Lumberton Township Mayor Indicted On Child Endangerment & Abuse Offenses

Sunday, December 7, 2025, 9:00 A.M. ET. 1 Minute Read, By Art Fletcher: Englebrook Independent News,

LUMBERTON, NJ.- On Monday, December 8, 2025, a 46-year-old Lumberton Township, New Jersey, woman, who was elected as the Township’s mayor, will appear in Burlington County Superior Court in Mount Holly, New Jersey, to be arraigned on indictment charging her with child endangerment offenses in connection with an incident that occurred earlier this year.

     According to Burlington County Prosecutor LaChia L. Bradshaw, on Thursday, November 20, 2025, a Grand Jury sitting in Burlington County, New Jersey, returned an indictment charging Gina LaPlaca, 46, of Lumberton Township, New Jersey, with one count of second-degree Endangering the Welfare of a Child; and fourth-degree Child Abuse.

     The charges stem from a March 2025 investigation that began when another motorist contacted Police Officers to report that LaPlaca’s vehicle had been swerving across the centerline, nearly striking vehicles on a Township road.

     Lumberton Township Police Officers responded to LaPlaca’s residence, where they took her into custody after determining she had been operating her vehicle under the influence with her young child, who was in the vehicle at the time.

     If convicted at trial, LaPlaca faces up to ten years in New Jersey State Prison.

“The rules of the court require us to include a statement that states: The charges outlined in this publication are merely accusations, and the defendant and or defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt.”