Police identify man found dead in submerged car in New Jersey gated community
Police have identified the man who was found dead in a vehicle that had been submerged in a pond in a gated community in Manalapan, New Jersey.
The remains of Rice Masongo, 45, were discovered Saturday inside a black Ford Focus that was pulled out of the retention basin at the end of a cul-de-sac off Comtois Road in the Four Seasons gated community. Police say Masongo was the registered owner of the vehicle.
Masongo most recently lived in Keyport, but had also recently lived in Newark and East Orange, the Manalapan Township Police Department says.
Investigators have not yet determined when or how Masongo's vehicle ended up in the retention basin, but they do not believe anyone else was involved.
Police say the last time they know Masongo made contact with someone was April 8.
Anyone who may have seen or spoken to Masongo between April 8-26 is asked to call Det. Joseph DeFilippis at (732) 446-8385 or email him at jdefilippis@manalapanpolice.org.
Investigators are also searching for surveillance footage of Masongo's vehicle inside the Four Seasons development.
Vehicle pulled out of retention basin in Manalapan's Four Seasons community
A neighbor called police after spotting what looked like the open trunk of a car sticking out of the water Saturday afternoon.
When police arrived, they sent in divers, who found the submerged Ford Focus and Masongo's body. The vehicles' tires were muddy, the rear windshield was smashed and a pair of boat shoes were in the trunk.
Residents of the gated community said no one had reported seeing or hearing anything suspicious, and no one recognized the car.
"We don't know where it came and when it came," neighbor Bruce Weiner said.