Bayville Man Charged With Drug-Induced Death Of Waretown Woman

Authorities have charged a Bayville man with causing the fentanyl-induced death of a Waretown woman in October, a spokesman for the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office said.

Louis Edward Ardise, 25, Frederick Drive, was charged with strict liability drug induced death, manslaughter, possession of fentanyl, possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl and distribution of fentanyl in connection with the death of Victoria Maulback, 22, of Waretown, spokesman Al Della Fave said.

“The 157 drug overdose deaths to date in Ocean County have strengthened my resolve to hold dealers accountable in each tragic death possible,” said Prosecutor Coronato. “In Ocean County, 72 percent of the heroin tested by officials this year contained fentanyl. These callous dealers have brought a “Synthetic Storm” of deaths to Ocean County that is spiraling out of control. We must do all we can to send a strong message that Ocean County is a “No Dealer Zone”, while helping bring some feeling of closure to those who have tragically lost their loved ones to these Harbingers of Death.”

Ardise was taken into custody at his residence in Bayville at 10:20 a.m. on Nov. 18. His arrest stems from an investigation which began at 4:46 a.m. on Oct. 12, when officers were called to Maulback's Skipper's Boulevard home in Waretown, Della Fave said.

Maulback was unresponsive and was pronounced dead at 4:54 a.m. Officers saw signs of a drug overdose and contacted the Prosecutor's Major Crimes Unit and the Ocean County Sheriff's Department Criminal Investigations Unit.

"The ensuing intensive investigation would ultimately lead back to Ardise and link him to Victoria’s overdose death," Della Fave said.

The Major Crimes Unit and the Special Operations Group of the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office, the Ocean County Sheriff’s Department, the Ocean Township Police Department and Berkeley Township Police Department, all contributed to the investigation which culminated in Ardise's arrest, he said.

Image: Ocean County Prosecutor's Office.