Top Manasquan, Belmar Stories In 2019: Sarah Stern, Hit-And-Run

MANASQUAN – Manasquan and Belmar had their share of scary, tragic and uplifting stories in 2019. Here were the most-read stories for the year:

Arrest In 5-Month Search After 2 Struck In Belmar Hit-And-Run

A New Jersey man was arrested in December after a five-month search following a hit-and-run crash that left two people seriously hurt. One of the victims, who had been a star athlete in high school, had her lower body "crushed," family and friends say. Michael J. Spivak, 30, of Belmar was arrested after police searched throughout New Jersey for the driver who struck two pedestrians June 1, Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni announced.

Video Shows When Verdict Reached In Sarah Stern Murder Trial

A jury found the accused killer in the Sarah Stern murder trial guilty in February, convicting the main suspect in the Monmouth County case who had already confessed on video to stangling and throwing the 19-year-old off a Belmar bridge. Liam McAtasney, 21, of Neptune City was found guilty on all counts of murder, robbery, desecration of human remains, conspiracy to desecrate human remains and hindering apprehension, according to the Monmouth County Prosecutors Office.

Grief, Support For 'Great Kid' Who Died In Manasquan Area

Friends said Richie Caputo was always a "great kid," the son of a state trooper whose family was always selfless and always ready to help. Richie, 23 died in a motorcycle accident in Manasquan in August, according to his obituary. Friends are asking people to donate to Richie's Facebook fundraiser to help defray funeral expenses.

Human Waste Leaking From Belmar's Sewer System: DEP

Human waste was leaking from Belmar's sewer system and the borough considered closing a beach until the problem was fixed, state officials announced in April. The human waste was leaking into the Shark River, near where the L Street river beach is located. Raw sewage was coming from sanitary sewers in the area of K Street and Route 35, according to a violation notice released to Patcy by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.

Home For St. Rose Of Belmar Student In Horrible Lifeguard Mishap

Sam Jarmer, a 17-year-old junior at St. Rose High School of Belmar, suffered a serious spinal injury while working at his lifeguarding job. Now he's showing progress, showing an increasing ability to move his arms and legs.