42°
Detectives on Thursday found the 2013 black Ford Focus at the home of John Bialek, , a 52-year-old train mechanic, Acting Bergen County Prosecutor Dennis Calo said Friday afternoon.
Bialek was charged with hindering apprehension and released pending a March 5 hearing in Central Judicial Processing Court in Hackensack, the prosecutor said.
One of his sons, Brandon Bialek, 32, of Lodi, was headed to work at 5:50 a.m. Jan. 5 when he tried to beat a light and struck Brian Rossi near Industrial Avenue, authorities said.
Rossi died at the scene, they said.
Soon after the crash, Bialek's twin brother, Brian, showed up in another vehicle, authorities said. Both cars then drove off together, they said.
******
THE DEFENDANTS:
Brandon Bialek, 32, Lodi (lab aide with the Bergen County Utilities Authority): Prosecutors say he struck and killed the victim with his car and kept going.
Brian Bialek, 32, Hasbrouck Heights (NJ Transit maintenance worker): Prosecutors say he conspired to hide his brother's involvement.
John Bialek, 52, Wallington (train mechanic): Prosecutors say he hid the car at his home.
******
Brandon Bialek, a Bergen County Utilities Authority laboratory aide who lives in Lodi, remained held Friday in the Bergen County Jail.
He's charged with knowingly leaving the scene of a crash resulting in death and hindering his apprehension by suppressing evidence -- although charges were likely to be upgraded now that the car has been found.
Brian Bialek, a New Jersey Transit maintenance worker who lives in Hasbrouck Heights, remained free pending a March 4 first appearance in Central Judicial Municipal Court in Hackensack on charges of hindering his brother's apprehension.
Successful detective work, included coordinating the cellphone calls between them, helped detectives crack the case, those with knowledge of the arrests said.
The victim, Brian Rossi, 28, was "a loving son, brother, uncle, and friend who was taken away from us all too soon," his sister, Sharyn Rossi Agnew, wrote on a GoFundMe page that she established as a reward for finding whoever was responsible. "The culprit(s) left the scene and left Brian to die on the side of the road, alone."
Authorities released a surveillance photo of the Focus (above photo, left) during their investigation.
In the photo was a Mitsubishi Lancer (above photo, right) that they said showed up later, driven by Brian Bialek.
The Focus "will have significant front end damage, including a broken passenger side headlight, and a broken passenger side-view mirror," Calo said at the time.
"The driver fled the scene traveling eastbound on Route 46 before parking in the rear of a business," the prosecutor said.
The Lancer "arrived shortly thereafter and both vehicles left together," he said. "They traveled east on Route 46, then north on Liberty Street towards Hackensack.
"Both vehicles were also seen traveling southbound on Terrace Avenue in the area of Route 17, headed towards Hasbrouck Heights."
CLICK HERE for Brian Rossi's obituary .
******
ORIGINAL STORY:
TETERBORO, N.J. -- Authorities turned to the public for help Friday finding the drivers of more than one vehicle that struck and killed a 28-year-old Teaneck man as he crossed Route 46 near the Teterboro Walmart.
Brian Rossi was pronounced dead at the scene of the 5:50 a.m. crash near Industrial Avenue, Bergen County Prosecutor Gurbir S. Grewal said.
"Evidence at the scene indicates that the victim was struck by more than one vehicle, all of which fled the scene traveling eastbound on Route 46," Grewal said.
Anyone with information that could help find the vehicles and/or drivers is asked to call the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Fatal Accident Investigation Unit at (201) 226-5595, or Moonachie police at (201) 641-9100.
"All calls will remain confidential," the prosecutor said.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Northern Valley and receive free news updates.
