STEELMANTOWN — A little more then a year has gone by since State Police and first responders stopped searching the woods around the home of Richard Jargowsky, Jr. 46, a local excavator who disappeared after his Homestead Road home burned to the ground on Friday, February 8, 2008.
According to State Police spokesman Sgt. Stephen Jones, they have no new leads as to the whereabouts of Jargowsky, who called his mother as the fire started to ask her to call 911 from her house phone.
Firefighters were dispatched to the scene for a structure fire with entrapment, firefighters were told by 9-1-1 dispatchers the occupant had called his mother and said he was unable to get out of the burning home, however when firefighters arrived on the scene the home had already burned to the foundation.
After the fire was under control firefighters had not located Jargowski and a large scale search that included a State Police helicopter and several K-9 units was underway in the thick wood’s surrounding Jargowsky’s house, incase he became disoriented from smoke and wandered off.
DNA samples were taken from Jargowsky’s mother Vera Jargowsky and dental records obtained in the event Jargowsky’s remains were found.
Detectives searched the ashes of the home by hand for several hours and also used cadaver dogs however neither man nor dog could locate his body inside the black rubble.
State Police consider the fire suspicious; however investigators were unable to determine the cause of the fire. “We may never know the cause of the fire” Jones said.
Jargowsky’s home was in foreclosure however family members say he had a buyer for the house and was about to make settlement in the following week.
The property is listed for Sheriffs sale on May 20, and over $800 in property taxes are outstanding on the property, according to public records.
Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Richard Jargowsky, Jr. should call New Jersey State Police at (609) 861-5698.
Contact Scheeler at 609-404-6515 or hscheeler@cmcherald.com
Cape May – Governor Murphy says he doesn't know anything about the drones and doesn't know what they are doing but he does know that they are not dangerous. Does anyone feel better now?
