Cops, Courts & Fire -Falls Township

Morrisville Man Sentenced to Life in Prison for Murdering Mother

Published

1 year ago

November 24, 2024

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A 30-year-old man pleaded guilty on Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024, to second-degree murder for the killing of his mother in April 2023 and was sentenced to life in prison without parole.

Sean Rivera, of Berwyn Road, Morrisville, Falls Township, drugged his 72-year-old mother Carol J. Clark by putting fentanyl in her iced tea and then drove her to Philadelphia where he shot and killed her, leaving her body in a shed that he shut with a padlock.

On Thursday, Rivera entered guilty pleas to second-degree murder, kidnapping to facilitate a felony, kidnaping to inflict terror or injury, aggravated assault, possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, possession of an instrument of crime, possession of a weapon, false imprisonment, unlawful restraint, and recklessly endangering another person.

“The facts of this case are horrific,” Common Pleas Judge Stephen A. Corr said in accepting a negotiated plea from Rivera.

Corr sentenced Rivera to life in prison on the murder charge, and a concurrent sentence of 28 to 56 years on the remaining charges. Additionally, Corr ordered that Rivera have no contact with remaining family members and ordered that he undergo a mental health and drug and alcohol evaluation.

During Thursday’s hearing, the victim’s other children provided touching statements about their mother, detailing the impact she had on the communities she lived and worked in in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.

Clark had a legacy of public service, which included working at Staten Island Borough Hall, the Urban Women’s Center in Trenton, the New Jersey Department of Human Services, and the New Jersey Department of Children and Families. She also joined the Religious Society of Friends in Philadelphia, where as a clerk, she started an after-school program and other community outreach programs that provided a safe haven for generations of neighborhood children.

Credit: DA Office

“You feel proud when you take inventory of a lifetime of work and accomplishment,” her other son read in court. “When you really see the good someone you love was able to accomplish. These were her proudest accomplishments aside from her kids and grandkids.”

Clark’s daughter also prepared a statement, which was read during the hearing, saying “the world was a better place when her mother was in it.”

This investigation began on the afternoon of April 9, 2023, after Falls Township police received a report of a domestic dispute between two brothers regarding the whereabouts of their mother.

During the investigation, detectives learned Rivera lived with his mother at 505 Berwyn Road. On the morning of April 9, 2023, Rivera informed his brother, who lives in New York, that their mother had died. When the brother arrived, Rivera would not say where their mother was. The Falls Township Police Department put out an alert, asking the public to help them locate Clark.

Detectives later obtained warrants to search the home and the victim’s vehicle, locating two firearms, as well as a Home Depot receipt, a padlock, and an empty padlock package. A set of bolt cutters was found inside the victim’s vehicle.

The investigation concluded that Rivera diluted fentanyl in his mother’s iced tea sometime on the night of April 8, 2023. With his mother in a conscious but lethargic state, he placed her in her vehicle and drove her to the shed in the 4300 block of Waln Street in Philadelphia sometime between 2 and 3 a.m. the next day.

There, he used the bolt cutters to cut off any padlocks, placed his mother inside and then shot her multiple times. He then closed the shed and locked it with one of the padlocks he had purchased. The shed was opened with a key recovered from the defendant.

“This defendant has such a coldness of heart,” District Attorney Jennifer Schorn said. “He took the life of the woman who gave him life all because she became care dependent and a burden to him. It’s senseless. The loss that the victim’s other children and grandchildren suffered is unimaginable.

“I thank the outstanding law enforcement and prosecution team for the work done to bring justice for the victim,” she said.

This case was investigated by Detectives from the Falls Township Police Department and the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office, with assistance from the Philadelphia Police Department, Homicide Unit. This case was prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney Monica W. Furber and Deputy District Attorney Christine Sassane.

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Emergency Crews Prepare for Incoming Blizzard as Lower Bucks Municipalities Declare Storm Plans

Published

2 weeks ago

February 21, 2026

Joanne Ames

Credit:: Veinna Carcel

Lower Bucks municipalities have declared disaster/snow emergencies in advance of the expected snow storm that the National Weather Service says will dump anywhere between 14 to 18 inches on the area.

A winter storm warning is still in effect from Sunday, Feb 22 to Monday, Feb 23.

Each municipality has its own link. For more information and updates, please click on their associated link.

Bensalem Township – Disaster Emergency declared immediately for the pending snow storm. Click here to see more details.

Bristol Borough – Snow information/requirements have been posted on their website. Click here to see the details.

Bristol Township – Snow Emergency effective 12 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026 through 12 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026. Click here to see more details.

Falls Township – Snow Emergency starts Sunday, Feb. 22 at 6 p.m. and expires on Tuesday, Feb. 24 at 6 a.m. Click here for details.

Langhorne Borough – Snow Emergency starts Sunday, Feb. 22 at noon until Tuesday, Feb. 24 at 10 a.m. No parking. Click here for details.

Lower Makefield Township – Snow information has been posted on Meta. Click here to see the details.

Middletown Township – Snow Emergency is in effect from Sunday, Feb. 22 at 12 p.m. to Monday, Feb. 23 at 12 p.m. . Click here to see details.

Morrisville Borough – Snow Emergency is in effect from Sunday, Feb. 22 at 5 p.m. to Monday, Feb. 23 at 5 p.m. Click here to see the details.

Newtown Township – A Snow Emergency is in effect from 4 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026 until 4 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 23, 2026. Click here to see the details.

Penndel Borough – Snow Emergency has been declared from 12 p.m. on Sunday, February 22, 2026, through 12 p.m. on Monday, February 23, 2026. Click here for more details and click here for more on the ordinance.

Tullytown Borough – Snow Emergency proclamation in effect from Sunday Feb. 22 – 6 p.m. to Monday Feb. 23 – 6 p.m. Click here to see more details.

Warminster Township – Disaster Emergency has been declared for the incoming snow storm, effective Sunday Feb. 22, 2026 at 12 p.m. through Tuesday, Feb. 24,2026 at 12 p.m.. Click here to see the details and click here to see the declaration from Township Manager Tom Scott.

Yardley Borough – Snow Emergency proclamation in effect from Sunday Feb. 22 – 4 p.m. to Monday Feb. 23 – 4 p.m. . Click here to see the details. and click here to see declaration/other information from Mayor Caroline Thompson.

The primary concern is safety. Take care of yourselves and check on neighbors and those who may be vulnerable.

Please stay safe, take all necessary precautions, and keep your devices charged.

Click here for updates from the National Weather Service

Click here for PECO’s outage map.

Cops, Courts & Fire -Falls Township

Fairless Hill Man Arrested on False Imprisonment, Aggravated Assault Charges After Text Breakup

Published

3 weeks ago

February 16, 2026

Jo Ames & Jeff Bohen

A 27-year-old Fairless Hills man is facing serious charges after his game of emotional blackmail involving his ex girlfriend got him three days in jail on aggravated assault, false imprisonment, terroristic threats and related charges.

Jonathan Boerner was taken into custody by Falls Township Police on the morning of Jan 24 and arraigned by on-call District Judge Joseph P. Falcone. Falcone set bail at 10 percent of $150,000. Boerner was remanded to County Jail for about three days and was released when bail was posted.

According to the probable cause, police were dispatched to the Commons of Fallsington Apartments on January 23, 2026 at 9:38pm. Bucks County Radio (BCR) advised officers the female complainant’s ex-boyfriend allegedly forced her to stay at his house in the 600 block of Trenton Road in Fairless Hills for three hours, physically assaulted her, and threatened her with a gun.

Arriving officers noted the victim was visibly shaking and said she was afraid for her life, officers wrote in court papers.

She explained, police said in court papers, she recently broke up with Boerner through texting. He refused to end the relationship over text and pleaded with her to meet in person, forgetting it only takes one person to end a relationship.

The victim told the police she arrived at his residence around 5:15 pm, and they entered his bedroom, The two talked for approximately 30 minutes, where the victim said she ended the relationship. Boerner then exited his bedroom and allegedly returned with a gun. The victim described the gun to be a “black pistol/small firearm,” and said Boerner recently bought the firearm from an unknown source and it was not registered to him.

Boerner then pointed the gun at his head saying “I’m going to kill myself,” the victim told police.

The victim, told police, she was terrified, took her phone out, and pleaded with Boerner to allow her to leave. He then grabbed her right arm, shoved her onto the bed, saying he was going to kill her, and she was not leaving, He then shut the bedroom door and blocked her from leaving.

Boerner allowed her to enter the living room 30 minutes later, but locked the front door, the victim said.

After another argument, the victim asked to go outside, which Boerner allowed, but demanded her to leave her keys in the living room, and to leave her phone in her pocket.

While outside, Boerner threatened the victim, saying if she attempted to run away, he was going to grab her and kill himself, the victim told police.

The young woman somehow convinced Boerner to let her leave at approximately 8:15 pm to “grab food”.

She left and instead immediately went home and called police.

The victim again told on scene police officers she was afraid for her life while Boerner was wielding the gun and had bruised her right arm, during the incident.

She was instructed, around 11:00 pm, to text Boerner to meet her out front of his residence to “talk about their relationship”. It was at this time police staged in proximity of Boerner’s residence. Boerner then exited his residence, attempting to evade police, in which a short foot pursuit ensued, according to the probable cause.

Due to the facts and nature of the incident, according to police, the possibility of Boerner concealing a firearm, and Boerner’s permit to conceal carry, the original officer deployed his taser, taking Boerner to the ground. Boerner continued to resist police and was eventually taken into custody.

He was read his Miranda Rights, which he said he understood and agreed to talk with police.

Police said, he denied having a gun, but said he had owned them in the past but no longer has any. Boerner admitted to grabbing the victim and throwing her on the bed.

He is scheduled to appear for a April 8, 2026 court date. Boerner, according to court records, is represented by Michael Kotik, Esq. of SKA Law Firm in Philadelphia.

Cops, Courts & Fire -Falls Township

Falls Twp Police Officer Retires After 39 Years of Distinguished Service

Published

4 weeks ago

February 7, 2026

Jeff Bohen

After serving residents for nearly four decades the longest tenured Falls Township Police officer Jonathon Caesar, announced his retirement last Sunday Feb 2.

Fellow officers lined the walkway into the newly completed home of the Falls Township Police Department last Sunday congratulating Caesar, wishing him a fond farewell.

Prior to policing the residents of Falls Township, he served his country as an active-duty member of the United State Marine Corps, before serving Bucks County as a Correctional Officer. Over the course of his career Officer.

Caesar was an accomplished member of the Bucks County South SWAT Team, a member of the Police Honor Guard Unit, was an Emergency Medical Technician, and a Drill Instructor for the Youth Police Academy.

Credit: Submitted

Well before working into his 39th year, Caesar earned the distinction of knowing just about everyone in Falls Township and the surrounding communities, while almost everyone also knew him.

His personal and professional life experience, and larger than life personality made him both approachable and relatable, as he was always able to charm, and disarm, when needed, the most volatile of people and situations.

Caesar was also incredibly courageous, and as tough as they come, each and every one of their police officers benefitted from the knowledge and mentorship when needed.

Officer Caesar served this agency and community with distinction, honor, and genuine care, police officials said

“His legacy consists of the countless lives he’s impacted and the knowledge, guidance, and mentoring he provided so many officers that came after him. Congratulations on your well-earned retirement, Jonathon, you will be greatly missed!”