Central Teacher Said Loaded Handgun Probably 'Fell' Into Her Bag

BERKELEY TOWNSHIP, NJ - A Central Regional High School teacher told police and school authorities she doesn't really know how a loaded handgun ended up in her purse back in December, according to a report released to the press and public Tuesday.

She guessed that the gun fell into her bag, police said.

Karen A. Horen, 71, arrived at the school at 8:43 a.m. Dec. 12 and placed her coat and schoolbag on a table in a school hallway for about 10 minutes before she started her workday, according to a report written by Detective William Somers.

Sgt. Joseph Robertazzi was the school security officer on duty that day. Horen told him she had found a loaded gun in her bag and "did not know why or how it go there."

"She thought someone put it in her bag while it was unattended in the school hallway," the report states.

When Somers and Detective Sgt. Peter La Rocca arrived, they asked a "visibly disturbed and upset" Horen if she thought the gun could have come from her Point Pleasant home. She said no.

The gun was a silver .32 caliber North American Arms Guardian model. The handgun magazine was found fully loaded with six bullets, which Robertazzi had disarmed, Somers said.

Principal Douglas Corbett reviewed the hallway surveillance video and did not see anyone approach or put anything in the bag, the report states.

Police checked the serial number of the gun with the New Jersey State Police and Point Pleasant Police and discovered the gun was registered to Horen's husband, Ian. They also discovered that Ian Horen owned "numerous" other guns, Robertazzi wrote.

Karen Horen told police she had gone into the family's garage to retrieve some Christmas shopping money from a locked safe that morning.

"She stated she it was possible one of her husband's weapons could have fallen into her school bag while she was getting money from the safe," the police report states.

Police went to the Horen's Point Pleasant home, where Ian Horen confirmed the gun was his. Both Karen and Ian Horen said they had no domestic violence, suicidal or homicidal problems, the report states.

"Mr. Horen stated he truly believed the weapon must have fallen into Mrs. Horen's bag, and that she did not know about it," according to the police report.

Berkeley police did not file any charges against Karen Horen. On Dec. 13 the matter was referred to the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office Executive Assistant Prosecutor Robert Armstrong, who agreed that no criminal charges were necessary.

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