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Lodi Dad Killed On Route 46 Mourned As Loyal Friend
Shock and sadness spread following the death of a 37-year-old husband and father on Route 46 on Sunday, Feb. 9.
Adam Niesterowicz, 37, was struck by a 2023 Toyota in the westbound lanes while standing outside his 2015 Lexus around 11 p.m., Lodi Police Chief Donald Scorzetti said.
Niesterowicz was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver and passenger of the Toyota suffered serious but non-life-threatening injuries and were transported to the hospital for treatment.
A GoFundMe for Niesterowicz's wife, Justyna, and sons, Michael and Jacob, had raised more than $33,000 as of Tuesday, Feb. 11.…
Lodi Teacher Diana Pereira Dies, 42: 'Heaven Gained The Greatest Angel'
Diana Pereira, a longtime teacher in Lodi and Washington Township mother, died on Wednesday, Jan. 29, according to her obituary on the Di Chiara Funeral Home website. She was 42 years old.
Diana worked in the Lodi School District for 18 years as a teacher at the Hilltop Elementary School.
"Diana’s spirit was fulfilled when spending time with DJ, family, and friends, whether it was at the Caribbean Sea in Punta Cana, on the boat at Tice’s, or dancing to her favorite country and freestyle music," her obituary reads. "Diana had an infectious smile that would brighten any room she wal…
Mugshots Released: SWAT Raid Uncovers 28K Fentanyl Pills, Meth, Ghost Guns In Bergen County
A major drug bust in Bergen County led to the seizure of tens of thousands of fentanyl-laced pills, along with cocaine, methamphetamine, marijuana, and untraceable firearms, authorities said in announcing the arrests of the three men behind it.
Ramon Morillo, 39, of Fort Lee; Brandon Morillo, 31, of Lodi; and Joseph Diaz, 34, of Fort Lee, were arrested on Thursday, Nov. 7, following a months-long investigation conducted by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Narcotic Task Force, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said.
The investigation began in July 2024, when detectives identified Mo…
Mom, Bergen County Kindergarten Teacher Nina Gumbman Dies, 32
Antonina "Nina" Gumbman (nee Cutrona) died on Wednesday, Oct. 30. She was 32 years old.
Nina was raised in Lodi and settled down in Hawthorne, where she lived with her husband, Keith, and their son, Nicholas, 3, according to her obituary on the Aloia Funeral Home website.
Nina worked as a Kindergarten teacher for 10 years, most recently in Elmwood Park at the 16 Avenue School.
A GoFundMe for Nina's husband and son had raised more than $20,000 as of Monday, Nov. 4.
"For over 10 years, Nina dedicated her life to teaching and inspiring countless students with her kindness, patience, and pass…
Preteen Sexually Assaulted By Bergen County Man, 33, Prosecutor Says
A 33-year-old Bergen County man has been arrested on child sex assault charges, authorities said.
Junior Reyes-Tejada, of Lodi, is accused of sexually assaulting a child under 13 years old in Lodi, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said.
The BCPO's Special Victims Unit was contacted on Wednesday, Sept. 25 regarding the accusations, Musella said.
Reyes-Tejada was arrested following an investigation and charged with first-degree aggravated sexual assault, second- degree sexual assault by contact, and second-degree endangering the welfare of a child. He was remanded to the…
Getaway Driver, Armed Robber Who Shot At Victims On Routes 17, 80 Arrested: Cops
Two men have been arrested in a shooting robbery in which the assailants fled the scene in a Route 17 parking lot parking lot onto Route 80, where one fired shots at the victim's vehicle following them authorities said.
Shaheem A. Clark, 19, of Elmwood Park, has been identified as the gunman, while Jaquil M. Brown, 29, of Paterson, was the getaway driver in the Sunday, July 21 incident that happened around 11:25 p.m., Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said.
According to Musella, a group of friends had left a business on Route 17 in Lodi and got into a vehicle when a man on fo…
Parental Abduction: Woman Caught In Stolen Car In Lodi With Child Taken From Bogota: Prosecutor
A Jersey City woman was nabbed in a stolen car in Lodi after abducting her child a day earlier from a home in nearby Bogota, authorities said.
Jahlea Jones, 28, was charged with child endangerment, interfering with custody, contempt of court and receiving stolen property, among other offenses, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said.
Jones had taken the child on Wednesday, April 24, knowing that she was not privileged to do so," the prosecutor said.
Members of Musella's Child Abduction Response Team worked with police in Bogota and Lodi to find them on Thursday and return the child safe…