Howell woman faces six months in jail for raising baby squirrels

A Howell woman has been issued a $500 summons and faces a potential sentence of six months in jail because she took in two newborn squirrels that had been abandoned by their mother, according to a reports by ABC News in New York and Philadelphia.

Posted by Maria Vaccarella on Thursday, January 14, 2016

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Howell Mayor Gotto calls his video taped behavior “unacceptable”

Howell Mayor William Gotto. Photo via HowellRepublican.com

A heated exchanged between Howell Mayor William Gotto and a 19 year old Township resident, Chris Cohen, that ended with both parties apologizing, shaking hands and expressing their respect for one another has ignited a social media outrage now that a video of part of their encounter has been posted on facebook and YouTube, more than a month after the incident occurred.

On October 14, there was a petition drive at the Howell library to collect signatures of residents opposed to a proposed affordable housing development at West Farms on Route 9.   Grotto and Deputy Mayor Robert Nicastro went to the gathering to answer questions about the proposed development.

The questions were heated and pointed when Cohen says he asked the mayor, “Whose pockets were being lined here?”

Gotto says he heard the question as an accusation of personal corruption. He lost his composure, as can be seen on the video:

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Veitengruber: Keep Big City Politicians Out of Howell’s Board of Education

By Sue Veitengruber

I have a self imposed rule of not using my Facebook page for political views on candidates. My friends’ beliefs and ideals cover the entire spectrum. However,  at the risk of a few individuals never speaking to me again, I have questions about certain BOE candidates on the ballot.  Board of Education members are supposed to be the epitome of community volunteers. Howell is not “the big city.” So why, I need to ask, is one candidate being funded by state wide Political Action Committees and the Mayor of Elizabeth?  The Elizabeth BOE has been fraught with corruption and nepotism. Board officials, including an attorney,  were indicted on fraudulently  claiming their kids were eligible for free lunches. Staff members were pressured into contributing to BOE members campaigns. Why does that candidate list her name and “politician” on her  election FB cover page?  This is not what the Howell BOE needs. It is the largest and best K-8 in the state. I am proud to have been part of the reforms in the 80s as a board member for almost 9 years, reforms that succeeding boards built on to continue the excellence in education in our town. We don’t need the Elizabeth political machine determining  the decisions and future of the Howell BOE.
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Man in critical after motorcycle strikes Route 33 guardrail

HOWELL – A Freehold man was hospitalized Monday after the motorcycle he was riding crashed into a Route 33 guardrail, police said. Shortly after 9:20 a.m. on Monday, police and first aid squads responded to Route 33 west for a serious motor vehicle crash. An investigation determined that Manuel Sanchez, 51, of Freehold, was operating a… Read the rest of this entry »

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Woman lied about being kidnapped at gunpoint, authorities say

HOWELL — A 911 call reporting a kidnapping last week that prompted a multi-agency police response in the township was a hoax — and the 46-year-old Bergen County woman who placed the call has been arrested, authorities announced Thursday. On Aug. 19 at around 6:30 a.m., police in Monroe Township received a 911 call from a… Read the rest of this entry »

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SCAT Dispatcher Pleads Guilty To Obstruction

Mickey Major, 54, of Howell Township and a former dispatcher for the Monmouth County Special Citizens Assisted Transportation (SCAT) buses, pleaded guilty to Obstruction of Justice after admitting that he shredded fare envelopes while the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office was investigating the collection of fares, according to a statement by Acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni.

Major worked as dispatcher at the Center Street, Freehold location of the Monmouth County Division of Transportation, where he dispatched SCAT buses, but was also tasked with reconciling fare reports with the actual fare amounts collected and reported by the drivers. On Sept. 16, 2014, detectives arrived at the Center Street location and discovered Major shredded the envelopes and fled from the office in his vehicle.

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Investigators Seek Public’s Help With Locating The Mother Of Dead Baby Dumped in Farmingdale

West Trenton, N.J. – Detectives from the New Jersey State Police and Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office are hopeful a composite sketch of a full-term, newborn infant, whose remains were discovered among trash at a recycling center in Farmingdale, Monmouth County, will help identify her mother.

The baby, who was named Emma Grace by the Ardena Baptist Church in Howell, N.J., was 21.5 inches, 7 pounds, and five ounces, when she was discovered more than five months ago by an employee of the ReCommunity Recycling facility on Railroad Avenue, in Farmingdale, N.J. The baby’s remains have been released to the church, which will hold a funeral for her on Saturday, April 18, 2015, at 3:30 p.m.

The headless body of Emma Grace was discovered at approximately 1:30 p.m., on Tuesday, November 11, 2014, prompting an exhaustive search of the surrounding trash. Investigators uncovered the infant’s head, two blood-stained blouses, and a bag from a retail store area in Orange, N.J.  The old blouses had no tags, but their size could be characterized as petite to medium.  Both the clothing and the bag are believed to be connected with the mother of the infant.

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Howell man indicted for kiddie porn, sexual assault on a child

Kevin Motyka. photo via facebook

Kevin Motyka, 23, of Howell Township, was indicted on Friday by a Monmouth County grand jury, according to Acting Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni.

The 17 count indictment charges Motyka with 2 counts of first degree Aggravated Sexual Assault, 7 counts of second degree Sexual Assault, 5 counts of Endangering the Welfare of a Child involving the manufacture and distribution of child pornography; as well as permitting a child to engage in child pornography. Motyka is also charged with  2 counts of third degree Endangering the Welfare of a Child involving sexual conduct and the possession of more than 100 items of child pornography, as well as a lone count of fourth degree Endangering the Welfare of a Child related to possession of child pornography.

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Howell man gets 4 years in prison after crash that killed friend

FREEHOLD – Jacob Cannizzaro could not hide his emotions, his grief or his remorse as he stood in front of his family and the family of his friend Mark Chilton on Friday afternoon. On June 14, 2013, Cannizzaro lost control of the 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt he was driving on Fort Plains Road in Howell Township. The… Read the rest of this entry »

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Howell Man Faces New Pedophile Charges

Gregory Rittman

A Howell man who was arrested two weeks ago for masturbating in front of a juvenile in the public bathroom at a fast food restaurant on Route 35 in Wall Township is facing a dozen new charges after additional victims were identified, announced Acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni.

Gregory S. Rittman, 49, of Howell Township, was arrested on Friday, Oct. 24, 2014, after authorities received a report from an employee at a McDonald’s that described lewd behavior witnessed by an 8-year-old juvenile, near the sink in the men’s bathroom of the restaurant. Rittman was charged with one count each of second degree Sexual Assault, third degree Endangering the Welfare of a Child, fourth degree Lewdness and a disorderly persons charge of Harassment. He was released after posting $73,000 bail with no 10-percent option, as set by Monmouth County Superior Court Judge Teresa A. Kondrup-Coyle, J.S.C.

News of Rittman’s October arrest, which included his picture, prompted three additional victims to come forward.

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