Hurricane Bonnie ‘Victim’ Is Arrested

SOUTH HACKENSACK, N.J. â€”  A man suspected of faking his death in Hurricane Bonnie’s rough surf to avoid criminal charges was arrested at a diner Friday along with his fiancee, the only person who claimed to have seen him go under.

Antonio Mandarino Jr., 23, and Kimberly Kuda, 21, were charged with conspiracy, causing false public alarm and drug charges. Kuda was also charged with filing a false police report.

“It’s a big misunderstanding,� Mandarino told reporters outside the courthouse. “Give me a chance to explain everything.�

Kuda had reported Monday that Mandarino was knocked down by a big wave in knee-deep water and dragged out to sea at Point Pleasant Beach, where the hurricane had caused rough surf and dangerous riptides.

After a two-day search by more than 100 people, including divers and helicopter pilots, rescuers concluded that Mandarino had drowned.

But authorities became suspicious because Mandarino, who is accused of passing bad checks and other offenses, was facing a Sept. 14 court appearance.

Also, a man resembling Mandarino was seen at an oceanfront bar during the search for him. A tipster told police that Mandarino never used to go in the water, and Kuda soon disappeared too.

On Thursday, Mandarino’s father told police that he had gotten a call from his son that day.

On Friday, police converged on a motel after spotting Kuda’s parked car. The couple had fled, but officers soon contacted them by telephone at Kuda’s mother’s home, and the couple agreed to surrender at a diner nearby.

The couple had checked into the motel under the names Mr. and Mrs. Moss, according to police. Officers said they found a bag of heroin inside the room.

Before heading to the shore Monday, Mandarino and Kuda had hidden photographs of themselves to prevent their faces from showing up in newspapers and on television, police said.

Mandarino may have financed the couple’s getaway by buying paint with bad checks and then selling it for cash, authorities said.