All News

News from New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Beyond.

Shore Couple Tied Up During Home Invasion

HOLMDEL — Two alleged robbers tied up a Holmdel couple Saturday night as they rummaged through their personal belongings for items to steal, authorities said. Two township residents, a 45-year-old woman and a 37-year-old man, came home around 10:54 p.m. to two individuals in their townhouse on Banyan Boulevard, said Donna Weaver, a spokeswoman for the…

Man killed, 5 injured after lightning strikes down tree limb at barbecue

PASSAIC – A Passaic man was killed and five people were injured Sunday afternoon, when police said lightning struck a tree limb that then fell on them during a backyard barbecue. The incident occurred at 4:28 p.m., at a home on Paulison Avenue, said Lt. Jonathan Schaer of the Passaic Police. Schaer said the 28-year-old man…

Former umpire Palermo dies at 67

Former major league umpire Steve Palermo, who was hailed as a hero in 1991 after he was shot in the back while coming to the aid of robbery victims, died Sunday at the age of 67. Palermo made his debut in the American League in 1976 and was a full-time umpire from 1977-1991 until his career…

Tim Tebow Mania Hits the Jersey Shore

LAKEWOOD-Tim Tebow mania has hit the Jersey Shore as the former NFL star comes to town with the New York Mets’ single A affiliate, Columbia Fireflies.   Tebow is off to a slow start this season in his baseball pursuit, batting just .243 with 2 home runs and 4 rbi.  In his New Jersey debut, Tebow went 0-3 with 2 strikeouts and started in left field before being replaced by Gene Cone.

https://www.facebook.com/BlueClaws1/photos/a.303514379639.146310.303487499639/10155339203304640/?type=3

Toms River Voters Say No to $14 Million Firehouse

Voters on Saturday voted in a special election to build a $14,000,000 firehouse in Downtown Toms River.  The effort was touted by Toms River Fire District 1 Administrator, Brian Kubiel, who also sits on the Toms River Township Council.

The fire district lobbied residents for the past few months to support the new three story building, but the voters rejected the plan.    The district said the existing buildings were in need of repair and offered logistical problems for the fire companies that use them.

The defeat could also give insight into voter direction for the upcoming June 6th Republican primary election for the hotly contested first ward.

The vote was seen as a victory for Republican council challenger Justin Lamb who has been fighting town hall in recent months to reduce spending.  Lamb hopes that the defeat carries into a win for his anti-establishment campaign to win over township Republicans.

“The voters of Ward 1 spoke and they spoke loudly, thank you for the turnout,” Lamb said tonight.  “I need you all one more time on June 6th. I will work every hour of everyday to make sure we are safe and sound.”

Lamb is facing off against incumbent Maria Maruca who is seeking re-election.

In the past week, Maruca’s campaign team went on the offensive against Lamb in a series of inflammatory attacks against the political newcomer.

The referendum for the new firehouse was defeated 535 votes to 306.

For now, Fire Company No. 1 will continue to use the 120 old Robbins Street station and Fire Company 2 will continue to operate out of the 90 year old Water Street station instead of jointly operating out of the proposed 32,965 square foot facility.

 

 

 

 

Jackson Man Busted By State Police with 100 Bags of Heroin

HAMILTON TWP-The New Jersey State Police have arrested Dario Jefferson, 28, of Jackson, N.J. and seized $300 worth of heroin.

On Monday, May 8, at 2:52 p.m., Trooper Keith Ashley stopped Jefferson for a traffic violation on eastbound Interstate 195 at milepost 3.1. in Hamilton Township. During the stop, Tpr. Ashley arrested Jefferson for DWI. After further investigation, Tpr. Ashley discovered that Jefferson was in possession of 100 bags of heroin.

Dario Jefferson was charged with possession of heroin, criminal under the influence and DWI. He was released pending a court appearance.

 

Lawsuits claim 'upskirting' teacher touched, berated female students

DEPTFORD TWP. — Six former students have filed lawsuits against a former teacher and the school that employed him, saying he secretly video recorded up their skirts and engaged in a pattern of sexual harassment against female students. The claims are outlined in two recent lawsuits filed against Adam Mayr, 39, of Washington Township, the Gloucester…

New Skate Park Opens in Berkeley Township

BERKELEY TOWNSHIP-Mayor Carmen Amato welcomed skateboarders in his town to enjoy the new skate park in Veterans Park.

“The skate park allows BMX riders, skateboarders, scooter riders and inline skaters to use it,” Amato said.  “The park is designed in phases, with a beginner’s course on one side, intermediate in the middle, and an advanced course on the other side.”

This will allow beginners to learn how to fully use the park.

As people get better, they can use the other parts of the park, which allows for a great flow for the riders. In addition, they can go from one part to another, all in one run.

The Skate Park is located by the playground at Veterans Park, 489 Forest Hills Parkway in Bayville.

The official Grand Opening will be held on Saturday, June 10th. Details will be announced soon, but the park is open now and is open daily until dusk.

 

DUI Hit-and-Run Suspect Previously Deported 15 Times

An illegal immigrant accused of a hit-and-run while driving under the influence over the weekend in San Diego that left a six-year-old boy severely injured had been deported from the U.S. 15 times since 2002, authorities told The San Diego Union-Tribune Tuesday. Mexican citizen Constantino Banda-Acosta, 38, reportedly slammed his pickup truck into a Honda Accord…

Ortley Beach Lord House Station Rededicated

The Toms River Township council and mayor attended the Lord House re-dedication ceremony and plaque unveiling in Ortely Beach last Saturday.

“The Friends of Ortley Beach researched the history of the Ortley Inn and organized the event. Edie Segree and Barbara Biedenbach of the Lord family were in attendance,” the township said.

Originally established as the Ortley Inn in the late 1880’s, the Lord House was destroyed by fire in 1922. The Lord family purchased the rights to the business and built a single-family home. The Township acquired the land in the 1960’s and constructed a parking lot. The lifeguard station was added later.

Photo: Handout Photo/Toms River Township.

Guadagno: Christie would make a good FBI director

NEWARK — Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno may be distancing herself from Gov. Chris Christie as she runs for the Republican nomination to succeed him, but she didn’t scoff Wednesday at the idea of Christie becoming the new head of the FBI. President Donald Trump on Tuesday fired James Comey as FBI director. Christie has a background…

Agudath Israel Files Lawsuit Against Jackson Township for Religious Discrimination

JACKSON-A series of laws and ordinances enacted by the township of Jackson in recent months has led to Agudath Israel of America filing a religious discrimination lawsuit against the town.

In March, the township passed two ordinances aimed at limiting the building of schools and banning the construction of school related dormitories.  Township officials cited quality of life concerns for the residents, but Agudath Israel claims the ordinances were adopted to hinder the constitutional rights of the influx of Orthodox Jewish residents to the township.

“The adoption of the Ordinances was motivated by discriminatory animus against the Orthodox Jewish community, they treat religious educational institutions differently and worse than various nonreligious assembly and institutional uses, they unreasonably limit and exclude religious educational institutions from the Township, and they make housing unavailable within the Township based on religion,” Agudath Israel claims in the legal filing.

The organization, which represents Jewish interests nationwide said Jackson Township’s elected officials have been trying to “Build a Wall” around the township to deter Jewish residents from moving there.

“The Ordinances are the latest action taken by the Township in a long campaign to erect a wall on its border with Lakewood Township, where many Orthodox Jews live, in order to discourage them from moving into Jackson,” the lawsuit continued.”

The lawsuit also claims that Mayor Michael Reina told residents not to sell to Jewish residents.

“Its Mayor has told residents ‘Don’t sell’ to the Orthodox Jewish community, its township council president said that a suggestion that Orthodox Jews move into communities such as Jackson was ‘reprehensible,’ and referred to the community as a ‘threat’ to Jackson, and noted that the Township Council ‘is on the same page”’ with a community that harbors substantial hostility toward the Orthodox Jewish community,” the lawsuit claims.

In the meetings Shore News Network has covered, Reina always made it clear that the township has no right to restrict who can and can’t buy homes and said if residents were concerned about the home sales, the only option was to not sell their homes.  Reina often told distraught residents that they lived in America and it’s not anyone’s right to tell another who they can and can’t sell their homes to.

The lawsuit also targeted Republican Councilman Robert Nixon who said of the growth of the Jewish population in town,  “The threat can be eliminated if people held their ground and refused the offers being made on their properties and remain committed to Jackson Township and their neighbors.”

Nixon has been on the frontlines of the township’s battle against the Orthodox Jewish growth in the township.

Jackson Township officials have not yet responded to the lawsuit.

The 35 page filing released today by the Lakewood Scoop can also be found on our Shore News Network and JTOWN Magazine Facebook pages.

 

 

Suspected Point Pleasant Aspiring ISIS Terrorist Stabbed Mom's Dog Because it was "unclean"

A Point Pleasant man who was accused by the FBI of providing material support for ISIS was caught after police were called on a report that he had stabbed his mother’s dog and threatened to kill her.

According to the Point Pleasant Police Department, officers arrived at the residence for a report of a male subject threatening to kill the family dog.

Responding Point Pleasant Police officers set up a perimeter around the residence and attempted to make contact with the male resident.

“During our attempt to negotiate, 20 year old Gregory Lepsky emerged from the residence and was taken into custody,” police said.

According to a report in the Asbury Park Press, Lepsky told first responders he wanted to kill the dog, because under his view of Islam, the pet was dirty.

He also stabbed himself.  Lepsky was transported to Brick Hospital to be treated for a self-inflicted laceration.

The family dog was located within the residence alive, however, sustained a significant laceration to his back. The dog was immediately transported to an area veterinary hospital.

A large knife was recovered from the suspect’s bedroom that was believed to have been used in the attack on the dog. Detective Scalabrini of the Point Pleasant Police Department charged Gregory Lepsky with Terroristic Threats 2C:12-3a, Possession of a Weapon for Unlawful Purpose 2C:39-4d, Unlawful Possession of a Weapon 2C:39-5d, Criminal Mischief 2C:17-3a and Animal Cruelty 4:22-17c(1).

Through the course of this investigation, information was developed to connect Mr. Lepsky with ISIS and a potential plan to build and use a pressure cooker bomb. Detectives from the Point Pleasant Police Department commenced a joint investigation with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness.

Gregory Lepsky, 20, of Point Pleasant, New Jersey, will appear in federal court today to face allegations that he planned to construct and use a pressure cooker bomb in support of the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a designated foreign terrorist organization. Lepsky is charged by criminal complaint with one count of attempting to provide material support to ISIS.

During searches of computers and other digital evidence linked to Lepsky, law enforcement found evidence of Lepsky’s plan to build and detonate a bomb as part of his support for ISIS. During several social media communications, Lepsky told others that he intended to fight on behalf of ISIS, and that he would, if necessary, become a martyr by driving a “bunch of explosives” to where the “enemies” could be found and blowing himself up.

 Law enforcement also located a series of instructions that had been published online by another terrorist group that gave specific, step-by-step instructions on how to build a pressure cooker bomb, which coincided with the delivery to Lepsky of the pressure cooker a short time before his arrest. In addition, law enforcement recovered a message forwarded by Lepsky from another ISIS supporter stating that if a westerner could not travel to Syria to fight for ISIS, he could conduct a terrorist attack in his home country using improvised explosive devices.

How Lakewood became a worldwide destination for Orthodox Jews | Di Ionno

It is Friday in Lakewood. A few thousand young men in black suits and wide-brimmed black hats are rushing toward Beth Medrash Govoha (BMG), the world’s largest yeshiva outside of Israel. Parking in the vicinity of the school is as impossible as finding a spot in Hoboken or Jersey City. Students circle in their Toyotas, Nissans…

Housing authority director admits to embezzling federal funds

CAMDEN — The executive director of the Ocean City Housing Authority admitted on Monday to embezzling federal funds, authorities said. Alesia Watson, 54, of Galloway Township, pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of embezzling funds received from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Acting U.S. Attorney William E. Fitzpatrick said in a…

New Jersey Bail Reform Lets Man Who Tried to Meet 15 Year Old For Sex Out of Jail

FREEHOLD-A 28 year old Brick Township man who tried to set up a meeting with a 15 year old girl in Howell Township has been released under the New Jersey Bail Reform’s pretrial hearing.

Members of New Jersey’s anti-bail reform coalition have called the release of Criag Sorokach, “Another validated pretrial risk assessment failure.”

A computer model assesses the person’s flight risk and whether or not the computer algorithm determines if the person is likely to commit another crime while awaiting trial, instead of holding a person in jail until trial.

Sorokach, of Sawmill Road in Brick, was charged following an investigation by the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office working in conjunction with the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC). He is charged with Attempted Sexual Assault, Luring, Enticing a Child by Various Means, Attempted Endangering the Welfare of a Child, and Attempted Obscenity to a Minor after he arranged to meet with the girl in Howell.

 

 

 

Report: 140 Teachers, Faculty fired in Lakewood School District

LAKEWOOD-The Lakewood School District held a four hour budget meeting on Monday and decided to not lay off over 100 school teachers, but today, the Lakewood Scoop is reporting that the state installed monitor did layoff those employees.

According to the report, all 140 teachers and faculty who received notices last week were laid off today.

State monitor David Shafter called the board’s decision irresponsible and said that without funding the teachers should go.  The proposed budget by the board of education left the district with a $14.7 million shortfall.

 

Jackson School District, Police Say No Threat at McAuliffe Middle School

Two police officers stood at the entrance of the McAuliffe Middle School parking lot on Monday during student arrival after an incident both the district and department are downplaying occurred on Friday.

This morning, social media erupted in speculation over what was rumored to be a threat to students on Monday, prompting the district communications coordinator, Allison Erwin to release a statement to parents at the school.

“We wanted to address significant amount of rumor and exaggeration on social media that has led to people believe there is some kind of threat at McAuliffe Middle School. There is no threat.” Erwin said.  “We realize that any time a parent, student or staff member hears about something that could impact the safety of our students, it can cause alarm and anxiety. This is why the district routinely posts messages on our site, emails parents and at times also calls parents with messages about threats that are being investigated.  Typically, those messages include a notice that we are having “increased police patrols” around the school as a precaution.”

A parent whose child witnessed the statement said a student had told a group of other students, “I have a surprise for all of you on Monday.”

The district said that it was simply a comment taken out of context that caused a frenzy on social media.

“This was not the case here. There was not a threat. There was a comment that was made that was taken out of context. That comment then became the basis for rumor and exaggeration that took on a life of its own on social media,” Erwin said.

She said the presence of the police officers at the school this morning was a response to help calm the nerves of people who may have been concerned.

“The School Resource Officer assigned to our school made a round this morning. His presence, which is not unusual in our school, was in response to the potential anxiety being caused by the rumors and was not related to a need for increased security,” she added.

Police said they have been monitoring the situation at the school at the request of school resource police officer John Pejoski.  Pejoski and another officer stopped at the school this morning.

“When news of the continued rumors got to the watch commander this morning, he then directed that when available, a zone car drive through the parking as increased visibility,” Lt. Steven Laskiewicz said.  Laskiewicz said there was a comment made to a student, but police did not consider it a threat after an investigation was conducted by officers on Friday.

“It appears that the rumor continued over the weekend,” Laskiewicz said.