Mysterious drone night flights leave N.J. residents on edge

For weeks, drones have been flying at night over sections of northern New Jersey, sometimes traveling in groups, leaving residents frustrated at the lack of information.
Nancy Read, who lives on Ironia Road in Mendham, told NJ Advance Media on Sunday that she has been seeing groups of drones for long periods of time between 8 and 10 p.m. near the Randolph Regional Animal Shelter.
“One is stationery, the others are in and out of the tree line,” she said in a Facebook message. “It’s strange. They’re out there for hours, never during the day.”
Mike Walsh, who lives on the border of Randolph, Chester and Mendham, first heard the drones overhead Nov. 18. He’s seen them daily since, except for Thanksgiving, and one snowy night. He estimated the larger ones were the size of a car.
One night he drove over to a ridge near Black River Middle School in Chester, where he counted eight drones flying at once. He also saw multiple drones above Randolph’s Company 4 Firehouse on Dover-Chester Road.
“I don’t know if they’re casing stuff, or worse,” said Walsh, who reported the drones to Mendham and Randolph police.
“They said they were getting briefed, but they’re not giving any answers,” he said.
Morris Township police notified residents last week that an investigation was underway and asked for reports of additional sightings.
The Morris County Prosecutors Office directed inquiries to the FBI Newark field office, which did not respond to emailed requests for information over the weekend.
The FBI confirmed an ongoing investigation to the Daily Record.
At Picatinny Arsenal in Rockaway Township, home of U.S. Army research and development laboratories, officials were investigating reports of drones overhead on Nov. 18, according to official comment given to The War Zone, a news site covering the military.
Messages left with the Federal Aviation Administration, local police and Picatinny Arsenal were not immediately returned.
“All I can say is it’s very weird,” Read said. “Even more weird that no one can track them or find out who they are and what they’re doing.”
Staff reporter Eric Conklin contributed reporting.
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Tina Kelley may be reached at [email protected]. Jackie Roman may be reached at [email protected].