Old Bridge Man Admits To Killing His Mother

OLD BRIDGE, NJ — An Old Bridge man pleaded guilty Monday to killing his mother, strangling her to death over Thanksgiving weekend 2016.

Frank Polera, 31, pleaded guilty to aggravated manslaughter in the death of Patricia Polera, 61. Police say he killed her on November 26, 2016 in the home they shared on Kirschman Drive in Old Bridge Twp., on the Matawan border.

Polera will be sentenced to a prison term of 28 years, and he must serve 85 percent of his prison term before becoming eligible for parole.

Police were called to the mother-son home on Kirschman Drive on November 26, 2016 at 8:48 p.m. to find the woman had been killed in the home she shared with her son. She was pronounced dead at the scene. It was her son who originally called 911 that night to report his mother had fallen out of bed. However, despite attempts by the 911 operator to walk Frank Polera through CPR, he seemed more interested in taking care of his dogs, NJ.com reported.

The investigation determined that the defendant caused the death of his mother. An autopsy by the Middlesex County Medical Examiner’s Office showed the victim died from asphyxiation by compression.

The woman worked Newark Liberty International Airport as a customer service supervisor for United Airlines, NJ.com reported.