Keyport Man Accused of Threatening Witness

Keyport, NJ - A Keyport man has been accused of trying to intimidate a witness into recanting his or her statement in regards to an earlier crime, according to Monmouth County prosecutors.

Prosecutors did not reveal the nature of that crime, but Joseph Pontone, 25, of Atlantic Street in Keyport, was arrested and charged with witness tampering. On April 27, Pontone went to the witness' home in Long Branch and threatened to send people to that address, to break in and cause damage and and vandalism inside, if the witness proceeded with the testimony.

That same day, April 27, Pontone went to a house in Keansburg, on Maplewood Avenue, prosecutors say. He broke into the home by crawling through a front bedroom window and once inside, used a knife to slice the mattress and pillow up and throw items around the room, police said. He was arrested and charged with that incident, as well.