Free job fair in Long Branch March 14

Long Branch — Brookdale Community College Long Branch Center, in partnership with local community organizations, will sponsor a free Community Job Fair on Friday, March 14, 9 a.m.- 2 p.m. The job fair will be held at the Bucky James Community Center, 231 Wilbur Ray Blvd.

Employers who are hiring can register for free by calling 732-571-7155. The job seeking public is welcome to attend – with no registration necessary – prepared with resumes and dressed for success.

Over 30 employers, who are hiring, will be on hand to meet with serious job seekers. Employment applications and on-site interviews will be conducted. Each year, Brookdale Long Branch Center sponsors the Job Fair as a part of its  community outreach mission.  “It is an opportunity to connect local and regional employers to a pool of serious job seekers looking for part-time, seasonal, and full-time employment,” said Long Branch Center Director Ed Johnson.

Monmouth Civic Chorus scholarship auditions

The Monmouth Civic Chorus will hold its annual vocal scholarship auditions for New Jersey high school seniors planning to pursue higher education. Auditions will be held by appointment on Saturday, May 10, in Red Bank.  The application deadline is May 3 and the application fee is $10.

For information or an audition appointment, call 732-933-9333, e-mail scholarship@monmouthcivicchorus.org or visit monmouthcivicchorus.org and click Support Us. A total of $2,500 in scholarships is available to be awarded to students of outstanding vocal promise. Contestants must be prepared to perform two selections from the standard vocal repertoire (opera, operetta, art songs, oratorio or Gilbert and Sullivan), with at least one selection in Italian, French or German. Show music is not acceptable. Contestants will be judged on technique, choice of material, poise and musicianship.

An accompanist will be provided if needed. Last season, the First Place winner was bass/baritone Andrew Moore, Point Pleasant, who was awarded $1,200. The Second Place winner was mezzo-soprano Kelly Koerwer, Shrewsbury, who was awarded $500.

 

Child Find in local towns

Each year, the school districts in Monmouth Beach, Oceanport, Sea Bright and West Long Branch and Shore Regional High School seek to identify and evaluate children ages 3 to 21 who may be experiencing physical, sensory, communication, cognitive or social difficulties. This search includes migrant and homeless students, two year olds reaching the age of three within 120 days, preschoolers between three and five, and school-aged children who are not currently receiving school services.

Please contact: in Monmouth Beach, Kristoffer Brogna at 732-222-6139, ext. 115; in Oceanport and Sea Bright, Robin Dunikoski at 732-229-8851; in West Long Branch, Lolita Yacona at 732 222-5900 ext. 1257

JURY SELECTION BEGINS IN TRIAL OF FATHER ACCUSED OF MURDERING 2-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER

Father Accused of Tossing Girl Off Bridge While Strapped into Car Seat

(FREEHOLD) Jury selection began Tuesday morning in the murder trial of Arthur E. Morgan, III, in the courtroom of Monmouth County Superior Court Judge Anthony J. Mellaci, Jr., J.S.C., announced Acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni.

Morgan, 29, with a last known address in Eatontown, is facing charges stemming from the death of his 2-year-old daughter, after the young girl’s body was discovered in November 2011, under a Schoolhouse Road bridge over the Shark River by a group of teenagers. Morgan is charged with first degree Murder, second degree Endangering the Welfare of a Child and third-degree Interference with Custody.

The discovery of the toddler’s fully-clothed body, strapped into a car seat, submerged in the stream below an overpass located on Schoolhouse Road in the Shark River Park section of Wall on Nov. 22, 2011, sparked a joint investigation by the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office and other law enforcement agencies. The child was later identified as Tierra Morgan-Glover, 2, of Lakehurst, who was reported missing the previous night.

An examination conducted by the medical examiner concluded the manner of death as homicide and the cause of death as homicidal violence, including submersion in water. These findings indicate the young girl was alive when she was cast into the water while strapped in her car seat. Jury selection is expected to continue through the remainder of this week, and opening statements by both sides could occur as early as Tuesday, March 11, 2014, but check with the Trial Court Administrator’s Office (TCAO) at the Monmouth County Courthouse for the actual date. The media is asked to call the TCAO for any requests and permissions to bring video cameras, still cameras or microphones into the courtroom for this trial by calling (732) 677-4208.

A missing persons report was filed by Tierra’s mother on Nov. 21, 2011. Morgan had taken Tierra out for a few hours on that same day, as agreed upon by the two parents. After Morgan failed to return Tierra to her mother at their home in Lakehurst at the agreed upon time, and after hours of trying to reach Morgan, Tierra’s mother contacted the Lakehurst Police who, in turn, notified the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office. Both agencies, with the assistance of the Ocean Township (Monmouth County) Police Department, conducted an intensive search for Tierra.

When Tierra’s body was pulled from the water, the Office’s Major Crimes and Forensic and Technical Services units, along with Wall Township Police Department, commenced a cooperative investigation into the homicide. Investigators ultimately determined Morgan killed his daughter and fled the area by taking a train from Asbury Park to Newark. An active search, led by the U.S. Marshal’s Service and Monmouth County Sheriff’s Office, was undertaken with the assistance of several other federal, state and local law enforcement agencies leading to Morgan’s capture on Nov. 29, 2011, by the Marshal’s Service in San Diego, Calif.

Morgan waived extradition back to New Jersey, and has remained incarcerated in the Monmouth County Correctional Institution, Freehold Township, in lieu of $10 million bail set by Monmouth County Superior Court Judge Lawrence M. Lawson, A.J.S.C., and an additional $200,000 bail, as set by Ocean County Superior Court Judge Francis Hodgson, J.S.C. for charges filed in Ocean County. These charges have been consolidated for prosecution in Monmouth County.

If convicted of first degree Murder, Morgan faces a minimum sentence of 30 years in a New Jersey state prison without parole and a maximum sentence of life imprisonment, subject to the provisions of the “No Early Release Act” (NERA) requiring him to serve 85 percent of the sentence imposed before becoming eligible for release on parole. A Monmouth County grand jury found an aggravating factor to exist – that the victim was less than 14 years old at the time she was killed – therefore Morgan faces a maximum sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole, if the trial jury agrees when it renders its verdict.

If convicted of second degree Endangering the Welfare of a Child, Morgan faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.

If convicted of third degree Interference with Custody, Morgan faces a maximum of 5 years in prison.

Despite these charges, every defendant is presumed innocent, unless and until found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, following a trial at which the defendant has all of the trial rights guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution and State law.

This case is being prosecuted by Monmouth County First Assistant Prosecutor Marc Lemieux and Monmouth County Assistant Prosecutor Jordan Williams. Morgan is being represented by Jeffrey Coghlan, Esq. and Ryan Morairty, Esq., both of Freehold.

Woman Arrested For Driving while intoxicated with a child in the car

Ocean Township – Police responded to a possible drunk driver in the area of the 1200 block of West Park Avenue on Saturday, March 1, around 6:00 in the evening.

Detective Lieutenant Kevin L. Faller stated in a printed release that Officers Matthew Guido and John Hanna checked the area where they located a woman who Faller identified as Ellen Baccarella, 57, of Tinton Falls. The officers found her standing next to her vehicle.

According to Faller they had determined that she was intoxicated and that she had been operating the vehicle while under the influence. They also discovered that inside the car was a five year old child that had been there the entire time while she had been driving under the influence.

Baccarella was taken into custody and charged with Driving While Intoxicated and Child Endangerment. Faller stated that she was released on a complaint summonses and given a future court hearing. The child was transported to police headquarters where she was turned over to her father, who was not involved in the incident.

Detective Michael Melody is conducting the follow-up investigation, anyone wishing to volunteer information or witnessed the incident is asked to contact him at 732-531-3323 or email him at crimetips@oceantwp.org

National Anthem tryouts March 19 at Monmouth Mall

The BlueClaws will hold their 2014 National Anthem tryouts on Wednesday, March 19 in the Food Court at Monmouth Mall in Eatontown, from 3-6 p.m.

All interested performers must fill out an application in advance of the auditions. Applications are currentrly available in the BlueClaws Executive Offices and must be returned by Friday, March 7 at 5 p.m. The BlueClaws office is open 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday to Friday and 9 a.m.-3 p.m. on Saturday.
Applications are also available at the Monmouth Mall Guest Services Desk, beginning and ending on the same dates.

“The quality of National Anthem renditions at sporting events across the country has continued to grow over the years,” said BlueClaws General Manager Brandon Marano. “We have had outstanding performers here at FirstEnergy Park and we expect that to continue in 2014.”
All National Anthem auditions will be performed a capella. Instruments will be permitted, but only those that do not require electricity. Singers can apply individually or as a group.

Those interested in performing the anthem as a group can contact Kristine Tranz at 732-901-7000 ext. 140 or ktranz@­blueclaws.­com.

Applications will be reviewed on a first-come-first-served basis and performance times are subject to availability. All applicants will be notified by phone regarding a prospective audition, but applicants are not guaranteed an audition. Decisions will not be made the day of the event, and all who audition will be notified at a later date with regards to a performance at FirstEnergy Park in Lakewood. All judges’ decisions are final.

The BlueClaws have led the South Atlantic League in attendance in all 13 years of existence and are the Jersey Shore’s top stop for affordable, family entertainment.

Ticket packages and group outings for the upcoming season are available by calling 732-901-7000 or online at BlueClaws.com.

West Long Branch PD searching for armed robber

At approximately 7PM on Sunday, March 2, 2014, the West Long Branch Police Department was called to the BP Gas Station on Monmouth Road at Cedar Avenue for a report of an attempted robbery.

According to the attendant, a white male in his late 20’s to early 30’s had been in the area for several minutes before producing a knife and demanding cash.

The suspect was 5’8” to 6’ in height, skinny build and wore a dark blue hooded sweatshirt, possibly with red or white colored writing on the back. The suspect may have been wearing grey pants or lighter colored jeans and a black bandanna which he used to cover his face.

The suspect and the attendant apparently grappled physically. The suspect reportedly attempted to stab the attendant several times. The attendant was apparently uninjured. The suspect apparently fled on foot South on Monmouth Road without obtaining any cash or other proceeds.

The area was searched by West Long Branch Police Sergeant William Lynch, Detective Jayson Moore, Patrolmen Scott Rockhill and Robert Knott, as well as assistance rendered by Oceanport Police Officer Kelly Leimburg, but the suspect was not located.

It is believed that there may have been customers at the gas pumps or in the gas station lot at the time of the robbery. We ask that these witnesses come forward or anyone with information about this incident contact the West Long Branch Police Department’s Detective Bureau at 732-229-5000.

The West Long Branch Police Department also maintains a tip line where information may be left anonymously. That number is 732-403-3500.

State Trooper who lived in Little Silver Pleads Guilty to Falsifying Reports to Indicate He Audited Police Departments When No Audits Were Performed

TRENTON – Acting Attorney General John J. Hoffman announced that a sergeant for the New Jersey State Police has pleaded guilty to falsifying audit reports in his role as assistant head of the unit that oversees the New Jersey Criminal Justice Information System, the computer system that provides criminal justice information to law enforcement agencies throughout New Jersey.

Glenn Mannino, 52, of Little Silver, the former assistant unit head of the Criminal Justice Information System Control Unit, pleaded guilty yesterday to an accusation charging him with fourth-degree falsifying or tampering with records before Superior Court Judge Gerald J. Council in Mercer County. As a result of the guilty plea, he must forfeit his employment with the State Police and will be permanently barred from public employment. The state will recommend that he be sentenced to a term of probation. Judge Council scheduled sentencing for Mannino for April 10.

Deputy Attorneys General Cynthia Vazquez and Victor Salgado took the plea for the Division of Criminal Justice Corruption Bureau. The case was investigated by the State Police Office of Professional Standards and the Division of Criminal Justice Corruption Bureau.

The unit to which Mannino was assigned is responsible for the integrity and security of the New Jersey Criminal Justice Information System, a computer system that provides access to criminal justice information – including criminal history records, motor vehicle records, and information on fugitives, stolen property and missing persons – to more than 700 law enforcement agencies statewide. The system provides access to the National Crime Information Center (NCIC), and the State Police unit is designated by the FBI as the agency responsible for ensuring that system users in New Jersey comply with NCIC policy requirements related to security and proper use of the system.

Mannino’s duties included conducting audits of agencies that use the Criminal Justice Information System to ensure compliance with the security policies and requirements. The state’s investigation revealed that, on at least 26 occasions between October 2009 and June 2011, Mannino fabricated audit reports for law enforcement agencies that he was assigned to audit but that he did not, in fact, audit. He falsely claimed to have visited the agencies, and to further conceal his failure to conduct these audits, he made false timekeeping entries indicating he conducted the audits.

Woman Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Sexually Assaulting Boy, 13, and Photographing Him in Sexual Act With 8-Year-Old Girl

TRENTON – Acting Attorney General John J. Hoffman announced on February 28, that a Camden County woman was sentenced to prison today for having sexual intercourse with a 13-year-old boy and photographing him and an 8-year-old girl engaged in a sexual act.

Rachael L. Baker, 23, of Winslow Township, was sentenced to 10 years in state prison, including 8 ½ years of parole ineligibility, by Superior Court Judge Michael J. Kassel in Camden County. Baker pleaded guilty on Sept. 11, 2012 to first-degree aggravated sexual assault, admitting that she engaged in sexual acts with the 13-year-old boy on three occasions.

Baker also pleaded guilty to a second count of first-degree aggravated sexual assault and counts of conspiracy and child endangerment, both in the second degree. She admitted in connection with those charges that she directed an 8-year-old girl to perform oral sex on the 13-year-old boy and took a photo of the act with her cell phone which she sent to a co-defendant, Gary T. Cramer, 29, of Bridgeton. Cramer, who Baker believed was her boyfriend, allegedly directed her to photograph the children in the sexual act. Cramer was indicted with Baker on June 28, 2011 and faces pending first- and second-degree charges.

Rachael L. Baker, 23, Winslow Township, gets 10 years in state prison

Deputy Attorney General Denise Grugan handled the sentencing for the Division of Criminal Justice Financial & Computer Crimes Bureau. The charges are the result of an investigation by the New Jersey State Police and the Division of Criminal Justice. Deputy Attorney General Kenneth Sharpe, who is Deputy Bureau Chief, indicted the case and took the guilty plea from Baker.

“This woman’s conduct in sexually exploiting young children was completely depraved and callous,” said Acting Attorney General Hoffman. “We’re making it a top priority to uncover these sexual predators and put them behind bars, where they can’t harm vulnerable children.”

“The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children has reported an alarming growth in online activity involving the sexual abuse and exploitation of children,” said Director Elie Honig of the Division of Criminal Justice. “We will continue to use cutting-edge technology to apprehend sexual predators who share evidence of their crimes through the Internet and cellular telephones.”

The investigation also resulted in charges against a second woman, Stephanie Bennett, 27, of Woodbine, who was indicted separately on June 27, 2011. The investigation revealed that she made a video using her cell phone of herself performing oral sex on an infant boy. She pleaded guilty to a fourth-degree charge of child abuse and neglect and was sentenced on Dec. 6, 2013 to time served. She served approximately two years in jail prior to sentencing.

In connection with the photograph Baker took of the boy and girl engaged in the sexual act, Cramer is charged with two counts of first-degree aggravated sexual assault, second-degree conspiracy, three counts of second-degree endangering the welfare of a child (including one count of distribution of child pornography), two counts of third-degree endangering the welfare of a child, and one count of fourth-degree endangering the welfare of a child (possession of child pornography). Cramer is charged with five additional counts of endangering the welfare of a child, including possession and distribution of child pornography, in connection with another alleged pornographic photo of the 8-year-old girl. The charges against Cramer are merely accusations and he is presumed innocent until proven guilty. Cramer currently is scheduled for trial in May.

State Police detectives initially arrested Baker on Jan. 23, 2011, and arrested Cramer and Bennett on Feb. 16, 2011. Cramer is being held in the Camden County Jail with bail set at $200,000.

The lead investigator for the New Jersey State Police was Detective Erin Micciulla. The case was investigated by the New Jersey State Police Digital Technology Investigations Unit, New Jersey Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, NJSP Cyber Crimes Unit, NJSP Missing Persons Unit, NJSP Troop A Criminal Investigation Office and NJSP TEAMS South Unit. Assistance was provided by the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office, Cumberland County Prosecutor’s Office and Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office.

As part of the investigation, the State Police executed search warrants on Feb. 16, 2011 for Cramer’s home, his vehicle and Bennett’s home. Detectives seized three computers from Cramer’s home. During the search of his vehicle, detectives seized a laptop computer and cell phone belonging to Cramer, as well as a cell phone that had belonged to Bennett. They were taken to the Regional Computer Forensic Laboratory at the Hamilton (Mercer County) Technology Center for examination.

If you suspect improper contact by unknown persons communicating with children via the Internet or possible exploitation or sexual abuse of children please contact the New Jersey Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force Tipline at 1-888-648-6007.

Former Hudson County, N.J., Teacher Sentenced To More Than 10 Years In Prison For Distributing Images Of Child Sexual Abuse Over The Internet

TRENTON, N.J. – A former substitute teacher at a private school in Jersey City, N.J., was sentenced today to 121 months in prison for distributing images of child sexual abuse over the Internet, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.

Guy West, 45, of Jersey City, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Peter G. Sheridan in Trenton federal court to an information charging him with one count of distribution of child pornography. Judge Sheridan imposed the sentence today in Trenton federal court.

According to documents filed in the case and statements made in court:

West was working as a permanent substitute teacher who regularly taught and supervised children between the ages of 2 and 14 at the time of his January 2013 arrest. West admitted that on Dec. 18, 2012, he made images and videos of child pornography stored on his computer available for others to download via a peer-to-peer file-sharing network. On that date, an undercover law enforcement agent successfully downloaded 120 images and 24 videos of child sexual abuse from West via the file-sharing network.

As part of his guilty plea, West agreed to forfeit the computers and computer accessories he used to commit the offense.

In addition to the prison term, Judge Sheridan sentenced West to serve a lifetime of supervised release. Restitution is to be determined.

U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents of the FBI, Newark Division’s Child Exploitation Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Aaron T. Ford in Newark; officers of the Jersey City Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Robert Cowan; and the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Acting Prosecutor Gaetano T. Gregory with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Danielle Alfonzo Walsman of the U.S. Attorney’s Office General Crimes Unit in Newark.