Robbinsville sign shooter caught

By Jessica Ercolino, Staff Writer
   ROBBINSVILLE — One of two Hamilton men responsible for firing shots in a neighboring township has also been charged in connection with last month’s shooting damage to the electronic Robbinsville High School sign.
   Robert Digirolamo, 49, was charged with unlawful possession of a weapon, possession of a weapon for unlawful purposes, criminal mischief and driving while intoxicated after an early morning incident Oct. 10.
   Police said Mr. Digirolamo and his neighbor, 26-year-old David Leech, were driving in a green Dodge van around 1 a.m. when patrons of Santino’s Bar One on Route 33 heard shots being fired from the vehicle. Officers responding to a call there pulled the van over and saw a .40-caliber handgun in the backseat, according to the report.
   The men confessed to the shootings, saying they had been drinking at their homes in Hamilton and decided to take out the gun and fire shots at a shed in the backyard. Some of the bullets hit neighboring residences, police said, but no one was injured.
   Police said Mr. Digirolamo also confessed to the Sept. 6 shooting at the high school on Robbinsville-Edinburg Road, which caused $30,000 worth of damages to the district’s electronic sign. He was charged with third-degree criminal mischief for that incident, and driving while intoxicated and second-degree charges for unlawful possession and purposes for last week’s incident.
   Mr. Leech, who police said did not fire any shots in Robbinsville, was charged with second-degree unlawful possession and purposes related to the Oct. 10 incident. He will also face charges in Hamilton, police said.
   Bail for Mr. Leech and Mr. Digirolamo was set at $100,000 each after an arraignment last week. Calls to the Hamilton Police Department were not returned by The Messenger-Press deadline.
   Superintendent John Szabo said the district is pleased to hear of the arrest. “This was a very serious and dangerous situation,” he said last week. “Fortunately, no one was injured, but we really feel this is an unfair burden to be placed on taxpayers when someone willfully destroys school property. We deserve remuneration from the person who perpetrated this act.”
   Dr. Szabo said the current model of the electronic sign is no longer manufactured and a more expensive model will need to be purchased at a cost between $25,000 to $30,000. He added that the loss has been inconvenient to the district because the sign was used as an “instant messaging” service to the community for announcements and student recognition. The township has been allowing the district to use a portable sign on occasion, the superintendent said.