Category Archives: Rumson Police and Fire Files

All the latest police and fire news in Rumson can be found right here.

Police and Fire, Rumson Police and Fire Files

A Rumson Father’s Day Car Fire

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A car went up in flames at Rumson Country Club on Father’s Day; and, just about as quickly as the fire ignited, it was extinguished by first responders.

With scant details, the Rumson Police Department posted a 24-second video of the Sunday fire at about 3 p.m. and the firemen putting it out.

“Great job by The Rumson Fire Department extinguishing a vehicle fire at the Rumson Country Club,” the post said. “Happy Father’s Day from R.P.D.”

Click here to see the full video.

No further details were available as of press time. Rumson-Fair Haven Retrospect will add information when it becomes available.

— Photo/screenshot of Rumson Police Department Facebook page video

Crime, Police and Fire, Rumson Police and Fire Files

Rumson Police Beat: Teen Party, Tax Fraud, DUI, Theft, Burglary

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The following recent criminal incidents and arrests were reported by Rumson police. An arrest does not constitute a conviction.

•  A Bingham Avenue resident reported on April 9 a fraudulent tax return filed with her personal information.

The incident will be forwarded to the I.R.S. fraud department.

Sgt. Koenig took the report.

• A Lafayette Street resident reported on April 12 that his vehicle was vandalized by numerous eggs being thrown at it sometime during the night.

Patrolman Bryan Dougherty took the report.

• A West River Road resident reported on April 14 that there was a burglary at their home. Bicycles and surfboards were removed from the garage.

Patrolman Gaynor took the report.

•  A Rumson Road resident reported on April 16 that a fraudulent tax return had been filed with her personal information. The incident will be forwarded to the I.R.S. fraud department.

Patrolman Lovgren took the report.

• A Little Silver resident reported on April 16 that her purse was stolen from her vehicle while at Meadowridge Park. A credit card was subsequently used at a store in Middletown.

Detective Christopher Isherwood investigated.

• Lea Brantly, 30, of Rumson, was arrested on April 18 on Hartshorne Lane and charged with driving under the influence (DUI) by Patrolman Campanella.

Brantly was released pending a municipal court date.

• A Bingham Hill Circle resident reported a burglary at her home. Entry was gained by breaking a door window. The resident reported jewelry missing.

Sgt. Koenig and Special Officer Leahy took the report. The incident was referred to the detectives.

• A Mays Landing resident reported on April 21 that his cement mixer was stolen from a construction site on Shrewsbury Avenue.

Patrolman Schneider took the report.

• Carl Bergen, 53, of Red Bank, was arrested on April 21 at headquarters on charges of numerous counts of burglary, theft and credit card fraud by Detective Christopher Isherwood.

Bergen was released pending court.

• Headquarters received a report on April 25 of a large party at a Clover Lane address with possible underage alcohol consumption. Patrolmen Fenn and Dougherty responded and were assisted by officers from Sea Bright, Fair Haven and Little Silver.

Patrolman Bryan Dougherty took the report.

Contempt of court

• Paul Dougherty, 50, of Belmar, was arrested April 3 on West River Road on a contempt of court charge by Ptl. Lovgren.

Dougherty was released to Belmar Police.
• Victoria Hayes, 41, of Union Beach, was arrested April 6 on Bingham Avenue on a contempt of court charge by Special Officer Berger.

Hayes was released after posting $350 bail.

• Trevor Eyerkuss, 25, of Little Silver, was arrested on April 20 at headquarters on a contempt of court charge by Special Officer Morse.

Eyerkuss was released after posting $300 bail.

 

* Contempt of court arrests with a bail of less than $200 have not been included.

News, Police and Fire, Rumson Police and Fire Files

Prosecutor: Rumson Blithewald Fire an Accident

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They weren’t able to rule out electrical malfunction as a cause of Monday’s Rumson fire, but the tri-fold investigative team has determined that, regardless, it was an accident, Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office spokesman Charles Webster said.

There were “energized electric circuits or equipment” in the area  of the fire’s origin, “in the area of a wall located between a guest bedroom and an en-suite bedroom, both located on the second floor” of the 19th century mansion dubbed Blithewald, a joint investigation by the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office, Monmouth County Fire Marshal and Rumson Police Department determined, Webster said.

There were no injuries sustained from the six-hour, four-alarm blaze fought by several area fire departments at the 76 Buena Vista Avenue home owned by the Widener family.

Designers had been on site putting finishing touches on the home that was to be the centerpiece of the Visiting Nurse Association’s Stately Homes by-the-Sea Designer Show House event slated to kick off on Saturday.

 

Police and Fire, Rumson Police and Fire Files

Fire: Rumson VNA Show House Up in Smoke

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The historic Rumson mansion known as Blithewald was all set for a Saturday Gatsby-themed gala to kick-off its month-long feature as the Visiting Nurse Association’s (VNA) fifth Stately Homes by-the-Sea Designer Show House — until a fire ravaged it.

The 19th century home to the Widener family, at 76 Buena Vista Ave., went up in flames on the upper floors and roof area at about 12:55 p.m., according to first responders at the scene.

As of 3:45 p.m., firefighters from several surrounding towns and beyond — Rumson, Fair Haven, Middletown, Red Bank, Little Silver, Sea Bright, Highlands, Atlantic Highlands, Shrewsbury and Asbury Park — were still arriving at what was still considered an active fire.

Smoke could still be seen billowing from the roof and upstairs. And firefighters were still on the scene at about 7 p.m.

There were no reported injuries, authorities said.

Fair Haven Fire Department thanked Tinton Falls Fire Co. No. 1 for covering Fair Haven while its firemen assisted at the Rumson fire.

The VNA released the following statement in the late afternoon:

Today, Blithewald, the house that designers, staff and volunteers have been preparing for the fifth edition of the Stately Homes by-the-Sea Designer Show House event to benefit VNA Health Group, caught fire and sustained heavy damage. The cause is unknown and we thankfully have heard of no injuries to anyone at this point.

We are tremendously grateful to the first responders and to our staff members and volunteers who were on the scene to respond to the emergency.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the first responders and the homeowners as they assess the damage.

Blithewald, a historic treasure from the Gilded Age, was the setting for the fifth edition of the Stately Homes by-the-Sea Designer Show House. Proceeds of tours and the Preview Gala were to benefit VNA Health Group.

We will provide updates about the Stately Homes-by-the-Sea Preview Gala that was scheduled for Saturday, April 25th and the opening of the Show House tours, which were scheduled to begin on April 28, 2015 as information becomes available.

This is a breaking news story. Rumson-Fair Haven Retrospect will add information as it becomes available. 

 — Elaine Van Develde

Police and Fire, Rumson Police and Fire Files

Rumson Police Report Burglary, Theft, Vandalism, Assault & More

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The following incidents and arrests were reported by the Rumson police. An arrest does not constitute a conviction.

Incidents

• On March 24, Special Officer Berger took a report of an altercation between juveniles at a Rumson Road address.

• There was a report on March 1 of vandalism to a mailbox at a home on Edwards Point Road.

Special Officer Class II Morse took the report.

• There was a report on March 1 of vandalism to a vehicle on Holly Street. The caller reported that the spark plugs of the vehicle were loosened.

Special Officer Class II Morse took the report.

• There was a report on March 2 of harassing phone calls being made to a West River Road business.

Patrolman Ciambrone took the report.

• An attempted wire fraud was reported on March 5 by an Edwards Point Road resident.

Patrolman Gaynor took the report.

• There was a report on March 16 of a stolen license plate from a Wardell Avenue resident.

Special Officer Class II McCurdy took the report.

• A theft of jewelry and tools was reported by a Park Avenue resident on March 17.

Patrolman Torres took the report which was turned over to Detective Christopher Isherwood for investigation.

Arrests

• Nicholas Aarseth, 24, of Sea Bright, was arrested by Patrolman Torres on March 13 and charged with DWI (driving while intoxicated).

Aarseth was released pending court.

• Robert Toros, 36, of Philadelphia, PA, was arrested by Special Officer Class II Morse on March 22 and charged with simple assault.

Toros was released pending a court date. Patrolmen Gaynor and Ciambrone assisted in the arrest.

• Robert Toros, 36, of Philadelphia, PA was arrested on March 22 by Special Officer Class II Morse on a contempt of court charge.

Toros was transported to Monmouth County Correctional Institution. Patrolman Campanella assisted.

• Christopher McKnight, 28, of the Lincroft section of Middletown, was arrested by Special Officer Berger on March 24 on a contempt of court charge.

McKnight posted bail and was released. Lt. York assisted.

• Theresa McGroarty, 24, of Oceanport, was arrested on March 24 by Detective Christopher Isherwood and charged with receiving stolen property.

McGroarty was released on a summons pending court.

• Michael Carter, 23, of Sea Bright, was arrested on March 31 by Detective Christopher Isherwood and charged with receiving stolen property.

Carter was released on a summons pending court.

• Paul Procopio, 27, of Eatontown, was arrested on March 31 by Detective Christopher Isherwood and charged with burglary, theft and receiving stolen property.

 

Police and Fire, Rumson Police and Fire Files

Police: Shots Fired in Rumson Deemed Target Practice

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By Elaine Van Develde

When it was reported to police that shots were fired in a Rumson home on Sunday evening, where they were called to an unrelated incident the night before, it turned out that friends of the homeowner were engaged in a makeshift target practice in the basement.

“Yes, they were shooting a .38 handgun into the wall of the basement — using a plywood target — of an Auldwood Lane home,” Rumson Police Detective Christopher Isherwood said on Monday morning. “The nanny heard the (numerous) shots and called police around 6:30 p.m. Police from the surrounding area — Fair Haven, Little Silver and Red Bank — and the (Monmouth County) Sheriff’s Office responded. Rumson police had responded to an incident at the same home the night before.”

Upon further investigation, police determined that there was no connection between the two incidents and that there was no violent use (or intent) of the gun. “No injuries,” Isherwood said.

They also discovered that one of the men involved in the target practice had a warrant out for his arrest.

Robert Toros, 36, of Philadelphia, PA, was charged with contempt of court and transported to the Monmouth County Correctional Institution in lieu of $2500 bail, set by Judge Richard B. Thompson, Isherwood said.

Further charges may be lodged against those involved in the practice, Isherwood added, because, among other things, such a use in a residential area is prohibited by borough ordinance.

 

Fair Haven Police and Fire Files, Police and Fire, Rumson Police and Fire Files

R-FH Area Mischief Night, Halloween Rules

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The rumors are not true.

If you heard that Gov. Chris Christie had cancelled Halloween trick-or-treating due to Ebola concerns, you heard wrong. And there’s no Hurricane Sandy to ruin it all this year, either.

Halloween will happen as usual in the Rumson-Fair Haven area.

Curfews for both towns are 8 p.m. on both Mischief Night and Halloween. The rules are the usual.

Fair Haven police have outlined them, just so there is no confusion.

On Mischief Night … 

• There is ZERO tolerance for anyone found out past curfew (8 p.m.);

• Anyone found in possession of toilet paper, shaving cream, eggs, soap, silly string, fireworks and “any other item that could be used for criminal mischief” will find themselves in trouble with police.

On Halloween …

• Trick-or-treaters under 18 and not supervised by an adult must be off the roads by 8 p.m.;

• Never, ever go trick-or-treating alone;

• Exercise caution around strangers both on the street and at homes;

• Do not go inside homes;

• Do not eat candy until you get it home and it is inspected by parents;

•  Wear a highly-visible or reflective costume, walk on sidewalks and walkways and carry a flashlight and cell phone.

The main message: Stay safe, stay out of trouble and have fun!

Happy Halloween!