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48°
Thursday, oct 15
Breaking News
'Forever Chemicals' Found In NJ Waterways: See Full List By County
So-called "forever chemicals" have been detected in rivers, lakes and streams across all 21 New Jersey counties, including the Hackensack, Passaic, Raritan and Delaware rivers, according to federal water testing records. The findings come as a new report released Tuesday, Oct. 13, by Environment America Research & Policy Center found PFAS chemicals at 83% of 1,602 locations tested nationwide between 2022 and 2024. PFAS, short for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are man-made chemicals that break down slowly and can build up in the environment and human body over time. Long-term…
Breaking News
Supersonic Plane Concept Envisions Faster Transatlantic Flights: What To Know
A futuristic aircraft concept imagines a faster, more luxurious trip across the Atlantic, but travelers are a long way from booking a seat. The Sky OV, created by Barcelona-based industrial designer Oscar Viñals, envisions carrying about 200 passengers between New York and London in less than five hours. It remains a design concept. Its proposed speed, propulsion systems, and passenger experience have not been demonstrated in a manufactured commercial aircraft. Viñals presents the project through his OVI Design portfolio, with renderings showing a broad, swept aircraft body and a silhouett…
Breaking News
Tractor-Trailer Kills Pedestrian Crossing Route 9 In Elizabeth
A pedestrian was struck and killed by a tractor-trailer while attempting to cross Route 9 in Elizabeth, authorities said. Officers responding to the crash in the northbound local lanes of Spring Street/Route 9 found a man dead at the scene and a tractor-trailer stopped in the middle of the roadway, city spokesperson Ruby Contreras said. A witness told police the man was attempting to cross the highway when the truck struck him, Contreras said. The Elizabeth Police Department's Traffic Division and the Union County Crash Investigation Team responded to investigate, while the New Jersey Depa…
Breaking News
4 Cats Stuffed Into Mesh Tunnel, Dumped In Pouring Rain In Asbury Park: SPCA
Four cats were stuffed into a mesh tunnel and dumped outside in the pouring rain in Asbury Park, leaving them soaking wet, freezing and covered in fleas, according to the Monmouth County SPCA. The Asbury Park Police Department and the SPCA's Animal Control Team responded to rescue the cats, who were taken to the shelter for examinations and care, the organization said. The person responsible was quickly identified and will face charges, according to the SPCA. The organization did not identify the person or specify what charges would be filed. Despite their ordeal, all four cats are friend…
Breaking News
5-Mile Backup Due to Parkway Crash (
Developing
)
A crash on the Garden State Parkway caused a five-mile backup during the Thursday morning commute, Oct. 15, according to 511NJ. The crash occurred in the northbound lanes north of Exit 138 for County Route 509 in Kenilworth, blocking the two left lanes as of 6:14 a.m. Delays are from Irvington to Woodbridge. Initial reports indicate this was a multi-vehicle crash. All lanes had reopened by 6:38 a.m., but delays stretched five miles from south of Exit 135 at Central Avenue in Clark to north of Exit 138 in Kenilworth, 511NJ said. Details about injuries and the number of vehicles involved we…
Breaking News
Mom Drained 401(k) Before Great Wolf Lodge Double Homicide, Family Says: Reports
A Pennsylvania mother charged with killing her husband and 3-year-old son at Great Wolf Lodge in the Poconos had tapped retirement savings to fund the family's three-week vacation and home renovations before the killings, according to her stepmother, who now believes the deaths were planned. Metallica Rose Harrison, 27, of Towanda, appeared happy during a video call with relatives shortly before her husband, Charles "Chaz" Harrison, 36, and their son, Tristan, were found stabbed to death inside the resort on Monday, Oct. 12, her stepmother, April Thetga, told the New York Post in an intervie…
Breaking News
Romanian 'Bonnie And Clyde' Arrested In Sprawling Jewelry Theft Spree That Reached NJ: Feds
A modern-day Bonnie and Clyde traded bank robberies for stolen necklaces, using hugs and sleight of hand to make off with thousands of dollars in jewelry from unsuspecting victims in Maryland and beyond, according to DHS. The Romanian couple, Rudi Lacatusu and Mirabela Lacatusu, have been linked to at least 14 reported jewelry thefts across Maryland, New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut, prompting federal authorities to compare them to one of America's most notorious criminal duos. "This 'Bonnie and Clyde' illegal alien couple from Romania has been charged with grand larceny after allegedl…
Breaking News
Selma Blair Still Set For 90s Con Appearance Despite Flight Arrest
Selma Blair signed up to talk all things ’90s at a Hartford convention this weekend, but many people may be more interested in what she has to say about the past week. The "Cruel Intentions" star will appear at 90s Con Friday through Sunday, Oct. 16-18, at the Connecticut Convention Center in Hartford, but her appearance seemed up in the air following a public outburst on a cross-country flight. The 54-year-old star was arrested Sunday, Oct. 11, following an alleged altercation with two flight attendants aboard a Delta flight from Los Angeles to New York. Police arrested her afte…
Breaking News
Aggravated Arson For Syrian National Apparently For Massive NJ Warehouse Fire (
Developing
)
A 48-year-old Syrian national has been jailed on multiple arson and aggravated assault charges dated the same day as a massive auto dealer warehouse fire early this summer that drew firefighters from across Bergen County, records show. Adulkoder Dahhan was booked into the Bergen County Jail on Wednesday, Oct. 14, on nine charges stemming from a June 9 incident in Hasbrouck Heights, according to jail records. The charges are believed to be connected to a massive warehouse fire on Industrial Avenue on June 9, a law enforcement source told Daily Voice. The source referred Daily Voice to the pr…
Breaking News
PA Worker Crushed To Death At NJ Plant: Report
A 52-year-old worker from Pennsylvania was crushed to death at a New Jersey plant last week, NJ Advance Media reports. Henry Antonio Marmol Martinez, of Easton, PA, became trapped by a casting machine at pipe manufacturing company McWane Ductile on Friday afternoon, Oct. 9, NJ.com reported, citing his brother, Raymundo Perez. Marmol Martinez died at St. Luke’s Hospital-Warren Campus, his obituary on the Strunk Funeral Home website says. McWane Ductile released the following statement to Daily Voice: "On Friday, October 9, an industrial accident occurred at our Phillipsburg plant, resu…
Breaking News
Toms River Teen Distributed Child Sex Abuse Images On WhatsApp: Prosecutor
An 18-year-old Ocean County man is accused of distributing child sexual abuse material through WhatsApp, authorities announced Tuesday, Oct. 13. Joseph Roach, of Toms River, was charged with distribution and possession of child sexual abuse material following an investigation that began with a cyber tip, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer said. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children alerted the New Jersey State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force to someone sending and receiving child sexual abuse images online, Billhimer said. Investigators with th…
Breaking News
BMW's Missing License Plates Lead To Gun, Drug Bust On Route 17: Cops
A BMW that caught a police officer's attention for having no license plates along Route 17 led to the arrests of two men and the discovery of a handgun and drugs, authorities said. The black BMW sedan was spotted without front or rear license plates on Route 17 North in Ramsey, around 10:51 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 13, Ramsey Detective Jaclyn Sabatelli said. When the driver saw the officer pull onto the highway, the BMW quickly changed lanes and exited at a gas station, Sabatelli said. The officer was unable to follow but spotted the BMW back on Route 17 North a few minutes later, this …
Breaking News
Bodycam Shows Wheelchair-Bound Gunman Hit Officer Before Being Killed In AC SWAT Shooting
Officers in Atlantic City forcibly opened a door and were met with gunshots, moments before 52-year-old Donald Gardner was shot and killed by police. The Attorney General’s Division of Criminal Justice released police body-worn camera footage related to the Tuesday, June 2 shooting of Gardner, a convicted killer who was paralyzed from a prior shooting with Egg Harbor Township police that wounded K-9 dog. The Atlantic City Police Department's SWAT team and the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office SWAT team attempted to execute a search warrant on the 100 block of North Florida Avenue, us…
Breaking News
Hackensack Teen Sexually Assaulted Girl Under 15 Three Times: Prosecutor
An 18-year-old Hackensack man has been accused of sexually assaulting a girl under 15 on three occasions in Bogota, authorities announced Wednesday, Oct. 14. Jefferson M. Lucero Tapia was arrested Tuesday, Oct. 6, following an investigation by the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office and Bogota police, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said. The investigation began Friday, Oct. 2, when Bogota police contacted the prosecutor's Special Victims Unit about an alleged sexual assault, Musella said. Lucero Tapia was charged with five counts of second-degree sexual assault and two counts of third…
Breaking News
Drunk Driver Killed Man In Route 21 Crash Near NJ School: Prosecutor
A 26-year-old Essex County man was drunk when he caused a crash that killed another driver on Route 21 in Passaic, authorities said. Danny Serrano, of Orange, was arrested Tuesday, Oct. 13, and charged with second-degree death by auto and first-degree death by auto within 1,000 feet of a school, Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes and Passaic Police Chief Luis Guzman said. The crash happened around 4:15 a.m. Monday, July 6, on Route 21 southbound near the Dayton Avenue exit, authorities said. Investigators said Serrano was driving a white Toyota Camry when he struck a gray Toyo…
Breaking News
Serial NJ Bank Fraudster’s $1.8M Scheme Leads To Long Prison Term: Feds
A notorious bank fraudster from New Jersey is headed to federal prison after ripping off customers, businesses, and banks across the tristate area, federal investigators said. Laquan Williams, 42, of Florham Park, was sentenced Tuesday, Oct. 13 to 16 years and eight months in prison, the Justice Department said. Williams stole at least $1.8 million from various financial institutions through three overlapping schemes that ran from October 2021 to May 2024, the feds said. The most lucrative operation involved stolen U.S. Treasury checks, in which Williams and co-conspirators impersonated le…
Breaking News
Driver Speeds Toward Cop, Crashes Camaro On Route 46, Flees On Foot: Police
A 21-year-old Bergen County man accused of accelerating his Chevrolet Camaro directly toward a police officer before crashing on Route 46 and fleeing on foot has been arrested, authorities said. Wilmer J. Gamezsuchite, of Palisades Park, was charged with eluding following the incident that began around 9:10 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 13, Police Chief George Beck said. Officers Christian Sisco, Marc Larrea and Jasper Chau responded to 10th Street and East Palisades Boulevard after receiving a report of a vehicle striking parked cars and fleeing, Beck said. Police identified a white Chevrolet Camaro…
Breaking News
NJ Man Vandalized Statue At University Of Tennessee: Police
Beckett Nachtman, a 19-year-old Cranford native, is facing felony charges after he vandalized a statue at the University of Tennessee. Nachtman is charged with felony vandalism after he damaged a statue of Smokey, the University of Tennessee's mascot, outside Gate 21 Plaza on Saturday, Oct. 10, University of Tennessee police said. He was visiting people on campus when the vandalism occurred. Surveillance footage showed Nachtman vandalizing the statue before running away, according to WCYB. While being interviewed by police, Nachtman admitted to intentionally kicking the statue in the …
Breaking News
Wheelie Gone Wrong: Motorcyclist Slams Into Lexus In Hackensack, Police Say
A motorcyclist performing a wheelie lost control and slammed into the back of a Lexus SUV in Hackensack, sending him to the hospital, authorities said. The crash happened on South Summit Avenue around 11:27 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 13, Hackensack Police Detective Captain Darrin DeWitt said. A 26-year-old Hackensack woman driving a 2025 Lexus NX was heading north when she slowed to turn right into a residential driveway, DeWitt said. Behind her, a 27-year-old Lodi man riding a 2021 Kawasaki motorcycle performed a wheelie before landing on both wheels, losing control and rear-ending the SUV, an in…
Breaking News
Transporting Stolen Guns Lands NJ Man In Prison: Feds
A 26-year-old Jackson man was sentenced to 6.5 years in prison after pleading guilty to transporting stolen firearms, authorities announced Wednesday, Oct. 14. An investigation into Luiz Vargas, "El Biggie" began in January 2025 after he trafficked firearms into New Jersey from Texas and Maryland, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazier said. With help from a confidential source, officers conducted four controlled purchases of firearms, yielding two semi automatic rifles and six handguns, Frazier said. Two of the handguns were reported stolen out of Texas and Colorado, respectively, and the two semiau…
Breaking News
Route 4 Dump Truck Crash Downs Wires, Trapping Driver
A dump truck struck multiple utility poles on Route 4 in Paramus, bringing down live electrical wires that trapped its driver and causing major traffic backups in both directions, incident photographer Boyd A. Loving reports Wednesday morning, Oct. 14. The crash happened on the eastbound side of the highway between Spring Valley Road and Forest Avenue. Live wires fell onto the truck, temporarily trapping the driver, who was not injured, Loving said. Eastbound traffic was restricted to the left lane as police, firefighters, rescue crews and utility workers responded. A separate cra…
Breaking News
Fugitive ‘Blood Feud’ Murderer Captured In New York After 25 Years On The Run: Authorities
A murderous fugitive from Albania wanted for two “blood feud” murders and another killing has been arrested in New York, authorities said. Valentin Ftoni was on the run for more than 25 years before law enforcement caught up with him Thursday, Oct. 8, the U.S. Marshals Service said. Ftoni had been convicted in absentia for killings in 2000 and 2001, according to Albanian news outlet CNA. He murdered a husband and wife in 2000 for “blood feud reasons” and another man in 2001, CNA reported. Upon his return to Albania, Ftoni faces 25 years in prison on both convictions, the U.S. Marshals sai…
Breaking News
Tesla Driver Pinned By Tree Branch In Garden State Parkway Crash: Firefighters
A Tesla driver was pinned by a tree branch after veering off the Garden State Parkway and crashing into the woods in Bergen County, authorities said. The crash happened in the southbound lanes near milepost 167.2 in Washington Township around 7:55 p.m., New Jersey State Police Trooper II Christopher Postorino said. The driver lost control of the SUV, ran off the left side of the highway and struck a tree, Postorino said. The Township of Washington Fire Department arrived to find the Tesla in the woods, with the driver trapped inside by a tree branch. A passenger had managed to get out on t…
Breaking News
Husband Of Harvard-Stanford
Upmc
Doctor Charged With Murder, Arson As Daughter Slept
A Harvard and Stanford graduate who became a UPMC pediatrician was killed by her husband, who then set her body on fire inside their Harrisburg home while their 7-year-old daughter slept upstairs, police said. Jonathan Alan Gatto, 41, was charged with first-degree murder, aggravated arson, arson, abuse of a corpse, tampering with evidence, and endangering the welfare of a child in connection with the killing of his wife, Dr. Julia Pederson, 41, according to court documents obtained by Daily Voice. Gatto is being held at Dauphin County Prison without bail following his arrest on Tuesday, Oct…
Breaking News
19 Fire Alarms Go Off Almost At Once In NJ Town In 'Extremely Rare' Incident
Fire alarms went off at 19 buildings across one Bergen County town almost simultaneously early Tuesday morning, Oct. 13, sending firefighters scrambling across town in what officials called an extremely rare incident. The Montvale Volunteer Fire Department began receiving reports of multiple fire alarm activations around 5:15 a.m., according to a statement shared to Facebook. Firefighters quickly determined the alarms were connected to sprinkler systems and changes in water pressure. Veolia had been performing work on the town's water tank and pumps, triggering water flow alarms in 19 …
Breaking News
Power Grid Emergency Issued In NJ: What To Know About Unusual October Alert
The world's largest power grid operator has issued an emergency alert as unusually warm October weather and widespread equipment outages put pressure on electricity supplies across the region, including New Jersey and Pennsylvania. PJM Interconnection issued a Maximum Generation Alert and Load Management Alert for Tuesday, Oct. 13, as higher electricity demand and planned equipment outages put pressure on the regional power supply. The alerts mean power companies are being asked to keep as much equipment running as possible, including postponing maintenance that could take power plants or t…
Breaking News
Trouble In The Air, Charges On The Ground: Duct-Taped Newark-Bound Passenger Faces Prison Time
The American Airlines passenger who had to be restrained with duct tape and zip ties during a flight that was diverted to Maryland is now facing a much bigger problem on the ground. Layne Lundeen, 67, of Tucson, Arizona, was indicted on charges stemming from a confrontation aboard a Dallas-to-Newark flight that was diverted to Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport in Anne Arundel County on Thursday, Sept. 3. Federal prosecutors announced the indictment on Tuesday, Oct. 13, alleging that Lundeen assaulted a fellow passenger and interfered with flight attendants and cre…
Breaking News
Mom Killed Husband, 3-Year-Old Son At Great Wolf Lodge In Poconos: Police
A family vacation at Great Wolf Lodge in the Poconos ended with a father and his 3-year-old son stabbed to death inside their hotel room, and the child's mother charged with both killings, according to court documents obtained by Daily Voice on Tuesday, Oct. 13. Metallica Rose Harrison, 27, of Towanda, Pennsylvania, is charged with two counts of criminal homicide in the deaths of her husband, Charles "Chaz" Harrison, and their 3-year-old son, identified in court documents only as T.H. The killings happened inside Room 2030 at Great Wolf Lodge, located at 1 Great Wolf Drive in Scotrun, Monro…
Breaking News
Pedestrian Struck, Killed By Vehicle On Route 22: Prosecutor
A pedestrian was struck and killed by a vehicle on Route 22 West in Somerset County on Sunday, Oct. 11, authorities said. At 8:52 p.m., Green Brook police responded to Route 22 West near King George Road and found the pedestrian, who was not identified, Somerset County Prosecutor John McDonald, Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Chief of County Detectives Meredith McKay and Green Brook Township Chief of Police William Coward said. The pedestrian was transported to a nearby hospital, where they were pronounced dead on Monday, Oct. 12. The crash remains under investigat…
Breaking News
Freak Accident At NJ Gun Range Triggered By Hot Shell Casing
A 66-year-old New Jersey man accidentally shot himself in the thigh after a spent shell casing fell inside his shirt at a shooting range, authorities said. Silvano Cruz, of Carteret, was injured at RTSP Shooting Range at 2438 Route 22 on Saturday, Oct. 10, Township of Union Deputy Police Chief Barry Cohen said. Officers responding to a medical aid call found Cruz suffering from a gunshot wound to his thigh, Cohen said. An investigation determined that a shell casing ejected from a handgun had fallen inside Cruz's shirt, leading to the accidental discharge, police said. The injury was …
Breaking News
PA Teen Flees Cops During Car Meet At NJ Kohl's, Police Say
A 17-year-old Pennsylvania boy was arrested after police say he tried fleeing officers during a reckless driving gathering in a New Jersey parking lot early Sunday, Oct. 11. Police responded to the Kohl's parking lot at 3 Millcreek Drive in Secaucus around 4:34 a.m. after receiving reports of several vehicles driving recklessly, Secaucus Police Chief Dennis Miller said. Officers attempted to stop one of the vehicles, but the driver fled, police said. Police eventually stopped the vehicle and arrested the 17-year-old driver from Pottstown, PA, on charges of eluding and riot: failure to disp…
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