemption narrative. His campaign focused on local issues like improving infrastructure, supporting law enforcement, and combating the fentanyl crisis—a cause personal to Alite, who lost his daughter to drug addiction.
The uncontested primary, marked by low voter turnout, reflects Alite’s and Fierro’s lack of challengers within the Republican Party, which dominates local politics in Englishtown.
With no Democratic opponents fielded, their election in November appears all but certain, barring any write-in campaigns or unforeseen independent challenges.
Mayor Francisco, who championed Alite’s appointment, hailed the primary results as a vote of confidence in second chances. “John’s a neighbor, a father, and a guy who’s shown he’s committed to this town,” Francisco said. “He’s not the man he was 20 years ago.”
Critics, however, remain uneasy. At a March council meeting, some residents voiced concerns about Alite’s criminal history, with one anonymous attendee calling it “a step too far” for Englishtown’s reputation.
Alite, undeterred, has embraced the scrutiny, framing his past as a cautionary tale to steer youth away from crime.
As Alite prepares for the general election, his candidacy raises broader questions about redemption, politics, and the boundaries of public trust. If elected, he aims to beautify Englishtown with cobblestone sidewalks and new businesses, drawing comparisons to nearby Princeton. Yet, for many, the image of a former mob enforcer debating potholes and zoning laws remains a jarring one.
For now, Alite’s path to the council seems clear, but whether Englishtown fully embraces its unconventional councilman remains to be seen.
The November election will determine if this small borough is ready to write a new chapter in its history—one led, improbably, by a man once known as “the Calculator” in the Gambino crime family.
