A rabbi in Ocean County is being sued by a woman who claims he sexually assaulted her when she came to him for financial help, then defamed her on a website and in fliers he posted near her children’s school.
New Jersey
9 hospitalized, dozens more treated for heat at New Jersey graduation
Graduation ceremonies rescheduled amid heat-related cancellations
Mayor Andre Sayegh declared a state of emergency on Monday after multiple people were sickened by the heat.
News 12
Several people attending an outdoor high school graduation ceremony in New Jersey during the widespread heat wave in the U.S. were taken to the hospital, while dozens more were treated at the scene, according to officials.
On Monday, June 23, nine people were taken to the hospital by emergency medical technicians, while 50 others declined hospital care and were treated on site at Hinchliffe Stadium in Paterson, said Fire Department Chief Alex Alicea according to the Bergen Record, a part of the USA TODAY Network.
Paterson is about 20 miles northwest of New York City.
Graduates were in folding chairs on the turf, while family members and other attendees sat in the grandstand with little shade.
On Monday, temperatures in the area rose to the upper 90s and the heat index reached 107 degrees, according to the Weather Channel.
Event stopped for safety
During a second ceremony later in the day, 100 people required treatment, while seven more were taken to the hospital, NBC News reported.
Seven more high school graduations were planned at the stadium, but were rescheduled due to the weather, the Bergen Record reported.
Sweltering heat continues
Tens of millions of Americans in the Eastern U.S. continue to face the heat wave.
Along the edges of the heat dome impacting the country, thunderstorms known as a “ring of fire” cropped up, according to forecasters. The severe thunderstorms could bring damaging wind gusts and hail to states on the outskirts of the dome, including parts of the Carolinas, Southeast and mid-Mississippi Valley, according to the Storm Prediction Center.
National heat index map: See which states feel hottest
The map embed below identifies areas where the heat index is forecasted to reach NWS-defined levels from “Caution” (80 degrees Fahrenheit) to “Extreme Danger” (above 125 degrees).
Heat index measures how hot it actually feels when factoring for humidity. Prolonged exposure to a heat index above 80 degrees can lead to fatigue, as previously reported by USA TODAY. As it gets hotter, the risk continues to increase − potentially resulting in heat stroke or even death. Older adults, children, and outdoor workers are generally at higher risk of heat-related incidents.
How to stay safe during extreme heat
People facing extreme heat should do the following, according to NWS:
- Drink plenty of fluids
- Stay in an air-conditioned room
- Stay out of the sun
- Check up on relatives and neighbors
- Do not leave young children and pets in unattended vehicles
- Wear lightweight and loose-fitting clothing outdoors
- Limit strenuous activities to early morning or evening
Heat exhaustion and heat stroke
Extreme heat can have a negative impact on people’s health.
“Heat-related illnesses increase significantly during extreme heat and high humidity events,” according to the National Weather Service.
The following factors increase the possibility of a heat-related illness, according to the National Park Service:
- High humidity
- High elevation
- Strenuous activity
- Age: Infants, young children and people over 65 are more susceptible to heat illness
- Pregnancy
- Obesity
- Heart disease
- Poor circulation
- Fever
- Mental illness
- Dehydration
- Sunburn
- Prescription drug and alcohol use
What are the symptoms of heatstroke?
There are multiple forms of heat illnesses, but heatstroke is the deadliest and most dangerous, according to the NPS.
The following are symptoms of heatstroke, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:
- Body temperature of 103 degrees or higher
- Skins that is hot, red, dry or damp
- Fast, strong pulse
- Headache
- Dizziness
- Nausea
- Confusion
- Losing consciousness
In the case of heatstroke, the CDC recommends people do the following:
- Call 911 immediately
- Move the person suffering from heatstroke to a cool location
- Lower the person’s body temperature with a cool cloth or bath
- Do not give the person suffering from a heatstroke water or anything to drink
Contributing: Joe Malinconico, Paterson Press; Doyle Rice, Jeanine Santucci and staff, USA TODAY
Julia is a trending reporter for USA TODAY. Connect with her on LinkedIn, X, Instagram and TikTok: @juliamariegz, or email her at jgomez@gannett.com
New Jersey
NJ rabbi faces lawsuit for sexual assault after giving financial aid | The Jerusalem Post
Avraham Appel, of Jackson, abused his position as a trusted community leader to sexually assault and exploit the woman, an Israeli immigrant who came to him as a single mother struggling to pay bills, according to the lawsuit, filed in the Superior Court of Ocean County.
Appel is a prominent rabbi and Rosh Kollel, or head of a Jewish institute for advanced Talmudic study, who is based in Lakewood and Jackson, according to court papers filed January 5.
Appel did not respond to calls to his home and cellphone seeking comment on the lawsuit.
The woman claims she confided in one of her children’s schoolteachers in early 2020 that she was in significant financial distress and having trouble paying for daycare.
The teacher suggested she contact Appel, according to the suit.
In February 2020, Appel arranged to meet with the woman at a local Starbucks.
“During that meeting, Appel presented himself to (the woman) as a rabbi, mentor, advisor, and friend whom (the woman) could trust, confide in, and depend on,” the lawsuit states.
Appel, who had experience in real estate, allegedly offered the woman an opportunity to solicit investments on his behalf and to “draw,” or advance, money against future commissions.
Rabbi issues payments to woman after alleged sexual assault
In June and July 2022, Appel issued six payments to the woman, totaling $20,000 and characterized as advances or loans. He also provided the woman with “financial assistance” so she could buy groceries and pay medical expenses and water bills, according to the suit.
The lawsuit claims most of the money was meant to buy the woman’s silence after he attacked her on June 1, 2022.
The suit alleges Appel visited the woman while she was alone at home and sexually assaulted her as she pleaded for him to stop.
“Appel was abusive and unrelenting. The more (the woman) pled for mercy, the more aggressive Appel became,” the suit alleges.
Before leaving her home, he allegedly ordered her to delete Ring camera footage that showed him arriving.
In the months after the assault, Appel “forced himself upon” the woman and took sexual advantage of her on other occasions, the suit claims.
Appel also allegedly bombarded the woman with demands for sexual acts and sent her a barrage of text and WhatsApp messages containing crude and graphic sexual content.
“I want to squeeze your breasts,” one text allegedly said. In another, he sent the woman a photo of his penis, the suit alleges.
In July 2024, the woman met with another rabbi and shared evidence of the sexual assault and “other incidents involving Appel,” the suit claims.
Woman offered $50,000 for therapy after sexual assault
Appel later contacted his attorney and the two offered the woman $50,000 to cover her future therapy expenses.
The money would be available only if the woman signed a release of any claims related to the assault and agreed to keep all incidents between them confidential, according to the suit.
The woman refused to accept the money or sign the agreement, the suit says.
Appel then launched a campaign to destroy the woman “personally and professionally,” according to the lawsuit.
On December 15, 2025, the woman became aware of a website with her photos that claimed she was “a danger to all Jews,” and warned the public to stay away from her, according to the complaint.
The website disclosed the woman’s address, claimed she stole money, and characterized her as a “thief.”
Moreover, Appel and possibly others posted signs smearing the woman. The signs were posted at public locations throughout the community, including the school her two children attended, the suit alleges.
The lawsuit claims sexual assault, invasion of privacy, intentional infliction of emotional distress, defamation, and conspiracy.
The complaint also alleges Appel breached his duty as a rabbi to conduct himself with loyalty and in good faith.
A shooting investigation in Camden County has prompted a large police response, according to a source.
Léelo en español aquí
The shooting unfolded in the area of Locust Court in Winslow Township in the evening of June 17.
SkyForce10 was over the scene of what looked like a residential complex as several police cars were visible lining the streets.
Police tape appeared to be blocking off the area as officers looked at a sedan that appeared to have crashed into another car.
No word yet on what led to the shooting or if anyone was hurt.
A New Jersey man pleaded guilty in connection to a car accident that killed a woman and a girl in Lakewood Township, New Jersey, last July.
Raul Luna-Perez, 43, pleaded guilty to multiple counts of assault by auto and aggravated manslaughter, on Monday, June 15, 2026, prosecutors said.
He is scheduled for sentencing on Aug. 28, 2026.
According to Ocean County officials, on July 26, 2025, officers from Lakewood Township responded to a car crash with multiple injuries at the intersection of Cross Street and Hearthstone Drive.
In the investigation conducted by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office, Lakewood Township Police, and Ocean County Sherrif’s department, it was revealed that a Dodge Durango operated by Luna-Perez, also holding a passenger, crossed into an oncoming lane of traffic and collided head-on with a Nissan Sentra.
Maria Pleitez, 42, and two 11-year-old girls were inside the Nissan Sentra at the time.
Pleitez was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident. One of the 11-year-old girls was transported to Monmouth Medical Center South Campus where she died from her injuries. The second 11-year-old girl was transported to Jersey Shore University Medical Center (JSUMC) where she was treated for her injuries and eventually released.
The passenger in Luna-Perez’s Dodge Durango received minor injuries as a result of the crash, and was treated at JSUMC.
According to police, first responders at the scene detected that Luna-Perez was showing signs of impairment. He was transported to JSUMC, where his blood was drawn. The results of the blood test included a Blood Alcohol Content of 0.19 and traces of cocaine.
In New Jersey, operators of cars are presumed to be over the legal limit for alcohol consumption when their Blood Alcohol Content is 0.08 or greater. As a result of the blood test of Luna-Perez, his charges were upgraded to two counts of aggravated manslaughter and strict liability vehicular manslaughter on Aug. 7, 2025, investigators reveal.
That same day, Luna-Perez was taken into custody at an ICE detention facility in Elizabeth, New Jersey, though he was transported to Ocean County Jail by detectives and has been detained there since.
Subsequently in the investigation, it was revealed that Luna-Perez was accelerating at approximately 60 miles-per-hour at the time of the crash and crossed the yellow line.
According to the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office, the State of New Jersey will be seeking two 10-year terms for each aggravated manslaughter charge of Luna-Perez, and an 18-month sentence for his assault by auto offense. The aggravated manslaughter sentences will run consecutively, while the assault by auto sentence will run concurrently.
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