Man Threatened To Bomb JCP&L Over Power Outage: Police

VERNON, NJ — A Vernon man frustrated by the lack of power in town threatened to kidnap a JCP&L employee and bomb a power substation, Vernon police said.

Robert Winter, 63 of the Glenwood section of Vernon Township, was arrested on March 5 after a phone call with JCP&L, Vernon police said. Winter had called to complain that he was still without power following the March 2 storm, but "became agitated," police said.

He allegedly threatened to kidnap a JCP&L employee and "indicated that he knows how to make bombs and he would blow up a sub-station so no one would have power," police said.

JCP&L gave police a recording of the call, police said. After contacting the Sussex County Prosecutors Office, Winter was arrested and charged with terroristic threats. He was lodged in the Sussex County Jail.

877 of Vernon's 4,415 JCP&L customers are still without power Tuesday morning. The estimated time of restoration is Thursday at 11:30 p.m. An upcoming snowstorm threatens to slow restoration efforts.

"We thank the Vernon Township Police for their fast action on this threat," a JCP&L spokesperson told Patch.

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