MORRIS COUNTY — “Assemblyman Jay Webber  must immediately stop using my late husband’s name to gain political points,” declared BettyLou DeCroce, a former Assemblywoman who is now running for  state legislature in the new 26th legislative district (Morris and Passaic).

“Jay’s actions are unseemly,  desperate and hurtful,” added DeCroce whose husband Alex,  a former Assembly Minority Leader, who died on the floor of the Statehouse in 2012.

DeCroce said Webber has raised the name of Alex DeCroce before Republican organization gatherings and most recently on Thursday, February 9, at the Parsippany Republican club  to suggest that he and the former minority leader had a shared political philosophy and strong friendship.

“Alex and Jay were never great friends, Alex did not share many of Jay’s views and he perceived Jay as overly ambitious and untrustworthy,” said BettyLou DeCroce.

“Jay may want Republican voters to think that he was close to my husband, but that’s not true. In fact, there was one huge difference between Alex and Jay.  Alex went to Trenton to get things done.  Jay goes to Trenton to make meaningless speeches and goes home,” said BettyLou DeCroce.

BettyLou DeCroce said her husband’s death was mourned by many Republican leaders including Gov. Chris Christie, State Sen. Anthony Bucco, Sen. Kevin O’Toole and Morris County Sherriff Edward Rochford and many others.

MORRIS COUNTY — Paul DeGroot of Montville has declared his candidacy for a seat on the Morris County Board of Commissioners and submitted his petition to be eligible for the Morris County Republican Committee convention on March 4, 2023.

DeGroot, a former Passaic County Prosecutor, says he is looking to bring his law enforcement credentials to county government at a time when car thefts, robberies, and home break-ins have become serious concerns for many residents.

“Thanks to the policies of New Jersey Democrats, criminals have become emboldened and are operating with little fear of being punished for their crimes,” says DeGroot. “I don’t think we can expect much help from the state, so county government will have to step up to protect our residents.”

DeGroot’s entry in the Commissioner race sets up a repeat battle between him and incumbent Commissioner Tayfun Selen, whom DeGroot defeated in last year’s Republican Primary for the right to represent the GOP in District 11 Congressional race.

“I have already shown that Commissioner Selen can be beaten and lacks commitment to core Republican values to represent our Republican Party,” said DeGroot, a lawyer in private practice.

DeGroot said Republicans cannot take the risk of Selen running in November. “New Jersey’s Democratic Party is coming after Morris County. They will pour money and manpower into the November campaign.”

“We don’t need a weak candidate who is more concerned with taking photos with Democrats than he is with standing up for conservative Republican values,” said DeGroot, referring to Selen. We need a County Commissioner candidate unafraid to take on the Democratic Party, which often bashes Republican positions on important issues such as illegal immigration.

“Commissioner Selen has little interest in working for the people of Morris County. He is more interested in propelling himself up the political ladder than fighting for conservative values,” said DeGroot, noting that Selen has gone from local office in Chatham to county office and attempted to run for Congress. During that time, said DeGroot, “Mr. Selen has amassed a totally undistinguished record.”

DeGroot said he could bring a new perspective to the commission board, including a new focus on financial issues. He noted that while Selen has been running on a stable county tax levy for the past three years, the reality is that the county budget has increased by millions. Still, the increases have been offset by growth in tax ratables – a result of new construction and property inflation. “You cannot keep increasing spending and hoping that tax ratables increase year after year to cover the costs to taxpayers. Eventually, the spending will catch up to you.”

MORRIS COUNTY  — Morris County Prosecutor Robert J. Carroll, Chief of Detectives Robert McNally, and Morristown Police Department Chief Darnell Richardson announce that 25-year-old Imani Glover, reported missing from Morristown, has been found.

Imani Glover, of Morristown, was initially reported missing to the Morristown Police Department by her mother on January 8, 2023.

Through the extensive cooperative efforts of the Morristown Police Department, New York City Police Department, and other law enforcement agencies working with the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office Missing Persons Unit, Glover was located.

Prosecutor Carroll thanked our law enforcement partners for their efforts during this investigation and the public for their assistance and expressions of concern about Glover’s wellbeing.

MORRIS COUNTY — A volunteer fire captain has been charged with uploading child pornography while at a firehouse in Netcong, officials said. James T. Hess, 49, of the Landing section of Mt. Arlington, was arrested in connection with the distribution and possession of child sex abuse material.

The defendant has been charged with one count of Endangering the Welfare of a Child (Distribution of Child Sexual Abuse Materials (CSAM)), a second-degree offense in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:24-4B(5)(a)(i), and one count of Endangering the Welfare of a Child (Possession of CSAM), a third-degree crime in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:24-4B(5)(b)(iii).

The investigation began with a CyberTip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) referencing the upload of video files allegedly depicting the sexual exploitation or abuse of minors.

The video files were allegedly uploaded to Kik, an internet-based chat application, by the defendant, who is also alleged to have viewed CSAM on Kik.  Hess allegedly uploaded CSAM while at the Netcong Volunteer Fire Department, where he is a captain. It is further alleged that the defendant possessed additional images of CSAM on an electronic device. The defendant works for the New Jersey Fireman’s Home.

Hess was arrested on the above charges on December 21, 2022.  Following his arrest, he was released pursuant to the Criminal Justice Reform Act with pretrial release conditions that included monitoring and limited internet usage.

He attended Roxbury High School.

Prosecutor Carroll would like to acknowledge the Roxbury Police Department and the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force for their efforts in this investigation.

If anyone has any information related to the matter, they are asked to call the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force of the Sex Crimes / Child Endangerment Unit of the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office at (973) 285-6200.

Editor’s Note: An arrest or signing of a criminal complaint is merely an accusation.  Despite this accusation, the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until he or she has been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

MORRIS COUNTY — The alleged intruder at Montville High School on Thursday, February 2, was arrested. Charles Banaciski III, 19, of Bloomfield, has been charged with unlicensed structure entry, a crime of the fourth degree.

Surveillance footage shows an unknown adult male arriving at Montville High School at approximately 6:30 a.m. and walking around the building while wearing a backpack. A school staff member discovered him.  The staff member confronted Banaciski, who allegedly claimed to be a student. Upon further questioning, Banaciski excused himself, left the building, and drove away.

As a precaution, Montville High School was placed on shelter in place, until the building was cleared by law enforcement and the Morris County Sheriff’s Office K-9 Unit.

A subsequent investigation identified Banaciski as the suspected intruder. He was arrested at his residence in Bloomfield. The investigation remains ongoing.

Questioned about his motives, Banaciski told police he wanted to go to a high school since he had never had such an experience himself, Assistant Prosecutor Matthew Kelly said. Brittany Calzone, the Bloomfield man’s defense attorney, said her client was raised by his grandmother, who had taken him out of high school before graduating.

Prosecutor Carroll said, “Thanks to the diligent investigative work, a swift arrest was carried out by the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office, Morris County Sheriff’s Office, Montville Township Police Department, and other law enforcement partners. I applaud our law enforcement officers and especially thank the Montville High School employee who followed their gut instinct and questioned the suspicious individual.

During Friday’s hearing, Municipal Court Judge James Sloan questioned why the doors of the school were unlocked at 6:30, stating that it was “disturbing” Banaciski was able to enter the school. The school may need to reassess security measures, he said.

Sloan agreed to release Banaciski from the Morris County jail pending future court hearings under the condition he avoids contact with any schools and abstains from alcohol and drugs. He was ordered to undergo a mental health evaluation and abide by a 10:00 p.m. to 9:00 a.m. curfew to allow him to continue working as a DoorDash delivery driver.

During our recent memorandum of agreement signing and security summit, Morris County school administrators reaffirmed their commitment to the safety of our students and educators through collaboration. This swift arrest results from attentive staff and a rapid report to law enforcement. May this incident remind the public that to keep our schools as secure as they can be, law enforcement also needs the assistance of vigilant community members. It is critical for the public to report any and all suspicious activity.”

Anyone with information is asked to call the Montville Police Department at (973) 257-4300, the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office at (973) 285-6300, or Morris County Crime Stoppers at 1-800-743-7433.  Persons reporting any information to Crime Stoppers may remain anonymous. Information on how to leave an anonymous call or text message can be found on the Crime Stoppers Program website by clicking here.

Editor’s Note: An arrest or signing of a criminal complaint is merely an accusation.  Despite this accusation, the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until he or she has been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.