HOWELL — A Middletown Township police sergeant who also faces a pending harassment complaint in Toms River has been placed on administrative leave following an arrest on impaired driving charges.
Sgt. Elzbieta Banel, 42, was arrested at the Howell Township Police Athletic League facility on Kent Road on November 4. She faces charges of driving while intoxicated, reckless driving and DWI on school property or within 1,000 feet of a school, according to court records cited in published reports on New Jersey 101.5.
The incident occurred around 4:45 p.m. at the facility, which offers child care programs. The tickets did not explain why Banel was there.
Middletown Police Chief R. Craig Weber confirmed the department knew about the arrest and said Banel was being placed on administrative leave. He declined further comment, citing restrictions on discussing personnel matters.
Banel is scheduled to appear in Howell Township Municipal Court on November 20. Court records also show a separate harassment complaint pending against her in Toms River. Additional details about that complaint were not available in the information provided to Jersey Shore Online.
Banel joined the Middletown department in 2016. Her LinkedIn profile lists her promotion to sergeant in 2024.
In 2023, the department recognized Banel with a Life Saving Valor Award after she and other officers entered a burning home without protective equipment because they believed people were inside. The officers rescued a family pet, according to a department Facebook post.
The charges remain pending, and Banel is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
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