Ex-Neptune administrator, Lumberton mayor faces DUI charge while driving with her toddler
LUMBERTON -- Mayor Gina LaPlaca, who just last week quit her job as business administrator in Neptune Township, is facing multiple charges in municipal court, including driving under the influence and child endangerment following an arrest on Monday.
According to court records, LaPlaca was arrested around 5:30 p.m. on March 17 for allegedly driving while intoxicated with a 2-year-old child in the rear driver-side seat of her vehicle.
LaPlaca was charged with endangering/abuse/neglect of a child which is a second-degree crime that carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. She was also charged with cruelty and neglect, a fourth-degree crime that carries a maximum penalty of 18 months in prison.
LaPlaca was also cited for operating a vehicle under the influence, reckless driving, careless driving likely to endanger, traffic on marked lanes, driving with an expired license and an open container of alcohol.
According to police, a witness video showed a vehicle failing to maintain its lane in multiple instances and almost colliding with a utility pole. After law enforcement made contact with LaPlaca, she admitted to drinking and stated she had picked up her toddler from daycare, police said. A search of her vehicle found an open container of alcohol, according to the statement in the affidavit.
LaPlaca's husband Jason Carty, a political activist and firefighter, told the Asbury Park Press that she was admitted to a rehab facility the following day.
"The first step on her road to recovery. This is not a political issue. This is not a Republican or Democrat (issue), it is a human being issue. People suffer from addiction and many people don't get help. She is finally getting the help she needs," Carty said.
He added, "unfortunately you have to hit rock bottom before you get better. This is obviously rock bottom."
This arrest came a week after LaPlaca informed Neptune officials of her resignation prior to the March 10 meeting of the Township Committee, and in her statement to the Asbury Park Press cited the "changing political environment" as the reason.
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The resignation came days after a 14-second video of LaPlaca being escorted out of a March 5 Mount Holly Fire Commissioners meeting was uploaded to a Neptune group on Facebook. The clip shows LaPlaca in a heated back-and-forth with someone in the public while police escort her out of the room.
In an email to the Neptune Township Committee, Nicole Saucier, chairwoman of the Mount Holly Fire District No. 1 Board Of Commissioners, backed up LaPlaca, saying it was the audience members who had been heckling her and slandering her husband. Saucier said LaPlaca was not asked to leave, and police escorted her out for her own safety.
LaPlaca was elected to the Township Committee in Lumberton in Burlington County in 2020 and then re-elected in 2023.
In 2023, LaPlaca was arrested at her home in late October after a domestic incident resulted in LaPlaca being accused of assaulting her husband. The charges filed against her would later be dismissed and she was granted an expungement, removing that October arrest from her record. Carty said that he took responsibility for the incident and that his wife did nothing wrong.
LaPlaca handled day-to-day operations in Neptune since January 2022. As the business administrator she was involved in all aspects of town management, from the municipal budget, personnel and labor negotiations, municipal services, and managing projects that fall in line with the town's goals.
She did not elaborate on what changes had happened. LaPlaca is a Democrat, as are all five members of the Neptune Township Committee.
Most notably since 2023, LaPlaca played a pivotal role in ending the homeless encampment off Route 66. The tent city in the woods behind the ShopRite existed for over a decade and the camp's population reached over 30 before the township began the process of rehousing the homeless.
"I ask that everyone keep her in their thoughts as she moves forward on her road to recovery. Please ignore the exaggerated political hyperbole and keep in mind her passion for helping others. This should not erase all the things she has accomplished for our community," Carty said.
He said LaPlaca is a "loving and caring" mother.
"Our oldest is a teenager and can see the unkind things being said online. I ask simply that you respect our privacy, be better humans and please show some compassion, thank you," Carty said.
Charles Daye is the metro reporter for Asbury Park and Neptune, with a focus on diversity, equity and inclusion. @CharlesDayeAPP Contact him: CDaye@gannettnj.com
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Lumberton mayor, ex-Neptune business administrator, faces DUI charge
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