A Call Came Claiming Cop Shot Ex and Her New Boyfriend. A Fellow Officer Allegedly Shirked the Call — and Grabbed Pizza Instead

A New Jersey police sergeant is facing criminal charges for allegedly neglecting his duty during a 911 response that preceded a double murder-suicide, prosecutors say.

Sgt. Kevin Bollaro of the Franklin Township Police Department has been charged with second-degree official misconduct and tampering with records for allegedly failing to perform his duties “with purpose to obtain a personal benefit,” according to a release from the Hunterdon County Prosecutor’s Office.

Authorities say that on August 2, 2025, around 12:22 p.m., officers responded to a 911 call about an unconscious woman showing signs of trauma at 39 Upper Kingtown Road in Pittstown, Franklin Township. At the scene, police found two victims — Lauren Semanchik, 33, of Pittstown, and Tyler Webb, 29, of Forked River — both dead from gunshot wounds inflicted by a semiautomatic firearm.

Investigators determined that New Jersey State Police Lieutenant Ricardo Santos, 45, had fatally shot the pair before taking his own life at a separate location. Santos, who had previously dated Semanchik, had continued to engage in “harassing and controlling behavior” after their breakup in September 2024, according to investigators.

Semanchik, a veterinarian, and Webb, a volunteer firefighter, had recently begun a relationship, the prosecutor’s office said.

During the investigation into the killings, prosecutors uncovered that on August 1, 2025, the night before the murders were discovered, a 911 caller reported hearing “gunshots and screaming” near 41 Upper Kingtown Road, close to the eventual crime scene. The dispatcher relayed the report to Bollaro, who “acknowledged the transmission,” prosecutors allege.

However, GPS and surveillance data show that instead of responding, Bollaro drove 1.5 miles in the opposite direction to a TD Bank in Clinton Township to make a personal ATM withdrawal, according to the prosecutor’s office.

Five minutes later, another 911 caller from nearby White Bridge Road reported similar sounds of gunfire and distress — a message also relayed to Bollaro, who was still at the ATM, prosecutors claim.

Afterward, Bollaro allegedly began driving toward the reported locations without activating his emergency lights or siren. Five minutes later, a third 911 call came in from Upper Kingtown Road, again reporting “gunshots and screaming.”

Eight minutes after that call, Bollaro arrived at 41 Upper Kingtown Road, where investigators say he spoke briefly with the first caller. He then radioed dispatch to report that he “didn’t hear anything,” before driving to White Bridge Road. Data later showed he stayed there less than a minute before asking to be cleared from the scene.

Prosecutors allege Bollaro did not attempt to contact the second or third callers and instead went directly to Duke’s Pizzeria & Restaurant in Pittstown, where GPS records show he remained for about 50 minutes.

Bollaro’s official report allegedly included false statements, claiming he spoke with a caller he never contacted and “checked the area along Upper Kingtown Road again” before leaving the scene. Prosecutors say GPS evidence contradicts these claims.

The Township of Franklin has placed Bollaro on administrative leave. He is scheduled to appear in court on November 5.

In a statement, Bollaro’s attorney, Charles J. Sciarra, said:

“A woman and her friend were tragically killed in a domestic violence incident, and we have only wishes for peace and strength for those families. However, nothing Kevin Bollaro did or did not do that day impacted or could have stopped that tragedy in any way.”

Sciarra added that the evidence will show delays in 911 dispatch and that Bollaro “canvassed the area thoroughly.”

“Sgt. Kevin Bollaro has faithfully served that community for nearly 25 years and is not guilty of anything related to this horrendous killing. This prosecution is unfortunate,” the statement concluded.