A School, A Wedding And More Bring Charges

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  OCEAN COUNTY – A school, a wedding, and an attempt at a sexual encounter with an underage girl are among the dozens of charges filed by the state for people who are not heeding the stay-at-home orders.

  Robert Murphy, 19, of Bayville, was charged by the Morris Plains Police Department and Morris County Prosecutor’s Office with attempted aggravated sexual assault (2nd degree), endangering the welfare of a child (3rd degree), and violating the emergency orders. According to a release from the Attorney General’s Office, Murphy tried to meet with an underaged girl he contacted through social media. They were supposed to meet at a park for sexual activity. Her parents found out and contacted police.

  A school on Drake Road in Lakewood was reported to be open. Shmuel Hirth, 49, was the owner. He had allowed a group of males to study there: Asher Jacobs, 23, Shmuel Weneintraub, 21, Pinchos Sinsky, 19, Shcomo Rosenfeld, 18, Arych Penstien, 22, and Yuhuda Bronspigez, 25. Rivka Jacobs, 47, the mother of a juvenile who was there, was also charged.

  A backyard wedding on Read Place in Lakewood was also broken up. Officers found a van in the driveway with two adults and three children inside. The driver said that she was there for family photos for a wedding. In the back yard, there was a photographer, Yakov Makukha, photographing a family of six. Summonses were issued to all of the adults who were present, including: Yakov Makukha, 40, Pinchos Aron, 25, Miriam Aron, 33, Yehudah Aron, 36, Tziporah Aron, 33, Yaakov Wiesner, age unknown, Peninah Wiesner, 30, Ephraim Aron, 34, and Shmarya Aron, 20. 

  While the police were investigating reports of a large gathering at a home on 8th Street in Lakewood, a neighbor pulled up in his SUV and began yelling at police about his neighbor. Alexander Ellinson, 64, continued to yell and nearly struck an officer as he drove away. Police stopped him and issued a summons.

  These charges were in a list of others sent out by the Attorney General’s Office, including people spitting on police, a grocery store being open in Union City, burglaries, and a car dealership open for business in Plainfield doing “curbside auto sales.”

  One man was charged in Fort Lee with harassing a Jewish man in a Dunkin Donuts, bumping his chest into him, saying Jews are responsible for the coronavirus.

  Charges are merely accusations until proven guilty in a court of law.

  “One month after Governor Murphy issued his emergency orders, we are flattening the curve and saving lives, because the vast majority of our residents are conscientiously obeying the social distancing rules and doing their share to fight COVID-19,” said Attorney General Grewal.  “Unfortunately, there are still those who violate the orders, risking the further spread of this deadly virus. What is worse, there are some who deliberately threaten our brave police officers, medical personnel, and other essential workers, impeding their vital work. Our message to violators is that we will hold you accountable, whether it is through a summons for those who violate the social distancing orders, or an arrest on indictable charges for those who deliberately harm or threaten others during this emergency.”  

  If you are seeing a lack of compliance with the Governor’s emergency orders in your town, please contact your local police department or report here covid19.nj.gov/violation

  COVID-19 is no excuse to promote anti-Semitic conspiracy theories and or other biased stereotypes, the release stated. Please report bias crimes at 1-800-277-BIAS.