John Bennett Takes Oceanport Job

photo credit: Rhoda Chodosh

Monmouth County Republican Chairman was appointed Acting Administrator of the Borough of Oceanport last week, replacing Phil Huhn, a former Neptune Township administrator, who had been holding the post since June when Kimberly Jungfer resigned as Borough Administrator and Clerk to take the same job in neighboring Little Silver.

Mayor Michael J. Mahon confirmed Bennett’s temporary appointment and declined to comment further.

Bennett, who also serves as the borough’s attorney, said he was in conversations with the governing body to become a full time employee as a attorney and administrator in January.

“It would be a win-win for everybody,” Bennett said, noting that the borough would save money in legal fees if he held both posts. He said he is not seeking pension credits or health benefits in the proposed position.

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HELP SOUGHT IDENTIFYING COLTS NECK STABBING SUSPECT

The Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office and the Colts Neck Police Department are seeking the public’s help in identifying the man seen in the sketch on the left.

The suspect is wanted for questioning about the stabbing of a 41-year-old Colts Neck woman inside her Bray Street home on Sunday, Acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni announced.

A composite sketch is a drawing approximating a suspect’s facial appearance.  Please keep in mind that appearances such as hair styles, beards and moustaches are easily changed. People gain and lose weight.

Anyone who recognizes, believes they recognize the man in the sketch or has any information about this case is asked to call Detective Andrea Tozzi, of the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office at 1-800-533-7443, or Detective Richard Zarrillo, of the Colts Neck Police Department at 732-462-4343.

If you believe you may have information regarding the identification of the person depicted in the sketch, please contact either of the listed detectives whether or not you are 100 percent sure.  All leads will be followed up in an appropriate fashion.

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Woman stabbed in Colts Neck

The Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office and the Colts Neck Police Department are investigating the stabbing of a 41-year old woman in her Bray Street. home.

The incident occurred around 12:30 am on Sunday morning.

The suspect is reportedly a skinny white male with dirty blond hair in his early twenties who was wearing a yellow shirt and backpack.  He is reported to have been hitchhiking on Route 34 between Clover Hill Road and Bray Street when he followed the woman to her home and stabbed her multiple times. He fled with her car.

The woman’s car was later found in the Strathmore Shopping Center in Aberdeen.

The victim, who has not been identified, survived the attack and is being treated in a local hospital.

Anyone with information is asked to call Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office at 800-533-7443 or the Colts Neck Police Department at 732-780-7323.

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Colts Neck Democrat Fined By ELEC

“Rick” Ambrosia, center, with Vin Gopal, left and Ray Santiago, right, during a 2011 campaign event. Gopal and Santiago were candidates for legislature in LD 11 at the time. facebook photo.

Colts Neck Democrat Patrick “Rick” Ambrosia, Jr has been fined $250 by the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission for failure to file primary election reports for his 2011 campaign to become a member of the Township’s governing body.

Ambrosia, who is best known as a frequent antagonist on center-right blogs, lost his 2011 bid in the predominantly Republican Colts Neck Township.

Click here for ELEC’s decision.

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Prosecutor Seeks Publc Help In Indentifying Bank Robber

The Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office is seeking the public’s help in indentifying the man suspected of robbing the JP Morgan-Chase Bank branch in Colts Neck yesterday afternoon, Acting Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni announced this afternoon.

The bank robbery occurred around 5 p.m. on Thursday when a light-skinned male, standing approximately 5-feet,   11-inches tall, with a medium build, brown hair and glasses, walked into the JP Morgan Chase Bank, located at 290 Route 34 in Colts Neck, pointed a firearm at a teller and demanded money. The teller handed over an amount of cash before the suspect fled the bank in a dark colored, two-door Infinity with New York license plates and tinted windows. The vehicle was last seen traveling south on Route 34 and entering onto Route18 north.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office Detective Kevin Condon at 732- 431-7160, Colts Neck Police Department Detective Richard Zarrillo at 732-462-4343, or the Red Bank FBI Field Office at 732- 741-0006.

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CASAGRANDE: OUR COMMUNITY CAN BE PROUD OF ITS SELFLESS NATURE AND COMMUNAL SPIRIT

VOLUNTEERS CAME TOGETHER AND HELPED MORE THAN 1,000 PEOPLE AT COLTS NECK HIGH SCHOOL SHELTER

Assemblywoman Caroline Casagrande congratulated all the volunteers who helped more than 1,000 people seeking shelter from Hurricane Irene at Colts Neck High School this weekend.

“You learn a lot about a community during times of distress, and ours did an exceptional job coming together to help people during one of the worst storms ever to land in New Jersey,” Casagrande, R-Monmouth and Mercer, said. “Many volunteers stayed the entire weekend, whether cooking meals for hundreds of people or tending to health concerns. It was amazing to watch all the coordination and effort involved to protect very vulnerable people from nature’s fury. Our community can be proud of its selfless nature and communal spirit.”

Casagrande volunteered at the Red Cross shelter set up at Colts Neck High School, along with student members of the sports foundation, staff from Colts Neck and Freehold Regional high schools, the Visiting Nurse Association of Central New Jersey and Red Cross volunteers.

“There were so many volunteers helping so many people that it’s impossible to remember them all, but everyone deserves thanks and congratulations for a job well done,” Casagrande said. “I hope we never need another shelter like this, but if we do, everyone should consider helping out because it was such a rewarding experience.”

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