Claims Of Multiple Seizures, Spiked Drink 'Concerns' At Jersey Shore Bar Blasted By Mayor

POINT PLEASANT BEACH, NJ — The mayor of Point Pleasant Beach is pushing back on a social media claim that multiple women suffered seizures at Jenkinson's on Friday night, possibly the result of drinks being spiked with drugs.

The claim was posted by Jersey Coast Emergency News on Saturday morning, with the post saying the site had received "numerous messages regarding women reportedly suffering seizures and other serious medical episodes at Jenks in Point Pleasant Beach Friday night, with concerns being raised that their drinks may have been spiked."

The post sparked hundreds of comments and more than 2,200 shares.

The claims in the post, however, are inaccurate, Point Pleasant Beach Mayor Doug Vitale said Monday.

"This is exactly how misinformation spreads," Vitale said. "Serious, unverified allegations were posted as a public safety concern, yet the page later admitted that neither the Police Department nor Jenkinson’s had confirmed the claims and that the information came from messages in their inbox."

Vitale commented on the post, saying, "Fake News. Nothing in this post is accurate as usual."

"When I pointed out that the post was inaccurate, the response was personal attacks and even a threat of political retaliation," Vitale said.

"Public safety is too important for rumors and speculation," he said. "Our residents and visitors deserve verified facts, not fear-driven social media posts."

Messages seeking comment from the Point Pleasant Beach Police Department and Jenkinson's were not answered over the weekend or on Monday.

It isn't the first time public officials have rejected claims posted by the page.

In January, Wall Township police said claims of an explosion at the Acme supermarket on Route 35 that were posted on the Jersey Coast Emergency News page were false.

A compressor that failed gave off a puff of smoke and there was an electrical burning smell, but no explosion, Wall Police Lt. Steven Nash said.

In July, the page shared a video claiming a group of "thugs" had attacked a police horse on the boardwalk in Wildwood.

Wildwood Police Chief Joseph Murphy rejected the claim, saying the horse lost its footing on a metal surface and that neither the animal nor its rider was hurt, according to reports.

In March, the page posted a claim that a submarine had surfaced off Sandy Hook as tensions were heating up over U.S. military strikes in Iran. The U.S. Coast Guard said it was not aware of any such activity near the New Jersey coastline at the time, according to a report.

In April 2025, as a 8,500-acre wildfire raged in Lacey Township, the page claimed buildings at the decommissioned Oyster Creek nuclear power plant had caught fire.

That prompted officials with Holtec International, which owns the property, to post a public statement saying no buildings were burning.

Still, the post prompted safety concerns for residents who live near the site.

Toms River police in 2024 said a claim by Jersey Coast Emergency News that buses were dropping off loads of migrants at a motel in Toms River was false.

The police department said it investigated the rumor and found that it was two bus drivers only, who stayed overnight between their shifts, in a post on the official police Facebook page.

The Coast Guard also rejected a claim by Jersey Coast Emergency News in 2023 that said the body of a missing boater had been found after the boat capsized in Manasquan Inlet.

"We also ask that the public please refrain from spreading false information regarding the accident," the Coast Guard said at the time. "Please only take into account updates you receive from us or other official sources."