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Independence Township, NJ

Police & Fire
'I Got You:' Video Shows Hackettstown Cop Lifting Elderly Woman Through Window Of Burning Home 'I Got You:' Video Shows Hackettstown Cop Lifting Elderly Woman Through Window Of Burning Home
'I Got You:' Video Shows Hackettstown Cop Lifting Elderly Woman Through Window Of Burning Home The moment a Hackettstown Police officer saved a 91-year-old woman from a burning home by lifting her out the window was captured in a heroic video clip. The blaze broke out at a home on Thomas Drive just after 2:25 a.m. on Saturday, June 24. Independence Township Police responded and assisted a 61-year-old woman out of the residence — but her mother was still trapped inside. Hackettstown Police Officer Ryan Blankenship arrived, entered the home, and found the woman in a bedroom. He then “went through the bedroom window and lifted her off the bed and handed her out the window” to Indepen…

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by Valerie Musson
Police & Fire
'Devastating' Warren County Fire Rips Through Home, Kills Pets, Leaving Family To Rebuild 'Devastating' Warren County Fire Rips Through Home, Kills Pets, Leaving Family To Rebuild
'Devastating' Warren County Fire Rips Through Home, Kills Pets, Leaving Family To Rebuild A Warren County home was destroyed in “just minutes” following a weekend blaze that claimed the lives of the family’s pets as well, loved ones and responders say. Several crews rushed to the scene of the two-alarm fire on Mt. Rascal Road in Independence Township around 1:15 p.m. Saturday, June 10, including departments in Hackettstown, Mansfield Township, Allamuchy, and Washington, and more, the township's first aid squad said. No injuries were reported, however, the family’s pets were killed, according to a GoFundMe launched by loved ones. “…the Delorenzos lost their home and al…

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by Valerie Musson
Police & Fire
DWI: Warren County Man Crashes Into Ambulance At Rt. 46 Intersection, Police Say DWI: Warren County Man Crashes Into Ambulance At Rt. 46 Intersection, Police Say
DWI: Warren County Man Crashes Into Ambulance At Rt. 46 Intersection, Police Say A Warren County man was charged with DWI after allegedly crashing into a Long Valley ambulance while driving drunk. The crash occurred in Hackettstown on Tuesday, May 23 around 10:25 p.m. at the intersection of Route 46 and Route 604. Brett Gray, 30, of Independence Township, was behind the wheel of a 2021 Kia heading westbound on Route 46 when he made a right turn onto Route 604 northbound and hit a Long Valley First Aid Squad ambulance that was stopped at the traffic light on Route 604 southbound, police said. Gray refused medical treatment for a minor injury. The driver and front s…

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by Valerie Musson
Police & Fire
Vehicle Flips Onto Roof During Crash Involving Second Car On Route 57: PHOTOS Vehicle Flips Onto Roof During Crash Involving Second Car On Route 57: PHOTOS
Vehicle Flips Onto Roof During Crash Involving Second Car On Route 57: Photos One vehicle flipped onto its roof during a two-car crash that caused minor injuries on Route 57 in Warren County late Monday afternoon, authorities said. The Tri-County Volunteer Fire Company responded alongside agencies from Mansfield and Independence Township to Route 57 and Penwell Road in Mansfield Township and found one of the vehicles overturned around 3:50 p.m. Three occupants were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment of minor injuries while another refused medical attention, according to WRNJ. None of them needed to be extricated from the vehicles. Meanwhile, firefighters stab…

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by Valerie Musson
Police & Fire
Warren County Man, 38, Nearly Hit Police Officer And Resisted Arrest: Prosecutor Warren County Man, 38, Nearly Hit Police Officer And Resisted Arrest: Prosecutor
Warren County Man, 38, Nearly Hit Police Officer And Resisted Arrest: Prosecutor A 38-year-old Warren County man was charged after he nearly crashed into a police officer, resisted arrest, and later turned himself in, authorities announced. Officers in Independence Township stopped a Toyota Tacoma driven by Clinton Ontweka, who ran a stop sign on Route 517 in Allamuchy and nearly hit a police officer on Monday, Aug. 8, Warren County Prosecutor James L. Pfeiffer said in a release with local officials on Wednesday, Sept. 14. Officers determined via sobriety testing that Ontweka, of Hackettstown, was intoxicated, and decided to arrest him before he ran into a nearby cornfi…

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by Valerie Musson
Police & Fire
Impaired Driver Fled Warren County Crash Scene With Infant In Car, Prosecutor Says Impaired Driver Fled Warren County Crash Scene With Infant In Car, Prosecutor Says
Impaired Driver Fled Warren County Crash Scene With Infant In Car, Prosecutor Says An impaired driver was charged after fleeing the scene of a Warren County crash with an infant in the car, authorities said. Nicole Victoria, of Montclair, was involved in a crash on Water Street in Independence Township shortly before 5:40 p.m. on Thursday, March 24, Warren County Prosecutor James L. Pfeiffer said in a release. Victoria, 39, then drove away and was found in a driveway about half a mile north of the crash scene, Pfeiffer said. A follow-up investigation found that Victoria was impaired and had been driving with an infant in the car, authorities said. Victoria was arrested …

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by Valerie Musson
News
‘They Lost Everything:’ Support Surges For Family As Massive Blaze Destroys Warren County Home ‘They Lost Everything:’ Support Surges For Family As Massive Blaze Destroys Warren County Home
‘They Lost Everything:’ Support Surges For Family As Massive Blaze Destroys Warren County Home Support is on the rise for a Warren County family who lost everything — including a pet — as a fire ripped through their home Wednesday night. One person was hospitalized and a cat was treated for smoke inhalation following the two-alarm fire on Chaucer Drive in Independence Township, DailyVoice.com reported. Fire crews worked at the scene for about four hours to get the blaze under control. Over $19,000 had been raised on GoFundMe as of Friday morning for the victims of the destructive fire, putting the campaign more than halfway toward its end goal of $35,000. “…My mom and dad and …

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by Valerie Musson
Police & Fire
Teens Threaten To Shoot Warren County Vape Shop Workers, Flee With Nearly $1K In Proceeds: PD Teens Threaten To Shoot Warren County Vape Shop Workers, Flee With Nearly $1K In Proceeds: PD
Teens Threaten To Shoot Warren County Vape Shop Workers, Flee With Nearly $1K In Proceeds: PD Two teens were jailed after robbing a Warren County vape shop at gunpoint, authorities said. The 17-year-old boys from Hudson and Monmouth counties walked into Good Guy Vapes on Main Street in Hackettstown and started to asked about different items just before 6:25 p.m. Friday, local police said. The suspects then failed to show identification when trying to purchase the items, authorities said. When a worker asked about being involved in a previous theft from the store, the suspects acted “irate,” and one of them threatened to shoot them with a .22 gun, police said. The workers then back…

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by Valerie Musson
Police & Fire
NJ QuickChek Gas Attendant Robbed At Gunpoint: Report NJ QuickChek Gas Attendant Robbed At Gunpoint: Report
NJ QuickChek Gas Attendant Robbed At Gunpoint: Report A Warren County QuickChek was held up at gunpoint Wednesday night, and the suspect remains at large, LehighValleyLive reports. The gunman robbed the attendant outside at the QuickChek on Route 517 in Independence Township before driving off in a dark-colored BMW around 10:45 p.m., the outlet reports, citing police Lt. Christopher Prell. State police chased the suspect vehicle through several neighboring towns before losing contact, the report says. No one was hurt. Anyone with information is asked to contact Independence Township Police. Click here for more from LehighValleyLive.

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by Valerie Musson
Police & Fire
Sleeping Smoker Caused Hackettstown House Fire, Police Say Sleeping Smoker Caused Hackettstown House Fire, Police Say
Sleeping Smoker Caused Hackettstown House Fire, Police Say The Tuesday night fire that left a Hackettstown home uninhabitable was caused by a man who fell asleep while smoking a cigarette, authorities determined. Several fire crews responded to the blaze at 317 Sharp St. around 11:25 p.m. and operated at the scene for about three hours, DailyVoice.com reported. Last night at 2331 Engine 29-3 was dispatched into Hackettstown on the First Alarm assignment for the structure fire.... Posted by Tri-County Volunteer Fire Company on Wednesday, January 5, 2022 A follow-up investigation determined that the fire started when a man on the home’s second f…

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by Valerie Musson
Police & Fire
Crews Battle Warren County House Fire [PHOTOS] Crews Battle Warren County House Fire [PHOTOS]
Crews Battle Warren County House Fire [Photos] UPDATE: The Tuesday night fire that left a Hackettstown home uninhabitable was caused by a man who fell asleep while smoking a cigarette, authorities determined. --------------------------------------- Firefighters from several departments battled a blaze that broke out at a Warren County home late Tuesday. Tri-County Volunteer firefighters were dispatched for the first-alarm fire in Hackettstown just after 11:30 p.m., the company said. The fire occurred at 317 Sharp St., Hackettstown Police said. Fire departments in Hackettstown, Independence Township, Washington and Budd Lake Fire ope…

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by Valerie Musson
Police & Fire
Police: Woman, 49, Hospitalized After Being Struck By SUV In Warren County Crosswalk Police: Woman, 49, Hospitalized After Being Struck By SUV In Warren County Crosswalk
Police: Woman, 49, Hospitalized After Being Struck By SUV In Warren County Crosswalk A NYC woman was hospitalized after being struck by an SUV in a marked crosswalk in Warren County Saturday afternoon, police said. Tjasa Garib, 35, was behind the wheel of a 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe when she reached for her sunglasses while making a left turn onto East Stiger Street in Hackettstown around 1:10 p.m., hitting Maria Gonzalez, who was in a marked crosswalk, police said. Gonzales, 49, was taken to Hackettstown Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries, authorities said. Garib, of Independence Township, was issued a summons for careless driving.

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by Valerie Musson
Police & Fire
Warren County Woman Asked To Leave Business Later Sent Nearly 200 Harassing Messages To Worker Warren County Woman Asked To Leave Business Later Sent Nearly 200 Harassing Messages To Worker
Warren County Woman Asked To Leave Business Later Sent Nearly 200 Harassing Messages To Worker A Warren County woman who was asked to leave a business for acting disorderly later sent nearly 200 harassing phone, email and Facebook messages to a worker there, authorities charged. The 40-year-old Independence Township woman — whose name was not released by police — was asked to leave a business for acting disorderly and intoxicated on June 5, Mansfield Township Police said. In the days and weeks that followed, the woman allegedly sent a total of 195 harassing text messages, phone calls, emails and social media posts to an employee of the business, police said. The woman continued to h…

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by Valerie Musson
Police & Fire
More Drug Possession Charges For Repeat Warren County Offender Found With Heroin Folds, Needles More Drug Possession Charges For Repeat Warren County Offender Found With Heroin Folds, Needles
More Drug Possession Charges For Repeat Warren County Offender Found With Heroin Folds, Needles A Warren County man with a history of drug possession charges was caught with heroin again and put behind bars, authorities said. Gregory Becker of Independence Township was seen behind 78 Main St. in Hackettstown and recognized as a wanted person by a local police officer around 7:25 p.m. Tuesday, authorities said. Becker, 34, was subsequently found with 17 used heroin wax folds, nine hypodermic needles, and a bottom of an aluminum can with burnt narcotics residue, police said. Becker was originally charged on a warrant out of Warren County for dangerous drugs, police said. He was arrest…

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by Valerie Musson
Police & Fire
Children Found Fleeing From Home; Drunken Warren County Man Charged With Child Endangerment Children Found Fleeing From Home; Drunken Warren County Man Charged With Child Endangerment
Children Found Fleeing From Home; Drunken Warren County Man Charged With Child Endangerment A Warren County man was intoxicated when his children wandered away from their home, resulting in child endangerment charges, police said. A local teacher notified police in Independence Township after seeing two children walking down Route 46 who had fled from a “hostile environment” on Feb. 11, authorities said. Officers subsequently responded to the Great Meadows home of Brian Nardone, 36, who was “heavily intoxicated and unaware of where the children were,” according to police. Nardone was charged with two counts of endangering the welfare of a child after a follow-up investigation by …

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by Valerie Musson
Police & Fire
Police: Warren County Teens Nabbed After Stealing Vehicle On Route 46, Crashing In Newark Police: Warren County Teens Nabbed After Stealing Vehicle On Route 46, Crashing In Newark
Police: Warren County Teens Nabbed After Stealing Vehicle On Route 46, Crashing In Newark Two teen boys from a Warren County group home stole a vehicle on Route 46, fled from police, crashed in Newark and attempted to flee once again, authorities said. The teens stole the vehicle from a residence on Route 46 in Independence Township after walking away from their nearby group home on Jan. 25, local police said. The teens refused to stop for police, initiating a chase that ended with a crash in Newark, authorities said. They once again tried to flee but were quickly apprehended, police said. Both teens were charged with burglary and theft by unlawful taking.

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by Valerie Musson
Police & Fire
Police: Underage DWI Woman Crashes At Warren County Strip Club Parking Lot Police: Underage DWI Woman Crashes At Warren County Strip Club Parking Lot
Police: Underage DWI Woman Crashes At Warren County Strip Club Parking Lot A Passaic County woman was drunk when she crashed her car in the parking lot of a Warren County adult entertainment club, authorities said. Chelsee Ramirez, 19, was involved in a crash in the parking lot of Stage Dolls on Route 46 in Independence Township on Oct. 16, local police said. During questioning, Ramirez, of Haledon, showed signs of intoxication and subsequently failed field sobriety tests, police said. Ramirez was arrested and charged with DWI and underage drinking and released to a sober adult.

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by Valerie Musson
News
Wayne Man Admits Assaulting Swimmer With Pellet Gun In Fierce Struggle At Delaware Water Gap Wayne Man Admits Assaulting Swimmer With Pellet Gun In Fierce Struggle At Delaware Water Gap
Wayne Man Admits Assaulting Swimmer With Pellet Gun In Fierce Struggle At Delaware Water Gap A Wayne man admitted in federal court Thursday that he pulled a gun on a couple who'd been swimming in the Delaware Water Gap and hit one of them with it before trying to tie the victim up. Jeffrey A. Mulcahy, 58, approached the couple in the Kittatinny Point area on the New Jersey side of the river on Sept. 2, 2019 and began talking to them about fishing, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito said. He left and then returned holding a can of beer and acting agitated, the U.S. attorney said. After the two got out of the water, Mulcahy pulled a pellet gun from his waistband, pointed it at the man an…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
Authorities: 15-Year-Olds In Stolen Car Lead Route 80 Police Pursuit Through Multiple Towns Authorities: 15-Year-Olds In Stolen Car Lead Route 80 Police Pursuit Through Multiple Towns
Authorities: 15-Year-Olds In Stolen Car Lead Route 80 Police Pursuit Through Multiple Towns Three 15-year-olds were in a vehicle stolen out of Jersey City when they lead police on a pursuit through multiple towns last month. Officers had just stopped the speeding vehicle on Barkers Mill Road in Independence Township when the driver once again sped away in a Sept. 30 incident, township police said. The teens fled, and police followed them down Route 517 onto Route 80 into Hardwick Township, where the car broke down and the chase ended, police said. The two passengers were released to their parents, and the driver of the vehicle — which police say was stolen out of Jersey City — wa…

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by Valerie Musson
News
COVID-19: Warren County Drag Strip Cited For Social Distancing Violations COVID-19: Warren County Drag Strip Cited For Social Distancing Violations
Covid-19: Warren County Drag Strip Cited For Social Distancing Violations A drag strip in Warren County is facing several coronavirus-related citations after failing to enforce social distancing standards, authorities said. More than 1,000 guests visited the 50-year-old Island Dragway in Independence Township over the weekend, NJ.com reports. “Police responded to traffic and there [were] over a thousand patrons there so that owner was also cited for [executive order] violation,” said New Jersey State Police Superintendent Col. Patrick Callahan during a media briefing in Trenton on Monday. Additional details about the violations were not immediately availabl…

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by Valerie Musson
Lifestyle
These Spots Were Ranked Best Places To Live In Warren County These Spots Were Ranked Best Places To Live In Warren County
These Spots Were Ranked Best Places To Live In Warren County We’ve seen the best places to live in New Jersey, but what about Warren County? According to a newly-released set of rankings by Niche.com, the top three spots in the area are Vienna, Phillipsburg and Panther Valley. Top areas for diversity in the county include Beattystown, Phillipsburg and Hackettstown, and the top-ranked spots to purchase a house include Vienna, Brass Castle and Panther Valley. Here are the other top places to live in Warren County, according to Niche.com. Crime, quality of schools, things to do and cost of living were among the factors used in determining the rankings.…

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by Valerie Musson
Police & Fire
DWI Driver Charged In Warren County Hit-Run DWI Driver Charged In Warren County Hit-Run
DWI Driver Charged In Warren County Hit-Run A Warren County man had been drinking when he left the scene of a crash in Independence Township, authorities charged. Rigoberto Rivera, 45,  left the scene of a crash on Route 517 in Independence Township shortly before 8 p.m. last Wednesday, Hackettstown police said in a release. Officers stopped Rivera on Route 46 at Liberty Street and smelled an alcoholic odor coming from the vehicle, authorities said. Rivera, of Independence Township, was arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated, refusal to submit to breath test, reckless driving and violation of touring privileges. …

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by Valerie Musson
Police & Fire
Former Would-Be Bank Robber Busted With Heroin After Leading Police On North Jersey Pursuit Former Would-Be Bank Robber Busted With Heroin After Leading Police On North Jersey Pursuit
Former Would-Be Bank Robber Busted With Heroin After Leading Police On North Jersey Pursuit A Warren County man once accused of trying to rob a Wildwood bank was found with heroin and other drug paraphernalia after leading police on a pursuit across Warren and Hunterdon counties, authorities said. Police observed a vehicle being driven by Brandon Ivens, 32, of Port Murray on Route 46 in Hackettstown on Saturday, May 30 around 1:20 p.m., authorities said in a release. Ivens had an active no-bail warrant out of Mansfield Township and a wanted person warrant from the Warren County Prosecutor’s Office for a fraud offense. In 2018, he was arrested for attempting to rob a Wildwood bank.…

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by Valerie Musson
Police & Fire
Police: DWI Driver, 66, Charged With Leaving Warren County Accident Scene Police: DWI Driver, 66, Charged With Leaving Warren County Accident Scene
Police: DWI Driver, 66, Charged With Leaving Warren County Accident Scene A 66-year-old drunk driver was charged with leaving the scene of an accident in Independence Township, authorities said. Police were called to the area of Petersburg Road and Ridge Road on a report of an accident on March 26, police said in a Facebook post. The driver, Paulus Schoos, 66, was suspected of driving while intoxicated and subsequently taken into police custody. Schoos was charged with driving while intoxicated, reckless driving, failure to report an accident and leaving the scene of an accident. He was released pending a court appearance.

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by Valerie Musson
Police & Fire
Prosecutor: Warren County Man, 64, Repeatedly Raped Girl For Eight Years Prosecutor: Warren County Man, 64, Repeatedly Raped Girl For Eight Years
Prosecutor: Warren County Man, 64, Repeatedly Raped Girl For Eight Years A Warren County man has been charged in connection to a series of sex assaults on a girl spanning eight years, authorities said. James T. McCann, 64, of Oxford sexually assaulted and penetrated a child numerous times between 1986 and 1993 in Hackettstown and Independence Township, Acting Warren County Prosecutor James L. Pfeiffer said in a joint release Monday. The abuse began when the girl was under 13 years old and continued until the she was between the ages of 13 and 16, authorities said. McCann knew the girl prior to the start of the abuse, and penetrated her vaginally and with h…

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by Valerie Musson
News
REPORT: Wayne Man Pulls Gun On Couple During Labor Day Swim REPORT: Wayne Man Pulls Gun On Couple During Labor Day Swim
Report: Wayne Man Pulls Gun On Couple During Labor Day Swim A Wayne man found to be intoxicated is facing federal charges after he pulled an air pellet gun and rope on a couple he was chatting with while swimming in the Delaware River -- and then fled, authorities said. Jeffrey Mulcahy, 57, was arrested in Warren County for attempted kidnapping and assault on the New Jersey side of the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area on Labor Day, police previously announced. Mulcahy appeared in federal court last Wednesday in Trenton during which new details of the terrifying incident were revealed, LehighValley.com reports. Mulcahy is facing a federal…

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by Cecilia Levine