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Daily Mail
03-05-2025
- Daily Mail
New Jersey teens gave ridiculous excuse before arrest for starting devastating wildfire
Two New Jersey teens are accused of setting one of the largest wildfires the Garden State has endured in decades - then attempting to dodge responsibility by blaming 'Mexicans.' When questioned about the Jones Road Wildfire, which scorched more than 15,000 acres in Ocean County, 19-year-old Joseph Kling did not deny knowing about the massive blaze. Instead, he pointed the finger at a group of 'Mexicans' he claimed to have seen in the woods, the Ashbury Park Press reported. Prosecutors say that statement was entirely false - no such group was present and evidence shows Kling and an unnamed 17-year-old accomplice were the ones who started the fire. Kling now faces multiple charges, including aggravated arson and hindering apprehension, for allegedly setting gasoline-soaked wooden pallets ablaze in a remote section of the Pine Barrens on April 22. Both Kling and the juvenile allegedly told investigators that Mexicans had been in the area when the fire ignited, according to Assistant Ocean County Prosecutor Gregory Lenzi. But investigators discovered text chats between the teens that 'appear to refute the claim that Mexicans started the fire,' Lenzi told Superior Court Judge Pamela Snyder during Kling's detention hearing. Kling's lie adds a troubling layer to an already serious case. The wildfire, now 80 percent contained, forced the evacuation of residents, destroyed one commercial building, damaged several vehicles and left about 25,000 people without power. In addition to consuming nearly 15,300 acres of forest, the blaze destroyed Liberty Door and Awning, a local business, Lenzi said. 'He gambled with the lives and well-being of the people of the community when he lit that fire,' the prosecutor added. According to investigators, Kling and the 17-year-old gathered pallets from a recycling center and transported them to the Greenwood Forest Wildlife Management Area. After a dirt bike crash involving a third teen - identified only as J.M. in court documents - Kling allegedly added more fuel to the fire and then left without attempting to put it out. Hours later, flames were spreading uncontrollably through the forest, threatening over 1,300 structures and prompting air quality warnings that extended to New York City and Long Island. The 17-year-old co-defendant is also charged with aggravated arson and hindering apprehension. Prosecutors say he gave false statements to law enforcement during the initial stages of the investigation. Although wildfires are not uncommon in New Jersey's Pine Barrens, the size and speed of the Jones Road Fire prompted Acting Governor Tahesha Way to declare a state of emergency on April 23. 'I am declaring a State of Emergency in Ocean County due to the Jones Road Wildfire in the Greenwood Forest Wildfire Management Area near Lacey, Ocean, and Barnegat Townships,' Way posted to her X account. 'At this time, we have no loss of life and no homes have been harmed. If you live in the affected area, please listen to guidance from emergency management officials.' Kling remains in custody as the case unfolds. His attorney, Jim Compitello, argued that his client - a student at Ocean County Vocational-Technical Schools who is just weeks from graduation - should be released pending trial due to his 'strong local ties.' Compitello said the aggravated arson charge reflected 'fear and emotion stirred by the wildfire,' not intent. 'All we have is an individual who is alleged to have brought pallets and set them on fire,' he told the court. 'There is no proof that he had an intention to set fire to the forest.' Kling's detention hearing is scheduled to continue at 11 am Monday.
Yahoo
07-04-2025
- Yahoo
NJ mom who drowned her 2 kids to root out 'all the evil in the world' found not guilty by reason of insanity
A New Jersey woman who drowned her toddlers last year to eliminate "all the evil in the world" — citing "religious reasons" — was found not guilty by reason of insanity. Naomi Elkins, 27, was charged with killing her daughters, ages 1 and 3, after she drowned them in her bathtub at her home in Lakewood, New Jersey, on June 25. Superior Court Judge Guy P. Ryan ruled last week that Elkins did kill her children, but was not guilty by reason of insanity, the Ashbury Park Press reported. The judge ordered Elkins to be committed to a secure psychiatric hospital for two lifetimes — one for each child she killed. This means she was sentenced to a total of 150 years in a psychiatric hospital, as each life term of commitment equates to 75 years under state law. New Jersey Mother Accused Of Drowning Her 2 Young Children, Stabbing 1 Elkins had admitted to police that she drowned each of her children in separate bathtubs for "religious reasons." Read On The Fox News App She first stabbed the younger child in the stomach but was not convinced that it would kill her, so she put the child in a bathtub and held her underwater for two to three minutes, telling police she counted to 50 several times to ensure she held her underwater for "enough time," according to a criminal complaint. Her other daughter observed what happened and ran away to hide, the judge said. But Elkins grabbed her and put her in the bathtub in a second bathroom, climbed on top of her and held her down while the bathtub filled up. Elkins then called first responders to report that she had hurt her daughters. Both children were pronounced dead at the scene. Psychologist Gianni Pirelli testified in court that Elkins was "undoubtedly psychotic" and that the woman believed that either she or her husband was the Messiah, the Ashbury Park Press reported. Pirelli said Elkins was described as "emotionless" after the incident and that her statements included similar "religious themes." "She thought that if she destroyed her children, she would be destroying all the evil in the world," Pirelli said. Elkins' husband had left town on a business trip the day before the killings. Pirelli said Elkins has struggled with mental illness since at least 2018 and suffered postpartum psychosis after the births of her two children. The woman's mental health never stabilized, Pirelli said. After her second pregnancy, Elkins began to believe that she was "either a descendant of Hitler or evil entities, this idea of her being evil, this self-loathing or idea that she needed to repent," Pirelli said. Following her confession, Elkins was allowed to write a letter, which "reads as if it's a letter to God," Pirelli said. "I thought I loved you, God, my creator," Elkins wrote in the letter. "You are evil. I'm deserving of death and destruction. I don't know what I was. I loved my children, but I loved you more," the letter continues. Parents Charged After Brawl At Youth Street Hockey Tournament In New Jersey The letter adds: "I put me before my kids. How could a Jewish mother do that? How? How is it possible?" Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer said his office could not dispute the determination that Elkins was legally insane when she killed her children. "Based on our review of the facts and circumstances, in combination with the expert psychiatric report and testimony, the State agrees with this finding," Billhimer said. "It's not even a close call." Elkins' mental health will be evaluated periodically by the court, and she will remain in a psychiatric institution unless she reaches a point when she is no longer considered a danger to herself or others, Defense attorney Mitchell Ansell said. Original article source: NJ mom who drowned her 2 kids to root out 'all the evil in the world' found not guilty by reason of insanity
Fox News
07-04-2025
- Fox News
NJ mom who drowned her 2 kids to root out 'all the evil in the world' found not guilty by reason of insanity
A New Jersey woman who drowned her toddlers last year to eliminate "all the evil in the world" — citing "religious reasons" — was found not guilty by reason of insanity. Naomi Elkins, 27, was charged with killing her daughters, ages 1 and 3, after she drowned them in her bathtub at her home in Lakewood, New Jersey, on June 25. Superior Court Judge Guy P. Ryan ruled last week that Elkins did kill her children, but was not guilty by reason of insanity, the Ashbury Park Press reported. The judge ordered Elkins to be committed to a secure psychiatric hospital for two lifetimes — one for each child she killed. This means she was sentenced to a total of 150 years in a psychiatric hospital, as each life term of commitment equates to 75 years under state law. Elkins had admitted to police that she drowned each of her children in separate bathtubs for "religious reasons." She first stabbed the younger child in the stomach but was not convinced that it would kill her, so she put the child in a bathtub and held her underwater for two to three minutes, telling police she counted to 50 several times to ensure she held her underwater for "enough time," according to a criminal complaint. Her other daughter observed what happened and ran away to hide, the judge said. But Elkins grabbed her and put her in the bathtub in a second bathroom, climbed on top of her and held her down while the bathtub filled up. Elkins then called first responders to report that she had hurt her daughters. Both children were pronounced dead at the scene. Psychologist Gianni Pirelli testified in court that Elkins was "undoubtedly psychotic" and that the woman believed that either she or her husband was the Messiah, the Ashbury Park Press reported. Pirelli said Elkins was described as "emotionless" after the incident and that her statements included similar "religious themes." "She thought that if she destroyed her children, she would be destroying all the evil in the world," Pirelli said. Elkins' husband had left town on a business trip the day before the killings. Pirelli said Elkins has struggled with mental illness since at least 2018 and suffered postpartum psychosis after the births of her two children. The woman's mental health never stabilized, Pirelli said. After her second pregnancy, Elkins began to believe that she was "either a descendant of Hitler or evil entities, this idea of her being evil, this self-loathing or idea that she needed to repent," Pirelli said. Following her confession, Elkins was allowed to write a letter, which "reads as if it's a letter to God," Pirelli said. "I thought I loved you, God, my creator," Elkins wrote in the letter. "You are evil. I'm deserving of death and destruction. I don't know what I was. I loved my children, but I loved you more," the letter continues. The letter adds: "I put me before my kids. How could a Jewish mother do that? How? How is it possible?" Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer said his office could not dispute the determination that Elkins was legally insane when she killed her children. "Based on our review of the facts and circumstances, in combination with the expert psychiatric report and testimony, the State agrees with this finding," Billhimer said. "It's not even a close call." Elkins' mental health will be evaluated periodically by the court, and she will remain in a psychiatric institution unless she reaches a point when she is no longer considered a danger to herself or others, Defense attorney Mitchell Ansell said.
