Senior class prank goes too far — NJ Top News
Here's the stories you'll be talking about on the New Jersey 101.5 Morning Show on Monday:
🔗 Driver killed after leaving pickup on Atlantic City Expressway
🚨A Stafford Township man was killed following a crash on the AC Expressway
🚨Police say Joseph Pagano crossed the highway and was struck by an SUV in a lane
🚨Five people in two other vehicles suffered minor injuries
HAMILTON (Atlantic) — A man who left his pickup after a crash on the Atlantic City Expressway Saturday night was killed after he was hit while standing in the road.
A Dodge pickup truck driven by Joseph J. Pagano Jr., 34, from the Manahawkin section of Stafford Township, was struck in the westbound lanes near Exit 12 (Route 40) around 10:15 p.m., according to State Police. Two other vehicles were involved in the crash.
Pagano pulled the pickup into the right shoulder, crossed the highway and was struck in the left lane by a Nissan SUV. The Nissan was then struck by a Kia.
Three people in the Nissan and two in the Kia received minor injuries in the crash, according to police. Their identities were not disclosed by the police.
State Police always recommend that drivers who become disabled while driving on a highway to remain inside their vehicle and not get outside to inspect damage
🔗 NJ prison officer accused of taking bribes to smuggle contraband
⚠️ A senior correctional police officer and five others were charged in a prison contraband case.
➡️ Investigators launched the probe at South Woods State Prison after receiving a tip in 2024.
🔴 Officials say the suspects face money laundering and contraband-related charges.
TRENTON — State Department of Corrections officials say they have charged a senior correctional police officer and five other people for taking part in a contraband smuggling and money laundering operation.
In September 2024, authorities launched an investigation into activities at South Woods State Prison in Bridgeton.
A tip was received that an officer was taking bribes and sneaking in banned goods.
After the investigation wrapped up, 39-year-old senior correctional police officer Kenneth Stinson, of Penns Grove, was arrested on June first.
Stinson is currently suspended with pay, pending termination proceedings, according to a spokesperson for the corrections department on Monday.
He and five other men and women now each face charges of third-degree money laundering and introduction of contraband, a disorderly persons offense.
🔗 Family summer retreats destroyed by campground fire
🔥A fire at Sun Retreats RV Park in Barnegat destroyed five RVs on Saturday
🔥Firefighters stopped the flames from spreading into nearby woods
🔥 The Ocean County Fire Marshal is investigating the cause
BARNEGAT — A fire at an Ocean County campground destroyed five RVs on Saturday afternoon, sending smoke that could be seen from Seaside Heights.
The fire at the Sun Retreats RV Park on Route 72 in Barnegat was reported late Saturday morning and quickly engulfed two of the five destroyed RVs, according to the Barnegat Volunteer Fire Company. A nearby weather station in Toms River recorded winds at 15 mph.
Firefighters working with the New Jersey Forest Fire Service kept the fire from spreading into the surrounding woods but three more RVs burned while two more were left with fire and heat damage.
A witness told Jersey Shore Online he heard an explosion before the fire started. The Ocean County Fire Marshal's office is investigating the cause of the fire, which is not considered suspicious.
Sun Retreats RV Park is a campground with 225 hookups for water and campfire gas. A GoFundMe campaign says some guests stay for the entire summer and return every year.
"These families lost gazebos, decks, grills, golf carts, and countless personal items that made their seasonal sites special. The impact is overwhelming, and the road to recovery will be long," campaign organizer Lois Hillwig said on GoFundMe. "The funds raised through this campaign will help them purchase new campers, replace essentials like utensils and towels, and rebuild the spaces that brought so much joy and comfort."
🔗 Manchester High senior prank sparks police investigation
✅A senior prank at Manchester High School escalated into a police investigation
✅Students face suspensions, loss of graduation privileges and at least one expulsion
✅School officials and Manchester police are reviewing videos
MANCHESTER — A "for sale" sign on the high school entrance was just the appetizer to an Ocean County high school's senior prank.
The senior class at Manchester High School hung the banner on the sign along Route 37, which got some online laughs and shares on Thursday morning. But the real prank was the vandalism inside the school, which took place Wednesday night. It included obscenities on the roof and a possible stolen lawn mower, according to Tri-County Scanner News.
Students have been suspended or will not be able to walk at Tuesday's commencement, according to the news site. At least one student has been expelled.
Videos shared with New Jersey 101.5 show toilet paper thrown both inside and outside the school, including in the trees along Hawks Way, the road leading from Route 37 to the high school. Damage to a silver pickup truck is shown in the edited video.
Inside the school, toilet paper and balloons are strewn in several hallways. The clock on the school reads midnight with toilet paper hanging off it and students jumping up and down on the overhang. The video also shows a camper with students inside eating. A time stamp in the video shows 3:46 a.m. while the clock shows 3:45 a.m. and 5 a.m. in the clips.
Manchester schools Superintendent Diane Pedroza told New Jersey 101.5 that the district is "reviewing all available information." The district is restricted in what it can discuss publicly because juveniles are involved, according to Pedroza.
🔗 NJ town put a former mob hitman on council and he's been arrested
⚠️ Englishtown Councilman John Alite was arrested on usury and extortion charges.
🔴 Prosecutors say Alite made violent threats and charged illegal interest rates.
➡️ The former Gambino crime family associate was appointed to the council last year.
ENGLISHTOWN — The New Jersey councilman who killed around six people and shot dozens more is facing the criminal justice system again.
Councilman John Alite, 63, is charged with usury, corporate misconduct, and multiple counts of theft by extortion, all second-degree offenses. He's also charged with terroristic threats. The Republican councilman was arrested on Friday.
According to the Attorney General's Office, Alite loaned money at illegally high rates using his company, Straightened-Out Entertainment. He's also accused of making violent threats against his debtors to scare them into paying him back. Police said Alite threatened to strike one victim in the head with a baseball bat, and they found six baseball bats in his Englishtown home, including five in his kitchen.
Another man, Stephen Locrotondo, 67, of Bridgewater, is also charged with usury and conspiracy. The OAG said he agreed to accept interest on the loans at rates higher than the legal rate.
“Our office is dedicated to ensuring that all businesses conduct themselves fairly and lawfully. The conduct alleged in this case was anything but, and we will work to hold those who cheat and steal accountable," Attorney General Jennifer Davenport said.
The new charges against Alite are a strike against his attempts to reform his public image.
Last year, the former mafia hitman was appointed as an Englishtown councilman. Alite said he was motivated to serve his community through politics after the tragic death of his adult daughter, who died of a fentanyl overdose.
At the time, Alite said to New Jersey 101.5 that he had left behind his life of crime. Alite served a relatively brief time in prison after he flipped on the Gambino crime family to avoid a life behind bars.
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