The mystery of 500 pounds of pasta found dumped in the woods continues...
Almost two weeks ago, a whopping amount of pasta was found dumped near a river basin near Old Bridge, New Jersey, around April 28 - leaving some residents scratching their heads.
While eyebrow-raising, the fact that the pasta was discovered in New Jersey - where roughly 17% of the population is of Italian heritage - is certainly not surprising.
Though, the mystery may be close to being solved, thanks to some sleuthing locals.
Although the pasta was apparently raw when dumped at the stream, it ended up being softened by rains, which made it look cooked, per The Associated Press.
Local crews swiftly cleaned up the delicious Italian delicacy, but authorities have reportedly still not been able to determine the culprit or the reason for the pasta dump. And while it's obviously unclear at this point, some locals have a feeling it may have been a local army veteran who was trying to clear out a lot of old food out of his dead mother's home.
Resident Keith Rost spoke recently to NBC News, telling the outlet: "I mean, I really feel like he was just trying to clear out his parents' house and they were probably stocked up from COVID." He added that perhaps there was a generational aspect to it, saying: "My grandparents always had a cupboard full of cans and pasta, just to be safe."
The Mayor of Old Bridge Owen Henry also revealed that he isn't planning to work out who did it with a big investigation, telling AP that since the pasta did not cause any environmental damage or health issues, he considers the matter closed. "It certainly shouldn't have ended up in the woods - putting in or near the stream bed was not the best idea - but I certainly hope our police are not putting more time into this," he said.
"Assuming the pasta was still usable, I wish it had ended up in our food bank, which could have really used it," he added.
Nina Jochnowitz, a woman running for the Old Bridge city council, took to Facebook to praise the local authorities for their swift action in cleaning up the pasta. Calling it "Mission Impastable", her post also criticized town officials and accused them of ignoring the situation until she publicised it.
"The township heard or read the comments and responded by doing a rapid cleanup of the river basin and pasta dump," she wrote.
