Franklin Township Sgt. Charged Over Response to Killings

Hunterdon County prosecutors charged Franklin Township Police Sgt. Kevin Bollaro with second‑degree official misconduct and tampering with records, alleging he failed to properly respond to multiple 911 calls on Aug. 1 — the night before veterinarian Lauren Semanchik, 33, and volunteer firefighter Tyler Webb, 29, were found shot dead in Pittstown by New Jersey State Police Lt. Ricardo Santos, who later killed himself. Prosecutors say GPS and surveillance footage show Bollaro drove about 1.5 miles to a TD Bank ATM, then spent roughly an hour at Duke’s Pizzeria, nearly another hour at the Pittstown Inn and about five hours at a cemetery during his shift instead of canvassing the area, and that he did not activate his vehicle’s emergency lights or his body‑worn camera. Officials allege Bollaro later submitted a false report claiming he canvassed Upper Kingtown Road and cleared the scene after about 20 minutes. He faces up to 10 years in prison and fines if convicted. Families and community members have condemned the alleged conduct, Bollaro’s attorney says his actions “did not” affect the killings, and the Hunterdon County Prosecutor’s Office continues to investigate both the double homicide and Bollaro’s conduct.