TOMS RIVER – A 74-year-old woman who appears to have been homeless was found dead in her car at the township’s Walmart parking lot.
Toms River Police reported that on January 27, at around 1:30 p.m., Linda F. Bocchino of Berkeley Township was found deceased in the driver’s seat of a 2013 Hyundai Tucson. Based on the amount of snow on the vehicle, it was assumed that it hadn’t been moved in some time. While nothing suspicious was discovered within the vehicle, the case is still under investigation to determine a cause of death.
Her vehicle had run out of gas and the car’s battery wasn’t operational according to Paul Hulse, the chief executive officer at Just Believe Inc. which is a nonprofit agency that formed in 2017 and assists those who are homeless in the county.
Hulse said on social media that his organization responded to the scene to assist with the removal of the car on behalf of the woman’s family. “The police stated the car would have been impounded if we weren’t able to assist. The individual was homeless in Toms River. Just Believe is lending a helping hand to the family with the vehicle, ensuring it is safely removed from the premises, and providing any additional assistance needed during this challenging period.”
Hulse posted that he and his team arrived at the parking lot and offered support “to the family of the deceased, holding them close in this difficult time. It appears the individual passed away in their vehicle while seeking warmth after running out of gas, and subsequently, the battery died.”
“Every life has immense value, and it’s heartbreaking that this life was lost due to circumstances that could have been altered with more comprehensive support systems for homelessness in Ocean County, including a permanent shelter,” Hulse commented. “When will we come together to create a community where everyone has a safe haven, and suffering becomes less prevalent in Ocean County?”
With warming centers filling up during cold weather days experienced this week, many homeless individuals who are already living in their cars attempt to keep warm in the winter. He noted that eight others are being assisted who were living out of their cars along with others in Ocean County communities who live in tents.
Members of the organization were distributing blankets to those living in the woods, some of whom had been turned away from the Code Blue shelters that were full that night according to Hulse.
This last week has seen the coldest temperatures of the winter so far with one snow storm last weekend and another coming up this weekend. Temperatures are expected to remain at freezing levels according to the National Weather Service.
Ocean County has four Code Blue Shelters that operate from November until March when temperatures hit 32 degrees or lower. They have a capacity of 115 people according to the Ocean County Department of Human Services.
The Ocean County PIC building on Route 9 accommodates 60 people, Warm Hearts on Ocean Avenue in Lakewood can provide shelter for 30 individuals, Promise on Windsor Avenue in Toms River can help two families of up to five members each and Saint John’s Zion AME Church in Lakewood has room for 15 people.
Hulse said that wasn’t nearly enough to accommodate Ocean County’s homeless population which according to Monarch Housing Associates is around 580 people. This figure comes from the annual count but is generally seen as a low estimate since many homeless are under the radar.
Stephanie Faughnan contributed to this story.
