Sandy Victim Sought Kerosene Heater On Craigslist Just Days Before His Death

By Patricia A. Miller

A Privateer Road man posted a haunting ad on Craigslist asking for a kerosene heater just days before he was found dead in his Manahawkin home.

Robert Pasterchick said in the ad that he and two other people were living in the house, without heat and were getting cold. He said in the ad he had been displaced by Sandy.

Here is the ad as it appeared on Craigslist:

CL jersey shore all for sale / wanted wanted - by owner Reply to: jv8wx-4195814716@sale.craigslist.org [?]
flag [?] : miscategorized prohibited spam best of

Posted: 5 days ago

NEEDED KEROSENE HEATER (MANAHAWKIN, NJ)

Kerosene heater needed for family.
Displaced Sandy victims still suffering. Electric is off w/ no way of turning on. Elderly lady and her son as well as me. With a reprise from the cold I am taking advantage of asking some good soul to donate a kerosene heater so we can stay warm. I have used up everything I have to help them. I, myself am a Sandy victim and have received no help. I am just asking if there is someone out there that doesn't need theirs if we can have it. Please feel free to stop by to check our situation out: 321 Privateer Road, Manahawkin, NJ. The lady is Jean, I am Rob. We can use food also. I don't think Ill survive much longer but my goal is too take care of them the best I can. My numbers are(609)489-2983/ 384-6566. Thank you for the bottom of my soul. God bless. There will be no Thanksgiving for us this year, but we will be thankful for each other.

• Location: MANAHAWKIN, NJ

Police were called to the home at 1:41 a.m. Wednesday on a report of an unconscious man and kerosene fumes within the house.

They found Pasterchick, 42, unconscious and not breathing on the floor. The home had been partially ventilated before police arrived.

Officers performed CPR on Pasterchick, which other officers fully ventilated the home by opening doors and windows. Pasterchick was taken to Southern Ocean Medical Center and pronounced dead at 2:28 a.m, police said.

Pasterchick was operating a kerosene heater in his enclosed bedroom at the time of his death. Preliminary autopsy results found no evidence of foul play, but the exact cause of death will not be known for six to eight weeks, the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office said today.

Barnegat-Manahawkin Patch reader Fred Redmond was browsing Craigslist, saw the ad and forwarded it to Patch. He had read the story about Pasterchick's death on Wednesday.

"I checked and copied it from there after I read the story in the Patch," Redmond wrote. "Just so sad to know that people living a few blocks away from me are that much in need of basic things. Maybe if you do a story it may bring attention and help others."

Barnegat-Manahawkin Patch plans to follow up on this story.