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NJ Man Convicted Of Beating Mom To Death, Prosecutor Says
A 38-year-old Maplewood resident was convicted on Monday, Oct. 21 of murder charges in his mother's death, which he then framed as a suicide, authorities said.
Benjamin Avrut was found guilty of first-degree murder after beating his 70-year-old-mothe Gwen to death, Prosecutor Theodore Stephens said. The jury had rejected Avrut's insanity defense.
On Monday, Jan. 4, 2021, Avrut entered his sleeping mother's apartment at The Top, a luxury condominium in Maplewood, Stephens said. When she awoke, Avrut beat her to death with his fists, Stephens said.
Avrut, who had a hist…
14-Year-Old Apprehended After Attempted Armed Robbery, Pursuit: Maplewood PD
A 14-year-old boy was apprehended after an attempted robbery at knifepoint in Maplewood on Thursday, Sept. 26, authorities said.
At 8:06 p.m., officers responded to Park Avenue where a woman said she was approached by three unknown Black boys wearing all black clothing, Maplewood police said in a release.
One of the juveniles brandished a knife toward her and said, "Let me get in the car," police said.
The three boys fled the area when they observed the woman calling 9-1-1, police said. Police observed a suspect matching the description, and he fled on foot when ordered to stop, officers s…
Maplewood Man Assaults Officer After Attack At Local Home, Police Say
A 32-year-old man was jailed on assault charges after an incident in Maplewood last week, police said.
Steven Hemmings, a local resident, is accused of attacking someone at a Florida Street home, and then attacking an officer, on Monday, Aug. 12, Maplewood according to police and charges filed against him.
He was charged with aggravated assault, aggravated assault on an officer, and a weapons offense.
Hemmings was subsequently lodged in the Essex County Jail.
Single Mom Struck, Killed By Vehicle In Maplewood, Prosecutor Says
A 28-year-old Irvington resident was killed after she was struck by a vehicle in Maplewood on Monday, May 13, authorities said.
At 9:10 a.m., Maria Ganzhi Zhao was struck by a vehicle on the 1400 block of Springfield Avenue and pronounced dead at the scene, the Essex County Prosecutor's Office said.
Zhao, a native of Ecuador, was a single mother who is survived by her two daughters, Noemi, 7 and Genesis, 9 months, according to a fundraiser set up to support the family.
A viewing will be held on Saturday, May 18 at Mt. Alvarez Funeral Home in Newark from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., a…
Paul Auster, Acclaimed Author, North Jersey Native, Dead At 77
Paul Auster, who won numerous literary awards and published "The New York Trilogy" died on Tuesday, April 30, at the age of 77, his literary representatives announced.
Born in Newark, Auster was raised in South Orange before graduating from Columbia High School in Maplewood. He initially garnered attention after publishing his memoir "The Invention of Solitude," which discussed his father's death.
Auster's most acclaimed work came next: "The New York Trilogy," a series of three novels including "City of Glass," "Ghosts" and "The Locked Room," mixing post modernism with detective fiction. Th…
'Not Pretty, Can't Act:' Sydney Sweeney Slams NJ Producer Who Publicly Insulted Her
A film producer from New Jersey is under fire after saying Sydney Sweeney can't act and isn't pretty.
Carol Baum, who graduated Columbia High School in Maplewood, disparaged the "Euphoria" star during a Q-n-A at the Jacob Burns Film Center in Pleasantville, NY, on Thursday, April, 11.
Baum, who has produced movies like "Father of the Bride" and "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," was on hand to discuss her experiences producing the 1988 David Cronenberg film "Dead Calm," which came out nine years before Sweeney was born.
"I don't get Sydney Sweeney," Baum reportedly said. "I was watching on …
Miriam Mychalczak, Formerly Of Short Hills, Maplewood, Dies At 52
Miriam "Miriasia" Mychalczak, a North Jersey native, died on Friday, Feb. 16 at the age of 56. according to her obituary.
Mychalczak was born in Orange and grew up in Maplewood and Short Hills, later attending McGill University and getting her Masters degree at Columbia University, her obituary reads.
She is being remembered for her persistence, optimism and grit in the wake of numerous health issues, according to her obituary. She is survived by her children, Sofia and Nicolas, her mother Bohdanna, her sister Roma, and other family and friends, her obituary reads.
Visitati…
Maintenance Man Poses As Complex Owner, Scams Apartment Seekers Out Of $14,000: Garfield PD
A maintenance man at a Garfield garden apartment complex scammed hopeful renters out of $14,000 by posting bogus listings on Facebook, showing them empty units he claimed he owned and then collecting deposits from them, authorities charged.
John K. DelValle, a 48-year-old bodybuilder from Hackensack, made it all appear genuine by having the victims sign worthless rental agreements, police said.
Then he handed them the master keys that he'd been given for work.
DelValle also conned another unwitting victim out of $7,000 -- and a car -- by "selling" him a Tesla that he was renting, Garfield …
Maplewood Home Invasion: Masked Robbers Sought, Police Say
Maplewood police said they are looking for two men who pushed their way into a home and robbed the owner at knifepoint on Friday, Dec. 15.
At 10:20 p.m., a Hughes Street resident answered their door and found two men wearing ski masks with hoods over their heads brandishing a kitchen knife, police said. The men pushed their way in and stole cell phones, electronic devices, and two bags of clothing, police said.
The suspects are a Black man, 25-35 years of age, 5'5" with a thin build wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and gray pants and a Black man, 25-35-years of age, 6'" with a heavier buil…
