By: Richard L. Smith
Image Credit: my central jersey
The Hunterdon County Prosecutor’s Office has announced charges against a Franklin Township police sergeant accused of misconduct and tampering with records during his response to a double homicide investigation earlier this year.
According to a statement released by the prosecutor’s office, Sgt. Kevin Bollaro is alleged to have failed to properly respond to urgent 911 calls on August 1, the night New Jersey State Trooper Ricardo Santos allegedly murdered his ex-girlfriend, Lauren Semanchik (pictured), and her boyfriend, Tyler Webb (pictured), in the Pittstown section of Franklin Township.
Authorities said dispatchers relayed reports of gunfire and screaming to Sgt. Bollaro, who acknowledged the call but instead drove in the opposite direction to a TD Bank, where he used an ATM for a personal transaction.
Investigators allege Bollaro also disregarded a second dispatch call for assistance.
Prosecutors further stated that Bollaro eventually made his way toward the scene without activating his police lights or sirens.
Upon arriving, he allegedly failed to turn on his body-worn camera and later claimed he was unable to locate the source of the gunfire, ultimately “clearing the scene” after about 20 minutes.
However, investigators said GPS records and surveillance footage contradicted Bollaro’s account, showing that he was not canvassing Upper Kingtown Road as he reported but was instead heading toward Duke’s Pizzeria in Pittstown during that time.
The prosecutor’s office confirmed that the investigation into both the double homicide and Bollaro’s conduct remains ongoing.