1. PAGE 9 □ THE STAR-LEDGER SAturdAy, JunE 25, 2011
The proposed budget from the Democrats is just more of the same unrealistic, pie-in-the-sky fantasy
budgeting they brought to New Jersey for the eight years before we arrived.” Gov. Chris Christie
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House Music Festival, part of the 22nd annual “Olde Time Battle of Springfield, commemo- Dr. K’s Motown Revue, 12th “Strangers No More,” documen-
Essex County free concert Baseball Game,” using ration of 231st anniversary of annual Party in the Park/family tary screening about the
series. Weequahic Park, 19th-century rules. Howell the Revolutionary War conflict, volunteer day with healthy living Bialik-Rogozin School in Tel Aviv,
Elizabeth and Chancellor Living History Farm, 70 with tours led by members of activities. Duke Island Park, 191 followed by discussion with Tel
avenues, Newark. Woodens Lane, Hopewell the Springfield Historical Old York Road, Bridgewater. Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai and the
Township. Society. $2. CEO of the Tel Aviv Foundation.
HUNtERdoN CoUNty moRRIStoWN ‘Cake Boss’ ex-aide
admits sex assault
Two arrested, 3rd sought An East Hanover man who ap-
peared in the TLC show “Cake Boss”
in a 1983 fatal shooting pleaded guilty yesterday to sexually
assaulting a girl.
A homicide case that had lain cold for 28 years has been Remigio “Remy” Gonzalez, 33,
heated up by a new unit in the Hunterdon County prosecutor’s agreed to a plea deal, admitting in
office. Superior Court in Morristown that
Two suspects have been arrested and a third is being sought he sexually assaulted a 13-year-old
in a shooting death of a man in 1983, officials said yesterday. girl twice. The attacks occurred
The three men are accused of killing Mario Soto, a Cuban between July 1, 2009, and March 8,
immigrant found dead near a creek along Ellis Road in Holland 2010, in East Hanover and Florham
Township, about 5 miles from Interstate 78, with two gunshot Park.
wounds to his head on July 20, 1983, said Hunterdon County As part of the plea, the prosecu-
Prosecutor Anthony P. Kearns III. tion amended the first-degree ag-
Jose Chaveco, 65, and Orlando Concepcion, 63, were sought gravated sexual assault charges to
for conspiracy to attempt murder and arrested this week, he second-degree charges, which carry
said. a presumptive prison sentence of
A third suspect, Antonio Kessel, is at large, he said. five to 10 years in state prison.
This is the first case reviewed by the newly formed Hunterdon Gonzalez appeared in the real-
County Cold Case unit, which was formed when Kearns took ity TV show “Cake Boss,” set in
office in December to revisit unsolved cases. Hoboken, and was once married to
Neil Cooper, first assistant prosecutor at the time, said it didn’t the sister of title character Buddy
appear Soto’s death had any connection to the county. Valastro.
“His body was either dumped here, or he was passing through Morris County Prosecutor Robert
the area with others and was killed,” Cooper said at the time. Bianchi said his office will seek to
Soto had come to the United States from Cuba in 1980 and lived deport Gonzalez, who emigrated
in the Miami area before moving to Union City. He was an esti- from Mexico, once his prison term
mator for a building contractor when he was killed. He was last is up. “We refused to negotiate this
seen alive in the Hudson County area two days before his body case for anything other than a state
was found, Cooper said. Yesterday, officials wouldn’t provide any prison sentence,” Bianchi said.
additional details, citing the ongoing investigation. Gonzalez will have to serve a mini-
Concepcion was arrested Wednesday in Florida and is await- mum 85 percent of his sentence,
ing extradition to New Jersey, he said. Chaveco was arrested Judge Stuart Minkowitz said. He is
Monday in Cherry Hill and is being held on $500,000 bail, forbidden from having contact with
Kearns said. the victim, her parents and siblings;
— Tomás Dinges/Hunterdon County Democrat must pay court fees; and must regis-
ter as a sex offender.
Gonzalez was arrested Aug. 17,
NEWaRK 2009, by the Morris County Prosecu-
tor’s Office. He originally denied
Murder case defendant the assault but “began to cry and
admitted that he had engaged in
acts” of sexual assault when told the
may receive trial date teen was being taken to a doctor, the
affidavit said.
For months, the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office and attorneys RobeRt SciaRRino/the StaR-LedgeR Gonzalez is in the Morris County
for one of two men charged in the Newark missing-teens murder Remigio “Remy” Gonzalez, right, who appeared on the TV program “Cake Boss,” Jail in lieu of $300,000 bail. Sentenc-
case have tried to hammer out a deal to let him plead guilty and yesterday waits in Superior Court in Morristown, where he pleaded guilty to ing is scheduled for Aug. 5.
testify against the lead defendant in exchange for a lighter sentence. sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl on two occasions. — Julia Terruso
Yesterday, Superior Court Judge Patricia Costello told attorneys
for both sides she would set a trial date for the defendant, Philander
Hampton, 54, if there is no deal by July 19. GLoUCEStER toWNSHIP StatEWIdE FoRt LEE
It was Hampton’s recorded statement to police implicating him-
self and his cousin, Lee Anthony Evans, in the Aug. 20, 1978 killing Mister Softee heist Storms cut power, Cops punished for
of five teenage boys, that led to their arrest last year.
The two are alleged to have lured the boys into a vacant home,
yields $20, 3 arrests lighting injures 3 leaving teens in van
locked them in a closet and set the home ablaze. The bodies of Mel- A Mister Softee ice cream truck A police officer who had his Nearly a dozen borough police
vin Pittman and Ernest Taylor, both 17, and Randy Johnson, Alvin driver was held up, but the haul was second encounter with lightning
officers have been disciplined after
Turner and Michael McDowell, all 16, were never found. just $20 and the suspects didn’t get was among three people who may
Also the judge, who spoke with attorneys behind closed doors in far, police said. have been struck yesterday while five teenagers were left locked in a
Superior Court in Newark, said she would issue her decision Mon- Police told the Courier-Post of thousands lost power as severe police van for 14 hours.
day on a second request by the prosecutor’s office to force Evans to Cherry Hill that two people ap- storms pounded parts of central and The officers demoted, suspended
undergo a psychiatric evaluation before standing trial. proached the truck in the Sick- southern New Jersey yesterday. without pay or both.
The prosecution requested an evaluation because of Evans’ lerville section around 9:45 p.m. In Oceanport, a police officer was The boys were among a group
allegations about what he has called illegal actions by several law Tuesday and said they wanted ice stunned by a lightning bolt that of 20 who were rounded up after
enforcement officials — and his own attorney, Olubukola Adetula cream. Police say a third person struck near him about 6:15 p.m., neighbors complained about a loud
— that led to his arrest. Evans maintains those allegations though then emerged with a gun and de- said township Police Chief Harold
house party in March. The van was
he no longer says his attorney is complicit. manded money. Sutton.
Costello’s statement will either compel Evans to undergo the The driver alerted police who It was the second time the officer parked at police headquarters and
evaluation or declare him competent to stand trial. In February, the quickly found the suspects. had been felled by lightning at the the teens said they were “stranded”
judge denied a similar request. Police say the weapon turned out same place, he said. for more than 14 hours with no food,
— Alexi Friedman to be a BB gun. “You know that saying that light- water or cell phones.
An adult, a 15-year-old and a ning doesn’t strike in the same place The boys said they were released
16-year-old were charged with rob- twice,” he said. “I think my captain after an officer heard them making
tomS RIvER bery and other crimes. would argue that.” noise.
— Associated Press Yesterday’s lightning came when
Lawyer charged in hit-run coverup Capt. Daniel Barcus was closing a gate
Mayor Mark Sokolich told The
Ocean County authorities charged a Long Branch criminal after directing traffic at Oceanport and Record that Police Chief Thomas
defense attorney yesterday with leaving the scene of a hit-and-run FREEHoLd toWNSHIP Port au Peck avenues, said Sutton. Ripoli determined the incident was
accident in Toms River June 17 and letting his assistant take the It could have been the groundwa- “human error.”
blame. Marlboro man, 86, ter on which Barcus was standing, — The Record/Associated Press
John Koufos was charged with knowingly leaving the scene of or the metal gate he was grabbing at
an accident, aggravated assault, hindering his own apprehension dies in car crash the time that conducted the electric-
and witness tampering, Ocean County Prosecutor Marlene Lynch Police said yesterday they have ity, said the chief.
Ford said. identified the victim of a two-vehicle “We aren’t sure how,” Sutton said. ELSEWHERE in
Koufos, 34, of Brick, was on his way from an Ocean County Bar crash in Freehold as an 86-year-old “But he got the brunt of it.” nEW JERSEy
Association gathering at Gabriella’s restaurant in Ortley Beach Marlboro man. Barcus, a 15-year veteran with the The former treasurer of a
when he struck Kevin O’Brien, 17, of Newtown, Pa., with his 2011 department, crumpled into a crouch Pop Warner football league in
About 10:25 a.m. Thursday, Woodbridge has been charged
Lexus in the Silver Beach section of Toms River, said Deputy Chief and was unresponsive, said Sutton.
Michael Mohel, a spokesman for Ford. Stephen Sideroff was driving east He was not injured, but was held with stealing $19,795.69 from the
on Route 537 near Gravel Hill Road organization, Middlesex County
Koufos’ assistant, Craig Terlizzi, 40, of Brick, initially was overnight for observation at Mon- Prosecutor Bruce Kaplan said
charged in the hit-and-run. when he veered into the westbound mouth Medical Center. yesterday. He said Janet Thomas,
Ford said Terlizzi claimed to be operating the car around the lane, said Assistant Monmouth Two Middlesex County residents 45, was released on her own
time of the accident. Authorities have not said whether Terlizzi County Prosecutor Marc LeMieux, appear to have been struck as they recognizance. Investigators deter-
was in the car when the incident occurred. director of the Major Crimes stood under a tree outside their mined Thomas obtained funds from
“Our investigation now reveals Mr. Terlizzi’s statements in con- Bureau. apartment complex in Plainsboro the Port Reading Saints Football
nection with that investigation were false,” Ford said. about 5:30 p.m., police there said. Association between January
Sideroff crashed into a cement- 2010 and January 2011, while
Ford said she dropped one charge against Terlizzi but added a mixer truck and was pronounced They were sent to an area hospital she was treasurer, he said. … An
new charge of hindering an investigation because of the alleged dead at Jersey Shore University with moderate injuries, police said. Orange firefighter was taken to the
false statements. Medical Center about an hour and a Atlantic City Electric said it had re- hospital around noon yesterday for
O’Brien, on vacation with is family, was on his way back from half later, LeMieux said. stored power to about 5,400 homes overheating and dehydration while
getting ice cream when the accident took place around 9:30 p.m. The driver of the other vehicle, and businesses in Ocean County. fighting a house fire on Snyder
Toms River Police Chief Michael Mastronardy said the car struck On Long Beach Island, police Avenue, said fire chief Robert
William Graves of Levittown, Pa., Manganelli. The firefighter’s injuries
O’Brien, who was walking along the shoulder of Route 35 north, directed traffic because traffic lights
then drove off. 51, tried to veer out of the path of were out.
are common, he said. “They got
Sideroff’s car, but couldn’t avoid the a hundred pounds of gear on and
The vehicle, with a broken windshield, was found shortly before Parts of northern New Jersey face they’re working in there for a half
midnight in Mantoloking. crash, police said. a flood threat after storms dumped hour, 40 minutes nonstop,” he said.
O’Brien remained in critical condition at Jersey Shore Univer- Graves was not injured. as much as 4 inches of rain over the “They sweat a lot, and if they’re not
sity Medical Center in Neptune but has been improving, Mastron- Investigators said it was not clear region this week. hydrated properly prior to that, they
ardy said yesterday. what caused the crash. — Tomás Dinges could get dehydrated quick.”
— MaryAnn Spoto — Stefanie Dazio and Associated Press
Number of acres in the Great Swamp National Number of refuges Approximate number of Mileage of primitive
7,768 Wildlife Refuge, in southern Morris County,
according to the Great Swamp website
548 nationwide in the National
Wildlife Refuge System
244 bird species observed in
the Great Swamp refuge
8.5 trails open for hiking
in the Great Swamp