Kelly Boyle and her brother, Jerry, drank rum buckets at Spicy’s in Seaside Heights on

Friday afternoon with their friend Ariel Kattan, who was visiting the Shore from New

York for the first time. eTheir plans initially called for going to the beach and, later on,

setting off fireworks, said Kelly Boyle, 22, of Lavallette. e It was another Shore visitor — Hurri-

cane Arthur — that scrapped the Fourth of July plans for the trio as well as countless others who

flocked to the beach for the long holiday weekend.

INDEPENDENCE DAY 2014

The 2014 fireworks show lights up the harbor in Atlantic Highlands Friday night. MIKE DESOCIO/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Rainy 4th brightensfor holiday weekend

Hurricane Arthur passes by, making way for fireworks displays

Nacha Chamba (left) of Egg Harbor covers her head with a towel to keep dry as a light rain began to fall in SeasideHeights. Before the rain, a family spreads beach towel on the sand. PETER ACKERMAN/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Scan the QR code or visit APP.com/photos to view a gallery of images from the Fourth of July.

By Susanne Cervenka @scervenkaand Kathleen Hopkins @KHopkinsapp

See HOLIDAY, Page A9

Asbury Park Press APP.COM $1.00

SATURDAY 07.05.14

VOLUME 135

NUMBER 160

SINCE 1879

ADVICE D5

BUSINESS A8

CLASSIFIED D6

COMICS D4

LOCAL A3

LOTTERIES A2

OBITUARIES A10

OPINION A13

SPORTS C1

WEATHER C8

‘WE HOLD THESE TRUTHS...’

HONORING OUR NATION’S BIRTH

Hundreds of spectators in Freehold attend the

annual Fourth of July reading of the Declaration

of Independence. TODAY, A3

CHILDREN TARGETED IN EPIDEMIC OF ONLINE ‘SEXTORTION’ PAGE 1B

A Brick woman has filed a civil lawsuit against aCatholic priest awaiting trial on criminal charges ofsexually assaulting the woman and her two children.

Dawn Corvino of Brick, as well as her two children,who are listed in the lawsuit as John and Jane Doe, areaccusing Marukudiyil Velan of sexually assaultingthem in their home in July 2012, causing emotional dis-tress.

A criminal case related to the incident is pendingwith a trial scheduled for September, said Al DellaFave, spokesman for the Ocean County Prosecutor’sOffice. Velan faces charges of criminal sexual contact,sexual assault and endangering the welfare of a child,according to the February 2013 indictment.

The civil lawsuit, filed Tuesday, also names theCatholic Diocese of Trenton and Church of the Visita-tion on Mantoloking Road in Brick, accusing both ofcausing emotional distress as well as failing to super-vise Velan, who previously was a priest at the church.

The Church of the Visitation on Mantoloking Road in Brick.ROBERT WARD/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Brick woman

files civil suit

against priestHe’s facing criminal charges ofsexually assaulting her, 2 kids

By Susanne Cervenka @scervenka

See PRIEST, Page A9

Authorities spent the holiday investigating two earlymorning shootings — one in Long Branch and anotherin Neptune.

About 6 a.m. in Long Branch, police received a re-port of a drive-by shooting at the intersection of Thirdand Westwood avenues, said Capt. Jason Roebuck of thecity police.

A man was hit by shots fired from a white, four-doorsedan with tinted windows, according to Marc C. Le-Mieux, Monmouth County first assistant prosecutor.The victim’s injuries were not life-threatening and hewas taken to a local hospital, authorities said.

Police swarmed the area, concerning some residentsof the neatly groomed, tree-lined street.

“I don’t know what is happening in Long Branch,”said Martin Camacho, 45, who has lived on Westwood

See GUNFIRE, Page A9

Police investigatingshots fired in 2 townsBy Margaret F. Bonafide @mfbonafide

ZUMANJARO: DROP OF DOOM FINALLY DEBUTSDelayed new ride at Six Flags in Jackson is tallest, fastest of its kind. TODAY, A3

BEACH YOGA ADDS NEW TWIST

TO EVERYDAY PRACTICE

Indulge, D1