Story by Ethan
On December 9th, 2025, the arrest of Randal Kalco and Lisa DeStefano, ages 35 and 45, was announced by Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin. Randal Kalco and Lisa DeStefano were both charged with second-degree Making a False Report to Law Enforcement. The arrest and charges against Randal Kalco and Lisa DeStefano were a result of an investigation handled by detectives from the New Brunswick Police Department and the NJSP Office of Professional Standards.
According to the Attorney General’s Office, at approximately 3:59 a.m. on October 23rd, 2023, three New Jersey State Police (NJSP) troopers responded to a domestic dispute on Brunswick Avenue in Bloomsbury, New Jersey. This residence was shared by both defendants, both of them being present as the troopers responded to the reported incident. Body-worn camera footage from the troopers depicted conversation between them and the defendants as well as subsequent investigation for approximately 40 minutes before leaving the house at 4:36 a.m.. After leaving the property, footage also showed the troopers transporting Randal Kelco to a nearby hotel before ceasing interaction with either defendant.
At approximately 1:30 a.m. the following day both Randal Kelco and Lisa DeStefano checked in at the Emergency Department of Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick, New Jersey. While at the hospital the defendants had reported to medical staff that Randal Kelco had been sexually assaulted by the troopers that responded to the domestic dispute incident the prior night. Officers from the New Brunswick Police Department arrived at the hospital and took accounts from both defendants about the alleged abuse. Both defendants also filed a complaint to the NJSP Office of Professional Standards on November 6th, 2023, and reported to a detective the account of the alleged sexual assault involving the troopers.
After thorough investigation it was revealed that both body-worn camera footage and recorded footage from Randal Kelco’s cell phone show no evidence of sexual assault or misconduct during their investigation of the domestic incident from October 23rd, 2023. The recordings taken both directly contradict the accounts that Randal Kelco and Lisa DeStefano provided.
The Attorney General’s Office stated that the charges against Randal Kalco and Lisa DeStefano are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
