A man in Asbury Park, New Jersey, claimed that his wife, a Canadian citizen, had been taken by ICE. And while he tearfully shared the news online seeking to make the story viral, he omitted some very important specifics. Allegedly, his wife slapped a teenage girl wearing patriotic sweatpants with the words “Trump” and “ICE” on them, leading to her arrest.
The first call to help was shared online by Matthew Geroni, an American citizen who is married to Canadian national Kaitlyn E. Tracey. He often shares a variety of content, often politically charged. He also refers to himself as “The Clown of Asbury Park” and “The Jester of the Jersey Shore.” The clip attached above went viral, garnering 753,000 views, 165,700 likes, and more than 5,300 comments.
The visibly upset New Jersey man was driving his car while asking for help. According to him, his wife was being detained by ICE and was in custody at Ocean County Jail. At the time, he had been unable to contact her, but was informed that ICE was going to pick her up at the jail
“I don’t… I don’t know what to do; I don’t have any money. I’m so [expletive] broke. But I’ll fit. I gotta figure something out; I gotta save her. I love…,” Matthew said.
Then, in a follow-up clip, he called for local news outlets to pick up his wife’s story and for internet users to spread it online. He then called all the people “spreading rumors and misinformation” vile.
Very Important Context
However, as many viewers pointed out, Matthew had omitted key details surrounding her wife’s arrest.
According to the Point Pleasant Police Department (PPPD), what led to her arrest occurred back on Friday, July 3. At the time, officers responded to a call regarding the alleged assault of a teenage girl by an adult woman on the boardwalk in Point Pleasant Beach.
Documents cited by NJ.com detail that the adult woman, later identified as Tracey, approached a group of teenagers while recording with her phone. She began yelling at the girl for wearing “patriotic colored sweatpants with political wording.” Reportedly, this political wording included the words “Trump” and “ICE.”
Tracey is accused of hitting the teenage girl with an open hand: once in the body and once in the face. The police said she then left the scene and was not identified at the time, although footage of the alleged assault was made available to the PPPD.
An investigation followed, and Tracey was identified, leading to her arrest on Monday, July 13. She is charged with simple assault, endangering the welfare of a child, harassment, and obstruction. She is scheduled for a court appearance on August 4, records show, and is currently in ICE custody at the Delaney Hall facility.
Social Media Reactions
The overwhelming majority of viewers called out the New Jersey man for failing to provide the context behind his wife’s arrest. One said, “Yeah, maybe she shouldn’t assault people. Conveniently, you left that out.” Another one added, “Yeah, so don’t hit kids. That’s my advice.”
The calling out was relentless. Another viewer wrote, “Babe, the reasoning for her being there is very relevant.” One added, “I hate Trump too, but why did she have to slap or punch a child? That’s kind of sick.”
Initially, a GoFundMe was set up to raise funds for Tracey. It has since been shut down, with Matthew claiming that a Facebook group of “MAGA supporters” reported it.
