M’TOWN: ALLEGED COP-WHACKER BUSTED
The crime reports below were provided by the Middletown Township Police Department. The information appears here unedited.
On April 22, 2011 Detective Daniel Sullivan received information from Detective Jason Lopez of the Keansburg Police Department that he had arrested two juveniles for committing car burglaries in the Keansburg area and had recovered items that had been stolen in similar type burglaries in Middletown. Detective Lopez also identified the suspects in the Middletown incidents.
Detective Sullivan and Detective Lopez conducted a joint investigation which resulted in the arrests of three subjects for the Middletown burglaries. Middletown police arrested Raymond Pujols [above, right], age 19, and Jonathan Pujols [above, left], age 18, both from Raritan Avenue in Keansburg and a seventeen year old juvenile from Main Street in Keansburg.
Raymond and Jonathan Pujols were both charged with two counts of Burglary, Theft and Conspiracy and are being held at the Monmouth County Correctional Facility in Freehold, NJ on $15,000.00 bail each. The juvenile was charged with two counts of Burglary, Theft and Conspiracy and was released pending a court date.
On April 28, 2011 at approximately 6:35 pm police responded to the Sears store located on Highway 35 in reference to an irate customer who was refusing to leave the store. Upon arrival officers were advised by store security that Gary Burke, age 28, from East Mount Avenue in Atlantic Highlands, was attempting to return a weed whacker he had bought at the store but the lawn and garden section of the store was closed at the time. Burke was advised he would have to come back at a later time when he began to yell and scream at employees which prompted the police to be called.
Patrolman Thomas Meckier and Patrolman Richard Fulham advised Burke that he would have to leave the store and were attempting to escort him out when Burke struck Patrolman Meckier with the weed whacker. The officers were able to place Burke under arrest with the help of other officers.
Burke was transported to police headquarters where he was charged with Aggravated Assault on a police officer, Unlawful Possession of a weapon (the weed whacker), Possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and Disorderly Conduct. He was held on $17,500.00 bail with no 10% option set by Judge Richard Thompson.
On April 30, 2011 at approximately 1:00am Patrolman Frank Mazza was on patrol in the area of Laurel Avenue when he observed a vehicle swerving in and out of its lane of travel. Officer Mazza stopped the vehicle and conducted an investigation which resulted in the driver, Michael Kiernan, age 45, from Creek Road in Keansburg being arrested for Driving While Intoxicated. He was processed and released pending a court date.
On May 1, 2011 at approximately 1:15 am Patrolman Donald Coates responded to the area of Bray Avenue in reference to a report of a subject passed out on the front lawn of a residence. Upon arrival Officer Coates located Joseph Meehan, age 18, from Lohsen Place in Middletown lying on the lawn.
Patrolman Coates continued his investigation which resulted in Meehan being arrested for Disorderly Conduct. He was transported to police headquarters where he was processed and released on a summons pending a court date.
On May 1, 2011 at approximately 2:35 am Patrolman Frank Mazza was on patrol in the area of Oak Hill Road when he stopped a vehicle for a lamp maintenance violation. Officer Mazza conducted an investigation which resulted in the driver, Justin Sachs, age 20, from Woodland Avenue in Laurence Harbor, being arrested for Driving While Intoxicated.
Sachs was transported to police headquarters where he was processed and released pending a court date.
On May 1, 2011 at approximately 3:00 pm Patrolman Keith Hirschbein responded to the area of Wilson Avenue and the Henry Hudson Trail in reference to a report of several juveniles possibly smoking Marijuana.
Upon arrival Officer Hirschbein located the group and conducted an investigation which resulted in a sixteen year old juvenile, from Wilson Avenue in Middletown, being arrested for Possession of under 50 grams of Marijuana. The juvenile was transported to police headquarters where he was processed and released to his mother pending a court date.
On May 1, 2011 at approximately 4:15 pm Patrolman Anthony Bumbico responded to the Wendy’s restaurant in reference to a report of a stolen bike. Approximately one hour later, Patrolman Raymond Sofield was on patrol in the area of Loraine Place when he was flagged down by the owner of the bike who reported seeing a male subject riding the bike in the area and provided the officer with his description.
Patrolman Sofield located the subject a short distance away and engaged in a brief foot pursuit of the subject before being able to place him under arrest. The subject was identified as a sixteen year old juvenile from East Church Street in Keansburg, NJ.
When taken into custody the juvenile was found to be in possession of clothing and shoes that had been stolen from the Sears store in Middletown as well as the Marshalls, Old Navy and Models stores in Holmdel. He was transported to police headquarters where he was charged with Theft, Shoplifting, three counts of Receiving Stolen Property and Obstructing the Administration of Law. He was processed and released to his mother pending a court date.
On April 21 and April 22, 2011 police responded to numerous reports of vehicles that had been damaged with spray paint on various streets located off of Harmony Road. Detective Kelly Godley was able to identify three juveniles from Middletown who were responsible for the damage.
Detective Godley conducted an investigation which resulted in two thirteen year olds and one fifteen year old juveniles being charged with numerous counts of Criminal Mischief. All three juveniles were processed and released to their parents pending a court date.
The Middletown Police Department arrested the following subjects on warrants:
JD Rockafellow, age 22, from Willow Street in Port Monmouth, arrested by Patrolman John Mele on a Non- Support warrant issued by the Middlesex County Superior Court. He was held on $1,924.00 bail.
Christopher Spallina, age 28, from Dogwood Lane in Hazlet, NJ arrested by Patrolman Laurence Seymour on a Contempt of Court warrant issued by the Morris County Superior Court. He was held on bail.
Pascualino Criscione, age 25, from Grand Avenue in North Bergen, NJ arrested by Patrolman Richard Raike on a Contempt of Court warrant issued by the Guttenberg Municipal Court. He was held on $500.00 bail.
