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Saturday, apr 27
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North Plainfield, NJ
Police & Fire
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! Federal, State Team Seize Local Man, 24, In Rutgers Islamic Center Vandalism
UPDATE: An elite law enforcement team captured a 24-year-old local man on Monday who authorities said broke in and trashed the Center for Islamic Life at Rutgers University in New Brunswick earlier this month. Jacob Beacher was due for an initial afternoon appearance on federal hate crime charges in U.S. District Court in Newark on April 22. Beacher broke into the CILRU shortly after 2:30 a.m. April 10 and did an estimated $40,000 worth of damage, state and federal authorities said. It was during the Eid-al-Fitr -- the Islamic holiday commemorating the end of sunrise-to-dusk fasting during…
Police & Fire
Person Fatally Struck By Vehicle Moments After Hitting Pedestrian: North Plainfield PD
A 57-year old Plainfield man was fatally struck by a car as he was checking on a pedestrian he hit with his vehicle near Costco in North Plainfield on Thursday, April 4, authorities said. At 11:37 p.m. police responded to Route 22 East and discovered two motor vehicle crashes had taken place, North Plainfield Police Chief William Parenti said. Danti Bryant had just struck a 31-year-old North Plainfield woman who was injured and lying in the roadway, Parenti said. As Bryant exited his vehicle to investigate what he had struck, he was struck by another vehicle that swerved to avoid hitting the…
Police & Fire
Three Burglars Break Into Dispensary, Take $1,200: North Plainfield PD
Three burglars broke into a dispensary in North Plainfield just after midnight on Wednesday, Jan. 3, taking more than $1,200 in cash, authorities said. At 12:58 a.m., the three unknown suspects, wearing all black clothing, broke into Cloud 9 Dispensary at 513 Route 22 West by shattering the side window, police said. The suspects ransacked the cash registers, taking the money, before fleeing on foot, police said. The suspects remain at large, police said as they continue to investigate.
Obituaries
Beloved Somerset County Dad Dies After 10-Year Battle With Kidney Disease
Support is on the rise for a Somerset County family mourning the loss of a devoted dad after a 10-year battle with kidney disease. David Betancourt died surrounded by his beloved family at RJW Somerset on Monday, Nov. 6, his obituary says. He was 69. Born and raised in Agua Caliente, Guatemala, David lived in Plainfield, Somerville, and California before settling in North Plainfield in 2007. He was a member of the army in Guatemala before arriving in the United States in the 1980s, his memorial says. Described as a “man of all trades,” David loved soccer, especially watching the World Cu…
Police & Fire
North Plainfield's Pat Pespas, Star Of HBO's 'Telemarketers' Safe After Missing For Month
Patrick J. Pespas, who starred in HBO's "Telemarketers," has been found safe. Pespas, 55, of Phillipsburg, has been found safe and was home with his wife, Sue, directors Sam Lipman-Stern and Adam Bhala Lough said on Pespas' Instagram account Friday, Oct. 27. Pespas had been missing since Sept. 29, when he was seen in Easton, PA, and later at a bar in the Pittsburg area. Pespas, formerly of North Plainfield and Plainfield, NJ, has been living with his wife in Easton, PA. He teamed up with Lipman-Stern to create the three-part HBO mini docu-series "Telemarketers," which shined a …
Police & Fire
Prosecutor Details Sneaky Upskirt Tactics Utilized By Watchung Gas Station Cashier For Months
A cashier at a Sunoco station has been arrested for taking multiple upskirt photos of women while at work over the course of nearly two years, authorities in Somerset County said. Miguel A. Melchor-Gomez, 54, of North Plainfield, who worked at the Sunoco station on Stirling Road in Watchung, filmed underneath his unsuspecting victims' clothing in one of two ways from December 2021 to Aug. 19, 2023, Somerset County Prosecutor John P. McDonald. said. Melchor-Gomez either pretended that the credit card machine malfunctioned and directed his victims to the counter where he would stand clos…
Police & Fire
Somerset Fugitive Charged With Attempted Murder Caught In PA: Prosecutors
A Somerset County man accused of five counts of attempted homicide was arrested in Easton, Pennsylvania last week, according to authorities. Cristobal Avila, 32, of Plainfield, is also charged with unlawful weapon possession related to an April 2021 incident in North Plainfield, said the Prosecutor's Office. He was arrested by Easton police on Saturday, Sept. 30 and will be returned to New Jersey pending extradition and prosecution of other charges in Pennsylvania, officials said. Avila was Somerset County's fugitive of the month in September, they noted. Details of his …
Police & Fire
North Plainfield's Patrick J. Pespas, Star Of HBO's 'Telemarketers' Reported Missing
Patrick J. Pespas, who starred in HBO's "Telemarketers," has been missing for days, those who know him say. Pespas, 55, of Phillipsburg, was last seen in the Easton, PA area around 8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 29, according to directors Sam Lipman-Stern and Adam Bhala Lough Pespas, formerly of North Plainfield and Plainfield, teamed up with Lipman-Stern to create the three-part HBO mini docu-series "Telemarketers," which shined a light on the truth about the telemarketing industry. It premiered in August. Bhala Lough said on Sunday, Oct. 1 Pespas may have been spotted at a bar in Pittsburgh. …
Police & Fire
Former Employees Forged Over $65K In Checks From Somerset County Contracting Firm: Prosecutor
Two former workers at a contracting firm in Somerset County were arrested for allegedly forging checks from their employer and making more than $65,000 in unauthorized purchases. Carlos R. Escobar, 38, of Jefferson Avenue in North Plainfield, and Ciro A. Saenz-Puentes, 44, of Remson Avenue in New Brunswick, were each charged with theft by deception, forgery, and uttering a false document, Somerset County Prosecutor John P. McDonald said in a release on Monday, Sept. 25. Escobar and Saenz-Puentes became the center of an investigation when the owner of the contracting company they were former…
Police & Fire
Police Probe Burglary At Somerset County Wireless Store
Know anything? Police are investigating an early morning burglary at a wireless store in Somerset County. The burglar was seen on surveillance footage taking several Apple products from the Best Wireless store on Somerset Street in North Plainfield around 5:30 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 1, police said in a Monday release. Anyone with information is asked to contact DSgt. Domizi at 908-769-2937 or send an email to adomizi@northplainfieldnj.gov. Tips can also be sent to tips@npmail.org.
Police & Fire
Seen
HIM? Somerset County Man Wanted On 5 Counts Of Attempted Murder: Prosecutor
Seen him? Authorities in Somerset County are seeking the public’s help tracking down their ‘Fugitive of the Month,’ a 32-year-old East Brunswick man charged with five counts of attempted murder and other offenses. Cristobal Avila, 32, was charged with five counts of first-degree attempted murder and various weapons offenses following a North Plainfield incident from Sunday, April 11, 2021, the Somerset County Prosecutor’s office said in a Thursday, Sept. 7 release. Avila’s last known address was near N. Plainfield & East Brunswick, investigators say. He has brown hair and eyes and stand…
Police & Fire
2 Injured, 1 Critically, In North Plainfield Fire: Prosecutor
Authorities are investigating the cause of a Somerset County fire that hurt two residents, one critically. The blaze broke out at a home on Mountain Avenue in North Plainfield around 3:10 a.m. Sunday, June 4, Somerset County Prosecutor John P. McDonald said alongside local Police Chief William Parenti. Two men were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment, where one of them remained in critical condition, McDonald said. The cause of the fire was being investigated but did not seem suspicious, the prosecutor added. Assisting agencies include fire crews in Bridgewater/Finderne, Bound Brook,…
Schools
These NJ Schools Are Closed, Delayed Due To Snow Tuesday, Feb. 28
The first winter storm of the season is causing a change in plans for New Jersey schools on Tuesday, Feb. 28. Some districts have delayed openings while others are closed completely. Here's a list of which school are closed or delayed for Tuesday, Feb. 28. Check your school/district's website for details. Bedminster: 10: 50 a.m. start Bellville: Delayed Bergen County Tech: Closed Bergenfield: 2-hour delay Bernards: 2-hour delay Bloomfield: Delay Bloomingdale: Closed Bogota: Delayed Butler: Closed Cliffside Park: 10 a.m. start Clifton: Delayed Closter: Delayed Cresskill: Delayed Demarest: …
Police & Fire
Reward Offered In Hit-Run That Left Halloween Trick-Or-Treaters Seriously Hurt
Authorities in North Plainfield are offering a $1,000 reward for a hit-and-run crash that occurred on Halloween night that left two pedestrians seriously injured. The cash will be given to anyone who has information leading to an arrest for the person responsible for hitting the 7-year-old boy and 21-year-old woman at Mountain Avenue and Jeffries Place around 6:20 p.m., Somerset County Prosecutor John P. McDonald said. Both victims were transported to an area trauma center for serious non-life-threatening injuries. Detectives from the North Plainfield Police Department Detective Burea…
Police & Fire
NJ Man Who Sexually Assaulted 9-Year-Old Captured Trying To Board Flight: Prosecutor
A 39-year-old Somerset County man was arrested for sexually assaulting a 9-year-old girl while boarding a flight from Chicago to Utah, authorities said. The alleged victim told a detective with the prosecutor's office that she had been sexually assaulted by Fabian Osuna-Vargas on Oct. 19 in North Plainfield, Somerset County Prosecutor John P. McDonald said. Two days later, Osuna-Vargas was getting on a flight from Chicago, Illinois to Salt Lake City, Utah on Oct. 21 when he was captured, McDonald said. He was charged with aggravated sex assault and child endangerment. Osuna-Varga…
Police & Fire
Child, Adult Pedestrians Seriously Hurt In Halloween Hit-Run: Police
A child and adult were hospitalized with serious injuries in a Halloween Night hit-and-run in North Plainfield, authorities said. The 7-year-old boy and 21-year-old woman were struck on Mountain Road and Jeffery Street just after 6:22 p.m., Police Capt. Alan McKay said. Both were taken to a local hospital with serious injuries, where one victim was admitted, McKay said. Witnesses described the suspect vehicle as a gold or black sedan.
Police & Fire
Murder
: North Plainfield Man Charged In Newark Man's Killing
A pair of men have been charged with murder in a Jersey City shooting that left one man dead in June, authorities announced. Quadre Domnie, 21, of Jersey City, and Jekhi Wade, 19, of North Plainfield, are responsible for killing Kyle Howard, 34, of Newark, Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez said. Domnie and Wade shot Howard around 11:15 p.m. on Forrest Street and MLK Drive on Sunday, June 12, Suarez said. Howard was rushed to the hospital in a private car and later died. Both were arrested without incident on Monday, July 25, 2022 near Cator and Rose avenues in Jersey City. Domnie and …
Police & Fire
Man Shot At North Plainfield House Party
A 20-year-old New Jersey man was shot during a house party Friday, July 8, authorities said. The victim was one of the dozens of guests at a party somewhere near Arnold Avenue when authorities found him at Vermeule Park in North Plainfield suffering a gunshot wound to his upper body around 10:45 p.m., Somerset County Prosecutor John P. McDonald said. Officers and responding Emergency Medical Personnel tended to the shooting victim who was treated at an undisclosed area hospital for a non-life threatening gunshot wound. Authorities are attempting to determine the motive for the shootin…
Business
Warehouse Construction Begins At Huge Industrial Park In Central Jersey
Construction has begun on a large state-of-the-art warehouse in Middlesex County. The 30,000-square-foot building will be located at Rutgers Industrial Center in Piscataway, according to its developer, Levin Management Construction. (LMC) The Class A warehouse facility, at 101 Circle Drive North, is slated to open this summer. LMC serves as asset manager for Rutgers Industrial Center, a five-building, 493,000-square-foot industrial/warehouse complex situated in the heart of the I-287 industrial corridor. The Middlesex County complex is well-situated just one-half mile off Exit 8 of…
Police & Fire
US Marshals Nab 3rd Suspect From NJ Murder Case In North Carolina, Prosecutor Says
A third suspect wanted in a New Jersey murder case was nabbed by US Marshals agents in North Carolina, authorities said. Jose Branch, of Plainfield, was tracked down in Raleigh in connection with the March 1 shooting death of Steve Camino in North Plainfield, Acting Prosecutor Annmarie Taggart said. He was charged with first-degree conspiracy to commit murder and extradited from North Carolina to Somerset County on Tuesday, April 19, Taggart said. Branch was jailed pending a detention hearing. Kenneth Hill, 21 of Plainfield, and Daniel Carrera-Cardona, 22, of Piscataway, wer…
Police & Fire
2 Nabbed In Deadly Shooting Of Somerset County Man, Prosecutor Says
Two suspects have been charged in connection with the deadly shooting of a Somerset County man earlier this month, authorities said. Kenneth Hill, of Plainfield, and Daniel Carrera Cardona, of Piscataway, are charged with first-degree murder and other offenses in the homicide of Steve J. Camino, 26, of North Plainfield, Acting Somerset County Prosecutor Thomas Chirichella said alongside other county officials. Camino was found wounded as officers responded to the shooting report near Grove Street and Prospect Place in North Plainfield just after 9:35 p.m. on Tuesday, March 1, Chir…
Police & Fire
Victims Of Deadly Edison Crash Identified
Authorities have released the names of the victims killed in an Edison crash. Ziyad Elsaedi, 21, of North Plainfield, was heading southbound in Route 1 when he struck a tree at Jeff Street around 10:15 p.m., on Feb. 6, Middlesex County Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone and Edison Police Chief Thomas Bryan said. Meyvelin Nunez-Lopez, 19, of Plainfield — who was in the front passenger seat — died. Two other passengers were critically injured, authorities said. A GoFundMe page for her family had raised more than $1,300 as of Feb. 12. The investigation is active and continuing. Anyone…
Police & Fire
2 Killed, 2 Critically Hurt When Car Strikes Tree On Route 1 In Edison: Prosecutor
Two people were killed, and two others were critically hurt, when their vehicle struck a tree in Central Jersey, authorities said. On Tuesday, Feb. 8 at 10:17 p.m., Edison police responded to Route 1 at Jeff Street for a crash, according to Middlesex County Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone and Edison Police Chief Thomas Bryan. Police found a vehicle with four occupants had struck a tree, they said. The driver of the vehicle, Ziyad Elsaedi, 21, of North Plainfield, and the front passenger of the vehicle, were transported to a nearby hospital along with two other critical…
Police & Fire
Know
Anything
? $5K Reward Offered In North Plainfield Shooting Deaths Of Man, 31, Boy, 14
The Somerset County Prosecutor's Office is offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information regarding a North Plainfield shooting that left two people dead and one man critically injured. Christian Orellana, 31, Steven Jimenez, 14, and a third man, 28, were outside on a first-floor patio at the Malcolm Gardens Apartment Complex on Little Place around 8 p.m. on Aug. 13 when the assailant(s) confronted the victims, according to Somerset County Prosecutor Michael H. Robertson, Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Chief of County Detectives John W. Fodor and North Plainf…
Police & Fire
Authorities ID Teen, Man Dead In North Plainfield Triple Shooting
Authorities have identified the teen boy and man killed in a triple North Plainfield shooting last week. Christian Orellana, 31, and Steven Jimenez, 14 -- who live together in Plainfield -- were sitting on a front porch of the Malcolm Gardens Apartment Complex on Little Place with an unidentified 28-year-old man when all three were shot around 8:05 p.m. last Friday, Somerset County Prosecutor Michael H. Robertson said. The Medical Examiner has classified both deaths as a homicide, while third shooting victim remains in critical condition at an undisclosed trauma center. Jim…
Police & Fire
PA Trio Charged With Attempted Murder In Shooting Of NJ Motorcyclist On I-287
Three Pennsylvania men were charged in a drive-by shooting on Interstate 287 in New Jersey that injured a motorcyclist over the weekend, authorities said. Matthew Plaza, 32, of Allentown; Luis Velez, 37, of Bethlehem; and Raymond Bethancourt, 35, of Shillington have been arrested on various weapons charges while Plaza is also facing a charge of attempted murder, New Jersey State Police said. Troopers from the Somerville Station responded to Chimney Rock Road in Bridgewater, where the motorcyclist had called 911 saying another driver brandished a gun and shot him on the highway around 6:40 p…
Police & Fire
Motorcyclist Injured In Drive-By Route 287 Shooting, 3 In Custody: State Police
Three people were in custody after a shooting that injured a motorcyclist on Route 287 in Somerset County Sunday, authorities said. The man called police from a parking lot on Chimney Rock Road in Bridgewater, saying he was riding southbound on the highway when he was shot at around 6:40 p.m., New Jersey State Police Sgt. Alejandro Goez said. The motorcyclist was taken to a local hospital with non life-threatening injuries, Goez said. Meanwhile, the suspect vehicle was located and stopped by local police on Route 22 in North Plainfield, the sergeant said. The three male o…
Police & Fire
Weekend Fire Torches North Plainfield Building
A fire broke out Saturday at a North Plainfield business. The blaze broke out around 2:20 p.m. at a 2-story building, located at 75 Watchung Avenue. Posted by Finderne Fire Department on Sunday, May 2, 2021 Photos from the scene shows smoke billowing from the upper level. Crews remained at the scene for nearly two hours. The cause remains under investigation.
News
NJ Releases Hate Crime Totals By Town, Race, More: Guess Which County Had The Most
Nearly 40% of all hate crimes reported in New Jersey last year were against Blacks, more than the combined total against whites, Jews, Latinos and Muslims, according to State Police crime figures released Tuesday. The town with the most reported bias incidents in 2020 was Lakewood, the figures show. More than half of all reported bias incidents in New Jersey last year involved straight harassment, as opposed to vandalism and other related crimes. More than 13% occurred at schools, parks or playgrounds. The county with the most, overall, was Monmouth. The preliminary data released Tuesday…
Police & Fire
NJ Dad Charged With Attempted Murder Of 2-Year-Old Daughter At Motel
A New Jersey dad has been charged with first degree attempted murder after surveillance tapes caught him putting his 2-year-old daughter in a plastic bag and carrying her through a New Jersey motel, authorities said. North Plainfield police responded to a Route 22 motel on reports of a baby inside of a bag around 12:40 p.m. on Jan. 23, Somerset County Prosecutor Michael H. Robertson said. There, they found a man later identified as Lamar S. Waller -- the girl's dad -- holding his child, Robertson said alongside Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Chief of County Detectives John W.…
Police & Fire
NJ Man Charged With Attempted Murder In Motel Stabbing
A 49-year-old North Plainfield man has been charged with attempted murder in an early-morning motel stabbing that left the victim critically injured, authorities said Wednesday. Police responding to a motel around 4:50 a.m. on Jan. 12 found a 55-year-old North Plainfield resident with multiple stab wounds, Somerset County Prosecutor Michael H. Robertson said. Responding officers and medical personnel began life saving measures at the scene and the victim was transported to a nearby trauma hospital for emergency treatment, Robertson said. The suspect was found in a hotel room and ident…
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