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NJ Murder Suspect Who Dumped Body In Woods Nabbed In Philadelphia: Prosecutor NJ Murder Suspect Who Dumped Body In Woods Nabbed In Philadelphia: Prosecutor
NJ Murder Suspect Who Dumped Body In Woods Nabbed In Philadelphia: Prosecutor A man who shot his victim and then apparently dumped his victim's body in a wooded area of Central Jersey was captured nearly two years later in Philadelphia, authorities announced. Juaquan S. Fitzgerald, 33, has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of Duane S. Banks, 27, whose body was found in a wooded area in Franklin Township on April 29, 2020, Somerset County Prosecutor John P. McDonald said.  Banks' body was found in a wooded area toward the back of a home near Park Street around 6:40 p.m. that day, police said. The medical examiner's office rule…
Some Details Released In Death Of 2-Year-Old Pulled From Hot Car In NJ Some Details Released In Death Of 2-Year-Old Pulled From Hot Car In NJ
Some Details Released In Death Of 2-Year-Old Pulled From Hot Car In NJ Authorities have disclosed some details surrounding the death of a 2-year-old girl pulled from a hot car Tuesday, Aug. 30. An off-duty firefighter and neighbor was performing CPR on the toddler when authorities arrived at the scene on Summerall Road in Franklin Township around 2:20 p.m., Somerset County Prosecutor John P. McDonald said. Officers assisted in life-saving measures until Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital ALS and BLS medics arrived and took over. The girl was pronounced deceased at the scene. It was not clear exactly how long the girl had been in the car. The circumstan…
Woman Escapes Hour-Long Hotel Hostage Situation With Kids In Room: Somerset Prosecutor Woman Escapes Hour-Long Hotel Hostage Situation With Kids In Room: Somerset Prosecutor
Woman Escapes Hour-Long Hotel Hostage Situation With Kids In Room: Somerset Prosecutor A 39-year-old Georgia man was drunk when he became angry and held woman at gunpoint for nearly an hour in a Central Jersey hotel room in front of her children, then shot her, authorities said. The victim, 37, was ultimately able to escape from Eder Gelin with gunshot wounds to her foot and hip, as he chased her from a room at a World's Fair Drive hotel in Franklin Township around 1:25 a.m. on Sunday, Aug. 21, Somerset County Prosecutor John P. McDonald said. Gelin, who knew the victim, was arrested and charged with attempted murder, kidnapping, weapon possession and child endangerment …
Suspicious Vehicle Check Turns Up Cocaine In Central Jersey, Authorities Say Suspicious Vehicle Check Turns Up Cocaine In Central Jersey, Authorities Say
Suspicious Vehicle Check Turns Up Cocaine In Central Jersey, Authorities Say A Central Jersey man was arrested after police found him with cocaine in his car last week, authorities said.  Police in Branchburg were doing a property check on a "suspicious vehicle" parked on Woodfern Road, in which Steven J. Dolci, 25, of Hillsborough Township, was in the driver's seat around 10:45 p.m. last Friday, April 22, Acting Somerset County Prosecutor Annmarie Taggart said. While speaking with Dolci, the officer observed a white powdery substance on the center console, which was suspected to be cocaine, Taggart said. Dolci was arrested without incident and slappe…
Home Invader Who Hopped In Shower With Victim Sought By Police In Somerset County Home Invader Who Hopped In Shower With Victim Sought By Police In Somerset County
Home Invader Who Hopped In Shower With Victim Sought By Police In Somerset County A home invader who got naked and jumped into a woman's shower—while she was in it— is being sought by the police in Somerset County. The Hillsborough Township police received a 9-1-1 call reporting a sexual offense in the area of Andria Avenue at approximately 10:18 p.m. Thursday, April 14, 2022, in Hillsborough Township, according to a release by the police. Upon arrival, police met with the woman who told them that a man she did not know entered the shower naked and grabbed her from behind, groping her, according to the release. She was able to fight off the man, who fled “possibly thro…
Meth & Cocaine, Guns, Thousands In Cash Seized In Major Takedown Of NJ Drug Ring Meth & Cocaine, Guns, Thousands In Cash Seized In Major Takedown Of NJ Drug Ring
Meth & Cocaine, Guns, Thousands In Cash Seized In Major Takedown Of NJ Drug Ring A seven-month-long investigation led to nearly two dozen arrests and the seizure of several pounds of drugs, firearms, ammunition, drug money and more, authorities in Central Jersey announced. "Operation Fire and Ice" — launched under the direction of Acting Somerset County Prosecutor Thomas J. Chirichella Jr., and multiple federal law enforcement agencies — targeted a crystal meth, cocaine and firearms distribution ring, Chirichella's office said on Monday, March 7. Twenty search warrants were executed at the homes of Jeffrey Cope, Shayne Murdock, Jermaine Lloyd, Jason Fort, David Nin…
Prosecutor: Juvenile Beaten With Gun, Lured In NJ Drug Deal Gone Bad Prosecutor: Juvenile Beaten With Gun, Lured In NJ Drug Deal Gone Bad
Prosecutor: Juvenile Beaten With Gun, Lured In NJ Drug Deal Gone Bad Two more arrests have been made in connection with a Somerset County drug deal gone bad last January, authorities said Thursday. Kayla S. Burnett, 20, of Ewing, and Samuel P. Dyal, 18, of Princeton, were arrested on May 26 and May 27, respectively, Somerset County Prosecutor Michael H. Robertson said. George C. Battle, 4th was taken into custody on April 28, 2021 and charged with armed robbery, unlawful possession of a handgun, conspiracy to commit armed robbery and luring, all in connection with the Montgomery Township incident, Robertson said. On Jan. 25, a juvenile told police that…
UPS Employee Heading To Work Struck, Killed In Bridgewater Hit-Run Crash, Authorities Say UPS Employee Heading To Work Struck, Killed In Bridgewater Hit-Run Crash, Authorities Say
UPS Employee Heading To Work Struck, Killed In Bridgewater Hit-Run Crash, Authorities Say A 28-year-old Plainfield man was on his way to work at UPS when he was struck and killed by a tractor trailer that fled the scene around 2 a.n. in Bridgewater, authorities announced. Robert C. Cepeda had gotten off an NJ Transit commuter bus on the westbound side of Route 28 with two co-workers when he was struck near Chimney Rock Road while walking across an intersection toward a nearby convenience store, Somerset County Prosecutor Michael H. Robertson said. The trailer was brown or red and heading eastbound, and slowed down but failed to stop at the scene, Robertson said alongside lo…
Assault Rifle, High Capacity Magazine Seized From PA, DE Men In NJ Road Rage Incident Assault Rifle, High Capacity Magazine Seized From PA, DE Men In NJ Road Rage Incident
Assault Rifle, High Capacity Magazine Seized From PA, DE Men In NJ Road Rage Incident Police found a 30-round high capacity magazine in the car carrying men from Pennsylvania and Delaware, who were accused of flashing an assault rifle at another driver in New Jersey over the weekend, authorities said. Branchburg police stopped vehicle carrying the three men on Route 202 near Milltown Road around 4 p.m., after someone called police reporting that a man brandished a weapon while heading northbound in Readington, Somerset County Prosecutor Michael H. Robertson said. Robert Figueroa, 19 of Whitehall, Pennsylvania; Axel Rafael Colon Merly, 18 of Allentown, Pennsylvania; and …
Prosecutor: California Man Arrested After Trip To New Jersey For Sex With Girl, 14 Prosecutor: California Man Arrested After Trip To New Jersey For Sex With Girl, 14
Prosecutor: California Man Arrested After Trip To New Jersey For Sex With Girl, 14 A 22-year-old California man was arrested after he took a trip to New Jersey where he twice had sex with a 14-year-old girl he had been talking to online, authorities said. Justin R. Ganutan, of Stockton, CA, was having an online relationship with the girl when he traveled from the West Coast to Somerset County, to meet the girl, Somerset County Prosecutor Michael H. Robertson said Monday. The victim, a Somerset County resident, told detectives she had sexual intercourse with Ganutan twice in Franklin Township during a trip he took last December specifically to meet her, Robertson said…
NJ Man Who Thought He Was Meeting Child, 14, For Sex Busted By Undercover Agent NJ Man Who Thought He Was Meeting Child, 14, For Sex Busted By Undercover Agent
NJ Man Who Thought He Was Meeting Child, 14, For Sex Busted By Undercover Agent A 48-year-old Hudson County man who thought he was arranging sex with a 14-year-old child had actually been chatting with an undercover for months, and was taken into custody last week, authorities said. Dave J. Adamovic, of North Bergen, began chatting on various online platforms with the undercover detective -- whom he believed was a 14-year-old -- in October 2020, Somerset County Prosecutor Michael H. Robertson said Thursday. Adamovic’s chats became sexual in nature and, throughout the course of the investigation, made arrangements to meet the undercover detective with the intention…
TRAGEDY AVOIDED: PA Man Who Stole Dog From NJ Home Drops Handgun After Pursuit TRAGEDY AVOIDED: PA Man Who Stole Dog From NJ Home Drops Handgun After Pursuit
Tragedy Avoided: PA Man Who Stole Dog From NJ Home Drops Handgun After Pursuit A tragedy was avoided when a Pennsylvania man who led police on a wild chase after stealing a dog from a New Jersey home got out of his car holding a gun -- which he dropped at officers' orders, authorities said. Nico Rogers, 31, of, Irwin, PA, was being held in the Somerset County jail on charges of eluding, unlawful possession of a weapon and burglary, Somerset County Prosecutor Michael H. Robertson said. Hillsborough police got a 9-1-1 call reporting a suspicious car trespassing near Wertsville Road around 11:20 a.m., Robertson said alongside Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office…
FBI Helps Nab Pair In Deadly New Jersey Barbershop Shooting FBI Helps Nab Pair In Deadly New Jersey Barbershop Shooting
FBI Helps Nab Pair In Deadly New Jersey Barbershop Shooting Two 30-year-old men including one from Georgia were arrested with help from the FBI in a barbershop shooting that left a 34-year-old Somerset County man dead, authorities said Thursday. Todd C. Smith, of Edison, and Tayyab A. Ware, of Augusta, GA, were each charged with first-degree murder, robbery and weapon possession following the Nov. 2 killing of 34-year-old Denny Sanchez, Somerset County Prosecutor Michael H. Robertson said in a joint release. Franklin Township police officers responded to multiple 9-1-1 calls around 8:40 p.m. for reports of a shooting at a Hamilton Street barber…
Prosecutor: Multiple Firearms, Ammo Seized In 2-Hour Central Jersey SWAT Standoff Prosecutor: Multiple Firearms, Ammo Seized In 2-Hour Central Jersey SWAT Standoff
Prosecutor: Multiple Firearms, Ammo Seized In 2-Hour Central Jersey SWAT Standoff Multiple firearms and ammunition were seized from a 74-year-old Central Jersey man who authorities said fired a gun inside his home with a woman upstairs, launching a nearly two-hour SWAT standoff. Raritan police were called to a Hidden Pond Court home, just after Stephen E. McManus fired a shot around 8 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 12, Somerset County Prosecutor Michael H. Robertson said. Nearby residents were evacuated for their safety as officers on scene made "direct visual and verbal contact" with a female resident in an upstairs bedroom of McManus' home, Robertson said. Meanwhile, McM…
New Brunswick Man Charged With Causing OD Death Of Somerset County Woman New Brunswick Man Charged With Causing OD Death Of Somerset County Woman
New Brunswick Man Charged With Causing OD Death Of Somerset County Woman A New Brunswick man is accused of providing a woman with the cocktail of drugs including fentanyl and cocaine that killed her last January, authorities said Wednesday. Lashawn D. Boyd, 24, met up with the 37-year-old Bedminster woman for a drug deal on Jan. 19, Somerset County Prosecutor Michael H. Robertson, Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Chief of County Detectives John W. Fodor and Bedminster Township Police Chief Karl Rock said. The next day, the woman died of a heart attack, Rock and Fodor said. An autopsy revealed the cause was adverse effects of cocaine, fentanyl and sertraline …
Fire That Destroyed Historic NJ Retreat For Celebrities Under Investigation Fire That Destroyed Historic NJ Retreat For Celebrities Under Investigation
Fire That Destroyed Historic NJ Retreat For Celebrities Under Investigation Authorities are investigating a fire that broke out at a historic Somerset County home once a retreat for New Jersey celebrities. Fire companies from several towns responded to 751 River Road in Hillsborough around 4 a.m. after 9-1-1 calls came in Thursday, Somerset County Prosecutor Michael H. Robertson said.  The home -- which was being renovated -- was nothing but a pile of rubble after firefighters extinguished the two-alarm blaze. No injuries were reported. Investigators from the Somerset County Fire Investigation Unit (FIU), along with detectives from the Somerset County Prosecutor…
WANTED: Authorities Seek Somerset County Fugitive In Suspected Drug Deal, Pursuit WANTED: Authorities Seek Somerset County Fugitive In Suspected Drug Deal, Pursuit
Wanted: Authorities Seek Somerset County Fugitive In Suspected Drug Deal, Pursuit Authorities in Somerset County are seeking a man who they say sped away from police after being caught in a drug deal. Saul Weaver III, 48, of Hampton, is wanted on a charge of eluding police following Tuesday's incident, Somerset County Prosecutor Michael H. Robertson said in a joint release with other law enforcement agencies. Members of the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Organized Crime and Narcotics Task Force, along with Franklin Township police, were doing a "quality of life" check in Diane Court when they saw a man later identified as Weaver conducting a "suspected narcotic…
Pedestrian Struck And Killed By Car In Franklin Pedestrian Struck And Killed By Car In Franklin
Pedestrian Struck And Killed By Car In Franklin A man attempting to cross the street in Franklin Tuesday night was killed when he was struck by a car, police said.  The man, whose identity was withheld pending notification of next of kin, was struck by an eastbound Kia Sorrento driven by a Somerset resisdent shortly before 10 p.m. The fatal crash occurred on Amwell Road near Doria Road.  He was pronounced dead at an area hospital, police said.  Anyone with information is asked to call the Somerset County Prosecutor's Office Collision Analysis Reconstruction Team at (908) 231-7100, or Officer Jose Jaime of the Fr…
Wrong-Way Central NJ Crash Leaves 3 Bayonne Teens Critical Wrong-Way Central NJ Crash Leaves 3 Bayonne Teens Critical
Wrong-Way Central NJ Crash Leaves 3 Bayonne Teens Critical Three 18-year-olds from Bayonne were hospitalized in critical condition following a wrong-way crash in Central Jersey over the weekend, authorities said. A 2002 Toyota Corolla driven by one of them was speeding north on the southbound side of Rattlesnake Bridge Road near I-78 in Bedminster when it struck a concrete bridge abutment shortly before 4 p.m. Saturday, the Somerset County Prosecutor's Office and Bedminster police said. All three occupants had to be extricated, they said. Investigators were still trying to determine what happened and why. Anyone who might have witnessed the inci…