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Man who ran Kik chat rooms where users discussed child pornography admits guilt in federal court

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The FBI say the 44-year-old man went by the name Candice on Kik and sent dozens of images to another user

An Ocean County man admitted distributing child pornography on the social media app Kik in a federal court Wednesday, the U.S. District Attorney's Office announced.

On Kik, he went by the user name "candicesloan1995," but the man behind the screen was actually 44-year-old David Nelson, of Toms River, an FBI investigation found.

He pleaded guilty to a child pornography distribution crime in federal court in Trenton, and admitted he sent at least 26 images of child pornography to another Kik user over a span of three days in October 2017.

The FBI investigation also found that he was the administrator of multiple chat rooms where child pornography was shared and discussed.

Authorities tracked down Nelson in April after arresting a man who allegedly offered to broadcast the sexual abuse of his 4-year-old daughter over Kik Messenger to an undercover officer. That investigation originated in Louisville, Kentucky.

The child pornography charge carries a minimum of five years in prison and $250,000 fine.

Nelson's sentencing is scheduled in November.

Gianluca D'Elia may be reached at gdelia@njadvancemedia.comFollow him on Twitter @gianluca_delia. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

 

Masked bank robber who talked about cops during holdups admits to 4 heists

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Federal agents followed the suspect from New York City to New Jersey

A New York City man who drove a red Mitsubishi missing a hubcap and handed tellers notes that mentioned police officers admitted Wednesday to robbing three New Jersey banks.

Eddy Cruz was arrested outside a fourth bank last year, in Englewood, moments after he put on latex gloves, sunglasses and pulled a tight-fitting mask over his face as he sat in the Mitsubishi. For that, he was charged with attempted bank burglary.

The 42-year-old from Manhattan pleaded guilty in Trenton federal court Wednesday to the three robberies, two last year and one in 2013, plus the attempted burglary, the U.S. Attorney's Office in New Jersey announced.

Federal authorities go onto Cruz following the Feb. 13, 2017 holdup of a TD Bank in Fort Lee, courts documents show.

The robber wore a tight-fitting mask, hat, and sunglasses, and handed a teller a note that said: "I am being recorded by the police. Give me $100's, $50's, $20's. No Dye Packs, No GPS."

The letter handed over about $2,500, and the man fled.

Investigators found video surveillance footage that showed the robber had driven to and from the bank in a red 2017 Mitsubishi with a missing hubcap on the front driver-side tire. They also got the license plate, and tracked it to an address in the Bronx, New York.

Five days later, on Feb. 18, the robber struck again at a TD Bank in Hasbrouck Heights, wearing the same, tight-fitting mask, documents show.

That note said: "I am listening to police radio. Give me $100's and $50's." A teller handed him approximately $4,203 in cash.

By Feb. 24, 2017, investigators had identified Cruz as a suspect and were watching him. That morning, they saw the Red Mitsubishi parked on St. Nicholas Place in Upper Manhattan and watched as Cruz got behind the wheel.

They tailed him over the George Washington Bridge to Englewood, where he parked outside a TD Bank branch. He then circled the bank for 45 minutes.

He then parked in a lot adjacent to the bank, and officers watched as he changed into a new jacket and had put on the gloves, sunglasses, a hat, and the tight-fitting mask. The moved in and arrested Cruz.

In the car, the found a note he intended to use. It said, "I Am Listening to Police Radio - No Alarm or I Start Shooting- Give me all 100's, 50's, 20's, 10's - No Dye No GPS!"

Cruz later confessed to the two prior robberies, and that he was going to rob the TD in Englewood.

Federal authorities later linked him to the Dec. 24, 2013 robbery of a PNC Bank branch in Jackson, where he got away with $3,424.

When he was arrested last year, Cruz was a suspect in a TD Bank robbery in Westchester County, New York, where he pleaded guilty to another TD holdup in 2013, lohud.com reported.

Cruz faces up to 20 years in prison when he's sentenced in November.

Kevin Shea may be reached at kshea@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @kevintshea. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

 

The sun is shining and swimming is banned at N.J. beaches because of bacteria

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Swimming was not allowed at eight New Jersey beaches Wednesday afternoon after the water sampled at each continued to show high levels of bacteria found in animal or human waste.

Every Seaside Heights beach will be closed to swimmers Thursday for the first time in over 20 years

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There will be no swimming at any ocean beach in Seaside Heights Thursday, an occurrence that has not happened in over 20 years, the borough's mayor announced Wednesday evening.

There will be no swimming at any ocean beach in Seaside Heights Thursday, an occurrence that has not happened in over 20 years, the borough's mayor announced Wednesday evening.

The swimming ban will be in effect at all of the borough's ocean beaches, but not its bay beaches, due to "negative water quality tests," Mayor Anthony Vaz said on the borough's official Facebook page.

"This is the first time any of us can remember in more than 20 years that we have had to suspend ocean bathing due to water quality," Vaz said in the post. "Perplexingly, the ocean waters have been great the past few years right up to now, so this is a very unusual event that we expect to pass quickly."

The mayor said he believes the poor water quality is due to either the heavy rains that battered the Jersey Shore on Monday or the water "drawing a lot of bait fish to the beach, followed by enormous numbers of seagulls."

The closures are not a result of the DEP's weekly water quality tests as those results, which were released Wednesday, showed that only the Sheridan Avenue and Lincoln Avenue beaches were closed to swimmers. The Hancock Avenue bay beach was under a swimming advisory Tuesday, but that was lifted Wednesday.

The DEP stops swimming at beaches until a water quality sample shows less than 104 colony forming units (cfu) of Enterococci bacteria per 100 milliliters of water. The bacteria is commonly found in animal or human waste and can make people sick if they ingest it.

As a result of the swimming ban, admission to all Seaside Heights beaches will be free Thursday and any beachgoer will also be given a coupon for free beach admission that they can use this summer.

Vaz said he expects the beaches to be reopened to bathers by Friday.

"The health people are further analyzing the results and will keep us informed," the mayor said.

Chris Sheldon may be reached at csheldon@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @chrisrsheldon Find NJ.com on Facebook.

More vintage photos of fun in the summertime in N.J.

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More hot fun in the summertime.

This is a photo of the house I grew up in on Chimes Terrace in Vineland. Do you see that strip of sand alongside the street in front of our house?

Chimes_Terrace.jpg 

Obviously, we didn't have sidewalks. We also didn't have a swimming pool and my sister and I usually were limited to running through the sprinkler or shooting water pistols at each other to keep cool.

But with regularity, it being summer, a thunderstorm would pass through.

Thunderstorms are usually over pretty quickly; after it passed, a river of water would be running down the side of our street. That water and that sand became our special summer fun.

MORE: Vintage photos around New Jersey

We could form little canals or dam up the water and make a small lake. If it was a particularly hard rain, you could sail little sticks as if they were boats. Even if the rain wasn't quite over, it was a cooling summer rain you didn't mind and the steam rising off the asphalt added to the things you could imagine. Traffic wasn't nearly as dense as it is today, and drivers were aware of us - they weren't staring at cell phones.

And every time there's a summer shower, even to this day, I think back to that simple summer fun.

In this gallery of vintage photos from around New Jersey, we can see that summertime fun can be anything anyone wants it to be when the weather's fine. And here are links to other galleries you'll enjoy.

Vintage photos of taverns and bars in N.J.

Vintage photos of the 1970s in N.J.

Vintage photos of a day in N.J.

Greg Hatala may be reached at greghatalagalleries@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @GregHatala. Find Greg Hatala on Facebook.

Police searching for 2 missing Monmouth County teens

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The girls, 15 and 16, were last seen Wednesday night in Ocean County and Freehold Township police believe they ran away from home

Police in Freehold Township are searching for two teens who ran away after leaving a house in Ocean County on Wednesday night.

Kayla Destefano, 16, is described as 5-feet-2-inches tall, weighing around 139 pounds. She has brown hair, brown eyes and a scar on left arm, according to police. 

Jocelyn Zaveckas, 15, is 5-feet-1-inch tall and weighs 148 pounds, police said. She has brown hair, brown eyes and a scar on left elbow. 

The girls were last seen Wednesday night around 8:50 p.m. after leaving a residence on Jackson Mills Road in Jackson Township, police said. They headed south on foot toward Chandler Road in Jackson. 

Officials ask that anyone with information about their whereabouts contact police at 732-294-2110 or 732-462-7500.

Amanda Hoover can be reached at ahoover@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @amandahoovernj. Find NJ.com on Facebook

Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips

Jersey Shore towns with swimming bans anxiously await latest bacteria tests

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Seaside Heights was forced to ban swimming at all its beaches on Thursday, but officials are hoping to reopen the waters for the busy summer weekend

These 21 N.J. teachers are competing for Teacher of the Year

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Find out which teacher from your county made the cut.


Seaside Heights beaches reopen after swimming ban is lifted

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Every beach in New Jersey, with the exception of 1, reopened Thursday afternoon after the DEP lifted a swimming ban that was in place since Wednesday due to high levels of bacteria in the water at several spots along the Jersey Shore.

Black, Hispanic kids were treated differently than white kids at this N.J. pool

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The director of a Neptune-based camp attended by black and Hispanic children says they were subject to restrictions not imposed on white children enrolled in the county's own camp

Campers at Ft monmouth pool.pngCampers outside Monmouth County's Fort Monmouth pool on Aug. 9

Monmouth County recreation officials say they are ending a practice at a county pool at Fort Monmouth that treated children in subsidized recreation programs differently than others, after a camp director said the practice effectively discriminated against African-American and Hispanic campers.

The three-year-old policy had placed restrictions on what could be brought into the pool area and the use of a poolside basketball hoop for children in programs subsidized by the county's Recreation Assistance Program, or RAP, which was established in 1985 to assist camps and other programs whose young participants were from mostly low-income households.

County officials released a letter sent Wednesday to the Neptune-based camp operator, Dr. Kimber Washington, offering an apology and explaining the reasoning behind the restrictions, which prevented subsidized campers from bringing their towels and other belongings into the fenced-in pool area, and from using the basketball hoop.

The letter, dated Aug. 15 and signed by Monmouth County Superintendent of Recreation Patti Conroy, states that all children will be able to bring their towels into the pool area and use the basketball hoop, whether they are enrolled in the county's own day camp program at Fort Monmouth or an independent camp that pays the county to use the facilities. 

"I sincerely apologize that your summer camp had an unpleasant experience," Conroy states in the letter. "An outing to the park should certainly be a fun and memorable experience and if we have fallen short in providing this for your group, then it is my job to make improvements wherever we can."

"Once their pool time begins, children are certainly welcome to bring their towels with them as they enter the pool area," the letter continues. "Regarding the basketball hoop, I have instructed Fort Monmouth staff to provide this to our visiting groups."       

Washington said she was encouraged by the letter, which was largely consistent with a phone conversation she had with Conroy. But Washington also said she will reserve final judgement until Thursday, when her two dozen K-8 campers return to Fort Monmouth for the last time this summer before heading back to school.

"We'll see what happens," said Washington, who runs the camp for elementary school-age children out of the Little People At Work pre-school she operates in Neptune.

Conroy's response was prompted by an Aug. 9 letter Washington had sent her, copied to the Monmouth County Board of Freeholders and to NAACP chapters in Freehold, Neptune, Red Bank, Asbury Park and Lakewood.

"I am writing to express my concern about the discriminatory practices experienced by my students and staff at Fort Monmouth pools today," Washington's letter begins.  "I suggest you modify this situation immediately."

Washington, a retired New Brunswick public school teacher, said she learned of the policy earlier that day from a pair of county recreation employees at Fort Monmouth after her campers had gone there to swim.

Washington said one of her counselors called her to say the group had been told by a lifeguard to leave their belongings in a gazebo outside the pool area, and that the guard had taken away a basketball that campers were playing with. Washington also said the counselor told her the lifeguard had spoken harshly to the bewildered campers.

White children enrolled in the county's own camp based at Fort Monmouth were not subject to the restrictions, Washington said.

Washington said she immediately went to the pool herself, where she witnessed the lifeguard, who was actually a recreation supervisor, toss a ball to a group of white campers after she had taken it from Washington's campers, a group made up entirely of black and Hispanic children. 

Washington's camp is based out of the Little People At Work independent pre-K school that she founded in 1994. She said the camp is open to all elementary-school age children, but it draws primarily from African-American communities in Neptune and Asbury Park, and this summer's campers are all black or Hispanic.

"I think it's racial, I think it's neighborhood," Washington said of the true reason for the restrictions.

Washington's camp does receive RAP subsidies, but she nonetheless pays the county $5.50 per visit, per child to use the Fort Monmouth pool complex.

Washington said the lifeguard and another recreation supervisor at the Fort Monmouth pool told her the restrictions had been imposed three years earlier on RAP groups after some had been unable to control their campers' unwieldy behavior.

She said the supervisor, whom she knew only as "Jim," told her he was sorry her group had been lumped in with others, but he nonetheless defended the restrictions as justified.

Washington said she found the supervisor's response unacceptable, and argued that individual camp groups should be held accountable individually for their campers' behavior.

Washington said she was also disappointed by an initial response from Conroy,  before she sent the Aug. 15 letter.

"Her first response to me on the phone was that perhaps we could look lnto another pool where my campers would have a more pleasant experience," Washington said.

Conroy's assistant director, Andrew Spears, emphasized that Washington's campers were never denied access to the pool, and that Washington had mischaracterized Ms. Conroy's reference to another pool.  

"Patti Conroy mentioned to Ms. Washington that beginning in 2019, there would be a second pool added to our field trip offerings, one at Big Brook Park in Marlboro," Spears wrote in an email. "The reason Patti thought that this would appeal to her is that we have added archery, a zip line, climbing wall, and a nature trail at Big Brook. We have none of these amenities at Fort Monmouth. Patti also explained that Fort Monmouth would still be available."

Washington said she appreciated Conroy's apology for her group's treatment at the pool that day. But she said she was looking to prevent similar unfairness from being imposed on any group. "This isn't just about my campers," Washington said. "Its about all campers."

Steve Strunsky may be reached at sstrunsky@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @SteveStrunsky. Find NJ.com on Facebook

Why Am I Called a Bigot? | Opinion

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The Republican nominee for New Jersey's 2nd Congressional District tells his story.

By Seth Grossman

Last June, I surprised a lot of people. I won the Primary Election and became the Republican nominee for the Congress in South Jersey's 2nd District. I was known for helping to kill the toll hike scheme of Democratic Governor Jon Corzine in 2008.

I was also known for running against Governor Chris Christie in the 2013 Republican primary at the height of his popularity. I opposed his reckless borrowing with NJ's pension plans, Atlantic City government, and dozens of unelected "authorities."

Now, the national media -- including this paper -- describe me as a "bigot." Why? 

I am the grandson of Jews who fled violence and persecution in Eastern Europe 110 years ago. I grew up in Atlantic City in the 50s and 60s, when its 60,000 people of all races and backgrounds lived in vibrant neighborhoods.

I went to Atlantic City's mostly black Central Junior High and largely black high school. Many of the teachers who taught and inspired me the most were black. So were many of the best students in my classes.   

Like most kids back then, I worked summer jobs since age 14 when I could get working papers at age 14. I made change at arcades, washed dishes, waited tables, and drove cabs with kids from all over the city.

I served in Atlantic City's Army National Guard unit from 1971 to 1977.  Since it had been a "colored" unit before President Truman integrated the army in 1948, most of my officers, sergeants, and fellow reservists in that Atlantic City unit were black.

When I finished law school, I opened my practice in Atlantic City. I began with small, difficult cases few other lawyers wanted. Roughly half of my clients were black or Hispanic. In 1986, I was elected to City Council in an at-large, city-wide election.  When I moved my office to Somers Point, most of my inner-city clients stayed with me.

Seth Grossman still not too bigoted for some Republicans | Editorial

Why am I called a "bigot?" I think it comes down to these four factors:

1.  I am "another white man." That is how I was described in this paper last June. Is it acceptable to describe a person of any other race or gender that way? In today's politically correct America, every "white man" is presumed to be a bigot.  We can prove innocence only by embracing "progressive" causes -- something I refuse to do. Meanwhile, people of other races and genders, like Sarah Jeong, are ignored or excused when they routinely spout racist hatred like "#CancelWhitePeople".

2. I believe blacks are equal to whites in every way. I know they can succeed in every area of life without quotas, preferences, or other special treatment. That is because I personally know so many who did, and how they did it. I also know many immigrants of all races who overcame even bigger obstacles.   

3. I recognize the danger of radical Islam. I closely followed the teachings of the "Blind Sheik" ever since one of his followers murdered Rabbi Meir Kahane in a New York hotel in 1990.  I had long conversations with an Atlantic City friend who was the FBI agent who arrested another follower who tried to topple the World Trade Center with a truck bomb in 1993. 

4. I believe in the American tradition of having open and honest conversations about the important issues that affect us most. I agree with Benjamin Franklin who said "By the collision of different sentiments, sparks of truth are struck out, and political light is obtained." Over the years, I admit saying things that turned out to be wrong. However, if I did not speak out, I never would have learned the truth by being corrected.

My opponent is a Democratic State Senator who has been in Trenton for the past 16 years.  He did not offend anyone, because he rarely if ever spoke openly about controversial issues. During these years, he supported his party's leaders to borrow and spend more and more on pay raises, pensions, and everybody's favorite projects. Voters have a clear choice on November 6.

Seth Grossman is a Somers Point attorney and was executive director of LibertyAndProsperity.com until he became a candidate for Congress this year. He can be reached at info@grossmanforcongress.com.

N.J. leaders ask if new Garden State Parkway exit is to blame for massive flooding

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Local and state leaders are questioning what impact the recently completed construction project along the Garden State Parkway in Brick Township had on flooding in the community. Watch video

After torrential rains drenched a town that's not known to flood, leaving more than 100 people displaced from their homes, officials in Ocean County are looking for answers. 

Local and state leaders are questioning what impact the recently-completed construction project along the Garden State Parkway in Brick Township had on flooding that struck the community at the beginning of this week.

More than 100 people were evacuated from the Greenbriar I adult community after torrential downpours caused massive flooding Monday, dropping nearly 8 inches of rain - normally two month's worth - in less than three hours. 

"People have lived there for like 25 years, and it's never, ever flooded," Brick Township Mayor John Ducey told NJ Advance Media in a phone call Thursday. "So the only thing that changed is that the Parkway was expanded, (and) that Exit 91 was added."

On Tuesday, state legislators representing the area raised concerns with the completion of Exit 91 off the Garden State Parkway. 

"The flooding that occurred yesterday along Burrsville Road and in Greenbriar is unlike anything the area has previously experienced, including during (Superstorm) Sandy," state Sen. Jim Holzapfel (R-10th) said on Twitter on Tuesday afternoon. "We're concerned that the recent reconfiguration of Exit 91 has impacted the area to make it susceptible to flooding. The NJDOT needs to investigate and undertake improvements if that's the case."

Brick residents return to flood-ravaged homes

Holzapfel, along with Assemblyman David Wolfe (R-10th) and Gregory McGuckin (R-10th), penned a letter Tuesday to Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti, the Department of Transportation's commissioner, calling for an investigation into the $21 million project, which was completed in 2017. 

"Residents who lived through years of disruptive construction as Exit 91 was completed now live in fear that the next storm might flood them out of their homes again," McGuckin said in a statement. "We need to determine if this was a freak event that's unlikely to happen again, or if it's a direct result of the engineering of the interchange. If there's something we can fix, we need to find out, and we need to do it immediately."

Ducey said the township is looking into the cause of the flooding, examining footage captured by police-operated drones Monday to see how the new exit impacted drainage of rainwater. As of Thursday, the township was still working to clear homes and total up its damages, and Ducey said it was much too soon to rule on the cause of the unprecedented flooding.  

But others are saying the new interchange isn't a threat, and that severe weather hit other areas across the state and caused damages there, too. The flash floods prompted Gov. Phil Murphy to declare a state of emergency across five counties

Ocean County Engineer John Ernst said the overwhelming rainfall is the most obvious, and most likely, culprit. 

"We have been looking at it and on a preliminary basis, and we seem to have an understanding that that there might be some contributory water from (Exit) 91, but I don't believe that's the main cause of the flooding," he said in a phone call Thursday. 

"We are continuing to investigate and evaluate the situation there, and see what we find out, and we'll be working towards correcting anything that needs to be corrected," he added. "We don't know whose responsibility it is at this point until we really determine what the cause was."

The process includes re-evaluating the drainage design for the exit, and looking at aerial photography and topography maps of the region. 

The state DOT referred requests for comment to the New Jersey Turnpike Authority, which manages the Parkway. 

That agency "has been in contact with Ocean County and Brick Township officials," said Shawn Taylor, the authority's director of the Department of Community and Government Relations. "The authority, county and township engineers are working together to assess the situation." 

"It is important to understand the storm that hit the area this week was an extraordinary event - 8 inches of rain fell in three hours, an amount of rainfall that typically falls over the course of two months," he added. 

Ducey said the township is still finding flooded homes to add to its list, only learning Wednesday that Sutton Village, a condo community, had 15 flooded units to add to the list.  

"What we want is to get people to call in and tell us they're flooded," he said. "Apparently, they're all over town, and we're not aware of it."

To raise the damages to a level in which Federal Emergency Management Agency will respond, a certain threshold must be met, he said. He doesn't know what dollar amount the destruction must reach, but wants to make sure all impacted residents are accounted for, and get help from volunteers if needed. 

Anyone who has not yet reported their flood damages in the town is asked to call 732-262-1234. 

Amanda Hoover can be reached at ahoover@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @amandahoovernj. Find NJ.com on Facebook

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A day at the Jersey Shore: Wildwood Crest (PHOTOS)

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How N.J. spends the summer.

Wildwood Crest is one of only six beaches in New Jersey that are free for everyone.

While it may seem like a bit of a hike to get to the water, it's definitely worth the walk for the family-friendly environment. Large groups have no trouble finding space to call their own for the day, ice cream vendors walk the beach offering cool treats and ice cold water, and there's plenty of room to play a game of catch in the sand behind the crowds.

Wildwood Crest also has several festivals throughout the summer and early fall, including the Sand Sculpting Festival and Christmas in July festivals in July, and the Firefighters' Weekend Craft Show and Seafarers Celebration in September.

After hitting the beach during the day, walk around town and check out the neon lights of the Doo-Wop motels or head up to Wildwood for a night out on the boardwalk.

Wildwood Crest Beach Patrol lifeguards are on duty from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. daily from Memorial Day weekend through the weekend following Labor Day. Surfing is permitted at the Rambler Road and Aster Road beaches. Beach games and kite flying are permitted on the back areas of the beach.

Handicap transport to the beach is available by calling 609-522-3825.

Lori M. Nichols may be reached at lnichols@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Instagram @photog_lori and Twitter @photoglori. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips.

1 of 2 missing Freehold teens found in New Brunswick

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The 15-year-old was located by the Rutgers police but the 16-year-old is still missing

One of the two Freehold Township girls who went missing Wednesday night was found Thursday in New Brunswick. 

kayla.jpgKayla Destefano is still missing. (Freehold Township police) 

Jocelyn Zaveckas, 15, was located at 8 p.m. by Rutgers University police, Freehold Township police said Friday morning. Her 16-year-old friend, Kayla Destefano, is still missing, but police think she is the New Brunswick area. 

Described by police as runaways, the two left a home on Jackson Mills Road in Jackson, Ocean County and were last seen together around 8:50 p.m. walking south along that street in the area of Chandler Road.

Destefano is about 5-foot-2 and has brown hair, brown eyes and a scar on her left arm, according to police. 

Anyone with information about Destefano is asked to call Freehold Township police at 732-462-7500 or 732-294-2110.

Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

 

Hurricane expert warns coastal residents: 'Don't let your guard down'

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Storm expert from AccuWeather says don't get fooled by this very quiet Atlantic hurricane season. We still have to get through the most active months.


Divisional realignments shake up boys soccer: Breaking down all 15 conferences

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See how the new divisional realignment cycle could alter the boys soccer landscape this season.

Frustrated flood victims grill Gov. Murphy as he tours storm damage

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More than 100 residents were displaced from their homes in a Brick 55-and-over community when almost 8 inches of rain fell on Monday. Watch video

Gov. Phil Murphy faced a feisty and frustrated crowd of residents early Friday as he toured a 55-and-over community in Brick flooded by a deluge of rain earlier in the week, forcing evacuations and causing extensive damage.

"We lost everything," one man told Murphy, as a crowd gathered, peppering the governor with pleas for help and questions about potential FEMA aid. "We can't even stay here."

The residents of the Greenbriar I community, where more than 100 homes were evacuated Monday as nearly 8 inches of rain fell, have spent the week assessing damage, restoring utilities and dumping the ruined contents of their homes at the curb.

Here's how you can help the N.J. residents devastated by flash floods

"Here's one of my main concerns," one man said. "I'm still young, I can still try to rebuild like I did in Sandy, like I did in Maria in my homeland (Puerto Rico). But my concern is for a lot of the older folks here that are on a fixed income. They got nowhere to go, no money to rebuild. A lot of them are talking about abandoning their homes."

"Yup," the governor said.

"And their life savings are here," the resident continued. "We gotta do something because we're a family community. We gotta do something to hold ourselves together."

"We're doing everything we can," Murphy said.

One person asked Murphy if he should start to rebuild on his own or wait for help from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Murphy called it a "very good question" and asked one of his aides for an answer. The aide advised the person to start the work, but to document everything.

When another man began detailing his situation to the governor, Murphy replied, "hope is not a strategy. We're doing everything we can -- at the county level, the state level, the federal level. Watch out for contractors who don't have their heart in the right place."

Another person asked what to do if you can't afford to pay to repair the damage, but Murphy was interrupted by other queries from residents and didn't answer.

The governor did a walk-through of two homes in Greenbriar I, a 55-and-older community of more than 1,900 homes just east of the Garden State Parkway.

Earlier this week, officials, including Brick Mayor John Ducey questioned whether the recently-completed construction project along the Garden State Parkway in Brick affected flooding. Long-time residents said the neighborhood had never flooded before. 

"I know the county engineers, the state engineers - we're all trying to find out what happened," Murphy told the residents. 

On Tuesday, Murphy declared a state of emergency for five counties affected by flooding from multiple storms that rolled through between Saturday and Monday. The counties include Bergen, Essex, Monmouth, Ocean, and Passaic, and the declaration makes additional state resources available to help flood victims.

Murphy toured flood damage in Little Falls on Monday.

 

Your ultimate bucket list for Jersey Shore boardwalk rides

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There's still time to hit the rides before summer's over!

bucket001.JPGDrop from 109 feet and swing out over the ocean at more than 60 miles an hour on Skycoaster on Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, NJ.  

Here's how you can help the N.J. residents devastated by flash floods

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The New Jersey Office of Emergency Management has a helpnjnow.org website to take donations and coordinate volunteer efforts Watch video

Flash floods from multiple storms damaged hundreds homes and numerous businesses over the last week in New Jersey. Some have still yet to return home, while others continue to assess the damage.

As residents pick up the pieces, there are several ways to lend a hand, particularly with the threat of more heavy rain in the weekend forecast.

Gov. Murphy declared a state of emergency in Bergen, Essex, Monmouth, Ocean, and Passaic counties. Some of the towns seeing the worst of the storm are Brick, Howell, Little Falls and Woodland Park. 

The state Office of Emergency Management has a helpnjnow.org website to take donations and coordinate volunteer efforts.

"There is no doubt that parts of our state have received nothing less than historic amounts of rain, and some communities received an entire month's worth in just a few hours," Murphy said in a statement earlier this week. 

The American Red Cross for the New Jersey region has been sending volunteers to Little Falls and Brick, and even opened an overnight shelter for displaced residents in the Ocean County area, where more than 100 homes were evacuated and 200 home sustained damage. 

Those who wish to volunteer with the Red Cross or donate to the organization may find more information on the local site here

The Little Falls Athletic Club is raising money to purchase gift cards to Target and Home Depot for residents affected by flooding. Tumble Zone, a gymnastics center in the town, is also seeking money to help victims. 

Little Falls Girl Scouts are also collecting gift cards to Home Depot, Target and grocery stores at the Little Falls Recreation Center on Paterson Avenue. 

An in-home animal rescue in Howell, which neighbors Brick and sustained damage to homes and roads, is seeking $10,000 to help rebuild, and said it cannot foster animals in the meantime. 

In Brick, a fund to help residents displaced from the 55 and up community Greenbriar 1 is seeking $100,000. More than 100 homes there were evacuated, shocking residents who said the neighborhood has never flooded before. 

The Brick Memorial High School Key Club has been working to move furniture and appliances out of damaged homes. Follow them on Twitter for updates on their work. 

The U.S. Coast Guard also provided help to Brick residents as they tossed ruined carpets and furniture from their homes.

Murphy was in Brick on Friday morning, meeting with residents and discussing options for aid. He visited Little Falls on Monday

Towns are still tallying up their damages, and seeing if they meet the threshold for assistance through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

Officials encourage anyone affected by the storms to keep record of what they're throwing out and report damages

Several individuals and families have started GoFundMe campaigns for themselves as well.  

If you know of other local donation drives and collection points to help flood victims, please share them to the comments.

Amanda Hoover can be reached at ahoover@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @amandahoovernj. Find NJ.com on Facebook

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Will FEMA help victims of recent N.J. flash floods? Asking for a friend

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The Office of Emergency Management is working with FEMA to determine if federal aid will be available for victims of recent storms Watch video

The question came up more than once as Gov. Phil Murphy stood amid a tense group of residents forced from their homes by flash floods earlier this week.

"Is FEMA going to help us?"

Murphy didn't have much of an answer for the residents of the Greenbriar community in Brick on Friday as pleaded for aid and assistance. No one in the 55-and-up community had flood insurance, since the Ocean County town is not considered a flood zone. 

For now, Murphy's staff advised residents to document every expense and track every repair.

Here's how you can help the N.J. residents devastated by flash floods

The Office of Emergency Management is working with FEMA to determine if the level of damage in Brick, Howell, Little Falls, Woodland Park and other towns reaches the threshold to receive federal help, OEM spokeswoman Laura Connolly said.

The process is complicated, FEMA spokesman Don Caetano said. There is no official number threshold.

There's a formula used to determine if the feds should step in. The factors include the number of victims and destroyed homes, if the houses have been damaged in the past, and accounting for flood and homeowners insurance, among some aspects, Caetano said.  

In order for FEMA to help, Murphy needs to request federal assistance, which is granted or denied by the president, Caetano said. No request has officially been put in as of Friday morning, he said. 

"Every incident is different, so we can't say what's going to happen," he said. 

Until FEMA is called to assist in an official federal capacity, state emergency management is working with local authorities and partnering with FEMA on the local level to assess the damage and determine how likely assistance is, Connolly said.

"No one has a timeline right now," Connolly said. "Once the damage assessments are complete, depending on what the threshold is, we'll continue to work with FEMA. But we're still going through the process."

But those answers have left residents asking more questions: How do they start to rebuild, with a fixed income, and where can they get help?

"Our insurance companies are shooting us down," one resident shouted at the governor. "Where do we go from here?"

Murphy urged residents to begin rebuilding and document everything they lost. Those affected by the flooding can also call 211, where they will be connected with volunteers and resources will be made available.

Those interested in donating or volunteering can register through helpnjnow.org, which the state Office of Emergency Management opens during emergency situations. 

Sophie Nieto-Munoz may be reached at snietomunoz@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her at @snietomunoz. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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