Monmouth Law Enforcement Agencies Will Raise Distracted Driving Awareness In October

Monmouth County drivers who are texting or talking on their phones without a hands free device are more likely than ever to be pulled over in October—and more likely to be given a break for the infraction that carries a fine of $200-$400 for a first offense.  But the break won’t be just a friendly warning from the officer who pulls the driver over.

For the month of October, law enforcement officers across the county will be armed with distracted driver ticket books. Anyone found driving while distracted may be issued a summons warning providing them 15 days to log on the campaign website at unpluggedandalive.com where each ticketholder will be prompted to securely include their pertinent information and to watch a video detailing the horrific effects of distracted driving.

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Brick Realtor Arrested After Arranging Sex With Fourteen Year Old Girl

Girl Was Undercover Cop

Richard J. Jones Mugshot

A 66 year old real estate broker was arrested today after he set up a meeting to have sex with a 14 year old girl who was actually an undercover police officer, according to a statement by the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office.

Richard J. Jones of Brick Township, Ocean County, was charged with second degree Attempted Sexual Assault after he was snagged this afternoon by a Joint Investigation of the Prosecutor’s Special Victims Unit and investigators from the Asbury Park, Englishton and Wall Township police departments.  He is alleged to have used a local prostitute to facilitate a meeting to have sex with a 14 year old girl who was really an undercover police officer.

Jones, the owner and broker of Century 21 Herbertsville Real Estate in Brick, is being held in the Monmouth County Correctional Institution on $125,000 bail with no 10% option as set by Judge Honora O’Brien Kilgallen.  Judge Kilgallen also order Jones to have no contact with the prostitute who facilitated the meeting.

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Monmouth County Breaks Ground on Phase II of Child Advocacy Center

Monmouth County Assistant Prosecutor Peter Boser, Sue Rekedal, Multi-Disciplinary Teams coordinator at the Monmouth County Child Advocacy Center, Assemblywoman Mary Pat Angelini, Dr. Martin Krupnick, Chairperson of the Friends of the Monmouth County Child Advocacy Center, Freeholder Director Lillian G. Burry, Freeholder Deputy Director Gary J. Rich, Sr., Freeholder Thomas A. Arnone, Freeholder John P. Curley, Freeholder Serena DiMaso and Monmouth County First Assistant Prosecutor Marc C. LeMieux.

The Monmouth County Child Advocacy Center, a partnership between the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office, the Board of Chosen Freeholders, a local non-profit named for the facility and the National Children’s Alliance broke ground on a $1.6 million addition to the facility in Freehold this afternoon.

The brainchild of former Prosecutor John Kaye, the facility provides a physically and psychologically safe place for victims of child abuse and their families to receive treatment that is coordinated with the investigations into their abusers in such a way as to prevent and reduce the traumatic effects of the investigations into the devastating events they have already suffered.

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Beware of scammers claiming to be from the IRS

Phone scammers are targeting local residents with aggressive phone calls claiming that they are from the IRS and threatening jail if the residents don’t pay immediately, according to a statement by the the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office.

The callers take various approaches to extort money by either demanding that funds be paid immediately or in some cases saying that there is a refund due. Whichever tactic the caller uses, the objective is to trick unsuspecting resident to give over private information.

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Wall Teacher Indicted On Sexual Assault Charges

A 24 year old Wall Township English teacher was charged under a three count indictment this afternoon with Aggravated Sexual Assault, Endangering the Welfare of a Child and Second Degree Sexual Assault.  Kalee Warnick is alleged to have conducted a sexual relationship with a 15 year old male student, referred to as J.M in the indictment, between January and July 2013, according to the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office.

If convicted, Warnick faces up to 30 years in prison, lifelong parole and Meghan’s Law registration.

Warnick was arrested in July of 2013, shortly after the relationship was exposed. She was released on $50,000 bail.

The alleged victim’s attorney James Magg said his client had been through a terrible ordeal, according to published reports at the time of Warnick’s arrest last year.

Warnick’s attorney , Alton Kenney, said she plead not guilty, “because she is in fact, not guilty.”

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Avon Man Charged in Rumson overdose death

Michael Renna, 25 of Avon-by-the Sea, was charged today with the October 2013 overdose death of Christopher L. Pesce, a 25 year old resident of Oxford House, a drug rehabilitation transitional facility located in Rumson.

Renna is charged with one count of first degree Strict Liability for Drug Induced Deaths and one count of third degree Distribution of a Controlled Dangerous.  He was released from the Monmouth County Correctional Institution after posting $210,000 in bail as set by Judge John R. Tassini, according to Monmouth County First Assistant Prosecutor Marc LeMieux.

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Victims of Triple Fatal Freehold Crash Identified

The Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office has identified the three people who died yesterday afternoon in the three vehicle crash on Kozloski Road in Freehold Township. A fourth victim who has not been identified remains in extremely critical condition at a local hospital.

Nicholas J. Dever, 19, of Freehold Borough, was at the wheel of a 2009 Volkswagen Jetta travelling south on Kozloski Road when he lost control of the vehicle before crossing over the centerline of the roadway and into the oncoming northbound travel lanes.

The Volkswagen collided offset head-on with the 2006 Honda Pilot driven by Thomas J. Koller, 50, of Freehold Township, who was traveling in the northbound lanes. As a result of the impact, both vehicles rotated counterclockwise and the Honda lifted and became partially airborne before it collided with the 1994 Toyota Camry driven by a 25-year-old Freehold Borough man. He remains in extremely critical condition at Jersey Shore University Medical Center, Neptune Township.

The passenger in the Volkswagen is identified as Noelle DeLuccio, 20, of Howell. She was pronounced dead at the scene by Assistant Middlesex County Medical Examiner Dr. Diane Karluk.

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Investigators Seek Witnesses To Fatal Freehold Crash

Three people are confirmed dead and another is hospitalized in critical condition following a three vehicle crash on Kozloski Rd in Freehold this afternoon.

The identities of the victims are being withheld pending notification of next of kin.

The incident was first reported at 3:47 p.m. today and occurred on the Kosloski Road overpass at Route 33 Business.

Anyone who may have witnessed the crash is urged to call Detective Eric Kerecman, of the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office, at 732-522-8885, or Police Officer Joseph Winowski, of the Freehold Police Department, at 732-462-7908

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Arrest is made in Long Branch double murder

Cousin of elder victim is charged

Related: Suspect Checked In With Prosecutors One Week After The Murders

Brian R. Foster, a registered sex offender, was convicted of aggravated assault in 1996

Brian Farmer, 58, of John St in Long Branch has been charged with the strangulation murders of his cousin, Joan Colbert and her 10 year old foster daughter Veronica Roach.  Farmer also faces child pornography charges in connection with the 10 year old girl, according to a statement by the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office.

The Prosecutor’s office has confirmed that the defendant is the the same Brain R.  Farmer, 58 of Long Branch, who is a registered sex offender convicted of aggravated assault in 1996.

A joint investigation by the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office and Long Branch Police Department was launched after Colbert and Roach were found in their first floor apartment at 61 Lippincott Ave. on August 1, 2014.  Long Branch police responded to the home around 5:22 p.m. following a report of suspicious circumstances at the address.

A 13-day investigation revealed Farmer was at the home on July 30, where he was discovered by Colbert taking pornographic photographs of the 10-year-old girl. A confrontation ensued ending with Farmer killing Colbert and the girl. Farmer then fled the scene of his crimes.

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Breaking: Indictment in the 4am robo call incident

UPDATE: DWAYNE HORNER, LEIGH-ANN BELLEW’S CAMPAIGN MANAGER IS NAMED IN THE INDICTMENT

MMM has learned that at least one individual was indicted by a Monmouth County Grand Jury today in the investigation into the 4am robocall that occurred on the morning of the 2013 Republican Primary in the 13th legislative district on June 4, 2013.  The 13th, represented by Senator Joe Kyrillos and Assembly Members Amy Handlin and Declan O’Scanlon, is compromised of Middletown, Marlboro, the Bayshore and the Two Rivers area of Monmouth County.

The call, a recording of which can be heard here, was purported to be on behalf of the incumbents Kyrillos, Handlin and O’Scanlon. The caller said that he was reminding voters that they had four hours to get to the polls, as if the call was made at 4pm instead of 4am.  The callers voice sounds very much like the recorded voice of the person on the Leigh-Ann Bellew for Senate’s voice mail greeting.  That recording can be heard here.  Bellew was Kyrillos’s opponent in the primary.

MMM was told that fourth degree identity theft was the charged the grand jury delivered.  Fourth degree identity theft is punishable by up to 18 months in prison and/or a $10,000 fine.

Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office spokesman Charles Webster said he had not yet received a copy of the indictment and that he would provide it promptly upon receiving it from the prosecutor.

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