8/18/2019 Asbury Park Press front page Friday, April 1 2016

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TOMS RIVER - The most influential county Repub-

lican organization in New Jersey is staying out of itsparty’s contentious presidential primary season — atleast officially.

The Ocean County Republican Organization heldits nominating convention on Wednesday night andfollowed through on a proposal to make no one happyand — perhaps more importantly for its own politicalinterest — no one mad.

While many in the leadership of the county GOPcannot stomach the image of Donald Trump as its na-tional standard bearer in the fall, county RepublicanChairman George R. Gilmore noted Wednesday thatTrump would be likely to carry Ocean County if NewJersey’s Republican primary were held today.

According to the conservative The Save Jersey

See ENDORSE, Page 6A

ASBURY PARK PRESS APP.COM$1.50

FRIDAY 04.01.16

VOLUME137

NUMBER 79

SINCE 1879

ADVICE JERSEY ALIVECLASSIFIED 2DCOMICS JERSEY ALIVELOCAL 3AMOVIES JERSEY ALIVE

OBITUARIES 13AOPINION 8ASPORTS 1CWEATHER 7CYOUR MONEY 12A

Fans of the Grateful Dead: Head to the Paramount Theatreon Saturday, April 9, to see two films, a m usical perfor-mance and discussion. Visit APMFF.com for details.

Get your tickets now!

Grateful for themusic, band?

NEWARK - NJ Transit police officers are “horri-fied” that a pro-ISIS group obtained personal informa-tion from 55 agency police officers by hacking a uni-form vendor and singled them out for attack, theunion president said Thursday.

“Our members have been individually targeted for‘lone wolf’ attacks at their homes by an internationalterrorist organization,” Policemen’s Benevolent As-sociation Local 304 President Charles Phillips said.

Phillips said the pro-ISIS group, identified as theCaliphate Cyber Army, apparently hacked “a ‘secure’online order site” run by Action Uniform, an outsidevendor based in Egg Harbor that has a $449,000 con-tract with NJ Transit to provide public safety uni-forms.

The group then leaked personal information for po-lice officers in a 39-page document this month, withthreatening messages.

“While we patrol against terrorist attacks everyday we work, we are horrified that we are now bring-ing this threat home to our families,” Phillips said,adding “the sole assurance we have received is thatISIS has targeted other police organizations in the

NJT ‘horrified’after ISIS leakis traced touniform vendorMIKE DAVIS @BYMIKEDAVIS

See THREAT, Page 6A

Path to the Republican nomi-nation this year could runthrough the Virgin Islands. 1B

The two strangers embraced like old friends. And for a moment, they said, it felt

like time stood still.♦

Ten years and 16 miles separated the two women. AudraThomas, 49, is a technology worker by day and bass player by night; Jea Santo-

vasco, 59, a mother and real estate appraiser. ♦ But on Saturday, they met for the

first time at Thompson Grove Park in Manalapan, joined by an unexpected find:

Thomas’ chance discovery of World War II medals belonging to Santovasco’s late father. ♦ “Oh my

god, this is beautiful,” Santovasco said when she saw the medals, cleaned up and displayed in a

glass case. “I can’t believe I have these back.” ♦ Santovasco said a family member broke into her

Manalapan home more than two years ago and swiped her jewelry and the medals. She’s been

searching for them ever since.

HISTORY FINDSITS WAY HOME

PHOTOS BY DOUG HOOD/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Audra Thomas of Union Beach (right) was using her metal detector in Thompson Grove Park when she found World War IImedals belonging to Manalapan resident Jea Santovasco’s late father. Thomas returned them to her in the park Saturday.

The World War II medals belonging to Sal Santovasco, who served in the U.S. Army, were stolen and later found in ThompsonGrove Park in Manalapan. Saturday, they were returned to his daughter. Visit APP.com for a video and photo gallery.

Lost WWII medals found in Manalapan

KAREN YI @KAREN_YI

See MEDALS, Page 7A

High school baseball preview In Sports

COUNTDOWN

7 DAYS

ERIK LARSEN/STAFF PHOTO

Ocean County Republican Chairman George R. Gilmoreaddresses Wednesday night’s nominating convention.

No presidentialendorsementfrom Ocean GOPERIK LARSEN @ERIK_LARSEN