Manville, New Jersey, Home Vandalized With Pepperoni in ‘Bizarre’ Incident, Woman Says

A woman in Manville, New Jersey, says her house was vandalized – with pepperoni.

That’s according to a January 25 story by PIX11.

The station reported that the vandalism happened to a homeowner named Heather Dougherty. She told NJ.com that her car “was keyed during the vandalism and also suffered damage from cats clawing their way up the side of the car to get” the pepperoni.

The story may resonate more in Manville because more than 1.45 million New Jersey residents have Italian ancestry, according to New Jersey 101.5.

Here’s what you need to know:

Heather Dougherty Told the Television Station That the Pepperoni Was ‘Strategically Placed Down the Stairs’

Dougherty told PIX11 that the placement of the pepperoni appeared to be strategic.

“‘What is this?’” Dougherty told the television station that she asked herself when she discovered the meat. She told NJ.com that she said, “I opened up the front door Wednesday morning and said, ‘What the h*** is this?’”

She also told NJ.com, “Spreading sliced-up pepperoni around someone’s property is just such a bizarre thing to do.”

“I am on camera so I cannot say the words I exactly used, but ‘what is this?’ From the door to the edge of the porch and then strategically placed down the stairs, to the driveway and four slices on the hood and four slices on the trunk,” Dougherty told PIX11.

According to PIX11, Dougherty did report the incident to police. The television station spoke to a man who works at an auto body shop in Manville about how much damage pepperoni could cause a car.

“Pepperoni cannot damage car paint if it doesn’t sit for a really long time,” said Ricardo Ludena, to the television station. “It can damage it if it is [sitting around], especially on a hot day.”

Photos posted on X by KGET 17 News show the pieces of pepperoni strewn on the sidewalk, on a car, and near a welcome mat by the home’s front door.

Heather Dougherty Laughed About the Pepperoni Vandalism Story ‘Going National’

Dougherty wrote in the comment thread of a friend who shared a news story on the prank, “Just went national…CNN picked up News 12 story they aired tonight! It’s all over the country, lmao!!”

Another man tagged in that post along with Dougherty also shared the story and wrote, “It was a drive by sausaging! These people are charcuterrorists!!”

Other people filled up that man’s comment threads with similar puns and jokes. “This story stole a pizza my heart…. 😍” wrote one person. “Thankfully not soppressata,” wrote another.

Dougherty told PIX 11 that she wasn’t sure who the culprit was or why they put pepperoni around her property.

“We’re trying to figure out who goes around with two loaves of pepperoni in the middle of the night and cuts it up into slices and throws it on people’s property,” Dougherty said to PIX11. “You have nothing better to do with your time.”

According to her Facebook page, Dougherty is a stay-at-home mom who is a former cake artist at Walmart. “What Doesn’t Kill You Only Makes You Stronger,” her profile reads.

Located in Somerset County, New Jersey, Manville is a community that is located in the New York Metropolitan Area.

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