Police Say Livingston Man was Involved in Ramapo Shooting Scare

Police arrested two men Thursday after a 23-year-old West Orange man allegedly called his Ramapo College ex-girlfriend with a false claim that he had been shot, according to .

Mahwah Police Chief James Batelli said Gil D. Jaffe, 23, of West Orange, allegedly called his ex-girlfriend, a Ramapo College graduate who was attending a party on campus Wednesday night, claiming that he had been shot twice in the shoulder and attempting to get her to send him cash.

Batelli said that another man, Leonid Shtaygrad, 21, of Livingston, then allegedly got on the phone purporting to be the shooter, and confirming the story that the Ramapo graduate should send ransom money.

Batelli said police received a 911 emergency call at about 11:30 p.m. Wednesday from a 22-year-old Ramapo graduate who was attending a party on campus, reporting that her ex-boyfriend, Gil D. Jaffe, of West Orange, was being held at gunpoint and that he had been subsequently shot twice in the shoulder, according to police. Police said the caller did not initially know whether the alleged victim was on campus or not.

Police said they immediately locked down the campus and began a search for the victim. Police contacted area hospitals and other local police departments, including West Orange, where Jaffe resides. 

The police also conducted a trace of Jaffe's cell phone. According to a statement by Mahwah police, West Orange police had been simultaneously dispatched to Jaffe's residence on an unrelated disturbance call. 

Mahwah police said West Orange officers found Jaffe healthy and with no gunshot wounds. The campus was then taken off lock down and students received a reverse 911 call that the campus was safe, according to Mahwah police.

Jaffe was arrested by West Orange police for violating a restraining order by contacting his ex-girlfriend, said Mahwah police.

Mahwah police said he faces additional charges of an attempt to commit theft by deception by purposely attempting property belonging to another, knowingly transmitting a false or baseless report or warning of an impending crime to an unwitting individual causing panic and alarm, violating a final domestic violence restraining order issued by an Essex County Superior Court judge and harassing another via communication in a manner likely to cause annoyance or alarm by repeatedly texting the phone of another.

Police said Shtaygrad faces charges of theft by deception by assisting Jaffe in attempting to obtain property belonging to another and assisting in knowingly transmitting a false or baseless report or warning of an impending crime, causing panic and alarm.

Police said Jaffe was transferred to Mahwah police headquarters. In an appearance in municipal court Thursday afternoon,  Jaffe was ordered to pay $27,500 bail on two charges, with a possibility of other payments owed.

Jaffe's attorney, Alan Rodetsky, said that Jaffe would be able to post bail by the end of the day. Judge Anthony J. Gianni Jr. ordered that Jaffe be held until that time and then commented that Jaffe would likely need to appear at the Superior Court of New Jersey in Hackensack to follow up on the charges against him.

For his connection with the case, Shtaygrad,  was released without bail, pending an appearance at the Superior Court of New Jersey in Hackensack within 48 hours.