Family announces lawsuit after state trooper kills ex-girlfriend in double murder-suicide
Lauren Semanchik, of Pittstown, called the Franklin Township police to inquire about filing a restraining order against her ex-boyfriend, Ricardo Santos.
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Authorities have released a phone call a Hunterdon County woman made to police to report that her ex-boyfriend, a New Jersey state trooper, was harassing her. The call was released on the same day that the woman’s family announced a lawsuit against multiple New Jersey law enforcement agencies in the wake of her murder.
Lauren Semanchik, of Pittstown, called the Franklin Township police to inquire about filing a restraining order against her ex-boyfriend, Ricardo Santos. She stated that he had been harassing her and had placed recording devices in her home.
Santos would later kill Semanchik and her current boyfriend, Tyler Webb. Santos then took his own life.
Semanchik’s family is proceeding with a lawsuit against the Franklin Township and Washington Township police departments, as well as the New Jersey State Police, for failing to act when Semanchik told all three agencies about her fears and her interest in filing a restraining order.
At a news conference on Thursday, attorneys claimed that Semanchik first told an acquaintance at the state police in April about Santos's controlling actions that made her uncomfortable.
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The next month, she filed a report with Washington Township police when her car was keyed. Although there were no charges, the police there called Santos and told him to stay away from Semanchik. Santos said he understood, according to the attorneys.
The next day, Semanchik visited the Franklin Township police to file a report or restraining order and was told no one could help her, leading to the phone call that she made.
Attorneys say that Semanchik never heard back.
The family's lawyers argue that, according to the Attorney General's Internal Affairs policy, that office must be notified when an officer is involved in a domestic violence incident and seize the officer's weapons.
"The Franklin Township Police Department did absolutely nothing after having this complaint,” said attorney David Mazie.
"Lauren did everything right. She was concise, she was detailed, she was calm, and she made sure that she gave all pertinent information about Ricardo Santos. The fact that he was a state trooper. She was failed by every single law enforcement agency that she went to for help,” said Semanchik’s mother, Jennine Semanchik.
The family is seeking compensation and reform in how police investigate their own.
In an extraordinary step, the Hunterdon County Prosecutor's Office took over day-to-day control of the Franklin Police Department two weeks ago, over concerns from this investigation.
