Man sought after argument

Ex-girlfriend calls police for search, fearing he may harm himself

Posted by the Asbury Park Press on 10/27/05

BY MARY ANN BOURBEAU
GANNETT NEW JERSEY

EAST BRUNSWICK — Search and rescue teams were searching for an 18-year-old man Wednesday after he threatened to kill himself because his girlfriend broke off their relationship.

Police said Michael Berger was in a car with his former girlfriend, a South River resident, at 3:42 a.m. Wednesday in Pine Ridge Park.

Berger, who lived in East Brunswick until August and now lives in King of Prussia, Pa., had taken a train to New Brunswick. His girlfriend picked him up and the couple drove to the park to talk.

The discussion turned into an argument, and Berger got out of the car, smashed a bottle of vodka, picked up a shard of glass and threatened to kill himself. He ran into the woods adjacent to the park and the girlfriend called police, who started a search that lasted throughout the day.

Berger is a white man, 6 feet 4 inches tall, 170 pounds, clean shaven, with brown hair styled in a buzz cut. He was wearing blue jeans, a tan shirt and no coat.

Police believe he does not have any friends or family members in East Brunswick. New Brunswick police checked the city's train station and questioned taxi companies, but came up with no evidence that he went back there, so they conducted the search as if Berger was still on foot.

East Brunswick police, emergency management personnel from the township and Middlesex County, and State Police — using a helicopter — searched the park into the afternoon to no avail.