Day: October 1, 2021

Trenton Fire Department Responds To A Fire In Vacant Building

October 1, 2021

TRENTON, NJ (MERCER)–It was reported that Trenton Fire Department responded to a 2nd Alarm at a vacant school building on MLK Boulevard and Southard Street this afternoon. No further information is available.


Police Release Composite Photograph Of Aggravated Sexual Assault Suspect, That Occurred At The Delaware And Raritan Canal State Park On Border Of Plainsboro And South Brunswick

October 1, 2021

PLAINSBORO, SOUTH BRUNSWICK, NJ (MIDDLESEX)–Middlesex County Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone, Chief Fred Tavener of the Plainsboro Police Department, and Chief Raymond Hayducka of the South Brunswick Police Department announce authorities are seeking the public’s assistance in identifying an individual believed to be involved in an aggravated sexual assault that occurred in the area of Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park on the border of Plainsboro and South Brunswick Townships.

A joint investigation has determined, on September 28, 2021 between 4:30 P.M. and 5:00 P.M., an adult woman was walking on a path adjacent to the canal where she was approached by a male armed with a weapon and moved to a secondary location on the Plainsboro-South Brunswick border where she was sexually assaulted.

The suspect is believed to be a Latino male, approximately 5’5” – 5’6” tall, wearing dark colored clothing and a dark baseball cap.

The investigation is active and continuing. Anyone with information or surveillance footage of the area is asked to contact Detective Sue Kowalski of the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office at (732) 745-3287, Detective Patrick Miller of the Plainsboro Police Department at (609)799-2333, or Detective Dominick Delucia of the South Brunswick Police Department at (732)329-4646. Tips may also be submitted to www.middlesextips.com



Little Egg Harbor Man Pleads Guilty To Aggravated Manslaughter

October 1, 2021

Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer announced that on September 30, 2021, Kendrick Coley, 29, of Little Egg Harbor, pled guilty to Aggravated Manslaughter in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:11-4a(1), before the Honorable Guy P. Ryan, J.S.C., relative to the stabbing death of Richard Pone during the evening hours of May 16, 2018 in Little Egg Harbor.  At the time of his sentencing on December 3, 2021, the State will recommend a term of 20 years New Jersey State Prison, subject to the terms of the No Early Release Act, N.J.S.A. 2C:43-7.2

On May 16, 2018, at approximately 8:15 p.m., Officers from the Little Egg Harbor Police Department responded to a 911 call in reference to a stabbing incident that had taken place at a residence on Maplewood Drive.  Upon their arrival, Officers located Mr. Pone in an upstairs bedroom with multiple stab wounds; he was pronounced deceased at the scene at approximately 8:40 p.m.  A subsequent investigation by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit and Little Egg Harbor Police Department Detective Bureau determined that Coley had stabbed the victim multiple times after the two had engaged in a physical altercation at the residence.  Coley was apprehended at the scene and taken into custody without incident.  He has been lodged in the Ocean County Jail since the date of his arrest on May 16, 2018.

Prosecutor Billhimer commends the diligent efforts of Chief Trial Attorney Michael Weatherstone and Assistant Prosecutor Kimberly Carr who handled the case on behalf of the State, as well as the Ocean County Prosecutor’s  Office Major Crime Unit, Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office High Tech Crime Unit, Little Egg Harbor Police Department Detective Bureau, Little Egg Harbor Police Department, Tuckerton Borough Police Department, and Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit, for their collaborative efforts in connection with this investigation, resulting in Coley’s apprehension, guilty plea, and soon his state prison sentence.


Keansburg Man Indicted For Being In Possession Of More Than 1,000 Items Constituting Child Sexual Abuse Material

October 1, 2021

FREEHOLD, NJ (MONMOUTH)–A Keansburg man has been indicted for being in possession of more than 1,000 items constituting child sexual abuse material, Acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Lori Linskey announced Friday.

Jose G. Veras, 33, is charged with one count of second-degree Endangering the Welfare of a Child via the Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Material, for crimes that took place on diverse dates between July 2019 and February 2020.

An investigation by the Monmouth County Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, initiated by a tip received through the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, revealed that Veras utilized a cloud storage application to store child sexual abuse material. The investigation further revealed that Veras had the material saved on various electronic devices in his home. 

The New Jersey Regional Computer Laboratory assisted the Monmouth County ICAC Task Force in this investigation. The case is assigned to Monmouth County Assistant Prosecutor Stephanie Dugan.

Veras is being represented by Michael Wicke, Esq. of Freehold.

The Monmouth County ICAC Task Force includes members of the following police departments: Bradley Beach, Eatontown, Howell, Long Branch, Manalapan, Marlboro, Middletown, Neptune Township, Spring Lake, Spring Lake Heights, Tinton Falls, Keyport, Keansburg, Belmar, Holmdel, and Red Bank; the Task Force also receives investigative support from the New Jersey State Police (High Tech Crime Bureau).

Despite these charges, every defendant is presumed innocent, unless and until found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, following a trial at which the defendant has all of the trial rights guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution and State law.