New Jersey officer prioritized ATM visit over responding to shooting, leading to delayed discovery of a double murder the following day, prosecutors allege.
A New Jersey police sergeant has been charged with official misconduct following allegations that he failed to adequately respond to a reported shooting incident that culminated in the tragic deaths of a veterinarian and her boyfriend. The Hunterdon County Prosecutor’s Office detailed the accusations against Sgt. Kevin Bollaro on Thursday, marking a significant development in the ongoing investigation.
The victims, Lauren Semanchik, 33, of Pittstown, and Tyler Webb, 29, of Forked River, were found dead in Semanchik’s residence on Upper Kingtown Road in Franklin Township on August 2, a day after multiple emergency calls reported gunshots and screaming in the vicinity. Prosecutors allege that on the night prior to the discovery of the bodies, Bollaro was informed about these reports but chose to prioritize a personal trip to an ATM rather than responding directly to the scene.
While Bollaro attended to his transaction, dispatchers relayed a second report of gunfire. Instead of swiftly moving to the location, he allegedly failed to activate his siren or lights, eventually arriving approximately 17 minutes after his first notification. Despite the urgency indicated by the multiple calls, Bollaro did not respond to all the reports and did not activate his body camera while engaging with the first caller.
Following his initial engagement, Bollaro reportedly abandoned the scene for an extended period—approximately 50 minutes at a nearby pizzeria, followed by nearly an hour at another restaurant, where he socialized with patrons. Subsequently, he spent an unaccounted five hours at a local cemetery without recording any police activity, concluding the night with what has been cited as a false narrative in his report of the events.
As the investigation progressed, detectives uncovered that Ricardo Jorge Santos, a New Jersey State Police lieutenant and Semanchik’s ex-boyfriend, had been found dead in a parked SUV in Piscataway. Initial reports suggest that Santos died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, which the Middlesex County Medical Examiner’s Office is treating as a suicide. A handgun was discovered at the scene.
Family representatives for Semanchik and Webb have expressed shock and outrage over Bollaro’s reported conduct, citing it as part of a broader systemic failure that ultimately led to the tragic loss of their loved ones. As a response, Bollaro faces charges for second-degree official misconduct and disorderly conduct for tampering with public records. He is scheduled for a court appearance on November 5.
The Hunterdon County Prosecutor’s Office has previously indicated that Semanchik had expressed concerns about Santos’s behavior—alleging harassment and control—after their relationship ended around September 2024. Alarmingly, a surveillance system revealed that Santos was following Semanchik closely on the day of the incident, which has raised further questions about police response protocols and protective measures available to victims of domestic threats.
The situation has poised both the New Jersey State Police and local law enforcement under scrutiny, with calls for accountability and reform in response to complaints about prior engagements and attempts made by Semanchik to seek assistance. Legal actions are anticipated to follow in light of these failures.
