New Jersey
Former Lumberton, New Jersey, mayor Gina LaPlaca pleads guilty to 2025 DUI, sentenced to treatment program
A former mayor in Burlington County, New Jersey, pleaded guilty to DUI and child endangerment charges after a 2025 traffic stop, according to prosecutors.
Lumberton Township committee member Gina LaPlaca, 46, was indicted last spring on child abuse charges after county prosecutors said she was observed driving drunk with her young child in the car, while serving as the township mayor.
Police arrested her at her home after reviewing video from a witness showing her swerving out of her lane and nearly hitting a utility pole. Lumberton police discovered her blood alcohol concentration was .30%, over three times the legal limit of .08%.
On Monday, LaPlaca was sentenced to three years in a diversionary program for first-time offenders after pleading guilty to driving under the influence and a fourth-degree child abuse charge. As part of the plea deal, LaPlaca will avoid jail time as long as she abides by the terms of the program.
Under the terms of the Pretrial Intervention or PTI program, she must attend regular Alcoholics Anonymous meetings and comply with any requirements set by the New Jersey Division of Child Protection and Permanency.
Judge Craig A. Ambrose also ordered LaPlaca to have an ignition lock device on her car that will prevent it from starting up if the driver has consumed alcohol. She said in court she had already installed one in October 2025, the county prosecutor’s office said.
If LaPlaca violates the terms of the PTI program, she could be prosecuted for the child abuse charge.
LaPlaca completed an intensive treatment program in May 2025 and said in a statement that she is “fully committed to my recovery” and is doing the “daily, intentional work” that comes with it. She apologized to Lumberton residents while acknowledging a private struggle with alcohol addiction that was no longer private.
“The weight of my actions is something I carry deeply,” she said in a statement shared on social media. “What I did was wrong. It was dangerous. It was inexcusable. I drove while intoxicated with my child in the car — a choice that could have caused irreversible harm. That reality is something I will live with, and learn from, for the rest of my life.”
LaPlaca served as mayor through 2025 but remains on the township committee. Terrance Benson was sworn in as mayor of Lumberton this year.
New Jersey
Rock legend Steven Van Zandt celebrates New Jersey launch of Malvado Maple Mezcal at Hard Rock Atlantic City
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Photo by HughE Dillon
Steven Van Zandt celebrates New Jersey launch of Malvado Maple Mezcal
Photo by HughE Dillon
Steven Van Zandt celebrates New Jersey launch of Malvado Maple Mezcal
Photo by HughE Dillon
Steven Van Zandt celebrates New Jersey launch of Malvado Maple Mezcal
Photo by HughE Dillon
Steven Van Zandt celebrates New Jersey launch of Malvado Maple Mezcal
Photo by HughE Dillon
Steven Van Zandt celebrates New Jersey launch of Malvado Maple Mezcal
Photo by HughE Dillon
Steven Van Zandt celebrates New Jersey launch of Malvado Maple Mezcal
Photo by HughE Dillon
Steven Van Zandt celebrates New Jersey launch of Malvado Maple Mezcal
Photo by HughE Dillon
Steven Van Zandt celebrates New Jersey launch of Malvado Maple Mezcal
Photo by HughE Dillon
Steven Van Zandt celebrates New Jersey launch of Malvado Maple Mezcal
Photo by HughE Dillon
Steven Van Zandt celebrates New Jersey launch of Malvado Maple Mezcal
Photo by HughE Dillon
Do you have a secret spot in your home where you hide your valuables?
Do you think that it’s very safe and a would-be burglar wouldn’t think to check?
Unfortunately, that spot may not be as safe as you would hope. Burglars have a few spots in your home they will check first after they break in, and it very well may be your “super safe secret spot.”
Toru Kimura for Unsplash
Do you hide things in your sock or underwear drawer?
It may be a good way to hide things from your kids, but obviously, a burglar is going to check there first.
Keep Scrolling to Find Out The Other 9 Places
How Common is Burglary in New Jersey
The majority of crimes in New Jersey are property crimes like burglary and vehicle theft. In 2021, NJ residents reported 103,761 property crimes.
This breaks down to a property crime rate of 11 crimes per 1,000 residents.
Though this crime rate is below the national average, you still have a 1-in-89 chance of becoming a victim of property crime. Criminals in New Jersey often target homes to steal electronics, jewelry, and other expensive items.
Reconsider Where You Are Hiding Your Valuables
I hope you are never the victim of a burglary, but if you are, at least you can make it a little harder for a crook to find your valuables.
Reader’s Digest recently talked with Chris McGoey of McGoey Security Consulting and Robert Siciliano, a security analyst with Hotspot Shield.
Using information from these two experts, the magazine determined that these are the 10 spots burglars are most likely to check.
Andrey Pipov for Unsplash
10 ‘Secret Spots’ Burglars Check First When Invading New Jersey Homes
Gallery Credit: Eddie Davis
Local Favorites: Top 10 Atlantic City Casino Restaurants
Gallery Credit: Eddie Davis
ATLANTIC CITY (WABC) — A mom from New Jersey brought home more than flowers for Mother’s Day, raking in a jackpot worth over a hundred thousand dollars at a casino in Atlantic City over the holiday weekend.
Jacqueline B, a mom from Toms River, NJ, placed a $5 bet on a Dragon Link slot machine at Ocean Casino Resort on Saturday.
She hit the jackpot, winning $101,566.53 to be exact.
The jackpot paid out $101,566.
Jacqueline hasn’t yet revealed how she plans to spend her newfound cash.
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