Franklin Township police sergeant indicted on official misconduct charge
GPS data and surveillance footage later showed Bollaro spent substantial portions of the remainder of his shift at Duke's Pizzeria, the Pittstown Inn and Locust Grove Cemetery.
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A Hunterdon County grand jury has indicted a Franklin Township police sergeant on an official misconduct charge, alleging he failed to properly respond to reports of gunfire and screaming hours before a double homicide in August 2025.
Hunterdon County Prosecutor Renée M. Robeson announced Thursday that Sgt. Kevin Bollaro was indicted on one count of official misconduct. Prosecutors say Bollaro knowingly refrained from performing his duties as a police officer to obtain a personal benefit.
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According to the indictment, Franklin Township officers responded around 12:30 p.m. on Aug. 2, 2025, to a 911 call reporting an unconscious woman with visible trauma at a home on Upper Kingtown Road in the Pittstown section of the township. Officers found two people dead from apparent gunshot wounds. The victims were identified as Lauren Semanchik, 33, of Pittstown, and Tyler Webb, 29, of Forked River. Investigators later determined the killings were a targeted attack committed by New Jersey State Police Lt. Ricardo Santos, who is now deceased.
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During the homicide investigation, prosecutors also examined Bollaro's response to three separate 911 calls received around 7 p.m. on Aug. 1, 2025, reporting gunshots and screaming near White Bridge and Upper Kingtown roads. According to prosecutors, dispatchers alerted Bollaro to the calls, but instead of responding immediately, he drove in the opposite direction to conduct a personal ATM transaction in Clinton Township. He arrived at the first caller's location about 17 minutes after being notified.
Prosecutors allege Bollaro failed to activate his body-worn camera, did not thoroughly canvass the area and failed to speak with the other two callers. They said he spent about 12 minutes investigating before clearing the calls. GPS data and surveillance footage later showed Bollaro spent substantial portions of the remainder of his shift at Duke's Pizzeria, the Pittstown Inn and Locust Grove Cemetery, and did not return to the reported locations.
Bollaro is scheduled to be arraigned July 10 before Superior Court Judge Christopher J. Garrenger. If convicted, the charge carries a potential prison sentence of five to 10 years and a maximum fine of $150,000.
