No charges filed against man who dumped 500 pounds of pasta in New Jersey woods

Community advocates say the unidentified man has a history of mental illness.

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Friday, May 26, 2023
No charges filed against man who dumped 500 pounds pasta in NJ woods
After pounds of pasta were dumped in the New Jersey woods, officials have announced no charges will be filed against the man responsible.

OLD BRIDGE, New Jersey -- The mystery surrounding the trail of pasta that wound up in a New Jersey town has finally been solved.

Officials in Old Bridge, Middlesex County, announced that no charges will be filed against the man responsible for dumping over 500 pounds of pasta in the woods earlier this month.

Community advocates say the unidentified man has a history of mental illness.

Residents of Old Bridge were startled when the heaping serving of macaroni, spaghetti and ziti was strewn all along the stream of Veteran Park.

Nina Jochnowitz

Police believe the giant piles of uncooked pasta, which stretched more than 25 feet in the wooded area, were removed from the packaging and then dumped along the creek.

Officers say they were initially unaware of the incident because there were no calls or reports from any residents, except via a post on Facebook.

Once a report was generated, two public works employees arrived to clean the area.

Authorities say they were able to dispose of all of the pasta in under an hour.