Beloved carriage horse suddenly dies in Cape May – NJ Top News

Here are the top New Jersey stories for Monday, July 1.

⚫ Special Ed Teacher Had 'Sexual Relationship" with a NJ Student

FREEHOLD — A special education teacher at a middle school has been arrested for having a sexual relationship with a minor, according to prosecutors.

Allison Havemann-Niedrach is charged with first-degree aggravated sexual assault and second-degree child endangerment, Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond Santiago said Saturday.

According to authorities, Havemann-Niedrach had been carrying on a sexual relationship with a student since earlier this year.

Havemann-Niedrach is a special education teacher at Freehold Intermediate School, which serves students in grades six through eight. She has worked for the Freehold school district since 2022, according to her LinkedIn.

The 43-year-old teacher from Jackson was arrested last week, Santiago said. She's being held at Monmouth County jail.

⚫ Beloved Carriage Horse Suddenly Dies in Front of Tourists in Cape May

CAPE MAY — An 18-year-old horse that suddenly collapsed and died while pulling a carriage of tourists in Cape May last Thursday, died from an “unexpected medical event,” according to the necropsy released by the carriage company’s owner.

According to the necropsy report released from the Mid-Atlantic Equine Medical Center, the horse named Ice, suffered a sudden blood clot or severe cardiac arrest. He was otherwise “very healthy,” a team of veterinarians wrote in the report.

Ice, a Percheron draft horse, who was owned by the Cape May Carriage Company, pulled tourists in a carriage around the Victorian shore town.

Company owner, Chantel Semanchik took to Facebook to talk about the sudden loss of her beloved white-haired horse, and to thank supporters for their condolences.

⚫ NJ Man Who Kidnapped and raped Ex-Girlfriend, Gets 40 Years

DOVER — A convicted rapist who trapped his ex-girlfriend will spend at least the next three decades in prison.

Jesse Meneses, 38, of Dover was sentenced to 40 years in state prison on Friday, according to Morris County Acting Prosecutor Maggie Calderwood. He will not be eligible for parole until 2056 and must also register as a sex offender under Megan's Law.

A Morris County jury convicted Meneses in February of 18 counts including multiple counts of kidnapping, aggravated sexual assault, and witness tampering.

The charges stem from a horrific kidnapping on Sept. 5, 2021 and Meneses's attempts to manipulate his victim in the months that followed.

⚫ Jackson, NJ Man Drowns While Swimming in the Delaware River

Authorities have recovered the body of a Jackson man who drowned while swimming in the Delaware River this weekend.

The body of Jeysson Ariel Osorio-Reyes, 24, was found Saturday night, according to National Park Service spokesperson Kathleen Sandt.

Osorio-Reyes was swimming in the Delaware River around 3:15 p.m. when he went under the water 75 yards from the shoreline, according to Sandt. People at the beach saw him disappear and not come back up.

There are no lifeguards at any of the three beaches in the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area including Milford Beach, according to the NPS website. It warns that people should swim at their own risk.

The beach was closed on Sunday for search operations.

⚫ Unique Lambertville, NJ Café Closes Suddenly After Over 40 Years

LAMBERTVILLE — A retro café with its sights set on the lunar calendar is closing after serving near the Delaware River for more than four decades.

The sun sets on the Full Moon Café on Sunday, according to two employees at the Lambertville eatery.

Located at 23 Bridge Street just a couple of blocks from the bridge connecting Lambertville to New Hope, the café first opened in 1979, according to its website.

The Full Moon offered breakfast and lunch daily except on Tuesdays. It offered a variety of omelets, massive breakfast burritos, and other freshly made breakfast options.

Report a correction 👈 | 👉 Contact our newsroom