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Little Falls, NJ

Ex-Con Charged By FBI With Igniting Explosive Outside Passaic County ATM Ex-Con Charged By FBI With Igniting Explosive Outside Passaic County ATM
Ex-Con Charged By FBI With Igniting Explosive Outside Passaic County ATM A career criminal from Passaic County who's been busted dozens of times in North Jersey in just the past few years used an explosive device to damage an ATM, federal authorities charged. Nicolas Torres, 41, of Passaic, has amassed a lengthy rap sheet over much of his adult life, mostly involving business break-ins that local police and county prosecutors have dealt with. This time, though, the FBI's got him. Torres was captured on surveillance video igniting the device in front of the Chase Bank ATM on North 6th Street in Prospect Park in the early morning hours of July 5, 2022, U.S. Attor…
Machete-Wielding Man Seized During Disturbance At New North Jersey Amazon Warehouse Machete-Wielding Man Seized During Disturbance At New North Jersey Amazon Warehouse
Machete-Wielding Man Seized During Disturbance At New North Jersey Amazon Warehouse Police from multiple jurisdictions converged on one of North Jersey's newest Amazon warehouses after a parking lot dispute between two drivers early Tuesday escalated into an assault involving a machete. No major injuries were reported in the assault, which Woodland Park police said triggered a disturbance that brought them and their colleagues from Totowa, Little Falls and the Passaic County Sheriff's Office to the distribution center on McBride Avenue near Route 46 shortly before 7 a.m. Nov. 21. Responding officers found "a large number of people gathered in the Amazon parking lot causing…
Dental Procedure Caused Strokes For Mercer Electrical Worker Facing Long Road To Recovery Dental Procedure Caused Strokes For Mercer Electrical Worker Facing Long Road To Recovery
Dental Procedure Caused Strokes For Mercer Electrical Worker Facing Long Road To Recovery Union members and other friends of a Mercer County electrical worker are rallying to support him in his medical recovery. George Dipsey Jr., of East Windsor, suffered two strokes after unknowingly having a bacterial growth and infection on his heart, according to his cousin, Al Dipsey of Little Falls. It is suspected the bacterial infection started following a dental procedure. George needs heart surgery and a valve replacement after the infection goes down, his cousin said. "George is a fighter and is strong and determined to get well. That being said he is facing a very difficult road a…
New Year's Fire Consumes Multi-Family Paterson Building New Year's Fire Consumes Multi-Family Paterson Building
New Year's Fire Consumes Multi-Family Paterson Building A vicious New Year's fire blew through the roof of a Paterson apartment building. A firefighter was brought to St. Joseph's University Medical Center with a minor injury sustained in Sunday's 10 a.m. blaze on Harrison Street. The damage was nonetheless extensive, displacing dozens of residents -- while forcing others out temporarily -- in a tightly packed cluster of homes between Rosa Parks Boulevard and Carroll Street. 🚨 BREAKING VIDEO: LARGE FIRE IN PATERSON, NEW JERSEY pic.twitter.com/cPLVj36OvO — Breaking News Video (@BreakingVideoHQ) January 1, 2023 A second alarm was called on a…
Passaic County Man Convicted Of $80,000 Back-To-Back Bank Robberies Passaic County Man Convicted Of $80,000 Back-To-Back Bank Robberies
Passaic County Man Convicted Of $80,000 Back-To-Back Bank Robberies A Passaic County man was convicted by a federal jury of robbing two area banks just weeks apart. Jurors found Jose Soto, 52, of Passaic guilty of robbing a PNC branch in Passaic of $35,000 and a Valley National Bank in Little Falls of $45,000 following a six-day trial in U.S. District Court in Newark. They also convicted Soto of conspiring with a Paterson man to commit the holdups and brandishing a firearm. Soto pointed a silver and black gun at customers and employees at the Main Street Valley National branch in Little Falls on Feb. 27, 2020, authorities said. His accomplice, Nicholas Or…
Bail Reform Poster Boy Wanted On Warrants Out Of Eight North Jersey Towns Nabbed By Local PD Bail Reform Poster Boy Wanted On Warrants Out Of Eight North Jersey Towns Nabbed By Local PD
Bail Reform Poster Boy Wanted On Warrants Out Of Eight North Jersey Towns Nabbed By Local PD A serial burglar wanted on warrants out of no fewer than eight towns in four counties was captured by Maywood police and charged with a break-in at a local dry cleaner. Nicolas G. Torres, 40, of Passaic, has been repeatedly arrested and then subsequently released under New Jersey’s 2017 bail reform law, mostly on commercial burglary charges, over the past several years, records show. His criminal record stretches back more than a decade before that, however. Earlier this year, Torres was linked to break-ins at businesses in Fort Lee, Leonia, Englewood Cliffs, Little Falls, Montclair, Ridg…
NJ's David Blaine Doesn't Flinch Eating Carolina Reapers On 'Hot Ones' NJ's David Blaine Doesn't Flinch Eating Carolina Reapers On 'Hot Ones'
NJ's David Blaine Doesn't Flinch Eating Carolina Reapers On 'Hot Ones' David Blaine either has an extremely high threshold for pain, or he can simply compartmentalize it. The former New Jersey resident and endurance artist who's broken multiple world records didn't flinch chewing up a Carolina Reaper on a recent episode of "Hot Ones." Sean Evans and David Blaine prepare to eat Carolina Reapers.First We Feast Sean Evans and David Blaine right after downing a pair of Carolina Reapers.First We Feast Blaine, 49 — who lived in Little Falls as a teen and attended Passaic Valley Regional High School — answered a series of questions while eating progressively …
Celebration Of Life For Beloved NJ Educator Available Via Livestream Celebration Of Life For Beloved NJ Educator Available Via Livestream
Celebration Of Life For Beloved NJ Educator Available Via Livestream A celebration of life for career North Jersey educator Michael Carlucci will be live-streamed later this week to what's expected to be an enormous audience. The beloved 57-year-old father of three from Verona had been swimming with his wife, Jeanene, and others on Saturday when he apparently was caught in a rip current generated by Hurricane Earl. His body was recovered after a 45-minute search. Carlucci’s funeral service is scheduled for 11 a.m. this Friday, Sept. 16, at the Episcopal Church of the Holy Spirit (36 Gould Street, Verona), where he was an active parishioner. MAP: Episcopal …
WILD CHASE: Masked Carjackers Ram Police Cruiser, Civilian Vehicles In North Jersey WILD CHASE: Masked Carjackers Ram Police Cruiser, Civilian Vehicles In North Jersey
Wild Chase: Masked Carjackers Ram Police Cruiser, Civilian Vehicles In North Jersey Three carjackers were captured following a wild chase in which they rammed a Wayne police cruiser and several civilian vehicles on Route 46, authorities said. It began shortly after Montville police issued an alert for two vehicles, one of which had just been taken by thieves in ski masks, shortly after 1 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 27. A short time later, the masked bandits approached a Porsche at the Starbucks on Route 23 just south of the "spaghetti bowl" intersection in Wayne near Willowbrook Mall, Wayne Detective Capt. Dan Daly said. They abandoned their attempt after discovering it occupied,…
NJ High School Classmates Killed In Crash Involving Third Student NJ High School Classmates Killed In Crash Involving Third Student
NJ High School Classmates Killed In Crash Involving Third Student Two former Passaic County high school classmates were killed in a horrific crash involving a fellow student, authorities said. Shahriyar Ahmed and Shakeel Ali, both 19 of Paterson, were killed in the collision in front of Gaita Memorial Funeral Home on Newark Pompton (Route 23) in Little Falls shortly after 10:30 p.m. Friday. Both were passengers in a Mercedes C300 sedan with three other people that was T-boned by a Jeep Grand Cherokee driven by Jason Zaitoun, 18, of Wayne, Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes and Deputy Chief Brian Prall said Saturday. The impact knocked the Merce…
HEROES: Trapped Trucker Rescued By Two Towing Operators (VIDEO) HEROES: Trapped Trucker Rescued By Two Towing Operators (VIDEO)
Heroes: Trapped Trucker Rescued By Two Towing Operators (Video) Two tow truck operators came to the rescue of a dump truck driver who was trapped when his rig rolled during the morning rush on Route 46. Edward Spina Jr. from ECRB Towing & Recovery in Bloomfield and JT Sagun from Nick’s Towing Service in Rutherford were both headed to work when the trucker's brakes locked up ahead of them around 7:45 a.m. Friday. The tri-axle vehicle loaded with fill tipped onto the driver's side in the eastbound fast lane at the Totowa/Little Falls border just past the McBride Avenue exit. Spina was driving a wrecker with a dash cam that recorded the accident. …
47 Guests Seized As Police In North Jersey Pull Plug On Pop-Up Party 47 Guests Seized As Police In North Jersey Pull Plug On Pop-Up Party
47 Guests Seized As Police In North Jersey Pull Plug On Pop-Up Party An illegal pop-up party in Wayne was beginning to heat up when an army of police suddenly burst in. A total of 47 party-goers were temporarily taken into custody after New Jersey State Police spotted advertisements posted by the organizers on social media and tipped off Wayne Police Chief Jack McNiff. Nearly 500 guests were expected at the Saturday night bash in a vacant commercial building near the Willowbrook Mall, but police pulled the plug before that could happen, Detective Capt. Dan Daly said. Detectives who had eyes on the building before the scheduled start time watched several p…
Accused Killer's Mom, Brother Charged, GF To Testify In Disposal Of Paterson Woman's Body Accused Killer's Mom, Brother Charged, GF To Testify In Disposal Of Paterson Woman's Body
Accused Killer's Mom, Brother Charged, GF To Testify In Disposal Of Paterson Woman's Body UPDATE: The killing of a woman whose body was found battered, bloodied and stuffed into the trunk of a car parked on a Paterson, NJ street took some new turns, including an instant guilty plea from the primary witness and two more arrests. Passaic County prosecutors dropped murder and conspiracy charges against Joelle Martucci, 24, as part of deal that will keep her out of prison. In return, Martucci agreed to testify against her fiancé, Justin Fisher, who is now the lone defendant charged with murder in last month’s death and dumping of 38-year-old single mom Stephanie DeJesus of Paterson…
Winning $1 Million Lottery Ticket Sold In North Jersey Winning $1 Million Lottery Ticket Sold In North Jersey
Winning $1 Million Lottery Ticket Sold In North Jersey A lucky New Jersey Lottery player just became a millionaire. The Jersey Cash 5 ticket from the Friday, March 11 drawing was purchased in Passaic County. The winning numbers were: 04, 16, 17, 32, and 39 and the XTRA number was: 02. That ticket was sold at the Valley Spa, 61 East Main St., Little Falls in Passaic County. The ticket is good for  $1,077,615. The retailer will receive a bonus check for $2,000 for the winning ticket sold. That ticket was sold at 
Conspirator Who Used NJ High School Students To Cash Stolen COVID Stimulus Checks Gets 4 Years Conspirator Who Used NJ High School Students To Cash Stolen COVID Stimulus Checks Gets 4 Years
Conspirator Who Used NJ High School Students To Cash Stolen COVID Stimulus Checks Gets 4 Years One of a nest of criminals who paid New Jersey high school students to cash COVID stimulus checks stolen from the mail was sentenced to four years in federal prison. Because there's no parole in the federal prison system, Jeffrey Bennett, 27, of Irvington, must serve just about all of the plea-bargained sentence rubber-stamped by a U.S. District Court judge in Newark via videoconference on Monday, Feb. 14. Bennett -- a reputed associate of a group called "The Members" -- recruited U.S. Postal Service employees to steal checks, checkbooks, debit cards, and credit cards from the mail in excha…
3 Lucky NJ Lottery Players Win Trip To Super Bowl LVI 3 Lucky NJ Lottery Players Win Trip To Super Bowl LVI
3 Lucky NJ Lottery Players Win Trip To Super Bowl LVI Three lucky New Jersey Lottery players have won trips to Super Bowl LVI in Los Angeles, state officials said. They participated in the state Lottery's Quick Draw Big Game promotion. In addition to the trip to the Super Bowl game between the Los Angeles Rams and Cincinnati Bengals, the Lottery winners won passes to Hall of Fame events and $1,000 apiece in spending cash. The Super Bowl kicks off at 6:30 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 13. NJ Lottery Executive Director James Carey said, "What better prize than a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to attend the single largest sporting event of the year in t…
HEROES: Paterson's Bravest Rescue Resident In Three-Building Blaze HEROES: Paterson's Bravest Rescue Resident In Three-Building Blaze
Heroes: Paterson's Bravest Rescue Resident In Three-Building Blaze UPDATE: A vicious blaze was engulfing one two-family home and significantly damaging two other residences -- displacing 26 tenants in all -- when Paterson firefighters rescued a resident in a wheelchair. PHOTO GALLERY: BTFirePhotos The four-alarm Warren Street fire broke out in one of the tightly bunched buildings up the street from Public School No. 10 shortly before 8 a.m. Sunday. It spread quickly. The city's bravest immediately got the trapped resident out before retreating to battle the blaze from the exterior. The main body of the fire was knocked down by 9:45 a.m., a little under …
CONFIRMED: Male, Female Bodies Pulled From Passaic River Are Couple Drowned By Ida CONFIRMED: Male, Female Bodies Pulled From Passaic River Are Couple Drowned By Ida
Confirmed: Male, Female Bodies Pulled From Passaic River Are Couple Drowned By Ida UPDATE: The New Jersey Medical Examiner's Office on Friday positively identified two bodies pulled from the Passaic River over the previous two days as a former high school prom king and queen swept away in Hurricane Ida's floodwaters last week. A search for Nidhi Rana, 18, and Ayush Rana, 21, had ended when the medical examiner's office finally confirmed their identities Friday afternoon based on dental and medical records, Passaic Mayor Hector Carlos Lora said. Nidhi and Ayush were swept into a storm drain that empties into the river after getting out of their car on Main Street during l…
CONFIRMED: Male, Female Bodies Pulled From Passaic River Are Couple Drowned By Ida CONFIRMED: Male, Female Bodies Pulled From Passaic River Are Couple Drowned By Ida
Confirmed: Male, Female Bodies Pulled From Passaic River Are Couple Drowned By Ida CONFIRMED: The New Jersey Medical Examiner's Office on Friday positively identified two bodies pulled from the Passaic River over the previous two days as a former high school prom king and queen swept away in Hurricane Ida's floodwaters last week. A search for Nidhi Rana, 18, and Ayush Rana, 21, had ended when the medical examiner's office finally confirmed their identities Friday afternoon based on dental and medical records, Passaic Mayor Hector Carlos Lora said. Nidhi and Ayush were swept into a storm drain that empties into the river after getting out of their car on Main Street durin…
IDA: Death Toll Climbs To 23 In New Jersey IDA: Death Toll Climbs To 23 In New Jersey
IDA: Death Toll Climbs To 23 In New Jersey The death toll caused by the remnants of Hurricane Ida that tore through New Jersey Wednesday had climbed to 23 as of Thursday afternoon, Gov. Phil Murphy said at a press conference. Most of these deaths were individuals who got stuck in vehicles due to flooding and were overtaken by water, he said from fire station in Hillsborough. The governor reminded residents New Jersey is still in the midst of Ida, and urged people not to travel. Those who died include: Four Elizabeth residents -- a couple ages 71 and 72, their 38-year-old son and a 33-year-old neighbor. Their bodies were found by…
NJ Woman, 56, Swept Away By Floodwaters Presumed Dead NJ Woman, 56, Swept Away By Floodwaters Presumed Dead
NJ Woman, 56, Swept Away By Floodwaters Presumed Dead UPDATE: A Little Falls woman swept away by floodwaters during Tropical Storm Ida was still missing and believed dead, authorities said Thursday. Donna Lomagro, 56, got out of her stranded car on Lackawanna Avenue near Browertown Road and was knocked under by the current around 9 p.m., witnesses told Woodland Park police. The current continued into Dowling Brook, which eventually feeds into the Passaic River, they said. Two good Samaritans had to be rescued themselves after they tried to save her. The West Paterson Fire Department Water Rescue Team continued searching through the nigh…
NJ Man Admits Using Postal Workers, Students To Steal, Forge COVID Stimulus Checks NJ Man Admits Using Postal Workers, Students To Steal, Forge COVID Stimulus Checks
NJ Man Admits Using Postal Workers, Students To Steal, Forge COVID Stimulus Checks A Union County man admitted recruiting postal service employees to steal federal COVID stimulus checks and then paying high school students to help cash them, authorities said. Tashon Ragan, 21, of Hillside was among a group of thieves associated with a group called “The Members” who paid US Postal Service employees in cash to steal credit cards and blank checkbooks from the mail, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig said. They then “forged the signatures of the accountholders and negotiated the checks by making them payable to individuals,” Honig said. Some were New Jersey high school st…
TONIGHT: New Jersey Native Nick Jonas Hosting 'SNL' TONIGHT: New Jersey Native Nick Jonas Hosting 'SNL'
Tonight: New Jersey Native Nick Jonas Hosting 'SNL' New Jersey native Nick Jonas will be hosting "Saturday Night Live" Saturday, Feb. 27. The 28-year-old will be doubling as the host and musical guest. Jonas, who grew up in Little Falls and Wyckoff with his three brothers, will reportedly be performing his new single "Spaceman." The singer and songwriter has only ever been on "SNL" as a musical guest -- solo in 2016, and in 2009 with his brothers. Tune into NBC at 11:30 p.m. to watch. Nick JonasArt Streiber/NBC
Mom, 53, Who Died Trying To Rescue Dog In Multi-Home Paterson Blaze Ran Local Food Stand Mom, 53, Who Died Trying To Rescue Dog In Multi-Home Paterson Blaze Ran Local Food Stand
Mom, 53, Who Died Trying To Rescue Dog In Multi-Home Paterson Blaze Ran Local Food Stand UPDATE: One of her five children had just pulled Felicia Hernandez De La Cruz out of their burning Paterson home when she suddenly rushed back inside to try and save their dog, witnesses said. The 53-year-old mom, who ran a local food stand that catered to the community, never made it out. "She was best known for her empanadas that she sold in front of her house," said Iris Lorenzo of Passaic. "She was so full of life and funny."  Authorities confirmed her death in the pre-dawn fire Sunday that displaced 47 residents from nine families and sent two firefighters to the hospital for tre…
Woman Dies Trying To Rescue Dog In Multi-Home Paterson Blaze, 2 Firefighters Hospitalized Woman Dies Trying To Rescue Dog In Multi-Home Paterson Blaze, 2 Firefighters Hospitalized
Woman Dies Trying To Rescue Dog In Multi-Home Paterson Blaze, 2 Firefighters Hospitalized UPDATE: One of her five children had just pulled Felicia Hernandez De La Cruz out of their burning Paterson home when she suddenly rushed back inside to try and save their dog, witnesses said. The 53-year-old mom, who ran a local food stand that catered to the community, never made it out. Authorities confirmed her death in the pre-dawn fire Sunday that displaced 47 residents from nine families and sent two firefighters to the hospital for treatment of minor injuries. Two 2½-story wood-frame homes on Summer Street were entirely consumed by flames and three others damaged, one severely, aft…
Passaic County Pair Bagged $80,000 In Back-To-Back Bank Robberies Passaic County Pair Bagged $80,000 In Back-To-Back Bank Robberies
Passaic County Pair Bagged $80,000 In Back-To-Back Bank Robberies Two men nabbed by the FBI following bank robberies in Passaic and Little Falls just weeks apart were indicted by a federal grand jury in Newark. Nicholas Ortiz, 37, of Paterson, and Jose Soto, 49, of Passaic, have remained in federal custody since their March arrests for robbing a PNC branch in Passaic of $35,000 and a Valley National Bank in Little Falls of $45,000. One of them pointed a silver and black gun at customers and employees at the Main Street Valley National branch in Little Falls on Feb. 27, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito said. The other then "jumped over a teller counter …
PHOTOS: Fierce Fire Roars Through Three Passaic Homes, Displacing Dozens PHOTOS: Fierce Fire Roars Through Three Passaic Homes, Displacing Dozens
Photos: Fierce Fire Roars Through Three Passaic Homes, Displacing Dozens An off-duty firefighter alerted residents to a gas-fed blaze that ravaged three homes Saturday morning in Passaic, displacing nearly three dozen people. More than 120 firefighters responded to the fierce four-alarm blaze, which roared across the multi-family dwellings on Oak Street after breaking out shortly after 8 a.m., responders said. An off-duty firefighter helped get the buildings evacuated, Fire Chief Patrick Trentacost said "There was a tremendous amount of fire through [two of ] the buildings, with a partial collapse," Trentacost said. Definitely one (middle) and possibly two…
Feds: NJ Crew Used Postal Workers, High School Students To Steal, Forge COVID Stimulus Checks Feds: NJ Crew Used Postal Workers, High School Students To Steal, Forge COVID Stimulus Checks
Feds: NJ Crew Used Postal Workers, High School Students To Steal, Forge COVID Stimulus Checks A group of criminals recruited New Jersey postal service employees to steal federal COVID-19 stimulus checks and paid high school students to help cash them, authorities said. The defendants -- who were associates of a group calling itself “the Members” -- recruited U.S. Postal Service employees to steal checks, checkbooks, debit cards, and credit cards from the mail in exchange for cash, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito said. They then forged the signatures of the account holders and made the checks payable to high school students and others who’d given them access to their accounts, also in …
CAPTURED: Bergen Prosecutor’s Detectives Nab Escaped 'James Bond Gang' Fugitive In Hudson CAPTURED: Bergen Prosecutor’s Detectives Nab Escaped 'James Bond Gang' Fugitive In Hudson
Captured: Bergen Prosecutor’s Detectives Nab Escaped 'James Bond Gang' Fugitive In Hudson A James Bond Gang associate who escaped from a halfway house in March was captured Friday in North Bergen by detectives from the Bergen County prosecutor’s office. Hakeem Chance, 28, of Hackensack had an original parole eligibility date of July 13, 2022 when he escaped from the East Jersey State Harbor Halfway House, records show. He remained a fugitive for six months before members of Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella’s Special Investigations Squad tracked down and nabbed Chance near the corner of Kennedy Boulevard and 89th Street. They brought him to the Bergen County Jail on an esca…
MANHUNT: NJ Murder Suspect, 28, Captured On Roof Of Route 46 Hotel In Wayne Identified MANHUNT: NJ Murder Suspect, 28, Captured On Roof Of Route 46 Hotel In Wayne Identified
Manhunt: NJ Murder Suspect, 28, Captured On Roof Of Route 46 Hotel In Wayne Identified An ex-con from North Carolina wanted in an Essex County homicide was captured on the roof of a Route 46 hotel in Wayne before dawn Tuesday, multiple law enforcement sources told Daily Voice. The search began after Derrick Anthony Younger, 28, ran from a Route 46 traffic stop near Route 23 around midnight. Wayne Police Officer Wayne Bush, who stopped Younger, chased him on foot to the Ramada Inn. A Passaic County Sheriff's SWAT unit was summoned in case of a possible standoff. Although authorities initially suspected that Younger was in Room 228, he'd actually gone to the roof. After a SW…
Eight Firefighters Hospitalized In Passaic Blaze Eight Firefighters Hospitalized In Passaic Blaze
Eight Firefighters Hospitalized In Passaic Blaze Eight firefighters were hospitalized with heat exhaustion Monday after rescuing 20 or so residents – several of whom were trapped – during a roaring Monday afternoon blaze that ravaged two homes and damaged others in Passaic. Seven of the firefighters are from the city and the eighth is from Wallington, Passaic Mayor Hector Carlos Lora said. None of the injuries was considered life-threatening, he said. Firefighters rescued five people from two of the Passaic Street homes and got 15 out of another after the blaze broke out around 2 p.m. at 74 Passaic Street, the mayor said. Flames raced th…