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U.S. NEWS Saturday 1 September 2018
Couple ordered to turn over

funds raised for homeless man

MOUNT HOLLY, N.J. (AP) — buy drugs. she ran out of gas on an
A couple who raised more The judge ordered the cou- Interstate 95 exit ramp late
than $400,000 for a home- ple to transfer the money one night. It raised more
less man after he used his into an escrow account by than $400,000 in funds do-
last $20 to fill up the gas the end of business Friday nated by more than 14,000
tank of a stranded motor- and hire a forensic accoun- people.
ist in Philadelphia must now tant to review the financial Bobbitt walked a few
turn over what's left of the records within 10 days. blocks to buy McClure gas.
cash. The money will be trans- She didn't have money to
A New Jersey judge issued ferred to an account con- repay him at the time, but
the order Thursday during trolled by Bobbitt's lawyers sought him out days later
a hearing on the lawsuit but can't be used until the to give him the money,
brought by Johnny Bobbitt judge determines how it will and visited him a few more
, who worries Mark D'Amico be managed. The judge times to bring food and
and Katie McClure have didn't appoint a guardian water. They later appeared
mismanaged a large part to oversee the fund, but on shows like "Good Morn-
of the donations raised for one could be appointed ing America" and were in-
him on GoFundMe. later. terviewed by the BBC.
The couple deny those McClure set up the online But the relationship has
claims, saying they're wary fundraiser page as a way gone sour.
of giving Bobbitt large sums to give back to Bobbitt, McClure and D'Amico
because they fear he will who came to her aid when have repeatedly denied

Judge nixes New Jersey town's

ban on nonresident drivers In this Nov. 17, 2017, file photo, Johnny Bobbitt Jr., left, Kate Mc-
Clure, right, and McClure's boyfriend Mark D'Amico pose at a
Citgo station in Philadelphia.
Associated Press
LEONIA, N.J. (AP) — A New the town would seek an im- causing safety concerns any wrongdoing or mis- parked it on land McClure's
Jersey town plans to seek mediate stay of the judge's and gridlock on side streets. using any of the money. family owns in Florence. But
to reverse a judge's ruling order and also would ap- A few weeks after the ordi- D'Amico has said Bobbitt Bobbitt became homeless
striking down its ordinance peal. He said Judge Pe- nance went into effect, the spent $25,000 in less than again after D'Amico told
that banned nonresident ter Bariso's ruling "makes it town replaced "Do Not En- two weeks in December on him in June that he had to
drivers from using some of clear that Leonia had the ter" signs with what it called drugs, in addition to pay- leave the property.
its streets as shortcuts to a right to enact the regula- "less menacing" signs after ing overdue legal bills and During an appearance
heavily traveled bridge into tions that were adopted local business owners ex- sending money to his fam- Monday on NBC's "Megyn
New York. and, if the streets adjacent pressed concerns about ily. Kelly Today" show, D'Amico
Leonia adopted an ordi- to Grand Avenue had not losing business. The couple also bought told Kelly there was well
nance in January in re- been included in the ordi- More than 140,000 vehicles Bobbitt a camper with over $150,000 left of the
sponse to traffic congestion nance, there would be no cross the George Washing- some of the funds and donations.q
and safety issues caused legal issue." ton Bridge each day.q
by navigation apps send- Zeigler said the borough
ing motorists through town would introduce new ordi-
to the George Washington nances next week and that
Bridge. he wants "to do everything
A resident of a nearby town possible to work with the
sued shortly after the road Department of Transpor-
closures went into effect, tation." Attorney Jacque-
and in the spring, New Jer- line Rosa, who sued the
sey's attorney general said borough over the closures
the closures "weren't legally in February, on Thursday
valid." called the judge's ruling
On Thursday, a state Su- "fantastic" for commuters.
perior Court judge found Apps like Waze and Apple
that Leonia failed to get Maps reroute some of the
the required permission for tens of thousands of vehi-
the road closures from the cles headed to the George
state Department of Trans- Washington Bridge each
portation. The DOT commis- morning, particularly when
sioner must sign off on laws there is an accident or oth-
that affect a state road- er disruption. Police said in
way, and many of Leonia's January that studies have
closures were near Grand shown more than 2,000 ve-
Avenue, the local section hicles often pass through
of state Route 93. town of about 9,000 resi-
Leonia Mayor Judah Zei- dents from just one of the
gler said in an email that three exits off Interstate 95,