NJ fugitive is found dead after police standoff – NJ Top News

Here are the top New Jersey news stories for Monday, July 8

⚫ July 4 Fireworks Cause Major 4,000 Acre NJ Wildfire in Wharton State Forest

TABERNACLE — A South Jersey fire consuming thousands of acres of state forest is now 75% contained, according to the latest update from officials.

Investigators now believe New Jersey's largest wildfire of the year so far was started by someone setting off fireworks within Wharton State Forest late on July 4, officials said Sunday afternoon.

The state Forest Fire Service first detected the blaze in Wharton State Forest around 9 a.m. Friday morning. It ignited near the area of Batona Campground and Apple Pie Hill.

The Tea Time Hill Wildfire has chewed through over 4,000 acres of trees and brush as of Sunday morning despite firefighters' best efforts to contain it. However, it has not grown since Saturday night.

⚫ Man Wanted for Murder Dead After 7 Hour Toms River, NJ Standoff

TOMS RIVER — A man is dead and a woman is charged with harboring a fugitive after a standoff with law enforcement on Friday, according to prosecutors.

Maxwell Johnston, 35, of Manchester shot himself at a home in Toms River after the standoff went on for nearly seven hours, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer said.

Authorities said Johnston was wanted for the murder of Gabriella Caroleo, 25, of Seaside Heights in Manchester on June 27.

Five people including Johnston and Elizabeth Mascarelli, 29, of Seaside Heights were inside the residence, Billhimer said. Johnston had a gun.

Hours later, Mascarelli left the home and was hospitalized for injuries she suffered during the standoff. Officials did not reveal how she was injured or other details.

⚫NJ Man Charged with Sexual Assaults of 2 Boys in Church Bathroom

NORTH PLAINFIELD — A member of a local church has been charged with following young boys into the bathroom to touch them, according to authorities.

Pierre Joseph, 68, of Plainfield was arrested last month, the Somerset County Prosecutor's Office announced on Friday.

He's charged with two counts each of second-degree sexual assault and third-degree child endangerment.

⚫NJ Has the 6th Highest Stillbirth Rate in the U.S., Recent Data Shows

It’s an alarming statistic.

New Jersey has the 6th highest stillbirth rate in the U.S., higher than the national average, according to the 2021 New Jersey State Health Assessment Data Report. About 636 babies died later in pregnancy or during birth in 2021, the most recent data noted.

A stillbirth is defined as the death of a baby in utero any time from the 20th week of pregnancy and beyond, said Ann Mruk, director of professional development and education at The Central Jersey Family Health Consortium.

Despite many advances in obstetrics care, stillbirths can still happen, but unfortunately, it’s not clear why New Jersey’s stillbirth rate, in particular, is still high, she said.

That’s why the state-funded New Jersey stillbirth campaign was launched in October 2023—to increase awareness because many people do not know about them or the risk factors that increase one’s risk of experiencing a stillbirth.

⚫Officials: Home Burglars Get Off Too Easy in New Jersey

Right now in New Jersey, there's no looming threat that's stopping someone from breaking into your home, according to lawmakers and officials.

A bipartisan measure moving through the New Jersey Legislature would upgrade penalties for burglary in certain cases, and that upgrade includes a presumption of jail time — even if the offender is a minor.

"The main point that we're trying to send here is that if you commit these types of crimes, you are going to do the time," Sen. Anthony Bucco, R-Morris, told New Jersey 101.5.

Bucco is a primary sponsor of the measure that passed the full Senate in late June. It creates two new offenses beyond standard burglary.

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