FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP, NJ — A Franklin Township Police Department sergeant has been charged with official misconduct and tampering with records in connection with his response to calls for service on Aug. 1.
Hunterdon County Prosecutor Renée M. Robeson announced Thursday that Sergeant Kevin Bollaro faces second-degree official misconduct and disorderly persons tampering with public records charges.
According to the criminal complaint, on Aug. 2 at approximately 12:22 p.m., Franklin Township police officers responded to a 911 call reporting an unconscious female with apparent physical trauma at 39 Upper Kingtown Road in the Pittstown section of Franklin Township.
Upon arrival, officers observed two deceased individuals — later identified as Lauren Semanchik, 33, of Pittstown, and Tyler Webb, 29, of Forked River — who exhibited apparent gunshot wounds from a semiautomatic firearm.
Investigators later confirmed the deaths were a targeted act by New Jersey State Police Lieutenant Ricardo Santos, 45, now deceased.
During the investigation into the double homicide, the Hunterdon County Prosecutor’s Office learned that on Aug. 1 at approximately 7:08 p.m., an individual from 41 Upper Kingtown Road called to report gunshots and screaming.
A dispatcher relayed that information to the on-duty officer, Bollaro, who acknowledged the transmission.
Data from global positioning systems and surveillance footage revealed that instead of immediately responding to the call for service, Bollaro drove approximately 1.5 miles in the opposite direction of the caller’s location to the TD Bank on Route 31 in Clinton Township, where he conducted a personal ATM transaction.
Approximately five minutes after the first call, a second caller from 5 White Bridge Road reported gunshots and screaming, which was relayed to and acknowledged by Bollaro, who was continuing his ATM transaction.
Bollaro then departed the TD Bank and proceeded towards the locations without activating his police vehicle’s emergency lights and sirens.
Approximately five minutes after the second call, a third caller from 18 Upper Kingtown Road reported gunshots and screaming, which was relayed to and acknowledged by Bollaro.
Approximately eight minutes later, GPS data located Bollaro at 41 Upper Kingtown Road, presumably where he was speaking with the first caller for approximately four to six minutes.
However, because Bollaro failed to activate his body worn camera, the precise length of this interaction is unknown.
From the time of the first dispatch transmission to Bollaro to when he arrived at 41 Upper Kingtown Road, approximately 17 minutes transpired.
Bollaro subsequently advised dispatch that he was unable to hear anything in the area of Upper Kingtown Road, so he would next proceed to White Bridge Road.
At approximately 7:38 p.m., GPS data showed that Bollaro was on White Bridge Road, and, within a minute, his vehicle was back on Pittstown Road, approximately a quarter of a mile away from White Bridge Road.
At approximately 7:40 p.m., Bollaro asked dispatch to clear him from the scene.
Further investigation revealed that Bollaro did not speak with either the second or third callers.
Rather, GPS data showed that he travelled partially down White Bridge Road but never stopped to further investigate.
From the time of Bollaro’s arrival at 41 Upper Kingtown Road to when he cleared his investigative involvement, approximately 12 minutes transpired.
The residence of 39 Upper Kingtown Road is positioned approximately 562 feet from 41 Upper Kingtown Road; approximately 0.7 miles from 5 White Bridge Road; and approximately 857 feet from 18 Upper Kingtown Road.
GPS data further showed that Bollaro immediately traveled to Duke’s Pizzeria & Restaurant at 371 Pittstown Road and remained there for approximately 50 minutes.
He was later seen parking at and walking towards the Pittstown Inn, where he remained for approximately 57 minutes, engaging socially with patrons according to witnesses.
GPS data also revealed that Bollaro spent approximately five consecutive hours of his duty shift — from approximately 11:27 p.m. until 4:33 a.m. — at Locust Grove Cemetery, during which no law enforcement activity was recorded by him.
Bollaro later submitted a report documenting his investigation into the calls for service on Aug
