Car Fire Jams Route 78 In Union County Car Fire Jams Route 78 In Union County
Car Fire Jams Route 78 In Union County A vehicle fire on Route 78 has closed two lanes in Union County on Monday, May 20, according to the state Department of Transportation The fire occurred on Exit 45 westbound near Glenside Avenue in Summit.  Two right lanes out of three are closed and drivers can expect delays, the state Department of Transportation said.
Handcuffed Woman, 21, Rescued By Franklin Lakes Firefighters Handcuffed Woman, 21, Rescued By Franklin Lakes Firefighters
Handcuffed Woman, 21, Rescued By Franklin Lakes Firefighters "Kids playing around" brought firefighters to a Franklin Lakes home where a 21-year-old woman was unable to free herself from a pair of handcuffs. Franklin Lakes firefighters and police responded to the $2 million home off Pulis Avenue shortly before 10 p.m. Saturday, May 18, Police Capt. Robert Grassi said. The borough's bravest cut off the bracelets without injury to the woman, the captain said.
Bergen Man Collected 3,700 Child Porn Images: Authorities Bergen Man Collected 3,700 Child Porn Images: Authorities
Bergen Man Collected 3,700 Child Porn Images: Authorities An East Rutherford resident was busted with 3,700 child porn files, authorities said. Noel Q. Ricketts, 25, was seized by Cyber Crimes Unit detectives who raided his Main Street apartment just off Railroad Avenue this past Friday, May 17, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said. “Ricketts used the Internet to view, download and possess 3,700 items depicting nude and/or sexually explicit prepubescent and pubescent children,” the prosecutor said. Ricketts, who was charged with possession of child pornography, remained held Monday in the Bergen County Jail pending a first appearance in …
Teen Arrested After Pursuit Leads To Officer Injury In Montclair, Police Say Teen Arrested After Pursuit Leads To Officer Injury In Montclair, Police Say
Teen Arrested After Pursuit Leads To Officer Injury In Montclair, Police Say A 16-year-old was arrested in Montclair on Saturday, May 18,  after a police pursuit led to an officer being injured, authorities said. At 6:52 a.m., officers received a complaint of people hiding behind vehicles in a parking lot at 50 Greenwood Ave, Montclair police said. Both vehicles, a white Range Rover and a silver Kia Optima, left the parking lot as police arrived, officers said. The Kia Optima was revealed to have been stolen from East Orange earlier that day, police said. Officers attempted to stop vehicles but they refused and a pursuit was initiated at Greenwood Avenue and Gl…
Man Shot Dead In Union County Park, Prosecutor Says Man Shot Dead In Union County Park, Prosecutor Says
Man Shot Dead In Union County Park, Prosecutor Says A man was found shot to death in Warinanco Park on Sunday, May 19, authorities said. At 7:51 p.m., Union County police responded to the Roselle area of the park in response to a shooting and found the male victim, who has not been identified, the Union County Prosecutor's Office said. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Jersey Talks (@jerseytalks) The investigation is active and ongoing, authorities said. Anyone with information is asked to  contact Prosecutor’s Office Homicide Task Force Sergeant Keyla Live at 908-370-6793…
MAIL-ORDER METH: NJ Man Who Shipped 100 Pounds Gets 14+ Years In Fed Pen MAIL-ORDER METH: NJ Man Who Shipped 100 Pounds Gets 14+ Years In Fed Pen
Mail-order Meth: NJ Man Who Shipped 100 Pounds Gets 14+ Years In Fed Pen A New Jersey man who shipped more than 100 pounds of crystal meth for sale cross-country through the U.S. mail was sentenced to more than 14 years in federal prison as part of a plea deal. Michael Venditti, 39, of Camden, was arrested during a controlled delivery of a package in September 2021. It had been intercepted on its way from Calexico, a Southern California town at the Mexican border, federal authorities said. Inspectors got a warrant to open the package after a drug-detection dog reacted to its arrival at a South Jersey postal facility, they said. Inspectors swapped some of the m…
GOTCHA! Fleeing Driver Who Hit Teaneck Woman, 18, On Sidewalk Turns Out To Be Repeat Offender GOTCHA! Fleeing Driver Who Hit Teaneck Woman, 18, On Sidewalk Turns Out To Be Repeat Offender
Gotcha! Fleeing Driver Who Hit Teaneck Woman, 18, On Sidewalk Turns Out To Be Repeat Offender 𝗨𝗣𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘: A motorist who struck and injured an 18-year-old Teaneck woman when he drove onto the sidewalk to avoid police turned out to be a violent ex-con, authorities said. Michael Anthony Hammond, 32, of Paterson has a violent criminal history that stretches back well over a decade. He'd been arrested in Passaic County this past March on charges of choking a victim and endangering a child, but was released by a judge the very same day, records show. A little over two weeks later, on April 16, Teaneck Police Officer Kyle Rosen stopped Hammond on Palisade Avenue near Votee Park for several …
HERO: Civilian Rescues Woman From Serial Groper Who Tried To Drag Her Behind Garfield Church HERO: Civilian Rescues Woman From Serial Groper Who Tried To Drag Her Behind Garfield Church
Hero: Civilian Rescues Woman From Serial Groper Who Tried To Drag Her Behind Garfield Church UPDATE: A serial groper who was captured by a SWAT team after a civilian stopped him from dragging a woman behind a church in Garfield earlier this month had been stalking the victim at least since April, authorities said. Garfield police have surveillance video of Michael Hernandez, 25, following, running up and grabbing the woman outside Praise Assembly church at the corner of Main Street and Banta Avenue shortly after 12 noon May 8, investigators said. Grabbing her by her neck and backpack, Hernandez tries to drag the woman behind the church, they said. But a good Samaritan comes to her…
Driver Hospitalized After Striking Utility Pole In Warren County: NJSP Driver Hospitalized After Striking Utility Pole In Warren County: NJSP
Driver Hospitalized After Striking Utility Pole In Warren County: Njsp A driver was hospitalized after he struck a utility pole in Warren County on Saturday, May 18, authorities said. At 9:37 a.m., a Toyota passenger vehicle lost directional control and crashed into a utility pole at the intersection of Belvidere Road and Dutt Lane in Harmony Township, Jeffrey Lebron, a spokesman for the New Jersey State police said. The driver sustained minor injuries and was transported to an area hospital, Lebron said. The crash remains under investigation, Lebron said
Body Pulled From NJ River ID'd As Woman Who Vanished 14 Years Ago, Family Says Body Pulled From NJ River ID'd As Woman Who Vanished 14 Years Ago, Family Says
Body Pulled From NJ River ID'd As Woman Who Vanished 14 Years Ago, Family Says The family of a New Jersey woman who disappeared finally has some closure. The body recovered along with three cars from the Cooper River in Pennsauken last week has been identified by her daughter as Bernadine Gunner, who went missing in July 2010. AFTER 13 LONG YEARS WE HAVE CLOSURE, MY MOM WAS FOUND 💔😢. SIP MOM I DON’T EVEN KNOW HOW TO FEEL RIGHT NOW…... Posted by Julia Young on Thursday, May 16, 2024 In a Facebook post shared Saturday, May 18, Julia Young says United Search Corps was behind the recovery operation in Pennsauken on Thursday, May 16, in which dive teams …
SEXTORTION: Out-Of-State Fugitive Freed After NJ Senior Looking For Love Loses $20,000 SEXTORTION: Out-Of-State Fugitive Freed After NJ Senior Looking For Love Loses $20,000
Sextortion: Out-Of-State Fugitive Freed After NJ Senior Looking For Love Loses $20,000 A fugitive from Maryland charged with sextorting a New Jersey senior out of $20,000 online after getting him to take compromising selfies was immediately freed by a judge after surrendering to police. Posing as a woman, Ali H. Maman, 59, of Frederick, MD, communicated with an elderly Glen Rock resident through Instagram and WhatsApp, Police Chief Dean Ackermann said. The victim was convinced to share the risqué photos, then was contacted by someone else who demanded a $20,000 bank wire transfer in exchange for not posting them online, Ackermann said. The victim wired the money last July to…
Woman In Teaneck Street Fight Arrested, Victim Douses Her, Several Others With Pepper Spray Woman In Teaneck Street Fight Arrested, Victim Douses Her, Several Others With Pepper Spray
Woman In Teaneck Street Fight Arrested, Victim Douses Her, Several Others With Pepper Spray Teaneck police responding to a street fight between two women arrested one of them and summoned EMS after the other discharged pepper spray, authorities said. Fransheska Liriano-Benitez, 32, of Palisades Park had punched the other woman in the head outside a Palisade Avenue home between Griggs and Sherman avenues shortly before 5:30 p.m. Saturday, May 18, Police Chief Andrew R. McGurr said. The victim then tried to blast her with pepper spray, which affected Liriano-Benitz and several bystanders, the chief said. Members of the Teaneck Volunteer Ambulance Corps treated Liriano-Benitez and t…
George Washington Bridge Climber, Not Protestors, Jams NYC-Bound Traffic For Hours George Washington Bridge Climber, Not Protestors, Jams NYC-Bound Traffic For Hours
George Washington Bridge Climber, Not Protestors, Jams Nyc-bound Traffic For Hours Police expected a protest that would throw the George Washington Bridge into chaos on Saturday and got something else entirely. A 24-year-old climber partially caused massive delays when he started climbing the Manhattan tower's south side shortly before noon May 18. What began as half-hour backups quickly stretched to more than 90 minutes on both levels during one of the busiest times of the average GWB weekend. All eastbound lanes were eventually closed at one point as Port Authority and NYPD emergency services officers with rappelling ropes and other rescue gear eventually got him down …
Hackensack Man Throws Bleach In Mechanic's Face, Smashes Windshield: Rochelle Park PD Hackensack Man Throws Bleach In Mechanic's Face, Smashes Windshield: Rochelle Park PD
Hackensack Man Throws Bleach In Mechanic's Face, Smashes Windshield: Rochelle Park PD Surveillance cameras recorded a Hackensack man throwing bleach in the face of a mechanic at a Rochelle Park service station, then smashing his windshield, authorities said. Alonge Jones, 33, went to the station at the corner of Rochelle and Central avenues after his girlfriend purportedly had some type of “negative interaction” with the mechanic a day earlier, Rochelle Park Police Capt. James M. DePreta said. Jones then assaulted the victim and smashed the windshield with a tool when he showed up, the captain said. The worker as taken to a local hospital with an eye injury. Meanwhile, Det…
Member Of Burglary Crew That Targeted Asian Homeowners On 'Hit List' In NJ, NY, PA, Sentenced Member Of Burglary Crew That Targeted Asian Homeowners On 'Hit List' In NJ, NY, PA, Sentenced
Member Of Burglary Crew That Targeted Asian Homeowners On 'Hit List' In NJ, NY, PA, Sentenced 𝗨𝗣𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘: A confessed member of a burglary ring that targeted Asian-American small business owners in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Delaware was sentenced to 33 months in federal prison. Kevin Jackson, 57, of Rahway, NJ, must serve a little over two years before he'll be eligible for release because there's no parole in the federal prison system. Jackson was part of a second-story crew that the FBI said worked from a hit list of dozens of homes in the four states based on “stereotype and opportunity" from Dec. 2, 2016, to March 20, 2019. One of Jackson's associates told detectives t…
Jersey City Police Cruiser, Civilian Vehicle Damaged, Multiple Victims Injured In Crash Jersey City Police Cruiser, Civilian Vehicle Damaged, Multiple Victims Injured In Crash
Jersey City Police Cruiser, Civilian Vehicle Damaged, Multiple Victims Injured In Crash Two Jersey City police officers and at least one civilian were injured in a crash that sent a cruiser into a fire hydrant. The vehicles collided at the intersection of Martin Luther King Drive and Stegman Street at 11:15 a.m. Friday, May 17, according to Jersey City spokeswoman Kimberly Wallace-Scalcione. It wasn't the result of a pursuit, she emphasized. Victims said the collision triggered the police car's airbags. The victims were taken to Jersey City Medical Center with what responders said were all minor injuries. An investigation into the cause was continuing.
Video Shows Serial Groper Trying To Drag Woman Behind Garfield Church, Hero Saving Her Video Shows Serial Groper Trying To Drag Woman Behind Garfield Church, Hero Saving Her
Video Shows Serial Groper Trying To Drag Woman Behind Garfield Church, Hero Saving Her UPDATE: A serial groper who was captured by a SWAT team after a civilian stopped him from dragging a woman behind a church in Garfield earlier this month had been stalking the victim at least since April, authorities said. Garfield police have surveillance video of Michael Hernandez, 25, following, running up and grabbing the woman outside Praise Assembly church at the corner of Main Street and Banta Avenue shortly after 12 noon May 8, investigators said. Grabbing her by her neck and backpack, Hernandez tries to drag the woman behind the church, they said. But a good Samaritan comes t…
North Bergen Man Busted In Murder-For-Hire Plot: Hudson Prosecutor North Bergen Man Busted In Murder-For-Hire Plot: Hudson Prosecutor
North Bergen Man Busted In Murder-For-Hire Plot: Hudson Prosecutor A North Bergen man was charged with a murder-for-hire scheme involving “a female known to” him. Miguel Cortes, 37, was arrested outside his Paterson Plank Road home on Tuesday, May 14, Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez said. North Bergen police caught wind of Cortes’s alleged offer of money for the deed, the prosecutor said in announcing the arrest on Friday. Suarez didn’t characterize the person to whom Cortes allegedly offered the cash or explain his relationship to the intended target, whom she said wasn’t injured. Members of the prosecutor’s Major Case Unit charged Cortes with co…
Giant Among Volunteers, Ramsey's Charles Schucht, 75, To Be Laid To Rest Giant Among Volunteers, Ramsey's Charles Schucht, 75, To Be Laid To Rest
Giant Among Volunteers, Ramsey's Charles Schucht, 75, To Be Laid To Rest 𝗧𝗥𝗜𝗕𝗨𝗧𝗘: It's a measure of Charles Schucht's well-known dedication to helping others that he volunteered for the Ramsey Ambulance Corps in his late 60s. "Many people knew Chuck volunteered at RAC, but few realized the extent of his involvement due to his humility," Corps Chief Marc Greenwood said. "Chuck prided himself on participating in almost every single birthday drive by during COVID," Greenwood said. "When he wasn’t spreading cheer, he was helping transport critically ill COVID patients when many other volunteers had to step back for their families." Schucht was on duty in uniform wh…
Plainfield Man Gets 20+ For Fatal Shooting: Prosecutor Plainfield Man Gets 20+ For Fatal Shooting: Prosecutor
Plainfield Man Gets 20+ For Fatal Shooting: Prosecutor A 34-year-old Plainfield man was sentenced to 23 years in state prison on Thursday, May 16, for fatally shooting a man in 2022, authorities said. At 4 p.m. on March 11, Plainfield police responded to Johnston Avenue and East 2nd Street and found Eric Williams, a 50-year-old Plainfield resident hit with multiple gunshot wounds, Union County Prosecutor William Daniel and Plainfield Police Director James Abney said. He was transported to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead, authorities said. Haneef Welch was sentenced after pleading guilty to aggravated manslaughter, autho…
GOTCHA! Arrest Made In Theft Of $62,000 Worth Of Parts From BMW HQ: Woodcliff Lake PD GOTCHA! Arrest Made In Theft Of $62,000 Worth Of Parts From BMW HQ: Woodcliff Lake PD
Gotcha! Arrest Made In Theft Of $62,000 Worth Of Parts From BMW HQ: Woodcliff Lake PD 𝗨𝗣𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘: Thieves stole and then sold $62,000 worth of parts from vehicles at BMW North America’s corporate headquarters in Woodcliff Lake, police said in announcing the arrest of a suspect. Joseph Domenico Varano, 21, of Bloomfield and his cohorts hit the parking lot of the campus off Chestnut Ridge Road near the Garden State Parkway on May 4, Woodcliff Lake Police Chief Stephen Regula said. Borough police identified Varano and arrested him at his home on Thursday, May 16, with help from Bloomfield police. They charged him with six counts of motor vehicle burglary, theft, criminal misc…
Plainfield Man Gets 40 Years For Strangling Girlfriend: Prosecutor Plainfield Man Gets 40 Years For Strangling Girlfriend: Prosecutor
Plainfield Man Gets 40 Years For Strangling Girlfriend: Prosecutor A 24-year-old Plainfield man was sentenced to 40 years in prison on Wednesday, May 15, for strangling his 19-year-old girlfriend to death in 2020, authorities said. On July 6, 2020, Plainfield police conducted a welfare check and found the body of 19-year-old Brenda Montoya-Cruz, Union County Prosecutor William Daniel and Plainfield Police Director James T. Abney said.  Bryan Gonzales-Martinez was convicted of first-degree murder last June, authorities said. He must serve 85% of his sentence before he is eligible for parole, authorities said. 
Woman Robbed Salvation Army, Assaulted Employee: Newark PD Woman Robbed Salvation Army, Assaulted Employee: Newark PD
Woman Robbed Salvation Army, Assaulted Employee: Newark PD A woman robbed a Salvation Army in Newark, assaulting an employee on Wednesday, May 15, authorities said. At 4 p.m., police responded to the Salvation Army Thrift Shop and Donation Center at 74 Pennington St. in Newark on a report of a robbery, Newark Public Safety Director Fritz Fragé said.  The woman attempted to leave the store with $100 in merchandise without paying for it, so employees locked the door to prevent her from leaving, Fragé said. The woman shoved an employee to the floor, unlocked the door and fled westbound on Pennington St., Fragé said. The employee&n…
Chemical Extinguisher Helps At Northvale Machine Shop Fire Chemical Extinguisher Helps At Northvale Machine Shop Fire
Chemical Extinguisher Helps At Northvale Machine Shop Fire Firefighters used a high-volume dry chemical extinguisher to help with a machine shop blaze in Northvale. The Livingston Street fire ignited shortly before 5 p.m. Thursday, May 16. The Paramus Fire Department’s Foam Unit provided a significant assist extinguishing flames on aluminum shavings that were placed in metal barrels and brought outside. Crews remained at the scene until about 7:30 p.m. Firefighters who went into the building were sent to a decon station due to burning metals and materials. Other mutual aid companies at the scene and in coverage included firefighters from Closter…
Plainfield Man Sentenced For DWI Crash That Injured Seven: Somerset County Prosecutor Plainfield Man Sentenced For DWI Crash That Injured Seven: Somerset County Prosecutor
Plainfield Man Sentenced For DWI Crash That Injured Seven: Somerset County Prosecutor A 24-year-old Plainfield man was sentenced to five years in prison on Friday, May 10, for a DUI crash that left seven people injured last June. Jose Cruz Villanueva-Izaguirre was behind the wheel of a 2004 Honda Civic and collided with a Kia Sedona after driving at high speed through a red light on June 11, 2023, at 2:09 a.m., Somerset County Prosecutor John McDonald said. Villanueva-Izaguirre, as well as his passengers — two adults and a teen — were seriously injured in the crash, authorities said. One passenger was found unresponsive in the back seat, suffering from near-fatal i…
Student Brought Gun To School, Newark PD Says Student Brought Gun To School, Newark PD Says
Student Brought Gun To School, Newark PD Says A 16-year-old student was detained by police after he brought a handgun to a Newark school on Tuesday, May 14, authorities said. At 10:26 a.m., police responded to the KIPP Newark Collegiate Academy after a student was found to be in possession of a handgun, Newark Public Safety Director Fritz Fragé said.  School officials turned the handgun over to responding officers, Fragé said. The 16-year-old male was arrested and charged with unlawful possession of a weapon and possession of a weapon by a minor, Fragé said.
Officers Pursue Suspects Onto Route 78: Berkeley Heights PD Officers Pursue Suspects Onto Route 78: Berkeley Heights PD
Officers Pursue Suspects Onto Route 78: Berkeley Heights PD Two people who attempted to enter a home in Berkeley Heights led police on a pursuit on the early morning of Tuesday, April 30, authorities said. At 3:13 a.m., police in Berkeley Heights received a report of a resident from a resident on Cambridge Drive about a break-in, officers said in a release. Two people were attempting to gain entry into the home but then fled the scene in a BMW SUV before making entry, police said. Police intercepted the vehicle on Killarney Drive and initiated a pursuit, officers said. The chase went east on Mountain Avenue, south on Glenside Road and then onto Rout…
Single Mom Struck, Killed By Vehicle In Maplewood, Prosecutor Says Single Mom Struck, Killed By Vehicle In Maplewood, Prosecutor Says
Single Mom Struck, Killed By Vehicle In Maplewood, Prosecutor Says A 28-year-old Irvington resident was killed after she was struck by a vehicle in Maplewood on Monday, May 13, authorities said. At 9:10 a.m., Maria Ganzhi Zhao was struck by a vehicle on the 1400 block of Springfield Avenue and pronounced dead at the scene, the Essex County Prosecutor's Office said.  Zhao, a native of Ecuador, was a single mother who is survived by her two daughters, Noemi, 7 and Genesis, 9 months, according to a fundraiser set up to support the family.  A viewing will be held on Saturday, May 18 at Mt. Alvarez Funeral Home in Newark from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., a…
NJ Police Chief Admits Coverup of Sex Affair With Subordinate NJ Police Chief Admits Coverup of Sex Affair With Subordinate
NJ Police Chief Admits Coverup of Sex Affair With Subordinate A retired New Jersey police chief admitted trying to cover up a sexual affair with a subordinate, authorities said. Andrew Kudrick, 50, will be banned for life from public employment and will receive probation instead of prison time in exchange, state Attorney General Matthew Platkin said. Kudrick, of Farmingdale, lied to Howell Township officials about the affair and “threatened to launch an improper internal affairs investigation” of a captain who called him on it, the attorney general said. A confrontation between the chief’s wife and his alleged mistress during a 2021 retirement party …
NJ Rapist Told 15-Year-Old They Can Do It Again If She's 'Not A Snitch,' Police Papers Say NJ Rapist Told 15-Year-Old They Can Do It Again If She's 'Not A Snitch,' Police Papers Say
NJ Rapist Told 15-Year-Old They Can Do It Again If She's 'Not A Snitch,' Police Papers Say Disturbing details have come to light in the case of a 41-year-old man arrested for sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl this month in North Jersey. According to the affidavit for probable cause obtained by Daily Voice, Solomon Blay was in a white SUV when he approached his victim, who was walking home from school. Blay called the girl over to his vehicle, asked her age, and if she wanted a ride home, police papers said. She agreed, but instead of taking the girl home, Blay took her to his home, a basement of a home on Brighton Street in Union, the affidavit says. ** WARNING: The followi…
Armed Suspect Found Sleeping Following Assault On Morristown Walking Path, Officials Say Armed Suspect Found Sleeping Following Assault On Morristown Walking Path, Officials Say
Armed Suspect Found Sleeping Following Assault On Morristown Walking Path, Officials Say An armed man accused of assaulting another person on a Morris County train system was found sleeping nearby, and promptly arrested, authorities said. Ricardo Martinez-Bonilla, 31, of Morristown, had gotten into an argument around 2:25 a.m. on Tuesday, May 14 on Patriots Path in Morristown off Martin Luther King Avenue, Morris County Sheriff James Gannon said. The victim told officers that the suspect was still in the area and provided a description. Sheriff’s Sergeant Kyle Koster, Sheriff’s Officer Brian Weber and Morristown Police found Martinez-Bonilla, sleeping on the trail, Gannon …