The victim was struck by a wave, according to a witness.

A 44-year-old New Brunswick man died while swimming at the Jersey Shore on Saturday night.

His wife and young son watched from the beach as first responders tried to save him, police said.

Seaside Heights officers responded to a 911 call reporting a man struck by a wave and floating in the ocean off Fremont Avenue shortly after 7 p.m.

Responders saw the man facedown in the water, about 30 yards from the beach, according to a press release issued by the police department.

Three officers entered the water and reported strong rip currents. They were joined by water rescue units and the man was brought to shore.

Tri-Boro First Aid began CPR, but the man was pronounced dead at the scene.

Officials have not identified the victim. Seaside Heights Detective Steve Korman said it's still unknown what caused the man's death. 

Dangerous rip currents and rough surf were reported along the Jersey Shore this weekend as a result of Hurricane Florence, which has now been downgraded to a tropical depression as it continues battering the Carolinas.

Seaside Heights lifeguards were not on duty at the time. Their shifts run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends only through Sept. 30.

Matt Gray may be reached at mgray@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MattGraySJT. Find the South Jersey Times on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us: nj.com/tips.

Dogs and cats at shelters await adoption.

Holmdel volunteer wins international award in dog photography competition

The Kennel Club in London recently announced the winners of its annual Dog Photographer of the Year competition with Sonya Kolb of Holmdel selected as the winner of the competition's "Rescue Dog" category.

Courtesy of Sonya Kolb 

The award comes with a PS500 prize for the charity of the winner's choice. Kolb has chosen to donate the money to the Monmouth County SPCA, where she has been taking photos for seven years.

The dog in Kolb's winning photograph is rescue dog Cooper, whose family adopted him after their first rescue dog tragically died before they had even brought him home.

"I am extremely grateful to have won the Rescue category in the Dog Photographer of the Year competition," said Kolb. "I can remember every second of this photo shoot as if it were yesterday. This image reveals what is so important in life - our emotional connections with others. Dogs fulfill our deepest emotional needs, giving us so freely an abundance of love, comfort and joy. I love creating images that spread happiness and connect us heart to heart, hand to paw, with our most positive emotions."

Monica van der Maden from the Netherlands was chosen overall winner of the competition with an image of Noa the Great Dane which placed first in the "Oldies" category. The other first place category winners were:

    Elinor Roizman, Israel, "Dogs at Play";
    Klaus Dyber, Germany, "Puppy";
    Carol Durrant, the UK, "Portrait";
    Tracy Kidd, the UK, "Dogs at Work";
    Joana Matos, Portugal, "Man's Best Friend";
    Dean Mortimer, the UK, "Assistance Dogs";
    Tamara Kedves, Hungary, "I Love Dogs Because...";
    Mariah Mobley (age 11), United States, "Young Pup Photographer"

All of the winning images plus the photos that placed second and third for each category will be on display at the Kennel Club in London from through Oct. 5. To view all the winning images, go to dogphotographeroftheyear.org.uk.

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

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The Friday night ticket was worth $571,913 Watch video

A pair of Jersey Cash 5 jackpots totaling more than $721,000 were won in neighboring Middlesex County towns over the weekend, state lottery officials said. 

Someone who bought a ticket for Friday's drawing at Country Farms, a convenience store on King Georges Road in the Fords section of Woodbridge, hit that night's $571,913 jackpot. 

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Friday's winning numbers were 12, 14, 20, 23 and 32. The XTRA number was 4. Four daily drawings had been held without a winner before Friday. 

No one won the jackpot on Saturday night, but a ticket purchased at State Liquors on Washington Avenue in Carteret won Sunday's $149,426 top prize. 

Sunday's winning numbers were 1, 10, 24, 35 and 39. The XTRA number was 2.

The odds of a $1 ticket matching all five numbers are 962,598 to 1. 

Monday's jackpot resets to $100,000.

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

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Wife and young son were on shore as emergency crews tried to save man.

Officials on Monday identified the 44-year-old man who died swimming in rough seas at the Jersey Shore over the weekend.

As his wife and young son watched from the beach, emergency crews tried to rescue Amajeets Parmar from the ocean in Seaside Heights on Saturday night, but he could not be revived, authorities said.

The man's wife told investigators the New Brunswick family was visiting the boardwalk for a day trip when her husband said he wanted to go for a swim, according to the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office.

Sukhpreet Parmar reported that she opted to stay on the beach with her son, saying it was too cold for a swim. Instead, the mother and child went shopping nearby while Amajeets Parmar went into the water.

First responders rushed to a report that a man was struck by a wave and needed help off Fremont Avenue shortly after 7 p.m., according to Seaside Heights police. Three officers went into the water in an attempt to rescue Parmar, who was spotted about 30 yards from the beach.

Facing strong rip currents, the officers were soon joined by a water rescue team, police said.

A cause and manner of death was not yet available, said Al Della Fave, spokesman for the prosecutor's office. Parmar knew how to swim and had no reported medical conditions.

In an interview with the Asbury Park Press, Seaside Heights police Chief Thomas Boyd said a rough wave may have caused the fatal injury.

The Jersey Shore experienced powerful rip currents and rough surf over the weekend from Tropical Storm Florence. Authorities in Long Beach warned people to stay out of the ocean due to a "high risk of rip currents" in the area Saturday.

Lifeguards work from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekends through Sept. 30 in Seaside Heights.

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

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The crash occurred on Route 18 in the area of Commercial Avenue in New Brunswick.

A crash involving a pedestrian on Route 18 in New Brunswick has left all local northbound lanes closed in the area of Commercial Avenue, according to 511nj.org.

The crash occurred shortly before 5 a.m. and additional details about the injuries to the pedestrian were not immediately available.

All express lanes on Route 18 remain open, officials said.

Drivers should expect delays in the area as the investigation remains ongoing.

Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at tattrino@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyAttrino. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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Pockets of torrential downpours are hitting parts of New Jersey on Tuesday, prompting the National Weather Service to issue a flash flood warning in several counties.

They were arrested when they traveled to a Toms River home where authorities say they thought they were meeting up with a teen boy or girl

Twenty-four men were arrested for allegedly chatting with and attempting to lure minors into sex during a week-long sting this month, the New Jersey Attorney General's Office announced Tuesday.

Among the group was 47-year old Richard Conte, a police sergeant with the Howell Township Police Department, who thought he was chatting with a 15-year-old girl. He has since been suspended, authorities said.

Attorney General Gurbir Grewal said members of the state's Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force maintained profiles as 14- and 15-year-old boys or girls and were approached by the suspects. 

Some men chatted with the undercover officers for a day or two before arranging a meeting, others talked for up to a week.

The men started conversations on various apps and internet messengers, and over a one-week period earlier this month, they traveled to a house in Toms River where they expected to meet up with the teen -- alone.

Instead, they were met by dozens of law enforcement officers and promptly arrested -- some by the undercover officers they had been chatting with, Grewal said at a press conference Tuesday morning.

The men were arrested upon arrival to the residence or just outside of when they arrived for their scheduled meet-ups between Sept. 5 and Sept. 9, Grewal said. 

Authorities dubbed the week-long sting "Operation Open House."

"Surprised would be a fair way to categorize (the suspects')" reactions, Grewal said of the arrests.

Grewal told reporters that the men varied in age, occupation and location -- some traveled upwards of 90 miles to meet the fictitious teenager.

All of the men are charged with second-degree luring, and many face additional charges like second-degree attempted sexual assault on a minor and third-degree attempted debauching the morals of a child.

Five men face third-degree charges of attempted sharing obscene materials with a child after they allegedly sent photos of their genitals to the undercover detectives.

Grewal called on families to help monitor children who have online profiles, saying interactions with predators can start in messaging apps, social media platforms and even through video games with chat features.

"We want child predators to know that we are on social media too - and the child they target may be the undercover officer who puts them in handcuffs," he said.

Division of Criminal Justice Director Veronica Allende said that more than 30 law enforcement agencies worked on this undercover operation.

"I commend our partners on the ICAC Task Force, particularly the State Police and Ocean County Prosecutor's Office, who coordinated this operation with the Division of Criminal Justice," Allende said.

The list of suspects charged. All of the men were charged with second-degree luring, and additional charges are listed:

• Mina G. Beshay, 27, of Monroe Township Beshay is a security guard and is also charged with attempted debauching morals of a child and attempted showing obscene material to a minor. 

• Christopher Vargas, 29, of Toms River Vargas is a registered nurse.

• Joshua Rauter, 31, of Little Egg Harbor Township Rauter is a municipal public works employee and is also charged with attempted debauching morals of a child and attempted showing obscene material to a minor.

• Joseph Martin, 35, of Seaside Heights Martin is unemployed and is also charged with attempted sexual assault on a minor.

• Richard Hoffman, 23, of Mays Landing. Hoffman is a firefighter and a college student.

• Volvi Lowinger, 23, of Lakewood. Lowinger is a college student and is also charged with attempted sexual assault on a minor, attempted debauching morals of a child and attempted showing obscene material to a minor. 

• Thomas Graciano, 28, of Brick. Graciano is a physical therapist in a retirement community.

• Thomas Blumensteel, 47, of Manchester. Blumensteel is a hotel manager and a registered sex offender. He was sentenced to three years in state prison in New Jersey in 1997 for aggravated criminal sexual contact for sexually assaulting a boy, 13, whom he was supervising as a church counselor. He was also charged in this case with attempted sexual assault on a minor and has been detained pending his trial.

• Richard Conte, 47, of Farmingdale. Conte is a police sergeant with the Howell Township Police Department. He has since been suspended from his job and was ordered to home detention. 

• Thomas Fuller, 44, Toms River. Fuller is an assistant manager/sterilization technician and is also charged with attempted sexual assault on a minor.

•  Zachary Vincent, 24, of Forked River. Vincent is a landscaper and is also charged with attempted sexual assault on a minor.

• William Singleton, 24, of Pemberton Township. Singleton is a restaurant worker and is also charged with attempted sexual assault on a minor.

• Jonathan Vece, 22, of Turnersville.  Vece is a canvasser and is also charged with attempted sexual assault on a minor.

• Lawrence Ivancic, 51, of Toms River. Ivancic is unemployed and is also charged with attempted sexual assault on a minor.

• Robert Lisicki, 51, of Metuchen. Lisicki is a train conductor and is also charged with attempted sexual assault on a minor.

• Dylan Daffron, 28, of Lacey Township. Daffron is a cashier at a retail store and is also charged with attempted sexual assault on a minor, attempted debauching morals of a child and attempted showing obscene material to a minor.

• Steven Portnoy, 27, of Egg Harbor Township. Pornoy is unemployed and also charged with attempted sexual assault on a minor.

• David Studnicky, 64, of Toms River. Studnicky is employed as a dry cleaner and is also charged with attempted sexual assault on a minor, attempted debauching morals of a child, attempted showing obscene material to a minor.

• Anthony Perfidio, 24, of Barnegat. Perfidio is a data entry clerk.

• Brian Degnan, 33, of Toms River. Degnan is a data entry clerk.

• Nabindranauth Nandalall, 24, of Bronx, N.Y. Nandalall is unemployed.

• William D. Davis, 23, Bayville. Davis is a consultant.

• Charles Schlottfeld, 26, of Bayville. Schlottfeld is a mechanic and is also charged with attempted sexual assault on a minor.

• Douglass Walton, 54, of Hillsborough. Walton is employed in produce and is also charged with attempted sexual assault on a minor.

Paige Gross may be reached at pgross@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @By_paigegross 

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Christoph Freese, 45, was attempting to cross the highway near Commercial Avenue about 5 a.m. Tuesday when he was struck by a car and killed

Police have identified the pedestrian who was struck and killed by a car as he crossed Route 18 early Tuesday as a 45-year-old New Brunswick man.

Christoph Freese was attempting to cross the highway near Commercial Avenue about 5 a.m. when he was struck by a car driven by a 32-year-old man from Woodbridge, police said.

The driver was headed north at the time of the crash, according to New Brunswick police.

Police closed Route 18 local lanes for several hours Tuesday morning as they investigated the crash.

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"The investigation into the circumstances leading up to the collision is ongoing and there have been no charges issued at this time," police said in a statement.

Anyone with information is asked to call Officer Patrick Buckelew or Officer Edward Bobadilla of the police department's Traffic Safety and Enforcement Unit at 732-745-5005.

Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at tattrino@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyAttrino. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

New Brunswick police are trying to find Dijon Hodges

Police in New Brunswick are looking for a 20-year-old man who they say suffers from mental illness and has threatened to harm himself.

Dijon Hodges (New Brunswick police) 

Dijon Hodges was last seen on Phelps Avenue, New Brunswick police said in a statement. 

Hodges is 5-foot-7, about 140 pounds and sometimes wears glasses. Police aren't sure what he was wearing when he went missing. 

Anyone with information about Hodges' whereabouts is asked to call 911 or call police at 732-745-5200.

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

Months before his council seat is up for grabs, the mayor is accusing William Petrick of "disrespectful" posts.

Months before William Petrick's council seat is up for grabs, the mayor of Perth Amboy is accusing him of "disrespectful" social media posts.

Mayor Wilda Diaz sent a letter to residents last week, claiming some of Pertick's Facebook posts were blatantly prejudiced and misogynistic. Diaz's spokeswoman sent NJ Advance Media screenshots of his posts, all of which were shared from other accounts.

"Trump was right. Some countries are sh*tholes. Deal with it." Petrick's post, which he shared on January 12, said. Another asked, "If American women are so outraged at Trump's use of naughty words, who in the hell bought 80 million copies of '50 Shades of Grey?'"

Another, shared from an account called "Rush Limbaugh and the EIB Network", shows a large house with an outdoor pool, and states "This is the opression suffered by Colin Kaepernick (sic)."

Diaz said she has, like other women, developed a "thick skin," but "when this type of behavior is so shamelessly displayed on social media and in public meetings, it disrespects our community, our women and our diverse citizenship. Therefore, I will no longer stay silent," she said in her open letter.

Perth Amboy City Hall.Patti Sapone 

Petrick said he didn't intend to be hurtful and Diaz's letter was distracting residents from the real issues at hand in Perth Amboy, including rising taxes, dirty streets and limited parking.

"I would like to apologize to anyone who may have misunderstood or been offended by these posts, which...made up less than 1 percent of the posts on my page," he said in a written statement.

"I am fairly unfamiliar with Facebook and I'm not making excuses for my naivete, but my intent was just to inform, and stimulate conversation which is evident by all the other posts on my page including support for local causes and events and lots of posts on food."

Petrick has held a council seat for eight years and was sworn in as president in 2017, according to City Clerk Victoria Ann Kupsch.

The Nov. 6 election will give Perth Amboy voters the opportunity to choose council members for three open seats, including Petrick's. Joel Pabon is running for re-election alongside Petrick and Mailady Tejeda, a current board of education member. Tejeda hopes to take over Fernando Gonzalez's soon-to-be-vacant seat. The trio comprises the "Perth Amboy First" slate.

Challenging the Perth Amboy First group is the "Working For You 2018" group, consisting of Alana Cueto, Vincent Makfinsky and Marilou Villacis.

Cassidy Grom may be reached at cgrom@njadvancemedia.com Follow her at @cassidygrom. Find NJ.com on Facebook.Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips.

2 days after Hamilton police sought the public's help, detectives made an arerst

Authorities have arrested the man caught on security footage they say robbed a Santander Bank on South Broad Street in Hamilton Monday morning.

After multiple tips were reported to Hamilton police's tip line, police identified Robert Sandusky, 34, of Hamilton as the suspect.

The U.S. Marshals Service found and arrested Sandusky Wednesday morning in New Brunswick. He's charged with robbery. 

Police said Sandusky is the person who entered the branch at about 9 a.m., and slid a note to a bank clerk demanding money. 

Sandusky allegedly threatened that he had a gun, the clerk told police, but did not show that he had one.

Paige Gross may be reached at pgross@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @By_paigegross.

The 21-year-old attended West Windsor-Plainsboro High School North and was engaged, according to his Facebook page.

The U.S. Navy says a sailor from New Jersey who died aboard an aircraft carrier was struck by the turning propeller of a plane.

The Navy said in a statement on Wednesday that Airman Apprentice Joseph Min Naglak had just secured an E-2C Hawkeye radar plane to the flight deck. Naglak's death occurred Monday aboard the USS George H. W. Bush while it was in the Atlantic Ocean.

The Navy said the incident remains under investigation and that his death has been a heartbreaking experience for those on board the carrier.

Naglak attended West Windsor-Plainsboro High School North and was engaged, according to his Facebook page.

The 21-year-old enlisted in the Navy in his home state in April 2017. Four months later he had completed his training in Pensacola, Florida, and reported to the ship.

The ship remains at sea, and flight operations have resumed.