OCEAN COUNTY – Several incidents were highlighted by the State Attorney General’s Office to drive home the point that police are arresting people for disobeying the stay-at-home orders.
According to police, the following arrests all took place:
- John Fernicola, 68, of Brielle, and Amanda Wood, 34, of Point Pleasant Beach, operators of Beach Amethyst Motel in Point Pleasant Beach were charged on April 11, with four violations of the emergency orders for shutting off power to four tenants for late payments.
- On April 12, Mendel Steiner, 27, Dina Endzweig, 26, Johnathan Schick, 31, Hindy Schick, 32, Ephraim Weiss, 31, and Chaya Weiss, 29, all of Brooklyn, N.Y., were charged on Sunday, April 12, by the Lakewood Police Department with violating the emergency orders and child neglect. Israel Goldenberg, 23, of Monsey, N.Y., was charged with violating the emergency orders. Police found a large gathering of adults and children in the back yard of a house, with children playing in a bouncy castle and a long table set up with a tablecloth, plates, utensils, and chairs. A chef and two waiters were catering the event.
- Jose Gonzalez, 20, and Gildaro Flores-Mendez, 30, both of New Brunswick, were charged on April 12, by the Seaside Park Police with defiant trespass (petty disorderly persons offense) and violating the emergency orders for walking and taking pictures at the Brighton Avenue beach entrance, which they knew was closed. They were with two juveniles.
- Konstanti Apessos Jr., 21, of Manchester, was charged on April 12, by the Seaside Park Police, with defiant trespass (petty disorderly persons offense) and violating the emergency orders for sitting on a lifeguard stand on the beach reading a book. He admitted that he knew the beach was closed.
- A toy store in Lakewood was open even though it was a non-essential business. Toys4U was open on April 13 and at least 50 people were outside the store, with an employee taking orders at the door. The parking lot was filled and there were 10 cars in the fire lane in front of the store. The customers outside and the 10 employees inside were not social distancing. Only three employees were wearing masks. None of the customers were. Yossi Itzkowitz, the owner, and Tzvi Blau, 29, the manager, were charged.
- Among the arrests not in Ocean County, Newark reported 24 summonses; a Camden man was charged with spitting on cops while claiming he had COVID-19 after a domestic incident; a drunken Stockholm man spat and coughed on police; a tennis and fitness club in Mendham was charged because it was open; a Pleasantville man was charged with not wearing a mask in a Dunkin’ Donuts; a Wenonah man was caught breaking into a vehicle during quarantine; and an armed robber in Atlantic City was also charged with violating quarantine.
“Our police officers are working bravely and tirelessly every day to protect us during this health crisis. Regrettably, they are being called upon far too often to deal with people violating the emergency orders – or what is more egregious, people using the virus to spread fear or impede officers in their vital work,” said Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal. “Staying home and maintaining social distance isn’t just the best advice to stay healthy, it’s the law. Make no mistake, we will do everything in our power to keep our residents and officers safe, and that means we won’t hesitate to file charges against violators.”
“Law enforcement and medical professionals are on the frontlines of this battle to protect the citizens of New Jersey from the COVID-19 virus, and we cannot stress enough how important it is that each person follow the guidelines set forth in the Executive Order,” said Colonel Patrick Callahan, Superintendent of the New Jersey State Police. “Because lives are at stake, enforcement action will be taken without hesitation against those who are blatantly placing the lives of others at risk.”
Violators of the emergency orders constitute a disorderly persons offense carrying a potential sentence of up to six months in jail and a fine of up to $1,000. However, violators can potentially face criminal charges including second, third, and fourth degree indictable offenses.
The charges are merely accusations and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Police urge residents to report people who are not complying with the emergency orders by calling their local police department or reporting them with the state at covid19.nj.gov/violation
No one should take advantage of this pandemic to further their own biased agendas, Grewal said. COVID-19 is no excuse to promote anti-Semitic conspiracy theories and or other biased stereotypes. Bias crimes can be reported at 1-800-277-BIAS.
