TRENTON, NJ (MERCER)–Around 5:45 p.m. Trenton Police, Trenton EMS, Paramedics and Trenton Fire Department all responded to the area of Spring and Calhoun Streets for reports of multiple people shot. Two victims were transported to the Trauma Center at Captial Health Regional Medical Center and trauma alerts were called. No further information is available.
EAST WINDSOR TOWNSHIP. NJ (MERCER)– Mayor Janice S. Mironov, joined by East Windsor Council Member Denise Daniels, Senator Linda Greenstein, Assemblywoman Verlina Reynolds-Jackson, Mercer County Clerk Paula Sollami-Covello, Mercer County Board of Commissioners Chair Lucylle Walter and Mercer County Commissioner Nina Melker, issued a Proclamation recognizing Women’s History Month.
Mayor Mironov noted the purpose of Women’s History Month is to “recognize and applaud the distinguished and valuable contributions made by women today and throughout our history in all fields.” She thanked these accomplished elected officials as examples of women to encourage other women who are interested in public service.” Mayor Mironov further stated, “it is important to take time to remind everyone of the important roles women play in our communities and in government, noting that women bring a different perspective to the table, and encourage, cultivate and mentor other women in making their own life decisions.”
Each elected official in attendance offered comments about the importance of recognizing Women’s History Month, about the significance of women being involved in government and public service, and their own personal experiences.
The Mayoral Proclamation issued by Mayor Mironov states, “the contributions made by women to our civic, political and cultural life throughout the history of the United States, the State of New Jersey and the Township of East Windsor are noteworthy and have benefited all of us. Women have made important changes in areas including social reform, women’s equality, health care reform, education reform, archaeology and anthropology, business and politics.”
Women’s History Month had its origins in 1980 as a national celebration when President Jimmy Carter proclaimed the week of March 8, 1980 “Women’s History Month,” highlighting women’s history as an essential and indispensable heritage that is crucial to understanding the true history of our country and the need for full equality under the law for all.
Mayor Janice S. Mironov issued a proclamation recognizing Women’s History Month, joined by local, county and state elected officials. Pictured (from left to right) are: East Windsor Council Member Denise Daniels; Senator Linda Greenstein; Assemblywoman Verlina Reynolds-Jackson; Mayor Janice S. Mironov; Mercer County Commissioner Lucylle Walter; Mercer County Commissioner Nina Melker, and Mercer County Clerk Paula Sollami-Covello.
TRENTON —Attorney General Matthew J. Platkintoday announced the filing of criminal charges against Manville’s police chief, who allegedly engaged in a years-long pattern of sexually predatory behavior targeting multiple women.
The Attorney General’s Office of Public Integrity and Accountability (OPIA) has filed a criminal complaint against Thomas Herbst, 55, of Bridgewater.
Herbst, who worked for the Manville Police Department since 1991 and was on paid administrative leave as of his arrest this morning, April 12, 2023, is facing two counts of sexual assault, two counts of official misconduct, one count of a pattern of official misconduct, and one count of criminal sexual contact.
“The defendant in this case is accused of using his position of power, authority, and leadership, to force subordinates to engage in sexual acts against their will – I can think of no greater betrayal to the badge than to use one’s power to harm those you are supposed to protect,” said Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin. “Police officers swear an oath to protect the public, but their Chiefs are expected to protect all those in their charge – to keep safe not only the public but also to ensure the safety of the members of their own department. The alleged conduct of this defendant hurt his victims in unimaginable ways. We intend to hold the defendant accountable for the harm he did to the victims in this case. Letting such conduct go unchecked would be a miscarriage of justice for these women, but also for every female officer and public employee who feels unsafe in an environment where predatory sexual misconduct is normalized or condoned.”
“Herbst is charged with abusing his rank and authority to coerce staff members into sex acts in the workplace and in the victims’ homes, and to obtain lewd photos and sex acts from the wives and girlfriends of subordinates in return for promotions and assignments,” said Thomas Eicher, Executive Director of the Office of Public Integrity and Accountability. “This conduct, as alleged, is a disgrace. We will not tolerate criminal behavior by someone who swore an oath to protect and serve the people.”
Herbst is accused of sexually inappropriate behavior toward at least three women. According to the investigation, the chief regularly groped, exposed himself to, sexually harassed, and sexually assaulted an employee of the police department who reported directly to him, using coercion and doing so without the victim’s permission, between 2008 and 2021. The attacks often happened while he and the victim were on duty, and many of the alleged attacks took place in various locations at police headquarters.
In one of the earlier attacks, the defendant called the victim into his office and told her he would allow her to leave work early. He then stood next to the chair in which she was sitting in a way that prevented her from getting out. He then removed his penis from his pants, masturbated, and ejaculated into her hair and onto her clothing. He told her he was sorry and directed her to go home.
According to the charging document unsealed today acts like the initial attack occurred repeatedly, but eventually escalated to acts of assault by penetration.
Investigators say the defendant at one point ordered the one victim to begin wearing skirts to work to facilitate and escalate the assaults. On occasion, he would arrange to meet her at a motel to assault her, and at one point when she resisted, he accused her of disobeying orders.
The chief also allegedly attacked the victim in her own home, entering through the backdoor of her home uninvited and sexually assaulting the victim. Investigators say that, in an attempt to avoid those encounters, the victim began closing her blinds, locking her doors, and parking in her garage so that when the defendant drove by, he would not know she was home.
According to the investigation, Herbst also solicited sexual favors from the wife of one of his subordinate officers in order for that officer to receive favorable employment decisions and opportunities. In one instance, the defendant texted his subordinate demanding oral sex from the employee’s wife in exchange for a promotion. That conduct violated Borough of Manville sexual harassment policies prohibiting a borough employee from requesting sexual favors when submission to or rejection of such conduct is used as the basis for an employment decision affecting a municipal employee.
Evidence additionally revealed the defendant went to the newly purchased home of another victim, who had previously been his subordinate, and while touring the house, sexually assaulted her.
The charges against the defendant are merely accusations and he is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
The case is being prosecuted by Deputy Attorneys General Samantha Thoma, Andrew Wellbrock and Sherrod Smith, under the supervision of Corruption Bureau Deputy Chiefs Heather Hausleben and Jeff Manis, Bureau Chief Peter Lee, OPIA Deputy Director Anthony Picione and OPIA Executive Director Thomas Eicher.
TRENTON — Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin today announced that the former Howell Township police chief is facing criminal charges after he allegedly lied in a township investigation and threatened a high-ranking member of the police department in order to cover up a sexual affair with a subordinate.
Andrew Kudrick, 49, of Farmingdale, who retired from his position as the Howell Township Chief after the conduct alleged in the complaint, has been charged with official misconduct, false swearing, tampering with public records, tampering with and retaliating against witnesses, and obstructing the administration of law.
Those charges arise from an investigation by the Office of Public Integrity and Accountability’s (OPIA) Corruption Bureau regarding an alleged extramarital affair the chief had with an employee of the Howell Township Police Department and his efforts to conceal it from the township during a sexual harassment investigation.
“Given the imbalance of power between a Chief of Police and a subordinate, any romantic relationship would be wholly inappropriate, violative of policy, and detrimental to the safety and well-being of the officers and civilians under the Chief’s command,” said Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin. “The defendant chose a profession centered around keeping others safe. He rose to the very top of that profession. But the conduct alleged in this complaint suggests that he created an environment within his police department where even the people who worked for him could not feel safe.”
“Any member of law enforcement who is not truthful during an investigation, and who abuses his power to intimidate and tamper with witnesses, has violated his oath and is not worthy of the public’s trust,” said Thomas Eicher, Executive Director of the Office of Public Integrity and Accountability.
A confrontation between the chief’s wife and suspected mistress during a 2021 retirement party raised suspicions about the possible existence of the improper relationship. Following that incident, the township hired a special labor counsel to conduct an internal investigation, spurred by concerns that the municipal government could be at risk for liability due to the potential existence of a hostile work environment and sexual harassment within the police department.
The day before a captain with the Howell Township PD, who had knowledge and evidence of the affair, was slated to be interviewed a second time by the special counsel in late March 2022, it is alleged that Chief Kudrick threatened the captain in an effort to intimidate the witness against being truthful. Specifically, Kudrick threatened to initiate an illegitimate internal affairs investigation of the captain, accusing him of speaking to the township manager directly without the chief’s approval, in order to intimidate the captain from truthfully cooperating in the special labor investigator’s probe.
Other charges stem from an official interview Kudrick gave to the special labor counsel, in which he falsely denied making sexual comments to, or having an intimate relationship with, the subordinate and denied he received explicit photos of her. But the evidence showed an affair did take place, in violation of the Township’s Policy Against Fraternization prohibiting romantic relationships with subordinates.
The case is being prosecuted by Deputy Attorneys General Samantha Thoma, Andrew Wellbrock and Sherrod Smith, under the supervision of Corruption Bureau Deputy Chiefs Heather Hausleben and Jeff Manis, Bureau Chief Peter Lee, OPIA Deputy Director Anthony Picione and OPIA Executive Director Thomas Eicher.
The charges against the defendant are merely accusations and they are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
MANCHESTER, NJ (OCEAN)–The New Jersey Forest Fire Service has made substantial progress in containing a wildfire in Manchester Township on federal, state and private property which has reached 3,859 acres in size and is 50% contained.
20 structures remain threatened.
UPDATE ON EVACUATIONS
All evacuations have been lifted – residents have or are currently returning to their homes.
Last night residents who evacuated were relocated to the Manchester Township High School and were being supported by the American Red Cross, Manchester Township EMS, Manchester Police Department and the Ocean County Sheriff’s Department.
ROAD CLOSURE UPDATE
Horicon Ave is closed.
Beckerville East Road and Beckerville West Road are closed.
Route 539 has reopened.
Route 70 has reopened.
While Route 539 and Route 70 have reopened, Forest Fire Service personnel will continue working to improve containment lines along these roads. Please stay vigilant when driving through smoke conditions.
No injuries have been reported. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
The New Jersey Forest Fire Service and Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst Fire Department continues to operate in unified command.
Please remember, “No Drones in Fire Zones – If YOU fly, WE can’t!” More info:
Did you know that April marks peak wildfire season in New Jersey? Please remember, No Drones in Fire Zones – If YOU fly, WE can’t!
There are serious consequences to flying an unauthorized drone near a wildfire. During a wildfire, our aircraft fly low to the ground, often at the same altitude that a drone would fly. If a drone is detected flying over or near a wildfire, all Forest Fire Service air support will be grounded – hampering suppression and observation efforts.
Please do your part and prevent interfering with wildfire suppression by staying grounded.
Judge R. Douglass Hoffman has been a member of the Bar of the State of New Jersey and practicing law since 1972. He served as a part-time judge in the Municipal Court of the Township of Robbinsville and was appointed there on February 25, 2010 and was reappointed three times since in 1016, 2019 and 2022 and continues to hold that position. He also served at part-time judge in New Hanover Township/Wrightstown Borough shared municipal court and Mansfield Township/Springfield Township/ Southampton Township shared municipal court where he was first appointed on January 1, 2022.
Douglass Hoffman (the Respondent) and a Robbinsville Township Municipal Court employee only identified L.W. in the complaint to maintain her privacy were “friends” on Facebook. He often “liked” L.W.’s posts, exchanged jokes, comments, and photos, some with sexual innuendo, and discussed weekend plans with L.W. on Facebook. He also extended an open invitation to L.W. to visit him at his beach house any time she was in the area. A text message was sent to L.W. with the address to his beach house on October 10, 2022.
The complaint continues that on Saturday, October 15, 2022 the Respondent and L.W. communicated by text. L.W. arrived at the respondent’s beach house at or around 11:30 a.m. and was there for longer than four hours. They spoke on the front porch of the Respondent’s house before being invited inside for a tour. Over the next four hours, L.W. and the Respondent consumed four shots of whiskey and one to two cans of beer.
The complaint states that at one point, the conversation between L.W. and the respondent concerned L.W. intimate relationship with her boyfriend. While seated on the couch, the Respondent touched L.W.’s knee and upper thigh, without her consent, and in a manner that made L.W. uncomfortable. L.W. immediately thereafter left the Respondent’s house without further discussion and without her car keys.
The Respondent, in providing alcohol to and drinking alcohol with L.W., a subordinate employee, over several hours, while that employee was a guest in his home, and in touching L.W. without her consent, violated Canon 1, Rule 1.1, and Canon 2, Rule 2.1 of the Code of Judicial Conduct. By the same conduct, Responded demeaned the judicial office in violation of Canon 5, Rule 5.1(A), of the Code of Judicial Conduct.
20 structures remain threatened.
All evacuations have been lifted – residents have or are currently returning to their homes.
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