55°

Tuesday, apr 16

Jerry DeMarco

Senior Reporter

jdemarco@dailyvoice.com

FOLLOW ON

Facebook Twitter Linkedin

Born in Newark and raised in Hudson County, Jerry DeMarco is a 38-year veteran of the news industry and a renowned breaking news reporter. He has covered local, county and state police, as well as the FBI, ATF and other federal agencies.

DeMarco joined Daily Voice in 2015 after six years running Cliffview Pilot, one of the nation's few independent breaking news sites. As an independent publisher, he helped establish Local Independent Online News, a national trade organization.

Prior to launching his own site, DeMarco served as a reporter for the Bergen Record, Stamford Advocate, Rockland Journal News, News Tribune, and Trenton Times.

DeMarco has won national recognition for his investigative work, including Clarion, Heywood Broun and Deadline Club awards. He's changed public policy and managed several major projects -- including one that helped put a corrupt public official in federal prison and another that forced a sitting New Jersey attorney general from office for her participation in a Bergen County traffic stop involving her boyfriend.

DeMarco regularly lectures at a graduate course in media relations at Fairleigh Dickinson University and previously was an adjunct professor at Lehman College in the Bronx.

He has a Bachelor's Degree in English from St. Peter's University in Jersey City.

Jerry DeMarco's Contributions

Police & Fire

Holiday Shooting That Wounded 3 In Paterson Committed By Two 16-Year-Olds, Authorities Charge A Labor Day weekend shooting in Paterson that wounded three men last year was committed by two 16-year-olds, authorities said. A lengthy investigation led to the detentions of both boys, one from Paterson, the other from Clifton, for the Sept. 3 shooting, Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes and Paterson Police Department Officer-In-Charge Isa Abbassi announced. Delinquency complaints charge both with attempted murder and weapons offenses, they said. City police found two victims – one 28 from Elmwood Park and the other 33 from Paterson – while responding to a 2:40 a.m. call at Unio…

by Jerry DeMarco

04/13/2024

Police & Fire

SEE Anything? Grandmother Of 13 Struck Crossing Passaic Street Dies, Hit-And-Run Driver Sought A grandmother of 13 died from injuries that she suffered when she was struck by a hit-and-run driver in Passaic a day and a half earlier, authorities confirmed. Meanwhile, her killer remained unidentified. Rachel McNeil, 58, was struck at the intersection of Passaic and Aycrigg avenues at 11:13 p.m. Wednesday, April 10. The driver kept going. McNeil died shortly after noontime Friday, Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes and Passaic Police Department Chief Luis A. Guzman said in a joint release. McNeil, who worked at St. Mary's General Hospital not far from where she was s…

by Jerry DeMarco

04/13/2024

Police & Fire

NO Choice: Police Justified Shooting Knife-Wielding NJ Man, Grand Jury Finds UPDATE: Police were justified in shooting a New Jersey man seen on bodycam video charging at an officer with a knife, a grand jury investigation required by state law found. Luke Mendez, 26, had his wrapped around the knife handle as he barreled down the steps of an Old Bridge home last April 24. Mendez was only two steps from the landing -- less than three feet from an Old Bridge officer -- when he left police no choice. Mendez was pronounced dead at a local hospital about 90 minutes later. Grand jurors reviewed various evidence but didn't really need any more than the bodycam video…

by Jerry DeMarco

04/12/2024

Police & Fire

Heartbreaking History: Suicidal Teen Rescued From Hackensack River For 4TH Time In Two Years A troubled young local girl brought rescuers to a bridge over the Hackensack River for the fourth time in less than two years on Friday. And like twice before, she nearly drowned. The girl also had guardian angels on her side once again -- this time a group of New Milford police officers. The youngster, now 16, was sitting on the edge of the Old New Bridge when Lt. Nelson Perez arrived around 2 p.m. April 12, New Milford Police Chief Brian Clancy said. The officer had gotten within 10 feet when she jumped, the chief said. The teen was treading water when Perez climbed over the…

by Jerry DeMarco

04/12/2024

Police & Fire

Teen Trio Caught With Gun After Crashing Stolen Car During Pursuit: Lyndhurst PD Three young teenagers who ran after one of them crashed a stolen car into a tree during a Lyndhurst police pursuit left a handgun in the vehicle, authorities said. It was around 11 p.m. Wednesday, April 10, when Officer Michael Clifford spotted the Kia Soul in the area of Page Avenue and Lewandowski Street, Detective Lt. Vincent Auteri said. The subcompact had been reported stolen out of Clifton four days earlier, he said. Clifford tried to stop it but the 16-year-old driver from Passaic hit the gas and sped off on Page Avenue. The officer pursued the vehicle through Lyndhurst, along Schu…

by Jerry DeMarco

04/12/2024

Police & Fire

Crooked Cardio Doc Admits Pocketing $2 Million In Health Insurance Ripoffs The owner and sole medical provider of a Middlesex County medical practice admitted in federal court that he pocketed nearly $2 million in a long-running series of blatant health insurance scams. Dr. Fazal Panezai, a 76-year-old cardiologist from Morganville, at one point submitted claims for a single day's worth of visits to his Matawan-Aberdeen Heart & Medical Center in May 2022 that totaled 27.9 hours, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger said. Hei also billed health insurance providers more than $80,000 for office visits when he was out of the country, the U.S. attorney said. Panezai …

by Jerry DeMarco

04/12/2024

Police & Fire

Bergen Widower, 91, Charged With Exposing Himself To Three Kids A 91-year-old Saddle Brook widower was jailed Friday after authorities said he exposed himself to a trio of preteens. John Urso was booked into the Bergen County Jail on April 12 following his arrest on lewdness charges hours earlier, records show. The defendant "exposed themselves to students who were playing outside at Franklin School," Saddle Brook Schools Supt. Toni Violetti wrote in a message to the community. Violetti thanked staff at the K-6 school on Caldwell Avenue "for their quick response" and township police "for their swift investigation and decisive action." Bergen Cou…

by Jerry DeMarco

04/12/2024

Police & Fire

Justice Delayed: Accused Killer Of Bayonne Mom Finally Extradited To US To Face Murder Charges A fugitive wanted for the brutal slaying of a Bayonne mom studying to be a nurse 3½ years ago has finally been extradited to the United States to face murder charges. Erick Acosta, 35, fled to Colombia after beating 40-year-old Crystal Ojeda to death with an object that local authorities have yet to identify in a public housing project on Lord Avenue near the Kill Van Kull. It was shortly before 1 p.m. Oct. 9, 2020 that city police responding to a request for a welfare check found the brutally beaten Ojeda. The mother of two, formerly of Jersey City, had been struck in the head and on her …

by Jerry DeMarco

04/12/2024

Police & Fire

Update: Popular Garfield Restaurant Ravaged By Overnight Fire (w/Photos) A firefighter was taken to a local hospital and two civilians were tended to at the scene of an overnight blaze that destroyed a popular Garfield restaurant and severely damaged the apartments above it. A passerby alerted authorities to the fire that broke on the first floor of DP's Pub and Seafood Grill on River Drive shortly after 2:30 a.m. Friday, April 12, responders said. Firefighters found flames engulfing the bar and spreading quickly through the upper floors. Police Capt. Mario Pozo said two second-floor tenants were treated for smoke inhalation at the scene after responding Garfie…

by Jerry DeMarco

04/12/2024

Police & Fire

Recognize Them? Bayonne PD Turns To Public For Help In Weeks-Old Armed Robbery Bayonne police on Thursday shared photos of two men who they said robbed someone at gunpoint nearly three weeks ago. The holdup occurred at 42nd Street and Avenue E shortly before 1:30 a.m. March 23, they said. It was a Saturday. Police didn't say why they waited until April 11 (19 days) to seek the public's help, although in such cases it's ordinarily because investigators haven't made any progress. They also didn't describe what was taken, how many victims (nor ages or genders), nor whether anyone was injured. There were no descriptions of the robbers or in which direction they headed …

by Jerry DeMarco

04/11/2024

Prev Page 2 of 2939 1 2 3 4 5 Next

11 - 20 of 29,390 articles