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Atlantic City shooting alerts city to parole house

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A shooting in Atlantic City this week has drawn attention to a parole house the city apparently did not existed.

There were six recent parolees living at 1722 Logan Ave., including at least two registered sex offenders, BreakingAC learned after the believed target of the shooting was allegedly kicked out of the house.

Raequan Rollins-Gambrell, 27, was sitting on the porch Tuesday night, when a red light appeared on the door.

"I turned to look and that's when I heard gunshots," said Rollins-Gambrell, who identifies as female.

She ran inside, as bullets blew chips of wood from the door and siding.

Rollins-Gambrell successfully dodged the bullets, but she lost her place to live.

The residence housed the parolees as part of Cornerstone Developing Agency, she explained. The company advertises itself as a transitional housing/shelter provider working with re-entry.

Rollins-Gambrell had been living in the home more than a month when the shooting happened, she told BreakingAC. She was released from prison July 2, after serving time for a robbery.

After police came, she immediately called her parole officer, as required, but got no answer. She also tried her Cornerstone case worker, who called her back a few minutes later.

She told "Darrell" what happened. When he called Rollins-Gambrell back after about an hour, she was told she had to leave immediately for safety reasons.

Since Rollins-Gambrell was believed to be the target, she was no longer welcome at any of Cornerstone's locations, she was told.

The decision allegedly came from Anthony Carbone, listed online as Cornerstone's founder and chief executive officer. Carbone's wife, Daila Lazzarino Carbone, is listed as the limited liability company's registered agent and as its owner and president.

BreakingAC called the number Rollins-Gambrell had for Darrell, who confirmed he was with the company. When asked about the issue, he said, "I'm not giving you a comment" and hung up.

The man who answered the Cornerstone number listed online said, "Who?" several times when asked if it was Cornerstone. A query sent via Cornerstone's website went unanswered.

Meanwhile, the city is now looking in to the situation.

The last time the residence was inspected was in 2017, Licensing and Inspections Director Dale Finch said. It was zoned as residential with three people living there.

But when they visited the property after BreakingAC called about it, it was confirmed that six people were living there, although they would not say who placed them, according to Finch.

The property's listed owner is Frances Sun, who has a Mountainside, Union County, address listed.

Three of the six people assigned to the house are registered Megan's Law offenders, Rollins-Gambrell said.

Two are listed for that address on the online registry: Randy Growalt and Christopher Johnson.

Growalt, 51, was released from prison July 27, after he was there about a month for repeated failures to register. In 2001, he assaulted five family members younger than 9, according to court records.

Johnson, 42, shows a release date from 2016. His original Megan's Law conviction as in 2000, for sexually assaulting a 15-year-old female acquaintance, according to his page on the public registry.

The third, who Rollins-Gambrell knew only as Brian, had only recently moved in, she said.

Finch said the city is doing its "due diligence" to look into the issue.

Meanwhile, Rollins-Gambrell now has to start over on her re-entry.

She was just getting her identification with her new Atlantic City address and looking for work. Now she is in a shelter in another county placed by parole.

No arrests have been announced in the shooting.

author

Lynda Cohen

Lynda Cohen founded BreakingAC after working as a local newspaper reporter for more than two decades. She is an NJPA award-winner and was a Stories of Atlantic City fellow.

Wednesday, May 08, 2024
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