Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer announced that on November 1, 2023, at approximately 10:00 a.m., a mobile home fire was reported on Lakewood Road in Plumsted Township. Upon arrival, emergency service personnel observed heavy smoke emanating from the mobile home, with a male victim outside the residence and another victim still trapped inside. The male victim, later identified as the homeowner, Paul Hakos, 79, was transported to CentraState Medical Center in Freehold for treatment of his injuries. He is listed in stable condition. Firefighters located the body of a female victim, later identified as Catherine Hakos, 63, in the back bedroom of the residence. Ms. Hakos was pronounced deceased at the scene.
A thorough and extensive investigation by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office-Arson Squad, Ocean County Fire Marshal’s Office, Plumsted Township Police Department Detective Bureau, Plumsted Township Fire Marshal’s Office, 0and Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit, has revealed that the fire originated underneath the structure, and that a failure of energized electrical equipment could not be eliminated as the cause. The cause of the fire has been ruled accidental.
Prosecutor Billhimer acknowledges the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office-Arson Squad, Ocean County Fire Marshal’s Office, Plumsted Township Police Department Detective Bureau, Plumsted Township Fire Marshal’s Office, and Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit, for their combined and cooperative assistance in connection with this investigation.