Tyler Webb and Lauren Semanchik

By Sam Barron From Daily Voice

A police sergeant in New Jersey is facing official misconduct charges following his botched response to a double murder-suicide in Hunterdon county, authorities announced Thursday, Oct. 23.

The charges against Sergeant Kevin Bollaro tell a story of an officer asked to respond to a report of gunshots, but instead going to an ATM, spending nearly an hour at a pizzeria, and ending his shift by spending five hours at a cemetery, all while two people were gunned down.

On Saturday, Aug. 2, at 12:22 p.m., officers in Franklin Township responded to 39 Upper Kingtown Rd. and found two people dead, Lauren Semanchik, a 33-year-old Pittstown resident and Tyler Webb, a 29-year-old Fork River resident and firefighter, the Hunterdon County Prosecutor Renée Robeson said.

An investigation determined New Jersey State Police Lt. Ricardo Santos shot and killed Semanchik, his ex-girlfriend, and Webb, before killing himself, Robeson said.

The previous night, a neighbor called police to report gunshots and screaming, and  Bollaro said he was responding to the scene.

But data from his GPS and surveillance footage showed Bollaro drove 1.5 miles in the opposite direction of the caller's location, instead going to a TD Bank to use the ATM.

Another caller reported hearing gunshots and screaming, but Bollaro continued his ATM transaction before heading to the home, without activating his lights and sirens, Robeson said.

Five minutes after the second call, a third call came in from another neighbor, reporting gunshots and screaming, Robeson said. GPS data located Bollaro at the first caller's home, but he failed to turn on his body camera, Robeson said.

From the time of the first dispatch transmission to Bollaro to when he arrived at the neighbor's home, approximately 17 minutes transpired, Robeson said.

Bollaro told dispatch he didn't hear anything, and then proceeded to White Bridge Road. He asked dispatch to clear him from the scene and never visited the other callers or stopped to investigate on White Bridge Road, Robeson said.

From the time of Bollaro’s arrival at the neighbor's home to when he cleared his investigative involvement, approximately 12 minutes transpired, Robeson said. At one point, Bollaro was only 562 feet from the home where the double murders occurred, Robeson said.

Later, Bollaro went to a pizzeria in Pittstown, where he remained for 50 minutes. He later went to the Pittstown Inn, where he remained for 57 minutes, socializing with patrons, Robeson said.

Bollaro spent five consecutive hours of his shift at Locus Grove Cemetery, during which no law enforcement activity was recorded by him, Robeson said.

The report by Bollaro makes several false claims and tells of him diligently checking the area but unable to find evidence of shots, which is contradicted by GPS and surveillance footage, Robeson said.

Aside from his initial response to the neighbor's home to speak with the first caller, Bollaro did not return to the area for the remainder of his shift, which concluded at approximately 7:00 AM the next day, authorities said.

Bollaro is formally charged with official misconduct, knowingly refraining from performing his police duties with the purpose of obtaining a personal benefit, and disorderly persons tampering with public records or informatio  knowingly making false entries in his police report.