JACKSON – Police officers from Jackson and several other municipalities broke up a house party that attracted an estimated 700 individuals to a home in the Whispering Hill residential development off Leesville Road.
On July 26 at 8:30 p.m., police officers responded to a home on Mill Pond Road to investigate a report of a suspicious incident, according to a press release from the Jackson Police Department.
Upon arriving at the scene, the officers spoke with residents of the neighborhood who claimed a residence on the street had been rented out to a group of people who were hosting a large party which was causing a disturbance in the neighborhood.
Police said the party appeared to be in violation of an executive order issued by Gov. Phil Murphy regarding the number of people who may attend a function during the 2020 coronavirus pandemic.
Officers monitored the area and observed a large crowd at the residence.
Police said an investigation determined the home had been rented through a vacation rental online marketplace. Police estimated 700 people were at the party and that about 100 cars were parked in the vicinity of the home.
Officers began to clear the crowd from the home. Police said the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office was contacted and authorized charges to be filed against the homeowner and the party organizer for violating Murphy’s executive order.
Police said the owner of the home on Mill Pond Road, who is a 40-year-old male resident of Jackson, and two people described as the party organizers, a 23-year-old female resident of Newark and a 22-year-old female resident of Newark, were issued summonses.
All on-duty Jackson police officers responded to the scene to handle the situation as additional party-goers were still arriving and traffic in the area was becoming an issue. Officers from multiple law enforcement agencies responded to assist the Jackson officers, according to the press release.
Police said the scene on Mill Pond Road was cleared by 1 a.m. The investigation is continuing and the Jackson Code Enforcement Office was notified of the incident.
During the same time, police received a 911 call from a resident of Overlook Drive, which is a short distance from Mill Pond Road. The resident reported that people who had left the party on Mill Pond Road had broken into his home and were damaging property.
Police said it was determined that a family member of the caller who had been at the party on Mill Pond Road had invited a large group of people from the party back to the home on Overlook Drive.
Police responded and the individuals were dispersed from the home on Overlook Drive, according to the press release.
