The loud noises were heard in multiple towns throughout Middlesex county.

An alien spacecraft? Not quite. 

The mysterious noise that woke up residents in at least three Middlesex County towns Monday was due to a company using sound devices to scare off geese.

Police said there were multiple reports from residents about mysterious "loud banging noises" in the South Amboy area and surrounding communities.

In a Facebook post, Sayreville police said after investigating the complaints, they learned the noises were from a private company hired to control the geese population. The company was using loudspeakers in a park to chase off the birds.

The sounds were so loud that it reportedly woke up residents in the early morning on Monday, also disturbing dogs and causing them to bark.

Noise-producing devices are commonly used to scare off geese. Some devices are known to emit more than 150 decibels, the equivalent volume of a jet taking off.

In an earlier post, the police department had joked that it had a "strong suspicion" the noises were coming from alien spaceships "as a warning sign for imminent attack."

However, police noted that they are continuing to investigate the matter and would provide updates as soon as possible.

But, as it was still early in the investigation at the time, police later released an update citing geese control as the culprit of the disturbance.

One Sayreville resident wrote on Facebook that she had heard the noise at about 3:30 a.m., and described it as "kind of odd."

Another resident wrote that he heard three booms with an echo that "stops and starts" again every few minutes. He added, "This has been going on for the past few weeks! Could it be the military?"

Spencer Kent may be reached at skent@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @SpencerMKent. Find the Find NJ.com on Facebook.

The man fell to the ground as he waited outside his apartment in a senior community

A 98-year-old man was killed Tuesday when he accidentally fell in a Woodbridge senior community and was run over by a car being driven by his 95-year-old friend, police said.

A police spokesman declined to identify the man, who was hit as he waited outside his apartment to be picked up at the Woodbridge Hills senior community in the Iselin section of town.

He was pronounced dead at the scene just after 2:30 p.m.

The woman driving the car told police she did not see the man fall before driving over him. She will not be charged.

Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

The state finals are here and NJ.com has you covered once again.

NJ Advance Media has provided wall-to-wall coverage of the 2017 New Jersey high school football season all year long, and with the biggest games of the season on the horizon that coverage continues with NJ.com's video preview of the sectional finals.

WATCH: NJ.com video preview of the finals

Check out NJ Advance Media's full high school football staff as reporters from all over the state preview the best match-ups and pick every single game in the video above.

Jeremy Schneider may be reached at jschneider@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @J_Schneider. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

The man was conscious when he was rescued, according to police

A man was rescued after a construction trench where he was working caved in on him Wednesday afternoon, Sgt. Chris McClay of the Woodbridge Police Department said.

The unidentified man was working in the trench in the 100 block of Jordan Road around 4 p.m. when it collapsed, McClay said. He was conscious and alert when he was freed by about 5:30 p.m.

McClay said the man had been hospitalized and had suffered facial cuts, but he had no other information on his condition.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has been notified, McClay also said.  

Paul Milo may be reached at pmilo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter@PaulMilo2. Find NJ.com on Facebook.  

Michael Martin, Rayshawn Riddick, 31, of Newark, and Dianna Williams, 26, of New Brunswick were named in a five-count indictment Wednesday

A Newark man has been indicted along with two others in the fatal summer shooting of a New Brunswick man in August, authorities said. 

Michael Martin, Rayshawn Riddick, 31, of Newark, and Dianna Williams, 26, of New Brunswick were, named in a five-count indictment handed up Wednesday in connection to the death of Hakim Williams, 26, in August, Middlesex County Prosecutor Andrew Carey said in a release.

Martin, who also goes by "Maniac," was arrested in October by the FBI and Philadelphia police two months after Williams was found shot to death in his car in the 100 block of Fulton Street in New Brunswick. 

Riddick was arrested in the weeks after the shooting. 

Martin and Riddick face charges murder and conspiracy to commit murder, Carey said.  Williams was charged with hindering. 

In addition, Martin faces a firearm charge, according to the release. 

Craig McCarthy may be reached at 732-372-2078 or at CMcCarthy@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @createcraig and on Facebook here. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips

Can't you read the sign?

"Signs, signs, everywhere there's signs, blockin' out the scenery, breakin' my mind. Do this, don't do that, can't you read the sign?" Can you name the song and the band? The answer will be provided at the end.

Before digital billboards and electronic message boards, we had old fashioned signs. "High tech" was once the crawling message in Times Square. Everything else was static; signs might have flashed on and off, but that was about the extent of the technology.

People from south Jersey know what this sign means. I think. 

One of my favorite tasks when I worked at the Holiday Inn in Vineland in the 1970s was changing the highway message sign. While I was duty-bound to put up the standard information, like "Welcome" to whatever group was holding a convention or restaurant specials, the opportunity for originality was occasionally available.

During the heyday of the Broad Street Bullies, I delighted in posting period-by-period scores of Flyers games for the benefit of passersby. Mind you, this was a sign in the fashion of old movie marquees, where you changed 1-ft.-tall letters with a long pole.

MORE: Vintage photos around New Jersey

On some stretches of New Jersey roadways there is so much signage that motorists are unable to read any of the messages. But, in some places, signs serve as local or state landmarks. Folks in Middlesex County in the '70s would say "meet at the elephant," referring to a sign in front of Ducoff's Tuxedos on Route 27. Other signs that pretty much told you exactly where you were included the Maxwell House plant sign in Hoboken, the Colgate sign and clock in Jersey City and the Anheuser Busch sign seen approaching Newark Airport.

Enjoy this collection vintage signs in New Jersey. And here are links to other galleries you might like. And the Five Man Electrical Band had a #3 hit with the song "Signs" in 1971.

Vintage photos of N.J. street scenes

Vintage photos of streets and roads in N.J.

Vintage photos of street scenes in N.J.

Greg Hatala may be reached at ghatala@starledger.com. Follow him on Twitter @GregHatala. Find Greg Hatala on Facebook.

Donnell Cook did not show up at the Middlesex County Court House in September for sentencing

A Newark man who failed to appear for sentencing for aggravated dragging a New Brunswick police officer 50 feet with a car during an assault has been captured in Georgia.

Donnell Cook 

Federal agents on Wednesday tracked 27-year-old Donnell Cook of Newark to a residence in Lithonia, Georgia.

Cook did not show up at the Middlesex County Court House in September for sentencing. He had pleaded guilty to aggravated assault of a police officer.

Police say Cook was intoxicated when an officer approached his vehicle about 2:30 a.m. in New Brunswick.

A struggle ensued and the officer was dragged 50 feet as Cook attempted to flee, authorities said. After Cook's car hit a parked vehicle, he got out and attempted to disarm the officer, police said.

The officer fought off Cook, who was later arrested. The officer suffered broken bones, cuts and internal injuries, police said. 

Cook is being held at the Dekalb County Detention Facility in Georgia awaiting extradition to New Jersey.

The tractor-trailer overturned and caught fire around 4:15 a.m. in Middlesex County

A truck driver was killed in a crash on the New Jersey Turnpike in Middlesex County early Thursday, authorities said.

The tractor-trailer overturned and caught fire around 4:15 a.m. in the northbound outer roadway near the Joyce Kilmer Service Area in East Brunswick, State Police said. The service area is a couple miles south of exit 9. 

The right lane is still blocked as of 7 a.m. as officials investigate.

Additional details about the crash and the identity of the driver were not immediately available.

Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

A 63-year-old man died Tuesday from his injuries, four days after his car struck a deer in Somerset County

To raise money and awareness about cancer, officers grew out their hair and donated money to support cancer research, prevention and education. Watch video

The officer who pulled you over for speeding this month might have been a bit hairier than usual, but it was for a good reason. Officers as well as thousands across the country, teamed up to grow out their hair to raise awareness about cancer. In addition, they also took the money they would normally use for shaving and grooming products and donated it to charity under the national campaign "No Shave November."

"Men's health issues - for instance, prostate and testicular cancer - receive little attention," said Edison Police Chief Thomas Bryan. "Our participation in No-Shave November is meant to start a community dialogue. Hopefully, our officers can encourage more residents to go for checkups and cancer screening."

The goal of No-Shave November is to grow awareness by embracing your hair, which many cancer patients lose. The money raised will go to support cancer research, prevention, and education with organizations such as Fight Colorectal Cancer, Prevent Cancer Foundation, and St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

Nearly every officer participating in the charity campaign had a family member affected by cancer. New Jersey now has the seventh highest cancer rate in the county according to data from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

On Tuesday, 53 members of the Wayne Police Department gathered off-duty, retired and available on-duty personnel, detectives and uniformed Officers to show their support for Detective Eric Jason Clemente who is fighting cancer. 

"Our officers voluntarily chose to forgo shaving for the Month of November to show that no one fights alone. We are all in this together," said Wayne Police Captain Laurence W. Martin.  

The No Shave November campaign has raised about $2 million nationally. It originated in 2009 by a family in Chicago whose father died from cancer.

Find out if your New Jersey police department participated and see how much they raised by searching for your town's name here. 

Taylor Tiamoyo Harris may be reached at tharris@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @ladytiamoyo.

Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Monroe police and the prosecutor's office are investigating

Police are investigating after a man was found dead next to a car in Middlesex County Thursday morning.

The man, whose name was not released, was discovered on Applegarth Road in Monroe just after 5 a.m., according to Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office spokeswoman Andrea Boulton. 

Monroe police and investigators from the county prosecutor's office are on the scene, she added.

The prosecutor's office declined to release any additional information as the investigation is ongoing. 

Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

The nurse, a 25-year veteran of the hospital, was 'senselessly attacked,' after leaving work.

A Rahway man has been charged in the stabbing and robbery of a University Hospital nurse, who was attacked in a nearby parking lot as she walked to her car after working a 12-hour shift at the Newark hospital, officials said Thursday.

Newark police spotted Brian K. Anglin, 56, Wednesday evening near Raymond Boulevard and Route 21 in the city, and detained him before he was turned over to Rutgers University police, according to authorities.

Anglin was being held at the Essex County Correctional Facility on charges including aggravated assault, robbery and weapons offenses, according to jail records.

The nurse, a 25-year veteran of the hospital, was attacked in Parking Lot 1, at 185 South Orange Ave. on Sunday night, officials said. She was headed to her car after a shift in the hospital's labor and delivery unit.

A union representative on Wednesday said the nurse, who is in her 60s, was in stable condition. She staggered to the hospital's nearby emergency room for treatment after the attack.

Following the attack, the nursing union called for increased security and Rutgers officials said they would boost patrols.

"This is a nurse with 25 years of experience at the hospital, who has dedicated her career to caring for mothers and babies, yet became a victim who was senselessly attacked," Bernie Gerard, vice president of the Health Professionals and Allied Employees, said in a statement.

"Going forward, HPAE will once again bring the concerns of nurses and healthcare workers to the administration calling on them to improve security protocols for the safety of workers, patients and their loved ones," Gerard said.

Rutgers University police, which has jurisdiction over University Hospital property, were working with hospital officials to "enhance security for the hospital's staff and visitors," school spokesman John Cramer said Tuesday.

"Security escorts continue to be available during evening and night shifts, and the RUPD will increase patrols in the area," Cramer said.

Noah Cohen may be reached at ncohen@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @noahyc and on Facebook. 

Have information about this story or something else we should be covering? Tell us: nj.com/tips

A tractor-trailer struck a Hyundai pulling back onto the road from the shoulder

A two-vehicle crash on the New Jersey Turnpike in Middlesex County on Thursday morning killed a truck driver and left a Burlington County man seriously injured.

A northbound tractor-trailer struck a Hyundai Accent as the car attempted to pull back onto the highway from the right shoulder at 3:58 a.m., State Police said. 

The collision near milepost 78.6 in East Brunswick sent both vehicles off the road with the tractor-trailer overturning, striking a tree and catching fire, according to State Police. 

The truck driver was pronounced dead at the scene. His identity will be released once his family has been notified.

A 60-year-old from Eastampton driving the Hyundai was taken to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick with serious injuries, State Police said.

The drivers were the only occupants of the vehicles. 

State Police closed the right and right-center lanes of the outer roadway for about five hours during the investigation. 

Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Jose Cedillo, 44, of Elizabeth, has been identified as the man found dead in Monroe

The man found dead next to his car in Middlesex County Thursday morning was killed in a hit-and-run crash, according to authorities. 

Jose Cedillo, 44, of Elizabeth, was driving his 2017 Nissan Titan pickup to work at Cooper Electric when the incident happened in Monroe, Middlesex County Prosecutor Andrew C. Carey said in a release. 

Cedillo was found by police lying next to his stopped truck at the intersection of Applegarth Road and Forsgate Drive and he was pronounced dead at 4:50 a.m., the release said. 

A preliminary investigation found that Cedillo was hit by another car, Carey said. An autopsy is pending. 

It was unclear why Cedillo had gotten out of his truck. 

A passerby saw Cedillo on the ground and called police. 

Anyone with information can call  (732) 745-3254. 

Craig McCarthy may be reached at 732-372-2078 or at CMcCarthy@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @createcraig and on Facebook here. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips

The victim is 43-year-old Tengo Peone according to Linden Police.

The victim of Wednesday afternoon's fatal tanker incident has been identified as  43-year-old Fords resident Tengo Paone according to police in Linden. 

While police do not suspect foul play, the circumstances surrounding the death of Paone are still under investigation.  

The company where Paone worked and was found, Linden Bulk Transportation LLC, released a statement Thursday confirming they were conducting an internal investigation. The trucking company also offered condolences to Paone's family. 

Wednesday, around 2 p.m., police received reports of an unconscious man inside a tanker. Paone was discovered after Linden fire and police units, Union County Hazmat and the Elizabeth Fire Department responded. 

Taylor Tiamoyo Harris may be reached at tharris@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @ladytiamoyo.

Find NJ.com on Facebook.

The owner transported the kitten to a job center, a hospital, a vet's office and a party attended by more than a dozen people before symptoms of rabies emerged.

A newly adopted stray kitten may have exposed up to a dozen people to rabies in Mercer, Middlesex and Monmouth counties over the past two weeks, State Public Health Veterinarian Colin Campbell announced Thursday.

The owner adopted the kitten in Edison Nov. 12 and grew attached so quickly, the feline would accompany its new master to errands throughout central New Jersey over the next 11 days.

Health officials believe two students at the Branford Hall Career Institute in Hamilton may have been exposed to the kitten Nov. 13-16, Campbell's statement said.

The owner also took the kitten to work Nov. 13-14 at an unnamed Middlesex County hospital. The state Health Department declined to identify the hospital because the cat was kept inside a carrier.

"We did not want to cause undue alarm," department spokeswoman Nicole Kirgan said.

The owner transported the kitten for a wellness check at Canfield Pet Hospital in Manalapan on Nov. 16.

The following day, the kitten played among a dozen people at at Thanksgiving party in Old Bridge.

There were no signs the kitten was infected with the potentially deadly virus until Nov. 23, when it stopped eating and became fatigued. Paralysis in the back limbs set in the next day.

The kitten was brought to Garden State Veterinary Specialists in Tinton Falls on Nov. 25 and was euthanized on Nov. 26, Kirgan said.

Any people or animals who may have been in contact with this kitten between Nov. 13 and Nov. 23 should contact their local health department, or consult a medical or veterinary health care provider, Campbell said. 

Symptoms can develop anywhere from 12 days to six months after a bite, scratch brother exposure. 

"Human rabies cases are rare in the United States and treatment is 100 percent effective if given promptly," Campbell said in a statement. "Treatment is a dose of rabies immune globulin and a series of rabies vaccinations over 14 days. People exposed to the rabies virus should be treated promptly to prevent infection. If untreated, rabies infections can be fatal."

There have been 16 cats with rabies in New Jersey from January through September, according to the health department.

Susan K. Livio may be reached at slivio@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @SusanKLivio. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.

All of NJ.com's coverage of every NJSIAA State Football Championship game

Welcome to the hub of our championship-weekend coverage - Thursday through Sunday this year. 

This is the place to find links to all of our wall-to-wall coverage of the 23 finals - namely, LIVE VIDEO (and on-demand replay) of 17 games, LIVE play-by-play updates for the other six games, photo galleries of every game and full postgame coverage of every game.

Any slot below that's not currently a link will eventually become a link - and there will be more. So keep it here through Sunday night, and keep refreshing this page for the latest.

ESSENTIAL LINKS
• Previews and picks for 23 championships
•  WATCH: Our writers preview & predict the finals 
•  LIVE VIDEO and on-demand replay for 17 finals 
• Full schedule by day & venue (full schedule/scoreboard is below)
•  Brackets for every section
• Finals-week Top 20 

THURSDAY'S GAMES

North 2, Group 2, 5 p.m. at MetLife Stadium
Rutherford vs. Hackettstown
•  LIVE VIDEO and fan chat
•  Photo gallery
• Game recap
• Stars of the game
• Box score
• Full coverage

North 2, Group 5, 8 p.m. at MetLife Stadium
No. 8 Westfield vs. No. 19 Bridgewater-Raritan
•  LIVE VIDEO and fan chat
•  Photo gallery
• Game recap
• Stars of the game
• Box score
• Full coverage

FRIDAY'S GAMES

North 1, Group 5, 5 p.m. at MetLife Stadium
No. 6 Montclair vs. Union City
•  LIVE VIDEO and fan chat
•  Photo gallery
• Game recap
• Stars of the game
• Box score
• Full coverage

North 1, Group 2, 7 p.m. at Kean
Lakeland vs. Newton
•  LIVE VIDEO and fan chat
•  Photo gallery
• Game recap
• Stars of the game
• Box score
• Full coverage

Non-Public, Group 4, 8 p.m. at MetLife Stadium
No. 1 Bergen Catholic vs. No. 2 St. Peter’s Prep
•  LIVE VIDEO and fan chat
•  Photo gallery
• Game recap
• Stars of the game
• Box score
• Full coverage

SATURDAY'S GAMES

North 2, Group 3, 10 a.m. at MetLife Stadium
West Essex vs. Voorhees
•  LIVE VIDEO and fan chat
•  Photo gallery
• Game recap
• Stars of the game
• Box score
• Full coverage

Central Jersey, Group 2, 10 a.m. at Rutgers
Point Pleasant Boro vs. Hillside
•  LIVE VIDEO and fan chat
•  Photo gallery
• Game recap
• Stars of the game
• Box score
• Full coverage

North 2, Group 1, 10 a.m. at Kean
Weequahic vs. Shabazz
•  LIVE VIDEO and fan chat
•  Photo gallery
• Game recap
• Stars of the game
• Box score
• Full coverage

South Jersey, Group 3, 11 a.m. at Rowan
No. 13 Delsea vs. Woodrow Wilson
•  LIVE VIDEO and fan chat
•  Photo gallery
• Game recap
• Stars of the game
• Box score
• Full coverage

North 2, Group 4, 1 p.m. at MetLife Stadium
No. 15 Phillipsburg vs. No. 16 North Hunterdon
•  LIVE VIDEO and fan chat
•  Photo gallery
• Game recap
• Stars of the game
• Box score
• Full coverage

Central Jersey, Group 5, 1 p.m. at Rutgers
No. 4 Manalapan vs. No. 17 South Brunswick
•  LIVE VIDEO and fan chat
•  Photo gallery
• Game recap
• Stars of the game
• Box score
• Full coverage

Non-Public, Group 3, 1 p.m. at Kean
No. 5 DePaul vs. No. 3 St Joseph (Mont.)
•  LIVE VIDEO and fan chat
•  Photo gallery
• Game recap
• Stars of the game
• Box score
• Full coverage

South Jersey, Group 1, 2:30 p.m. at Rowan
Paulsboro vs. Penns Grove
•  LIVE VIDEO and fan chat
•  Photo gallery
• Game recap
• Stars of the game
• Box score
• Full coverage

North 1, Group 3, 4 p.m. at MetLife Stadium
No. 20 Ramapo, vs. River Dell
•  LIVE VIDEO and fan chat
•  Photo gallery
• Game recap
• Stars of the game
• Box score
• Full coverage

Central Jersey, Group 4, 4 p.m. at Rutgers
Long Branch vs. Freehold Borough
•  LIVE VIDEO and fan chat
•  Photo gallery
• Game recap
• Stars of the game
• Box score
• Full coverage

Central Jersey, Group 1, 4 p.m. at Kean
Middlesex vs. Point Pleasant Beach
•  LIVE VIDEO and fan chat
•  Photo gallery
• Game recap
• Stars of the game
• Box score
• Full coverage

South Jersey, Group 5, 6 p.m. at Rowan
No. 7 Lenape vs. No. 10 Rancocas Valley
•  LIVE VIDEO and fan chat
•  Photo gallery
• Game recap
• Stars of the game
• Box score
• Full coverage

North 1, Group 4, 7 p.m. at MetLife Stadium
No. 9 Old Tappan vs. Mount Olive
•  LIVE VIDEO and fan chat
•  Photo gallery
• Game recap
• Stars of the game
• Box score
• Full coverage

Central Jersey, Group 3, 7 p.m. at Rutgers
Rumson-Fair Haven vs. Somerville
•  LIVE VIDEO and fan chat
•  Photo gallery
• Game recap
• Stars of the game
• Box score
• Full coverage

North 1, Group 1, 7 p.m. at Kean
Hasbrouck Heights vs. Pompton Lakes
•  LIVE VIDEO and fan chat
•  Photo gallery
• Game recap
• Stars of the game
• Box score
• Full coverage

SUNDAY'S GAMES

South Jersey, Group 2, 11 a.m. at Rowan
1-West Deptford vs. 6-Haddonfield
•  LIVE VIDEO and fan chat
•  Photo gallery
• Game recap
• Stars of the game
• Box score
• Full coverage

Non-Public, Group 2, 2:30 p.m. at Rowan
No. 11 St. Joseph (Hamm.) vs. Mater Dei
•  LIVE VIDEO and fan chat
•  Photo gallery
• Game recap
• Stars of the game
• Box score
• Full coverage

South Jersey, Group 4, 6 p.m. at Rowan
Shawnee vs. Hammonton
•  LIVE VIDEO and fan chat
•  Photo gallery
• Game recap
• Stars of the game
• Box score
• Full coverage

FULL CHAMPIONSHIP SCOREBOARD

A woman was issued a summons for careless driving

No one was injured when a motorist struck a building, causing some light damage, police said Thursday. 

The woman. a 60-year-old from Fords, mistook the gas pedal for the brake while she was trying to park shortly before noon at 201 New Brunswick Ave., police said. The woman's vehicle surmounted a parking stop and a curb, striking a retaining wall, two parked vehicles and the side of 171 New Brunswick Ave., which is home to the EZ Wheels Driving School, police also said. 

Buildings in the area were briefly evacuated when the woman's vehicle struck a gas meter and shorn it off. 

The woman was issued a summons for careless driving. 

Paul Milo may be reached at pmilo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter@PaulMilo2. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

A Middlesex County corrections officer, was accused of shoplifting from a department store

A state appeals court on Wednesday upheld a ruling that the Mercer County Prosecutor's Office acted within its authority last year when it denied a Middlesex County corrections officer entry into the Pretrial Intervention Program (PTI) unless she resigned from her job.

Kristin Hansen was charged with shoplifting $1,600 worth of clothing from a  Hamilton department store. The date of her arrest was not in the court decision.

A store security guard spotted her stuffing clothing in a baby stroller, hand bag and diaper bag, and stopped her when she tried to leave. Hansen identified herself as a lieutenant with the Middlesex County Corrections Center during her arrest by police and was charged with third-degree shoplifting.

In her PTI interview, Hansen denied leaving the store with any unpaid items and claimed she was just shopping when an employee had mistreated her, but did admit to telling the security guard of her job as an officer.

The prosecutor's office found that Hansen was eligible for PTI if she was an ordinary citizen. But her job put her into a different category: "Law enforcement officials should be held to a higher standard, and it can be said they are always on duty and are expected to avoid breaking the law," a prosecutor argued, as reported in the decision.

The office required Hansen to forfeit her post to enter PTI. Hansen appealed that decision to a trial judge, in Match 2016, who sided with the prosecutor's office.

The latest appeal, to the state Appellate Division, sided with the the trial judge. "Defendant has not met her burden of proving the prosecutor's decision was a gross and patent abuse of discretion," the decision says.

The status of Hansen's case could not immediately be learned from court authorities and her status with Middlesex County could not be learned Thursday.

Her lawyer, Robin Lord, did not immediately return a message seeking comment.

Olivia Rizzo may be reached at orizzo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @LivRizz. Find NJ.com on Facebook

PLAINSBORO -- In the 1920s, large fuel tanks along the Pennsylvania Railroad tracks, such as this one in Plainsboro, were used as advertising canvases. MORE: Vintage photos around New Jersey The American Museum of Natural History notes that Polarine was a tradename used by Standard Oil for its lubricating oil. If you would like to share a photo that provides...

PLAINSBORO -- In the 1920s, large fuel tanks along the Pennsylvania Railroad tracks, such as this one in Plainsboro, were used as advertising canvases.

MORE: Vintage photos around New Jersey

The American Museum of Natural History notes that Polarine was a tradename used by Standard Oil for its lubricating oil.

If you would like to share a photo that provides a glimpse of history in your community, please call 973-836-4922 or send an email to middlesex@starledger.com. And, check out more glimpses of history in our online galleries on nj.com.

Greg Hatala may be reached at ghatala@starledger.com. Follow him on Twitter @GregHatala. Find Greg Hatala on Facebook.