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Death Of NJ Dad Spreads Shock; $70K Raised For College Sweetheart, New Baby
The death of Gregory "Greg" Swenson, a new father, educator, and lifelong athlete, is spreading shock and sadness across multiple states.
Greg, 29, of Cranford, NJ, died peacefully on Saturday, July 12 following a short illness, according to his obituary on the Gray Funeral Home.
Greg's death comes six months after welcoming a baby boy, Lars, with his wife and college sweetheart, Morgan. A GoFundMe page launched for the pair had raised nearly $70,000 as of press time.
A Farmingdale, NY native, Greg later moved to East Lyme where he was a three-sport athlete at East Lyme High School, h…
NJ Transit Bus Driver Ran Red Light In Crash That Left Cop Critical: Prosecutor
A 40-year-old Orange NJ Transit bus driver has been charged after crashing into a police car in Roseland, authorities announced Monday, July 14.
On Friday, June 20, at 4:12 p.m., a bus driven by Djimmy Evra was speeding and ran through a red light, slamming into a police car at Livingston Avenue and Prudential Drive, Essex County Prosecutor Theodore Stephens II and Roseland Police Chief Director Livio Cioffi said.
The officer, Mark Miller, a 29-year-old Bloomfield resident, sustained life-threatening injuries and was airlifted to a nearby hospital, authorities said. Evra and three other pas…
NJ Lacrosse Player Tyler Carbajal Dies, 19
Friends and family are mourning the heartbreaking loss of Tyler Shea Carbajal, a 19-year-old New Jersey resident whose compassion, wit, and bright smile left a lasting impression on everyone he met.
Tyler, of Great Meadows (Warren County), passed away on Sunday, July 6, according to his obituary from the Bronson & McNamara Memorial Home. In front of others, he seemed strong, but “inside he was deeply sensitive, compassionate, and respectful to everyone he met,” the obituary reads.
A 2024 graduate of Hackettstown High School, Tyler's dedication to academics and athletics was unmatched — …
Toddler Airlifted With Severe Burns After Falling Into Campfire In NJ Park, GoFundMe Says
A family camping trip in New Jersey ended in tragedy when a 1-year-old boy fell into a campfire and suffered third-degree burns, according to a GoFundMe launched by a close family friend.
Josué Velasco, who is 1 year and 8 months old, was airlifted to a pediatric burn hospital after the accident on Saturday, July 5, the fundraiser says. He remains in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and is being treated for extensive burns to his hands, arms, chest, abdomen, and legs.
The incident happened while Josué was attending a family camp in New Jersey. Initial information indicates it occurred in Belle…
Bergen County Nightlife Icon DJ Ammo Dies Suddenly, Shockwaves Spread Through NYC Club Scene
Friends, family, and fans are mourning the sudden loss of Mossna M. Varasteh, a Bergen County native known worldwide as DJ Ammo, whose reach spanned from New York City to Asia.
Varasteh, 42, died on Tuesday, July 8. He had gone to bed, gotten up around 5 a.m., gone back to sleep and was found unresponsive just hours later, his loved ones said. An exact cause has not yet been identified.
Ammo had recently returned from performances in Japan, Germany, Amsterdam, and Aruba, and was still DJing major New York City events just weeks before his passing.
He got his start in the summer after 8th g…
Officials ID Mom Of Two, 44, Killed By Storms That Swept Through New Jersey
Officials have identified the 44-year-old woman killed by storms that swept through New Jersey last week.
Diana Ospina, of Middlesex, had pulled over to the side of Greenbrook Road on Thursday, July 3 in North Plainfield, when a large tree and a large portion of the sidewalk uprooted, landing on her 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee, local police said.
A GoFundMe launched by Pedro Bessa for Diana's family said she was a mother of two boys, Derek and Jacob. She also leaves behind a loving husband, Robert Ospina. The campaign had raised more than $9,000 as of press time.
"Diana’s love for her f…
Victim, 25, Killed By Violent NJ Storm Was Coming Home From Work, Campaign Says
Support is pouring in for the family of Bryan Ernesto Valladares, one of the three victims killed during Thursday’s violent thunderstorm in New Jersey/.
As of Saturday, July 5, more than $4,400 had been raised on a GoFundMe to help send the 25-year-old Plainfield man's body back to his home country of El Salvador and support his grieving family.
Bryan, described as a hard-working young man, was driving home from work around 6:56 p.m. on July 3 when a tree collapsed onto his vehicle, campaign organizer Yoselin Melendez wrote.
“Bryan, only 25 years old, tragically lost his life when a tree f…
Shae McCusker, Former South Jersey Police Officer, Kean Lax Player, Dies At 30
Shock and sadness spread following the sudden death of former police officer and Kean lacrosse player Shae McCusker.
Shae, of Marlton, who passed away unexpectedly on Saturday, June 28 at just 30 years old, according to his obituary on the Bradley Funeral Home website.
Shae graduated from Cherokee High School and went on to attend Kean University, where he earned a criminal justice degree and played on the men’s lacrosse team, his obituary says. He later graduated top of his class from the Camden County Police Academy and joined the Waterford Township Police Department, fulfilling a childho…
Wife Found Decomposing In Metal Box On Husband’s Former Property: Affidavit
Katlyn Harp’s body was found inside a green metal box on a mountainside in Columbia County—just yards from land her husband once owned—according to a shocking affidavit released Monday, June 30.
Vincent Harp, 39, has been charged with Criminal Homicide, Abuse of Corpse, and Tampering With Evidence. He is being held without bail at Columbia County Correctional Facility following his arrest Sunday, June 29.
The affidavit reveals that Katlyn, 33, was reported missing by her sister on June 20, after failing to check in. She was last heard from the night before, during a 6:44 p.m. phone call, sh…
Sonia Castro, NJ Mom Who Endured Tragedy With Grace, Dies
Sonia Castro, a North Jersey mother and grandmother who spent her life putting family first while battling a rare genetic condition, died on Thursday, June 26, her family said.
Her death comes just six months after she lost her own mother to cancer, and nearly 12 years after the heartbreaking loss of her daughter, Kiara, in 2013, according to a GoFundMe campaign organized by her family.
“Sonia’s life was a powerful testament to strength and unwavering love,” writes Aida Castro, who launched the campaign to support Sonia’s surviving children and grandchildren.
She was the proud mother…
Attacked With Cane In Her Own Home, NJ Mom Left Fighting For Her Life, Loved Ones Say
For decades, Terry was the one others turned to, offering a warm meal, a soft place to land, and the kind of love that expected nothing in return.
But today, the 71-year-old Ocean County mother — identified by a GoFundMe page launched by loved ones — is fighting for her life in a hospital bed, the victim of a horrific attack allegedly at the hands of her son that shattered her face, her body, and the quiet life she built in Manchester Township.
Authorities say Terry was beaten with her own cane by her son inside her home at the Pine Acres Manor Mobile Home Community just after noon on…
John ‘Jack’ Schultz, Softball Coach, Dad, ALS Volunteer, Dies At 59
John “Jack” Schultz died after a long and courageous battle with illness, his family said.
Schultz, 59, spent months in intensive care before his passing, according to a GoFundMe launched by his brother, Kevin. As of Sunday, June 29, the campaign had raised more than $24,000 to help cover his medical and funeral expenses.
Schultz, who lived in Waldwick and Spring Lake, was known for his cutting wit, warm smile, and unwavering loyalty to the people and teams he loved, including the Yankees, the Giants, and Don Bosco, his family wrote in his obituary with Vander Plaat Funeral Home.
A dedicat…
This Was Influencer's First Colon Cancer Symptom: This Week He Announced His Own Death
Tanner Martin, an influencer who shared his terminal cancer journey with raw honesty and courage, has died following a nearly five-year battle with colon cancer. He was 30.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Shay Martin (@tannerandshay)
“Hey, if you're watching this, I'm dead,” Martin, of Utah said in a video posted Wednesday, June 25. "I had a heck of a life."
Martin was diagnosed with cancer at just 25 years old in 2020. Throughout his illness, he used social media to speak openly about cancer, death, and the grief of leaving…
Ramsey HS Grad Youssef Nissan Dies, 25
Youssef “Joseph” Nissan of Ramsey died Saturday, June 21, at age 25, according to his obituary with CC Van Emburgh Funeral Home.
Born in Ridgewood, Youssef graduated from Ramsey High School in 2018 and earned his psychology degree from Rowan University in 2023, his obituary reads.
"Youssef brought immeasurable joy, laughter, and light into the lives of everyone who knew him," the obituary continues. "From an early age, he was known for his adventurous spirit, his kind and compassionate heart, and his remarkable ability to make others feel truly seen, heard, and loved."
A GoFundMe camp…
Ridgewood Dads Unite After Sudden Loss Of One Of Their Own
The night before he died, Octavio Gonzalez was more full of life than ever.
He spent the evening laughing with one of his closest friends, Ahmad Oloumi, who said nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
“He was no different,” Oloumi said. “His typical jovial self.”
Which is why the news of Gonzalez’s sudden passing the next day, Sunday, June 22, came as such a shock.
Now, in the wake of his death, Oloumi and Ridgewood’s Dads’ Night, a nonprofit made up of fathers from two of the village’s elementary schools, have launched a GoFundMe to support Gonzalez’s wife, April, and their children, M…
CT Mom Killed During 'Long-Awaited' Trip To Northern Ireland
A Connecticut mom was killed in a crash while visiting Ireland on a long-awaited trip to explore her heritage, loved ones say.
Allison Eichner, a U.S. citizen from Connecticut, died Wednesday, June 11, in a one-vehicle crash in the Causeway Road area of Bushmills, according to the Police Service of Northern Ireland.
A police report indicates that a 66-year-old driver struck Eichner, a pedestrian, just before 12:30 p.m. Eichner was rushed to the hospital, where she died, and the driver was later charged with causing death by careless driving.
Eichner was on a "long-awaited, special tri…
Bergen County Mom Sentenced In Baby's Death, Report Says; Husband Claims Wrongful Incarceration
A Bergen County mother has been sentenced in the 2022 death of her infant son.
Sun Min “Grace” Yoo Chan, an educational counselor from River Edge, was sentenced this week to five years in prison after pleading guilty to reckless manslaughter in the 2022 death of her 3-month-old son, NorthJersey.com reports. She must serve 85% of her sentence before becoming eligible for parole.
Chan was initially arrested on May 3, 2022, and charged with murder, aggravated assault, and child endangerment, according to Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella. Police responded to her home on March 29, 2022, aro…
