90 Charged, 41 Ticketed At Mass ATV Gathering At Heritage Minerals Lake In Manchester

MANCHESTER, NJ — Manchester Township police issued criminal charges to 90 people on Saturday after they found more than 200 people and their vehicles around Crystal Lake in the Heritage Minerals site.

Manchester police conducted a special enforcement detail on Saturday at the site as a result of ongoing complaints from residents around the site, also known as Asarco, about trespassing, noise, water crafts, ATV riders, and 4-wheelers, police said.

In spite of dozens of warnings and multiple deaths and injuries over the years, law enforcement found more 200 people in vehicles, ATVs, and water crafts in various locations around the lake, many of whom tried to leave the area, police said.

As a result of the detail, 90 special complaint summonses — criminal violations — were issued along with 41 traffic citiations, for a total of 131 summonses.

As authorities were finishing the enforcement detail, there were reports of a vehicle stuck in the sand near the southeast area of the lake, police said. Authorities worked to free the vehicle, which got stuck three more times and Priced Rite Towing was called in. The towing company removed the vehicle at the owner's expense, police said, and the owner received summonses, police said.

The 7,000-acre property that fronts on Route 70 between Lakehurst and Whting is privately owned and is marked "No Trespassing" at multiple points and is fenced. It originally was operated by ASARCO (American Smelting and Refining Company) as a mining site for decades. It was sold to and operated by Heritage Minerals until mining operations ended in the early 1980s.

There are several "lakes" on the site that resulted from the mining operations and are filled with water from groundwater aquifers. The clear, cold water is a draw, especially on hot summer days, but the lakes are very dangerous, officials have repeatedly said.

Because they were mining pits, the soft sand is unstable and after a few steps the "shelf" drops off to 60 feet deep or more. There have been dozens of reports over the years of vehicles getting stuck in the soft sand.

There also have been multiple drownings at the site, most recently in early August 2021. Read more: Heritage Minerals Lake In Manchester Claims Another Victim

"The Manchester Township Police Department would like to remind the public that the Heritage Minerals or 'ASARCO' site is private property," police said. "It is closed for recreational and/or other use and it is a criminal offense to enter or remain on the property."

"In the interest of public safety, the Manchester Township Police urges everyone to obey the 'No Trespassing' signs posted at the site. Trespassers are subject to hefty fines and penalties up to and including incarceration for being on the property," police said.

Manchester police were assisted by the Ocean County Sheriff's Department, the Toms River Police Department, the New Jersey State Police Aviation Unit, and the New Jersey State Police Marine Unit.