TOTOWA, NJ – Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes and Totowa Police Chief Carmen Veneziano announce that at approximately 12:30 p.m. on August 14, 2021, members of the Totowa Police Department were dispatched to 41 Knollwood Road in Totowa, New Jersey on a report of an unresponsive female.
Upon their arrival, responding officers met with a family member of 89-year-old Ethel Rosskopf who had gone to the home to check on Ms. Rosskopf’s well-being prior to calling the police. Upon entering the home, the family member observed Ms. Rosskopf’s vehicle in the garage with its engine running and noticed a strong order of carbon monoxide.
Moments later, Ms. Rosskopf was discovered unresponsive lying on the kitchen floor. Ms. Rosskopf was pronounced deceased at the scene. The subsequent investigation revealed that the carbon monoxide level in the home was 200 parts per million; where a normal reading should be 0 parts per million. There were no signs of foul play at the scene, and there is no danger to the public.