Brick, NJ
News
ER Nurse Returning From Work ID'd By Grieving Family As Victim Of Route 70 Brick Township Crash ER Nurse Returning From Work ID'd By Grieving Family As Victim Of Route 70 Brick Township Crash
ER Nurse Returning From Work ID'd By Grieving Family As Victim Of Route 70 Brick Township Crash Anne Rasmussen dedicated her life to helping others, but her own was cut short when a suspected drunk driver caused a wrong-way crash on Route 70 early Friday morning, Dec. 27. Rasmussen, 58, of Whiting, was identified by her family on a GoFundMe campaign as an emergency room nurse on her way home from work when the Brick Township crash occurred, "killing her instantly." "She spent a lot of her life dedicated to helping people working as an ER nurse," Rasmussen's daughter, Kelly Kracsun wrote on the campaign. She would take the shirt off her back for absolutely anyone and would do anything …

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by Cecilia Levine
Brick, NJ
Police & Fire
Multi-Vehicle Route 70 Crash In Brick Leaves Driver Critical: Prosecutor Multi-Vehicle Route 70 Crash In Brick Leaves Driver Critical: Prosecutor
Multi-Vehicle Route 70 Crash In Brick Leaves Driver Critical: Prosecutor A four-vehicle crash on Route 70 left one man critical the day after a fatal accident caused by a wrong-way DUI driver on the same roadway, officials said. The collision occurred on Saturday, Dec. 28, around 8:30 a.m., when a Volkswagen Mini Van struck a Hyundai Sonata from behind at a red traffic signal near Duquesne Boulevard, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer said. The impact forced the Sonata into a Ford F250 Pickup Truck and a Dodge Ram Pickup Truck, both of which were also stopped at the light, according to investigators. The driver of the Hyundai Sonata was transport…

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by Cecilia Levine
Brick, NJ
Police & Fire
ID Of DUI Driver, Victim Released By Prosecutor Following Deadly Route 70 Crash ID Of DUI Driver, Victim Released By Prosecutor Following Deadly Route 70 Crash
ID Of DUI Driver, Victim Released By Prosecutor Following Deadly Route 70 Crash Authorities have released the name of the accused DUI driver and the woman he allegedly killed in the Friday morning, Dec. 27 crash on Route 70 in Brick Township. ALSO SEE: ER Nurse Anne Rasmussen Returning From Work ID'd By Grieving Family As Victim Of Wrong-Way DUI Route 70 Crash Jose Romero Quinteros, 53, of Howell, was heading east in in the westbound lanes in a Toyota Rav 4 and crossed over the concrete barrier that separates the roadway, before colliding head-on with a Volkswagen Beetle at approximately 5 a.m., near the Lowe’s home improvement store, according to O…

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by Cecilia Levine
Brick, NJ
Police & Fire
Route 70 Crash: Wrong-Way DUI Driver Kills Woman In Brick Township, Prosecutor Says Route 70 Crash: Wrong-Way DUI Driver Kills Woman In Brick Township, Prosecutor Says
Route 70 Crash: Wrong-Way DUI Driver Kills Woman In Brick Township, Prosecutor Says Police have released details in the Friday morning, Dec. 27 crash on Route 70 in Brick Township. A Toyota Rav 4 was traveling eastbound in the westbound lane of Route 70, crossing over the concrete barrier that separates the roadway, before colliding head-on with a Volkswagen Beetle at approximately 5 a.m., near the Lowe’s home improvement store, according to Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer. The male driver of the Toyota Rav 4, who was extricated from his vehicle, was transported to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune. He is listed in critical but stable…

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by Cecilia Levine
Toms River, NJ
Police & Fire
Brick Township Man Pleads Guilty To Toms River Man's Grisly Dismemberment, Prosecutors Say Brick Township Man Pleads Guilty To Toms River Man's Grisly Dismemberment, Prosecutors Say
Brick Township Man Pleads Guilty To Toms River Man's Grisly Dismemberment, Prosecutors Say A Brick Township man admitted to his role in the dismemberment of a Toms River man's body, authorities said. Jared Krysiak, 34, pleaded guilty on Monday, Dec. 16 to desecration of human remains, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer said in a news release. Krysiak was among the four people indicted in the killing of 56-year-old Kerry Rollason. Elizabeth Mascarelli of Seaside Heights entered a guilty plea on Monday, Dec. 9 for an aggravated manslaughter charge. She was previously indicted on Thursday, Oct. 24 for murder, conspiracy to commit murder, hindering apprehen…

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by Chris Spiker
Brick, NJ
Police & Fire
Award-Winning Former Rec Director Admits To Stealing $9K+ From Brick Township: Prosecutors Award-Winning Former Rec Director Admits To Stealing $9K+ From Brick Township: Prosecutors
Award-Winning Former Rec Director Admits To Stealing $9K+ From Brick Township: Prosecutors A former Brick Township official, once celebrated as a top professional in his field, has admitted to stealing nearly $10,000 in township recreation fees, authorities said. Daniel Santaniello, 46, pleaded guilty on Tuesday, Dec. 10 to theft, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer said in a news release.  Santaniello was previously the recreation director for Brick Township. The New Jersey Recreation & Park Association gave him the "Professional of the Year Award" in 2016. Investigators said Santaniello abused his position to charge private organizations cash to u…

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by Chris Spiker
Toms River, NJ
Police & Fire
Seaside Heights Woman Confesses To Killing Toms River Man In Dismemberment Case: Prosecutors Seaside Heights Woman Confesses To Killing Toms River Man In Dismemberment Case: Prosecutors
Seaside Heights Woman Confesses To Killing Toms River Man In Dismemberment Case: Prosecutors A Seaside Heights woman has admitted to killing a Toms River man whose body was dismembered, authorities said. Elizabeth Mascarelli, 29, pleaded guilty on Monday, Dec. 9 to aggravated manslaughter, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer said in a news release. She was previously indicted on Thursday, Oct. 24 for murder, conspiracy to commit murder, hindering apprehension, desecration of human remains, and eight weapons charges. Mascarelli was among the four people charged in the killing of 56-year-old Kerry Rollason. Danielle Bolstad, 42, of Barnegat; Jared …

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by Chris Spiker
Woodbridge, NJ
Police & Fire
Former Woodbridge Corrections Officer Confesses To Beating Resident Who Died From Stroke: AG Former Woodbridge Corrections Officer Confesses To Beating Resident Who Died From Stroke: AG
Former Woodbridge Corrections Officer Confesses To Beating Resident Who Died From Stroke: AG A former New Jersey corrections officer admitted to assaulting a resident who died several days after the attack, authorities said. Giuseppe Mandara of Brick Township pleaded guilty on Tuesday, Dec. 3 to third-degree aggravated assault, Attorney General Matthew Platkin and the state's Office of Public Integrity and Accountability said in a news release on Wednesday, Dec. 4. Mandara confessed to attacking Darrell "Malik" Smith on Friday, Aug. 23, 2019. Smith served more than 23 years in state prison on convictions for kidnapping and aggravated assault on a police officer. Man…

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by Chris Spiker
Cherry Hill, NJ
Business
Roy Rogers Opening In Cherry Hill, Making South Jersey Comeback After 40 Years Roy Rogers Opening In Cherry Hill, Making South Jersey Comeback After 40 Years
Roy Rogers Opening In Cherry Hill, Making South Jersey Comeback After 40 Years A fast-food chain known for its roast beef sandwiches and fried chicken will return to South Jersey, opening its first restaurant in the region in four decades, officials said. Roy Rogers Restaurants will open a new location in Cherry Hill in the spring of 2025, the company said in a news release. The chain signed a lease for a 3,300-square-foot space on Haddonfield Road. The company said the restaurant will be the only burger drive-thru on the busy road. "We could not be happier to bring our [U.S. Department of Agriculture] choice top round roast beef, juicy burgers, and fresh, …

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by Chris Spiker
Brick, NJ
Police & Fire
Brick Twp. Man Who Sexually Assaulted Woman He Met On Dating App Sentenced, Prosecutors Say Brick Twp. Man Who Sexually Assaulted Woman He Met On Dating App Sentenced, Prosecutors Say
Brick Twp. Man Who Sexually Assaulted Woman He Met On Dating App Sentenced, Prosecutors Say A Brick Township man will spend several years in prison for luring a woman through a dating app and sexually assaulting her at an Atlantic City hotel, authorities said. Gary Kearns, 56, was sentenced on Monday, Nov. 18 to four years in state prison, the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office said in a news release on Wednesday, Nov. 20. He pleaded guilty on Monday, Aug. 26 to second-degree sexual assault. Investigators said Kearns met the victim through Facebook Dating in August 2021. He used a fake name to gain her trust and drove her to Atlantic City for a date. Kea…

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by Chris Spiker
Brick, NJ
Police & Fire
Manchester Man Admits To Critically Stabbing Woman Near Brick Twp. Bike Trail, Prosecutors Say Manchester Man Admits To Critically Stabbing Woman Near Brick Twp. Bike Trail, Prosecutors Say
Manchester Man Admits To Critically Stabbing Woman Near Brick Twp. Bike Trail, Prosecutors Say A Manchester Township man admitted to stabbing a woman, critically injuring her near a Brick Township bike trail, authorities said. Harry Bray Jr., 37, pleaded guilty on Tuesday, Nov. 12 to attempted murder, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer said in a news release. A Brick Township police officer noticed a vehicle with two flat tires while conducting a routine check off Cherry Quay Road at around 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 5, 2023. The officer found a woman on the ground near the vehicle with several stab wounds. The woman was rushed to a nearby hospital and was listed in cri…

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by Chris Spiker
Jackson, NJ
Police & Fire
Illegal Shotgun Round Sparked 350-Acre Jackson Wildfire, Brick Man Charged: Officials Illegal Shotgun Round Sparked 350-Acre Jackson Wildfire, Brick Man Charged: Officials
Illegal Shotgun Round Sparked 350-Acre Jackson Wildfire, Brick Man Charged: Officials A massive wildfire that scorched 350 acres in Jackson Township was ignited by an illegal shotgun round that authorities said was fired by a 37-year-old Brick Township man. Authorities charged Richard Shashaty, 37, with arson after an investigation revealed that magnesium shards from a prohibited Dragon’s Breath 12-gauge shotgun round sparked the blaze on Nov. 6, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer said. The fire, known as the Shotgun Wildfire, erupted shortly after noon on November 6 near the Central Jersey Rifle Range on Stump Tavern Road. Investigators determined that the incendi…

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by Cecilia Levine