N.J. man who died after Ida was electrocuted plugging in generator, police say – NJ.com

An Essex County man who died Thursday on the ground near his home was apparently electrocuted while plugging in a generator, authorities said on Saturday.

Aventino Soares, 58, of Bloomfield, was found by police officers about 11:30 p.m. on the side of a house in the 200 block of Ampere Parkway, according to Bloomfield police Capt. Anthony Sisco.

“When officers arrived to the scene, they noticed a male lying face up with an electrical cord in his hand and across his chest and he appeared to be unresponsive,” Sisco said in a statement.

“It was determined that the man appeared to be electrocuted and the water surrounding him could be electrified,” Sisco said.

Members of the Bloomfield Fire Department arrived a short time later and turned off power to the residence, Sisco said.

Officers then tried to help Soares, but he had no pulse, Sisco said, adding that the man was pronounced dead at the scene.

Soares is one of at least 25 people in the Garden State who died during Tropical Storm Ida, one of the deadliest storms to hit the state. Six people are still missing as a result of the storm, the governor’s office said Friday.

State officials have said at least three other people died in Essex County during the storm, which drenched Essex County with a historic 8.41 inches of rain and led to dangerous flash flooding.

Many victims of the storm died after they were trapped in their cars as flood waters rose, Gov. Phil Murphy previously said.

Soares was a founding member of a nonprofit called Amigos do Vale USA, which was raising funds to repair the church of São Pedro do Vale in Portugal. He was born in Vale, Arcos de Valdevez in Portugal and came to the United States in 1986, his obituary said.

He resided in Newark before settling in Bloomfield in 1997.

“This entire community mourns the loss of an exemplary citizen in honesty, character and honor,” officials with the nonprofit Amigos do Vale wrote on social media in Portuguese. “A person who has always distributed motivation and good cheer to all who enjoyed his presence.”

NJ Advance Media left a voicemail at a phone number listed for the nonprofit and a family member declined to comment when reached.

Soares is survived by his wife of 41 years, three children and several grandchildren, his obituary said. In lieu of flowers, his family asked that donations be made to the nonprofit he helped create.

His funeral will be held on Thursday at 10 a.m. at St. Francis Xavier Church in Newark. Visitation will be held on Wednesday from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Buyus Funeral Home at 426 Lafayette St. in Newark.

Local journalism needs your support. Subscribe at nj.com/supporter.

Rebecca Panico may be reached at rpanico@njadvancemedia.com.