Sheriff Golden Honored By Firefighters

Monmouth County Sheriff Shaun Golden was honored as the 2016 Man of the Year by the  Long Branch Professional Firefighters Association – FMBA Local 68 last week at the union’s annual fundraising dinner at Rooney’s Oceanfront.

“I’m extremely honored and humbled by this distinction from FMBA Local #68 which represents the career firefighters and officers in the city of Long Branch. Their dedication to residents and contributions to public safety are to be commended,” said Golden. “Monmouth County’s firefighters, paid and volunteer are true heroes, who dedicate their lives day in and day out.”

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Long Branch Man Pleads Guilty To 2013 Deadly Shooting

Dante Strong, top right. photo from Strong’s facebook page

Dante Strong, 21 of Long Branch, admitted yesterday to killing 23 year-old Adrian Anderson, also of Long Branch, during a September 21, 2013 incident on Liberty Street, according to a statement by Acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Christoper J. Gramiccioni.

Officers from the Long Branch Police Department were in the area of Central Avenue and Liberty Street in Long Branch around 2:29 a.m. on September 21, 2013, when they heard gunshots.  Officers responding to the sounds of gunfire and were flagged down by several people at 135 Liberty Street, where they found the victim on the front porch, unconscious and bleeding from several gunshot wounds.  The victim was taken to Jersey Shore University Medical Center, Neptune Township, where he was pronounced dead at 5:22 a.m., despite the efforts made to save his life by medical personnel.

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Kushner, Pier Village restaurateurs locked in lease dispute

LONG BRANCH — The new owners of Pier Village in Long Branch are seeking to evict the owners of two restaurants in a lease dispute that calls into question plans for the future of the city’s oceanfront retail area. In response to the eviction attempt by Kushner Companies, businessmen Daniel Pinheiro and Michael Keating have gone… Read the rest of this entry »

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Long Branch Council proposing to double weekday parking fees

LONG BRANCH — The Long Branch City Council has proposed increasing the parking fees at meters in Pier Village. The ordinance setting the new fees calls for an increase from $1 an hour on weekdays to $2 per hour. The fee would be $3 per hour on weekends and holidays. To accommodate beachgoers, though, the council… Read the rest of this entry »

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Man killed in Long Branch crash, police say

LONG BRANCH – A man was killed after his car struck a utility pole on Norwood Avenue early Saturday morning, according to police. Sgt. Stanley Mooney said the single-car crash happened around 2 a.m. between the road’s intersection’s with Brighton Avenue and Hollywood Avenue. Officers remained on the scene as of around 10 a.m., according to… Read the rest of this entry »

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Owner of iconic Jersey Shore hot dog stand will rebuild destroyed blades

LONG BRANCH — The owner of a chain of iconic hot dog restaurants along the Jersey Shore pledged on Tuesday to rebuild a replica windmill destroyed Monday evening. The blades perched atop Windmill restaurant on Ocean Boulevard were just replaced in October after Hurricane Sandy destroyed the originals. But on Monday night, those new blades suffered… Read the rest of this entry »

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Off-duty N.J. cop stops road-rage attack, police say

Sgt. Frank Passantino

WALL TOWNSHIP — An off-duty police officer from Long Branch intervened when he spotted one man threatening another with a baseball bat Friday, Det. Lt. Pete Lokerson of Wall police said. Two drivers came to a stop at a traffic light at Rt. 138 and New Bedford Road and left their vehicles, one of whom, 45-year-old… Read the rest of this entry »

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Long Branch Man Arrested in Sunday Murder

Jennifer Pizzuto. photo via facebook

Jennifer A. Pizzuto, 40, of Long Branch was found dead in a second floor bedroom at 140 Rockwell Ave. on Sunday night after Long Branch police responded to a 10:38 p.m. call reporting the discovery of the unresponsive female.

Investigators of the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office and the Long Branch Police Department arrested Christopher “Chato” Aparicio-Reyes, 21, and charge him with first degree murder for Pizzuto’s death.  The victim’s body was discovered in Apraicio-Reyes’s apartment.

The manner of death was not disclosed in Acting Prosecutor Christopher Gramiccioni’s announcement.
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Long Branch Parolee Arrested in 2006 Asbury Park Murder

Joey Johnson AKA Davell Reevey

Joey Jomaine Johnson, AKA Davell Reevey, 35, of Long Branch was arrested yesterday by investigators of the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office and the Asbury Park Police Department with the assistance of the New Jersey Parole Board for the March 26, 2006 murder of 21-year-old Jakeema Kelly of Asbury Park, according to a statement by Acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni.

Johnson had been on parole since his October 22, 2015 release from state prison.  He served eight years for his 2007 convictions on drug dealing charges.  He now faces a minimum of 30 years to a maximum of life imprisonment, if convicted in the first degree murder of Kelly.

He is being held in the Monmouth County Correctional Institution, Freehold Township, on $1.2 million cash only bail, as set by Monmouth County Superior Court Judge Honora O’Brien Kilgallen.  In addition to first degree murder, Johnson is charged with second degree Possession of a Weapon for an Unlawful Purpose and second degree Certain Persons Not to Possess Weapons.

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Indictments issued in 2014 Long Branch Double Murder

Veronica Roach

Joan Colbert

Brian Farmer, 59, the registered sex offender arrested for the double strangulation murders of his cousin Joan Colbert, 62, and her 10 year old foster daughter Veronica Roach in August of 2014, was indicted on six charges by a Monmouth County Grand Jury on November 30th, according to Acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni.

The grand jury charged Farmer with first degree Murder for causing the death of Colbert and Roach, one count of first degree Endangering the Welfare of a Child, one count of second degree Endangering the Welfare of a Child and two counts of third degree Endangering the Welfare of a Child. The Endangering charges are related to Farmer causing or permitting a child to engage in child pornography, for the manufacture of child pornography and for the possession of child pornography.

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