Police Blotter

A New York man who admitted to robbing a Lodi bank in 2015 was sentenced Friday to 10 years in state prison. Michael Cassano, 41, pleaded guilty in August to first-degree armed robbery for robbing the Hudson City Savings bank with a BB gun on Feb. 23, 2015. Authorities say he stole $4,000 in cash after…

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by Tod Malland, MPD

On Wednesday morning, December 6, 2017, at approximately 4:50 AM, officers from the Manchester Township Police Department, along with several local fire companies, responded to the report of a structure fire in the Surf & Stream Campground located on Route 571 in the eastern section of the Township.

Upon arrival, officers quickly located the fire inside of a mobile home trailer on lot 15. The mobile home was fully engulfed in flames when officers arrived and the homeowner was already out of the residence. The homeowner reported that she believed that her cocker spaniel was still inside the residence, however, due to the magnitude of the fire, first responders were unable to enter the dwelling. The fire was ultimately extinguished by members of the Manchester, Ridgeway and Lakehurst Volunteer Fire Departments, after which the remains of the victim’s dog were located. The fire completely destroyed the mobile home making it uninhabitable and caused heat damage to units on two adjoining lots. As a result, the homeowner was relocated to a friend’s residence within the complex.

Although the fire is not considered suspicious in nature, the exact cause and origin is being investigated. In spite of that, the initial indication points to the fire starting in the area of the attached porch. This incident is being investigated by Detective Adam Emmons of the Manchester Township Police Department’s Investigations Bureau with the assistance of the Ocean County Fire Marshal’s Office. Also assisting are Detectives from the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigations (CSI) Unit.

A Toms River towing company and its owner were ordered to pay a fine of approximately $110,000 after “persistent sexual harassment” led to the resignation of one of its female employees, the state’s attorney general announced Monday. A final decision issued by the Division on Civil Rights awarded $57,920 to the victim for emotional distress and…

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Authorities in Ocean County announced Monday they are stepping up traffic enforcement in the state’s fastest growing town after a rash of car crashes resulting in fatalities and serious injuries. The new detail, which starts Thursday, will focus on the following intersections and roads in Lakewood: Cedar Bridge Avenue and Martin Luther King Blvd.; U.S. 9…

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On November 22nd the Toms River Police Department’s Special Enforcement Team, along with the Townships Quality of Life Task Force, executed two search warrants at the Americana Motel; 925 Route 166. One of the search warrants was for the manager’s office and pertained to an ongoing narcotics investigation. The operation led to the arrest of ten individuals for warrants and offenses ranging from possession of Controlled Dangerous Substances to Distribution of Controlled Dangerous Substances. A fire inspection was also conducted by the Bureau of Fire Prevention and the motel was found to be in violation of several fire codes which will be addressed with ownership officials.

Manchester Twp NJ – On Tuesday, November 28, 2017 at approximately 9:31 p.m., a  2006 Chrysler 300, operated by 37 year old Joshua J. Kenny, of Whiting, NJ, was traveling west on County Route 530 in front of America’s Keswick when the vehicle he was operating ran off the road, striking a street sign and utility pole.

As a result of the collision, the vehicle overturned and came to rest on the westbound shoulder of County Route 530. The vehicle then burst into flames with the operator trapped inside.  Arriving Manchester Police officers and Whiting Volunteer Firemen were able to temporarily douse the flames with fire extinguishers allowing them to remove the driver, preventing him from sustaining further injury. Mr. Kenny was taken by medical helicopter to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune, NJ for treatment of his injuries. The investigation revealed that Mr. Kenny was unrestrained at the time of the crash. He was listed in serious condition upon admittance to the Jersey Shore University Medical Center.

As a result of the crash, CR 530 was closed while emergency crews from Jersey Central Power and Light repaired the downed utility pole. Assisting at the scene were members of the Whiting Fire Police, the Whiting Volunteer Fire Department, Paramedics from MONOC, and Quality Medical Transport. The cause of the crash is under investigation by Sgt. Antonio Ellis of the Manchester Township Police Traffic Safety Section, and Ptl. Brian Collins of the Manchester Police Patrol Bureau.

FREEHOLD — A superseding indictment charging a Monmouth County college honors student and her boyfriend with killing a 29-year-old Brick Township resident earlier this year was returned ahead of the start of their trial on Wednesday. Joseph Villani, 21, of Ocean Township, and Raquel Garajau, 20, of Tinton Falls, are charged with killing Trupal Patel and…

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A woman attempting to stop a man from stealing her purse was dragged by a vehicle across a Jackson store parking lot as she grappled with the robber in his car, police said. The woman was buying lottery tickets on Saturday at 12:45 a.m. from a machine at the Sunoco gas station on N. County Line…

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by Jackson Police Dept.

On Saturday November 25, 2017 at approximately 12:45 am, Police Officers Ernest Thomason, Keith French and Michael Goelz responded to the Sunoco gas station located on North Countyline Road on a report of a female who had been run over by a vehicle.

Upon the officer’s arrival, they discovered a distraught female victim of a robbery, who also appeared to have been injured. The victim reported that she had been purchasing lottery tickets from a machine inside the store when a male who she had initially observed outside in a vehicle, entered the store and grabbed a small wristlet purse from her. A struggle ensued where the victim attempted to prevent the suspect from taking her property and grabbed onto the male suspect and both fell to the floor. As the struggle continued, the male suspect struck the victim repeatedly in the head, face and upper body as he held onto the purse and attempted to leave the store. The male was then able to break free as the victim pulled off a hooded sweatshirt and hat he had been wearing and those items were left in the store as the suspect fled with the purse.

The victim then followed the male suspect outside and when he got into the driver’s seat of his car to leave, she entered the vehicle on the passenger side in an attempt to retrieve her purse and stop him from leaving. The male suspect then began to back the vehicle up and repeatedly struck the victim in the face as he tried to push her out of the car. He then accelerated forward and dragged the victim a short distance through the parking lot when she fell from the car and the suspect fled the scene. The value of the purse and items inside were valued in excess of $200.00. The victim was treated by First Aid for her injuries.

The officers were able to get a partial license plate for the vehicle from a witness and they also viewed the security footage of the incident from inside the store at which time they were able to identify the male suspect from previous encounters with him. They were also able to locate information for a vehicle which fit the suspect vehicle description, which was registered to a family member of the suspect they were able to identify.

As the investigation continued, the male suspect was identified as Nicholas Bonaccorso, age 30 of Kim Court in Jackson. Warrants were prepared charging Mr. Bonaccorso with: Robbery, Assault by Auto, Simple Assault and Theft. The investigating officers checked several locations for the suspect but were unable to locate him. During this time, the officers also received information that the suspect had been contacting other people claiming he had robbed someone and needed their help.

On Sunday evening, officers received information which led them to the Hilton Gardens Hotel in Lakewood to search for the suspect. Jackson and Lakewood officers responded to the hotel and located Nicholas Bonaccorso and took him and another female into custody without incident. The female was identified as Jennifer Tayse, age 33 of Toms River, NJ. She was processed on an outstanding warrant out of Jackson and then released pending a court appearance. Mr. Bonaccorso was processed and later lodged in the Ocean County Jail.

Update:

A Manchester Township police officer had to dive and roll across the asphalt to avoid being struck by a passing car after the officer stopped to assist a motorist involved in a crash earlier this month. Police released the video from the officer’s dashboard camera to remind drivers about the state’s Move Over law. Manchester police…

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TOMS RIVER – An elderly woman was struck and injured and is now in critical condition at an area hospital. Toms River resident Brianna Rudolph, 18, was driving on New Hampshire Avenue at 6:34 p.m. Nov. 17 when she struck 80-year-old Antonia Rinaldi, also of Toms River. Rudolph struck Rinaldi – she did not see the…

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