Woodbridge parking dispute springs defamation lawsuit by Spotswood cop against neighbors

A Woodbridge man, who works as a Spotswood police officer, has filed a libel, slander and defamation of character lawsuit against his neighbors, following a parking dispute that he alleges led to him being bypassed for a better paying job as a Woodbridge police officer.

Alexander Vega Jr. alleges in the lawsuit filed in Middlesex County Superior Court that his neighbors, Bridget and Richard Fritzsch, made defamatory statements about him to his family, news media, the Woodbridge mayor's and municipal clerk's offices, a Port Reading Committeeman, both Woodbridge and Spotswood police departments, the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office and the state Attorney General's Office.

Vega argues that the statements over a parking dispute have permanently damaged his character and reputation.

Vega lives across the street from the Fritzsches. The dispute arose after the Fritzsches allegedly maintained that the parking spaces in front of their home "are exclusively theirs, notwithstanding it is a public street" and objected to Vega or his relatives parking there, according to the lawsuit.

Richard Fritzsch, a Woodbridge fire captain, was not aware of the lawsuit when asked for comment.

Fritzsch said there had been problems between the two neighbors in the past, but things had quieted down. He said the problem started with Vega's family allegedly parking too close to his driveway, making it hard to get out of his driveway, parking up against his garbage can where his garbage collector couldn't get to the can and driving vehicles with one license plate and tinted windows.

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He believes the issues relate to a time when his neighbors were having work done at their home and one of the workers backed into his garbage can, causing damage.

Fritzsch said he notified Woodbridge police that Vega has allegedly driven a vehicle with tinted windows and one license plate, in an effort to report illegal activity, but added he no longer bothers with his neighbors.

In December Bridget Fritzsch, apparently sent a letter with a holiday greeting card to express her dissatisfaction with Vega's brother parking in front of her home. The letter allegedly contained defamatory, slanderous and libelous statements about Vega and his family, the lawsuit says.

Vega learned about the card and letter from his mother, the lawsuit says, and his relatives continued parking on the street in front of the Fritzsches’ home.

Two days before Christmas, the lawsuit alleges, the Fritsches "made (Vega) a target of their anger" and began sending emails to Mayor John McCormac, two Woodbridge police officers, News 12 New Jersey and others, stating that a vehicle parked in Vega's driveway had only one license place and illegally tinted windows.

The lawsuit charges the emails continued into 2023 and included false statements about Vega, his parents and brother.During that time Vega had an application for employment with the Woodbridge Police Department.

As part of the application process, township police interviewed Vega's neighbors. An officer spoke to Vega about the neighborhood dispute and then crossed the street to interview the Fritsches, the lawsuit says.

Vega did not get the job with the Woodbridge Police Department, the lawsuit says.

Fritzsch said Woodbridge police told him Vega refused the township job. He added that when police came to the neighborhood to conduct interviews, Fritzsch told the officer he doesn't get along with his neighbor and said he didn't want to have problems if the neighbor became a township police officer. A police lieutenant in turn told Fritzsch that Vega had turned down the township job, he said.

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"Not satisfied" that Vega did not get hired, the Fritsches filed complaints with the Spotswood Police Department's Internal Affairs Department alleging Vega was involved in criminal activity at his home and he was driving a vehicle with illegal tinting, the lawsuit alleges.

Vega learned the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office and the state Attorney General's Office had contacted Vega's bosses about the department's policy regarding tinted vehicle windows, the lawsuit says.

The lawsuit says the Internal Affairs investigation found the complaint to be unfounded, but that Vega's employment record has been "damaged" by the existence of an Internal Affairs complaint, according to the lawsuit.

The lawsuit also alleges the neighbors installed video cameras pointed at Vega's home "to intimidate him and his family." Photos from the cameras have been sent to Woodbridge police, but have not depicted any criminal behavior, the lawsuit says.

Fritzsch said the neighbors tried to agitate him and intimidate his wife.

By not getting the job with Woodbridge, the lawsuit contends, Vega lost money because Woodbridge pays more than Spotswood.

Email: srussell@gannettnj.com

Suzanne Russell is a breaking news reporter for MyCentralJersey.com covering crime, courts and other mayhem. To get unlimited access, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: Woodbridge parking dispute springs defamation lawsuit by Spotswood cop