Patrick Moccia suicide: Pompton Lakes High School teacher kills self at school, Manner and cause of death unknown pending autopsy.
A New Jersey teacher is reported to have taken their own life inside the high school where they worked, authorities said Saturday.
Patrick Moccia, 47, of Doylestown, Pennsylvania, was found dead inside Pompton Lakes High School shortly after 9 p.m. Friday. Police said they discovered the educator’s body after they were called to the school to check on him, the Pasack Valley Daily Voice reported.
An autopsy will determine the official cause, but Moccia’s death is ‘believed to be the result of an apparent suicide,’ Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes and Pompton Lakes Police Chief Derek Clark said in a joint announcement.
‘This investigation is active and ongoing,’ the statement read. ‘More information will be released when it becomes available.’
‘My heart goes out to the family of Patrick Moccia, please keep them in your thoughts during this difficult time. This is a sad and tragic loss for our community.’ Pompton Lakes Councilwoman Jennifer Polidori posted on Facebook.
Moccia is listed as a technology education teacher on the school’s website.
It’s not clear how long he taught in Pompton Lakes.
On LinkedIn, his profile identified him as a STEM teacher at starting in 2017. He previously worked in Frenchtown, N.J., for the Allentown, Penn., school district. Delaware Valley Regional High School
The teacher’s Facebook page is filled with photos of him enjoying outdoor sports such as mountain biking and skiing.
On Jan. 18, he looked toward a post-pandemic future on the Doylestown Foodies Facebook page.
‘What is your 1st restaurant once you get the vaccine,’ he posted.
Moccia is survived by his wife, two children and two stepchildren.
The state Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services, in collaboration with the Mental Health Association in New Jersey, also provides pandemic-related emotional support services at 866-202-HELP (4357).
