FREEHOLD – A former teacher at Wall Township High School has been arrested and criminally charged with having a sexual relationship with a student, Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago and Wall Township Police Chief Sean O’Halloran jointly announced Thursday.
Julie Rizzitello, 36, of Brick Township, who submitted her resignation earlier this week, is charged with two counts of second-degree Sexual Assault, third-degree Witness Tampering, and three counts of fourth-degree Criminal Sexual Contact.
An investigation involving members of the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victims Bureau and Wall Township Police Department, assisted by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office and the Brick Township Police Department, revealed that the alleged criminal conduct by Rizzitello began earlier this year. On multiple occasions and in at least three jurisdictions – Belmar, Brick, and Wall – Rizzitello allegedly engaged in various sexual acts with the victim.
The collaborative investigation resulted in charges being filed both in Monmouth (on the Belmar and Wall offenses) and Ocean (on the Brick offenses) counties. Rizzitello was arrested without incident yesterday and transported to the Monmouth County Correctional Institution (MCCI), where she remains incarcerated pending a detention hearing to take place in Monmouth County Superior Court.
Anyone with information about Rizzitello’s activities is being urged to contact MCPO Detective Jose Rodriguez at 800-533-7443 or Wall Township Police Department Detective Devin Corso at 732-449-4500.
This case is being prosecuted by Monmouth County Assistant Prosecutor Danielle Zanzuccki, Director of the MCPO Special Victims Bureau. Rizzitello is being represented by Francis R. Hodgson, Esq., with an office in Toms River.
Despite these charges, every defendant is presumed innocent, unless and until found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, following a trial at which the defendant has all of the trial rights guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution and State law.
