New Jersey cops broke up another wedding in violation of the state’s ban on large gatherings amid the coronavirus outbreak — the third in less than two weeks, police said.
Cops responding to the scene of a car accident Thursday afternoon in Lakewood spotted two vans pulling up with would-be wedding guests on Wayne Street, Capt. Gregory Staffordsmith said.
“The officers then noticed that a nearby backyard had a party tent set up,” Staffordsmith wrote in an email.
It’s unclear how many people were at the wedding, but cops dispersed the crowd and issued a criminal complaint for maintaining a nuisance to the homeowner, William Katzenstein, who is due in court next month, police said.
Lakewood Mayor Raymond Coleshas also ordered cops to impound the tent, tables and chairs used during the celebration, News 12 New Jersey reports.
Attempts to reach Katzenstein, 39, early Friday were unsuccessful. His wife, Cheryl, confirmed the family had planned the affair at their home but declined further comment.
The wedding marked the third time cops in Lakewood had to break up a wedding for violating social distance guidelines during the COVID-19 outbreak.
Cops sent guests home from two affairs on March 17 while reminding staffers at the Fountain Ballroom and Lake Terrace of Gov. Phil Murphy’s ban on gatherings with 50 guests or more.
More than 6,800 New Jersey residents have tested positive for COVID-19 as of Friday, including 389 people in Ocean County, state health data shows. Of those, 198 cases are in Lakewood, according to the Ocean County Health Department.