Search for despondent man comes up empty

E. Brunswick police, fire teams can't find ex-beau who threatened suicide

Thursday, October 27, 2005

BY TOM HAYDON AND SHARON ADARLO

Star-Ledger Staff

East Brunswick police and firefighters scoured a township park for more than eight hours yesterday, searching for an 18-year-old man who dashed into the park and threatened to commit suicide after an unsuccessful attempt to rekindle a relationship with his ex-girlfriend.

Michael Berger, who grew up in East Brunswick but moved to Pennsylvania in August, ran into Pine Ridge Park at 3:42 a.m. yesterday, clutching a piece of glass from a broken vodka bottle and telling the ex-girlfriend he would kill himself, police said.

The girlfriend called police, setting off a search in the area off Ainsworth Avenue and Daniel Place in the north end of the township, East Brunswick police Lt. William Krause said.

As officers with thermal imaging equipment scanned the wooded area, State Police flew over in a helicopter, Krause said.

Police called off the search after a bloodhound and other search dogs -- from one of the same search and rescue teams used to find a missing Sayreville youth last week -- were brought to the park and followed a trail that came to a dead end.

"There is no indication he is in the park," Krause said. "He could have walked away. He could be at home."

The girlfriend, a South River woman whom authorities declined to identify, told police that Berger moved from the township to King of Prussia, Pa., but she was uncertain of his address.

Berger recently has been living with friends, and his mother also lives in King of Prussia, Krause said. Authorities were trying to contact the mother yesterday, Krause said.

The ex-girlfriend told police her relationship with Berger ended recently, but he wanted to see her again and took a train to New Brunswick, where she picked him up.

They drove to the park, where Berger tried to continue the relationship.  "The relationship was over. He was trying for a reconciliation. It was not successful," Krause said.

Berger got out of the car and smashed a vodka bottle he had on the ground, then picked up a piece of broken glass and threatened suicide, police said. When the woman said she was calling police, Berger ran into the woods. The woman gave no indication that Berger was intoxicated when he left the car, police said.

Police searched the park and backyards of homes adjacent to the park.

 Members of the East Brunswick Independent Fire Company used thermal imaging cameras as part of the search.

"I've been up since 4 a.m. this morning," East Brunswick Independent Fire Chief Wayne Lyons said at the scene of the search yesterday afternoon. "We had no breaks, so I am pretty tired."

Late yesterday morning, the Central Jersey Technical Rescue Team came to the scene with dogs.

The ex-girlfriend brought her red subcompact car back to the parking lot so the dogs could pick up Berger's scent before going into the woods to search.

East Brunswick Patrolman Robert Allen walked through the park with the search dogs for about an hour.

"We are trying to make sure he's not exposed, but maybe he found a place for himself," Allen said.

The Central Jersey rescue team was one of five rescue units used in the search last Thursday for Manuel Vargas, the 10-year-old Sayreville youth who ran away from home three days earlier over a dispute with his parents about a report card.

More than a hundred people had searched for Manuel for two nights. On the third night, teams with dogs were called in, and canines found the boy under the backyard deck of a home less than 800 feet from his house.

After the search yesterday, police concluded that Berger was no longer in the park.

Police also searched area bus stations, the New Brunswick train station and nearby hotels and questioned area taxicab companies, but found no trace of the missing man.

Berger is described as 6 feet 4 inches tall, 170 pounds, with hazel eyes and a short, buzz-cut hairstyle. He was last seen wearing a tan shirt and blue jeans.

Tom Haydon works in the Middlesex County bureau. He may be reached at thaydon@starledger.com or (732) 404-8088.