Spotlight 200
Marlboro Police Department’s Awardees
“The call came in as entrapment and flames,” recalled Marlboro Patrol Officer Adam Mattei.
Trapped between two vehicles – one of them on fire – was 17-year-old Rebecca Kniffin of Freehold, who was unconscious. Five Marlboro police officers came to her rescue.
“Usually they’re trapped inside the car, but this was the first time I had someone between the cars. She was ejected from one car, then pinned between the two cars,” said Patrol Officer Colin Murray.
“We knew we had to act fast. One car was on fire, and when that happens you don’t have much time. So, I ran and got my patrol car and then used it to separate the cars to get her free. We weren’t even sure she was alive, but we had to try. Nothing else worked. Luckily, it did,” said Patrol Officer Donna Gonzalez.
Their heroism that day, June 16, 2020, was captured by body cameras and covered by the media. Their incredible actions also earned them the highest award given by The 200 Club of Monmouth County, The Valor Award.
“I just wonder how she is… her family did call afterwards to say thank you. That was months ago. To know that she’s 100% now, would be amazing. We’d love to know,” added Officer Gonzalez.
It’s something every officer we interviewed at Marlboro Police Department kept asking after the announcement of their prestigious award, “How is the girl doing?”
It got our wheels turning at The 200 Club of Monmouth County. Not only did we want to find out for them, but we thought we’d take it one step further…. a reunion between the five Marlboro officers and the teenage girl they saved. Our friends at Marlboro Police Department helped us coordinate.
On November 6, 2020, at The Valor Awards ceremony outside the Township’s municipal building, Rebecca and her family got to express their gratitude to the officers in person.
Lieutenant John Loyer said, “Seeing her here doing well is everything. It really is a great experience for all of us.”
Patrol Officer Robert Kelly echoed those sentiments: “Wow. This really is awesome. You never know how things are going to turn out, and this is great.”
Rebecca suffered broken bones, punctured lungs, and second-degree burns in the accident. She spent two weeks in the hospital and had multiple surgeries, but you’d never know it looking at her.
“All I can say is thank you for saving me,” Rebecca said repeatedly. That as her mom choked back tears and added, “They literally put themselves in the line of fire to save my child who they never met before. It’s amazing.”
Spotlight 200
MCPO Paralegal Heather Magenheimer
Jonelle Melton, a beloved 33-year-old social studies teacher at Red Bank Middle School, was murdered in her apartment in Neptune City in 2009 by three career criminals in a case of mistaken identity. They thought they were breaking into the apartment of a drug dealer who had cash inside, but they broke into the wrong apartment, then brutally beat, stabbed, and shot the fifth-grade teacher.
In 2019, Assistant Prosecutors Matthew Bogner and Lawrence Nelson successfully argued the case, and a jury convicted the three men. They were later sentenced to life in prison. A fourth man pleaded guilty to orchestrating the burglary.
That justice for Jonelle Melton took ten long years. Monmouth County Prosecutor Chris Gramiccioni wants the public to know it could not have been accomplished without the extraordinary behind-the-scenes contributions of one of his paralegals.
“The public often sees the face of successful investigations and prosecutions in detectives and prosecutors - the ‘directors’ of criminal cases. But equally as important is the ‘producer’ work our paralegals put into prepare discovery, conduct legal research, and assist in evidence and witness presentation to the jury,” said Gramiccioni.
Specifically, Monmouth County Prosecutors Office Paralegal Heather Magenheimer is being hailed an unsung hero of the case.
“Heather’s work and support in the Jonelle Melton murder prosecution was nothing short of spectacular, and we are a better office for her great contributions to our mission,” added Gramiccioni.
Magenheimer kept track of tens of thousands of pieces of evidence collected over several years. “There were literally boxes up to the ceiling in an entire conference room. It was my job to know every inch of it, so it could be found in a pinch,” said Magenheimer.
“Heather organized the voluminous file so we could effectively evaluate the proofs to support the charges. She continued to work on the case through grand jury, and through the additional witness tampering investigation, which led to a second indictment. At trial, Heather was essential to the success of the case. She was there every day with us, getting there early to prepare and gather the evidence so we could be as prepared as we were each day to meet whatever new issues or challenges came up. She was also at counsel table with us throughout the trial, ensuring that all media was presented in an effective and professional manner, and she was there with us late each day as we prepared for the next day, throughout the duration of the trial,” said Bogner.
“I suppose an ineffective paralegal can be detrimental to a case. (laughs) I am honored to be recognized by my peers, and I was beyond shocked to get the notice that I had won an award. I did live, sleep, and breathe the Melton case…and was glad to do it. I am proud to have played a supporting part in the convictions.”
Magenheimer received a Plaque Award by The 200 Club of Monmouth County at the 2019 Valor Award Luncheon. Other honorees in her group from the Monmouth County Prosecutors Office were Assistant Prosecutors Matthew Bogner and Lawrence Nelson, Detective Lieutenant Scott Samis, and Detective Sergeant Shannon Kavanagh. From the Neptune City Police Department were Chief Matthew Quagliato and Sergeant Hover Cano.
Spotlight 200
Officer Adam Sosnowski
“I remember looking at the gun thinking, ‘Wow, that’s real.’ It’s amazing how your training kicks in.”
Manalapan Township Police Department K-9 Officer Adam Sosnowski recounts what happened during his shift one night in August 2018. A call came in about an allegedly suicidal man, a person Officer Sosnowski knew from prior incidents. In fact, Officer Sosnowski had been at a call earlier when the same man was transported to the hospital for an evaluation.
Officer Sosnowski describes what happened when he went up to the house and convinced the man to come outside: “He came out and appeared agitated, but the next thing you know, he reaches into his front pocket and pulls a handgun out.”
Officer Sosnowski believes the man pointed the gun at him because he wanted to be shot and killed, but luckily, thanks to Sosnowski’s quick actions and training, a “suicide by cop” scenario was avoided.
Sosnowski’s police chief, Michael Fountain, says that a physical struggle ensued between Sosnowski and the man, but his officer managed to free the firearm from the man’s hand and subdue and handcuff him. Sosnowski says the man indicated that he wanted the officer to shoot him.
Chief Fountain says, “Officer Sosnowski responded to what he thought was a deadly force situation with courage and the will to win.” For these heroic actions, Officer Sosnowski is being award the Valor Award by the 200 Club of Monmouth County on June 7, 2019. Valor Awards are the highest award given out by the Club to first responders who go above and beyond the call of duty, often putting their own lives in jeopardy to save the life of another.
“Well, my whole job is what-ifs. Almost every call you are thinking what if, what if, what if. You try to prepare yourself before the actual situation happens. Like every call you get, you are driving going through scenarios, this could happen, that could happen, just kinda trying to prepare yourself. I guess it may have ran through my head. I never thought that exact thing would happen at that moment. I’m just glad my past training kicked in. I’m just glad. It could have went way different, you are right. If there was more distance between us, it may have went differently. I'm glad it worked out the way it did, and I was as close as I was to him… ‘cause he’s alive now and not hurt.”
Officer Sosnowski added, “I am definitely not a hero. There are definitely many other heroes in the world. I just think it was the right circumstances at the right time, with the right person. Thank God I had the proper training.”
When asked how he felt about being honored with the Valor Award, he said, “Anything pro-law enforcement is amazing. And, the 200 Club is definitely the top of the top in New Jersey, and it truly is an honor to even be recognized by them.”
