Arrest Made In Carteret Burglary Of McGreevey's Parents

CARTERET, NJ — An arrest has been made in the Carteret home invasion of former Gov. Jim McGreevey's parents' home in west Carteret, it was announced Friday afternoon, Aug. 24.

The home invasion and burglary occurred last Saturday, Aug. 18: At 5:49 a.m. that morning, the suspects broke in and demanded cash and other valuables from the older couple, who live in the west Carteret section. Money, jewelry, a television, and two vehicles were stolen; the vehicles were later recovered in Jersey City.

An 18-year-old Carteret man, Diego Hernandez, has been arrested and charged with the crime. A second suspect, a juvenile, participated also, police said. It is not clear if the teen has been apprehended.

Carteret Mayor Dan Reiman said in a Facebook post Tuesday that the victims are the parents of former New Jersey Gov. Jim McGreevey, the Democrat who got his start in politics as the mayor of Woodbridge.

"Local law enforcement and the county will investigate this horrible incident. I can say that I have spoken with and checked on Jack and Ronnie McGreevey and the family," Mayor Reiman wrote earlier this week. "They are obviously shaken up, but unharmed and in good spirits and look forward to the law enforcement agencies concluding their investigation to determine how or why they were targeted. We wanted to share this when it happened but obviously law enforcement needs time to investigate first."

Hernandez was charged with one count of robbery in the first degree, two counts of burglary in the third degree, two counts of theft in the third degree, one count of burglary in the second degree, one count of theft in the fourth degree, one count of employing a juvenile to commit a criminal offense in the first degree, and one count of conspiracy to commit first degree robbery.

Although initial reports said the couple was robbed at gunpoint, Hernandez was not charged with any weapons charges.

McGreevey was first the mayor of Woodbridge Township, and then New Jersey's governor from 2002 to 2004. However, he famously resigned after revealing in a press conference he was "a gay American." However, it was later revealed he had given a top-level Homeland Security job to an Israeli national, a man, with whom he had been conducting an affair. McGreevey was married to a woman, Dina Matos McGreevey, at the time.

The Middlesex County prosecutor, Jersey City police, Carteret police and even the FBI out of their Newark field office were all involved in this investigation, perhaps owing to who the victims are related to. McGreevey currently works for the city of Jersey City in prison workforce re-entry.

Original Patch reporting: Gov. McGreevey's Parents Held At Gunpoint In Carteret Break-In

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