Middlesex County Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone announced today that a former Long Branch police officer was sentenced today to county jail as part of his sentence for striking and killing a pedestrian on September 22, 2017.
Officials say Jake Pascucci, 31, of Long Branch was sentenced by Superior Court Judge Michael A. Toto to 8 months in the county jail.
Pascucci was originally sentenced on June 28, 2018, to serve 364 days in the county jail as a condition of 5-years of probation to be served upon his release.
He was also sentenced to 30 days for driving while intoxicated which was to run concurrent to the county jail time.
He forfeited his public employment with the Long Branch Police Department and lost his driving privilege for three months.
That sentence was imposed after Pascucci pleaded guilty on April 3, 2018, in accordance with an agreement reached with Middlesex County Assistant Prosecutor Keith Abrams, to strict liability vehicular homicide in the third degree and driving while intoxicated in the death of Karen Borkowski, 66 of Stanhope.
The June 28, 2018 sentence was appealed, and the Judge stayed the custodial portion of the sentencing pending that appeal.
The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court remanded the case back to Superior Court for resentencing.
Jake Pascucci is due to surrender to the Middlesex County Sheriff’s Department on Friday, September 25.
Pascucci was charged after an investigation by Detective Donald Heck of the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office which determined that on September 22, 2017, the pedestrian was struck and killed by a car driven by the off-duty police officer as she attempted to cross Ocean Boulevard.
Karen Borkowski was pronounced dead at the scene following the crash.