Gun, High-Capacity Magazine Found On Teen After Warren County ShotSpotter Call: Prosecutor Gun, High-Capacity Magazine Found On Teen After Warren County ShotSpotter Call: Prosecutor
Gun, High-Capacity Magazine Found On Teen After Warren County ShotSpotter Call: Prosecutor An 18-year-old Warren County teenager was arrested and charged after firing a gun in Philipsburg on Monday, Feb. 24, authorities said. At 3:15 P.M., members of the Phillipsburg Police Department responded to the area of Stockton Street, Spruce Alley, and Sitgreaves Street after receiving an alert from Phillipsburg's ShotSpotter, the Warren County Prosecutor's Office said. Upon patrol's arrival, officers were informed that no one had been shot but that an individual, later identified as Jared Benka-Coker had discharged a firearm, authorities said.  During the course of the investigatio…
NJ Teacher Found With Child Porn: Prosecutor NJ Teacher Found With Child Porn: Prosecutor
NJ Teacher Found With Child Porn: Prosecutor A 48-year-old middle school teacher was arrested and charged on Tuesday, Feb. 25 with possessing child pornography, authorities said. Matthew Serwedes, a Hillsborough resident who teaches Learning, Design, and Technology at Carl Kumpf Middle School, became the center of an investigation following a tip regarding child porn being uploaded on a social media and messaging platform, Somerset County Prosecutor John McDonald said. During a search warrant of Serwedes' home, electronic devices were seized for further forensic analysis, McDonald said alongside County Prosecu…
Drug Raid Turns Up Weapons In Phillipsburg: Prosecutor Drug Raid Turns Up Weapons In Phillipsburg: Prosecutor
Drug Raid Turns Up Weapons In Phillipsburg: Prosecutor A 28-year-old Phillipsburg man was arrested and charged with dealing narcotics and possessing a defaced firearm on Tuesday, Dec. 18, authorities said. Gabriel Martinez was arrested following a months-long investigation into the distribution of narcotics in the town of Phillipsburg, the Warren County Prosecutor's Office said.  The Phillipsburg Police Department and the New Jersey State Police executed a search warrant at 166 Mercer St. prior to Martinez's arrest, recovering narcotics and weapons, authorities said. As a result of the search warrant, law enforcement recovered narcoti…
Street Closed Following Sparta Shed Fire: Police Street Closed Following Sparta Shed Fire: Police
Street Closed Following Sparta Shed Fire: Police A shed caught on fire in Sparta on Tuesday, Feb. 25, authorities said. Emergency crews remain on scene at the blaze on Pinecone Lane, Sparta police said. As a precaution, Pinecone Lane has been temporarily closed to allow emergency personnel to operate safely, police said. Residents are advised to avoid the area and seek alternate routes, police said. The Sparta Detective Bureau is actively investigating the cause of the fire, police said.
Dad Of Top NJ High School Wrestler Caught On Video In Bleacher Brawl: Reports Dad Of Top NJ High School Wrestler Caught On Video In Bleacher Brawl: Reports
Dad Of Top NJ High School Wrestler Caught On Video In Bleacher Brawl: Reports A real-life Royal Rumble fight allegedly involving the father of one of the nation's top high school wrestlers broke out in the stands of a New Jersey meet over the weekend. UPDATE: Three-Time New Jersey Wrestling Champ Anthony Knox Disqualified From State Tournament Video shows the conclusion of a wrestling match at Collingswood High School during the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association District 25 wrestling championships Saturday, Feb. 22. A man in a white tank top is seen running into the bleachers leading to the melee. He was identified by NJ Advance Media as Anthony …
DWI Mom Kills Man Year After Surviving Crash Caused By Another Drunk Driver, Police Confirm DWI Mom Kills Man Year After Surviving Crash Caused By Another Drunk Driver, Police Confirm
DWI Mom Kills Man Year After Surviving Crash Caused By Another Drunk Driver, Police Confirm If anyone should know about the dangers of drunk driving, it's Oriel Dixon. The 38-year-old Egg Harbor Township woman was charged with manslaughter on Saturday, Feb. 22, for drunkenly crashing into another car last December, killing a Somers Point man who was declared cancer-free just two months prior, Egg Harbor Township police said. Almost a year before the crash in 2023, Dixon herself was severely injured after being hit by a drunk driver while on a last-minute Christmas shopping trip, according to a GoFundMe campaign launched after the crash.  In the 2023 crash, Dixon suffere…
UVA Lockdown: Cops Search For Career Criminal (UPDATED) UVA Lockdown: Cops Search For Career Criminal (UPDATED)
UVA Lockdown: Cops Search For Career Criminal (Updated) Students and staff at the University of Virginia have been advised to shelter in place as police search for a wanted suspect with a reported criminal past. At around 9 a.m. on Tuesday morning, an alert was issued by UVA Police amid a search for a suspect later identified as Nyheem Hill in the Alderman area. UVA Emergency Alert: Police looking for suspect, area of Alderman Rd, Blk male 6'4 wearing a grey hoodie. Avoid area, shelter in place. If seen call 911. — UVA Police Division (@UVAPolice) February 25, 2025 According to police, Hill fled from a traffic stop, has a known criminal his…
EXCLUSIVE: Mugshot Released Of Ex-College Soccer Star Accused In Brother's Princeton Murder EXCLUSIVE: Mugshot Released Of Ex-College Soccer Star Accused In Brother's Princeton Murder
Exclusive: Mugshot Released Of Ex-College Soccer Star Accused In Brother's Princeton Murder Daily Voice has exclusively obtained the mugshot of 31-year-old Matthew Hertgen, a former Wesleyan University soccer player accused of murder in his brother Joseph Hertgen's death. Hertgen's charges were announced Monday, Feb. 24, by Mercer County Prosecutor Janetta D. Marbrey, following the Saturday, Feb. 22 death of 26-year-old Joseph Hertgen in Princeton. Matthew is also charged with third- and fourth-degree weapons offenses for allegedly possessing a knife and a golf club, as well as third-degree animal cruelty for the death of a cat found inside the apartment, Marbrey said. The NY…
Slain Officer’s Final Wish Revealed As Funeral Plans Announced After Hospital Shooting Slain Officer’s Final Wish Revealed As Funeral Plans Announced After Hospital Shooting
Slain Officer’s Final Wish Revealed As Funeral Plans Announced After Hospital Shooting West York Borough Police Officer Andrew Duarte will be laid to rest this week after he was killed in the line of duty during a mass shooting at UPMC Memorial Hospital in York County on Saturday, Feb, 22. His family, fellow officers, and an outpouring of community support are ensuring his legacy of service and sacrifice is never forgotten. Funeral Service Details Duarte’s funeral will take place on Friday, Feb. 28, at 1:00 p.m. at Living Word Community Church, 2530 Cape Horn Road, Red Lion, PA. Due to high attendance expectations, seating arrangements are as follows: Seating inside the c…
Registered Sex Offender ID'd As Man Who Sexually Assaulted Teen In Fort Lee: Complaint Registered Sex Offender ID'd As Man Who Sexually Assaulted Teen In Fort Lee: Complaint
Registered Sex Offender ID'd As Man Who Sexually Assaulted Teen In Fort Lee: Complaint The Fort Lee man charged with sexually assaulting a missing New York City girl has been identified as a registered sex offender. In 2017, Marc Piovanetti was convicted of rape of a child under 15 years old, criminal sex act on a victim incapable of consent/mentally disabled, and sexual performance by child under 16/access to view, records show (see below). Marc Piovanetti charges/convictions NY Sex Offender Registry This month, 58-year-old Piovanetti was arrested again. Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said Piovanetti was talking to a girl between 13 and 16 years old on s…
Two Women In Their 60s Engaged In Prostitution At Morris County Spa: Prosecutor Two Women In Their 60s Engaged In Prostitution At Morris County Spa: Prosecutor
Two Women In Their 60s Engaged In Prostitution At Morris County Spa: Prosecutor A woman running a spa in Morris County was arrested and charged after authorities say her spa was offering some extra services. Soon Bang, a 63-year-old Fairview resident, ran a prostitution business at Oasis Spa on Route 10 in Denville, Morris County Prosecutor Robert Carroll, Chief of Detectives Robert McNally, and Denville Police Chief Frank Perna said. A search of the spa turned up a large quantity of U.S. currency, authorities said. Bang, and Yushun Li, 67, of Flushing, New York, engaged in sexual activity in exchange for cash, authorities said. Both women wer…
Speeding Fugitive Captured With $4K In Stolen Merch During Franklin Borough Traffic Stop: Cops Speeding Fugitive Captured With $4K In Stolen Merch During Franklin Borough Traffic Stop: Cops
Speeding Fugitive Captured With $4K In Stolen Merch During Franklin Borough Traffic Stop: Cops A 37-year-old New York fugitive was arrested last month in Sussex County and found with numerous stolen medication, authorities said. On Thursday, Jan 23, Luis Moure was pulled over by police in Franklin Borough after he was traveling at a high rate of speed and improperly passing vehicles on Route 23 South in Hamburg, Franklin Borough police said. A investigation revealed Moure had an outstanding extradition warrant from Virginia, police said. He was also found to be in possession of counterfeit currency and was sought by other New Jersey law enforcement agencies for using fake money and c…
Search Continues For Missing Boater, 3 Dead After Vessel Capsizes Off NYC Search Continues For Missing Boater, 3 Dead After Vessel Capsizes Off NYC
Search Continues For Missing Boater, 3 Dead After Vessel Capsizes Off NYC The U.S. Coast Guard is searching for one missing person after a boat sank five miles southeast of Breezy Point on Sunday afternoon, Feb. 24, leaving three people dead, according to NBC4 and the US Coast Guard. The incident began at 12:04 p.m. when Coast Guard Sector New York received an emergency notification from New York City 911 operators about a vessel taking on water near Breezy Point (located at the tip of the Rockaway Peninsula and directly across from New Jersey's Gateway National Recreation Area and the Sandy Hook Bay), authorities said. Rescue crews, along with the Sandy Hoo…
NJ Corrections Officer Who Beat Inmate Learns Fate: OAG NJ Corrections Officer Who Beat Inmate Learns Fate: OAG
NJ Corrections Officer Who Beat Inmate Learns Fate: OAG A former New Jersey corrections officer was sentenced to three years in prison on Friday, Feb 21, after he admitted to admitted to assaulting a resident who died several days after the attack, authorities said. Giuseppe Mandara, a 55-year-old Brick Township resident had previously pleaded guilty to aggravated assault, New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin said. Mandaran, an officer at the Adult Diagnostic and Treatment Center in Woodbridge, admitted to attacking Darrell Smith in August 2019, while Smith was serving a 23-year sentence for kidnapping and aggravated assault on a poli…
49 Displaced By Multi-Alarm Paterson Fire 49 Displaced By Multi-Alarm Paterson Fire
49 Displaced By Multi-Alarm Paterson Fire Nearly 50 people were displaced by a five-alarm fire Sunday, Feb. 23 in Paterson, officials said. The blaze erupted around 5 p.m. at multiple multi-family homes on Totowa Avenue. The American Red Cross was assisting 49 people from 13 different families.
Officer Stabbed, Suspect Arrested In Camden County: Police Officer Stabbed, Suspect Arrested In Camden County: Police
Officer Stabbed, Suspect Arrested In Camden County: Police A Camden County police officer is in critical condition after he was stabbed by a 38-year-old Sicklerville man on Sunday, Feb. 23, authorities said. The officer, was stabbed while conducting a business check in the area of Broadway and Chestnut Street in Camden, the Camden County Prosecutor's Office said. He was transported to a nearby hospital and is currently in critical, but stable condition, authorities said. Richard Dennis was apprehended soon after in the area of South 7th Street and Kaighn Avenue, authorities said. He was charged with attempted murder, aggravated …
Slain Virginia Beach Officer Is NJ Native: Remembering Christopher Reese Slain Virginia Beach Officer Is NJ Native: Remembering Christopher Reese
Slain Virginia Beach Officer Is NJ Native: Remembering Christopher Reese One of two Virginia Beach officers killed during a routine traffic stop on Friday, Feb. 21, has been identified as a South Jersey native. Officer Christopher Reese, 30, and Officer Cameron Girvin, 25, were riding double-assigned to a midnight shift traffic car when they attempted to stop a Hyundai with an expired plate at 11:27 p.m., Virginia Beach Police Chief Paul Neudigate said at a news conference Saturday. The driver, later identified as John McCoy III — whom Neudigate vowed to only name once — refused to yield, leading officers to a dead-end street, where the vehicle finally came…
Off-Duty Cops Rescue Guests From Burning Jersey Shore Motel Off-Duty Cops Rescue Guests From Burning Jersey Shore Motel
Off-Duty Cops Rescue Guests From Burning Jersey Shore Motel Three off-duty police officers sprang into action early Sunday morning, Feb. 23, pulling guests from a burning motel before firefighters arrived, authorities said. The fire broke out around 3:06 a.m. at a motel on the 200 block of Broadway, according to Point Pleasant Beach Police. The motel was identified in various reports as the Shore Point Motel. The off-duty officers happened to be passing by when they saw smoke and flames coming from the building. Recognizing the danger, they immediately began evacuating guests, moving them to safety before on-duty officers arrived, officials said. P…
Intoxicated, Wrong-Way Driver Causes Head-On Route 46 Crash: Police Intoxicated, Wrong-Way Driver Causes Head-On Route 46 Crash: Police
Intoxicated, Wrong-Way Driver Causes Head-On Route 46 Crash: Police A Belleville woman was charged with DWI after driving the wrong way on Route 46 West and crashing head-on into another vehicle, authorities said. Clifton police responded to Route 46 West between Crooks Avenue and the Garden State Parkway at 2:40 a.m. on Sunday, Feb. 24, for a report of a head-on collision, Clifton Police Lt. Robert Anderon said. ALSO SEE: DWI Clifton Driver Causes 5-Car Crash With Serious Injuries: Cops Officers arrived to find that Paola Velez, 43, had been driving a 2016 Honda CRV eastbound in the westbound lanes when she collided with a 2007 Honda Accord, Anderson…
DWI Clifton Driver Causes 5-Car Crash With Serious Injuries: Cops DWI Clifton Driver Causes 5-Car Crash With Serious Injuries: Cops
DWI Clifton Driver Causes 5-Car Crash With Serious Injuries: Cops A Clifton man was arrested for DWI after a five-car crash that left another driver seriously injured, police said. Felix Gonzalez, 39, was taken into custody early Sunday, Feb. 23, after the crash at 2:11 a.m. near the intersection of Lexington Avenue and Highland Avenue, Clifton Police Lt. Robert Anderson said. Two of the five vehicles involved were occupied, while three were parked, officials said. One adult male driver suffered serious injuries but is expected to survive, authorities said. Gonzalez showed signs of intoxication at the scene and was arrested after failing sobriety tests, …
Body Of Missing Man Walking Dog Recovered From Frozen NJ Lake: Police Body Of Missing Man Walking Dog Recovered From Frozen NJ Lake: Police
Body Of Missing Man Walking Dog Recovered From Frozen NJ Lake: Police A New Jersey man was found dead in a frozen lake in Millstone Township after state troopers rescued his stranded dog, authorities said. Troopers responded to Millstone Park in Monmouth County on Friday, Feb. 21, at 4:46 p.m. after receiving a report of a dog stuck on the ice, Sgt. Charles Marchan of the New Jersey State Police said. Troopers and the Millstone Fire Department were able to rescue the dog, but as they examined the scene, they noticed footprints leading onto the lake, a jacket and hat near the ice, and a fresh break in the surface, officials said. An investigation revealed tha…
Officer Dies, Gunman Takes Staff Hostage In PA Hospital Shooting: Officials Officer Dies, Gunman Takes Staff Hostage In PA Hospital Shooting: Officials
Officer Dies, Gunman Takes Staff Hostage In PA Hospital Shooting: Officials West York Borough Police Officer Andrew Duarte was killed in the line of duty on Saturday, Feb. 22, after a gunman opened fire and took staff hostage inside the ICU at UPMC Memorial Hospital in York County, authorities said. The shooter, identified as Diogenes Archangel-Ortiz, entered the hospital around 10:35 a.m. with a bag containing a semiautomatic handgun and zip ties, according to York County District Attorney Timothy Barker. He proceeded to the ICU, where he held staff hostage and shot a doctor, nurse, and custodian, Barker said. UPMC security officers responded and were fired upon, …
Newlyweds Killed By DUI Driver In South Jersey: Police, Records Newlyweds Killed By DUI Driver In South Jersey: Police, Records
Newlyweds Killed By DUI Driver In South Jersey: Police, Records A 25-year-old Atlantic City driver was under the influence when he struck another vehicle, leaving a pair of newlyweds dead early Saturday, Feb. 22 in Cumberland County, according to state police, court records, and those who knew the victims. Levon Woods was heading east on Route 522 in Maurice River in a Kia when he struck a westbound Honda head-on around 4:15 a.m., New Jersey State Police Sgt. Charles Marchan said. The crash happened near milepost 19.4, and left both the driver, Thomas Splinter, 57, and passenger, Nancy Orellana-Splinter, 29 — both of Mays Landing — deceased, Marchan sai…
Two Women Dead In Newark Boat Fire: Prosecutor Two Women Dead In Newark Boat Fire: Prosecutor
Two Women Dead In Newark Boat Fire: Prosecutor Two women were killed and one man was injured in a Newark boat fire Friday, Feb. 21, authorities said. Firefighters responded to the boat parked in an alleyway near Pinnsy Place, which was engulfed in flames, just before 9 p.m., officials said. Two women died and one man was in stable condition at St. Barnabas Hospital. The Essex County Prosecutor's Office conducts an active and ongoing investigation.
DUI Driver Plows Into NJ Creek With Child In Car, Charged With Attempted Murder: Cops DUI Driver Plows Into NJ Creek With Child In Car, Charged With Attempted Murder: Cops
DUI Driver Plows Into NJ Creek With Child In Car, Charged With Attempted Murder: Cops A South Plainfield man is facing attempted murder charges after police say he intentionally drove off the road, crashed through a backyard, and landed in a creek with a child in the car. South Plainfield Police received multiple 911 calls about an erratic driver near Cromwell Place on Thursday, Feb. 20, at 2:19 p.m., authorities said. Witnesses reported seeing the vehicle speed through a backyard on Stratford Avenue, cross a field, and come to rest partially submerged in a creek. When officers arrived, they found the 40-year-old driver unresponsive and floating in the water, police said. Lt…
Woman Who Shot Man During Motel Robbery Learns Fate: Morris County Prosecutor Woman Who Shot Man During Motel Robbery Learns Fate: Morris County Prosecutor
Woman Who Shot Man During Motel Robbery Learns Fate: Morris County Prosecutor A 25-year-old Irvington resident was sentenced to 12 years in prison on Friday, Feb. 21, after shooting a man during a 2023 robbery in Roxbury, costing him his leg, authorities said. Auraceli Maldonado admitted to shooting Selwyn Torres at the Roxbury Motel on Wednesday, Oct. 18, 2023, pleading guilty to robbery and aggravated assault, Morris County Prosecutor Robert Carroll, Chief of Detectives Robert McNally, and Roxbury Police Chief Matthew Holland said. Torres had planned to met with someone at the motel, authorities said. Surveillance video captured a Honda Accord with New York re…
Construction Worker Killed In Fall, Failed To Secure Safety Harness: Lakewood Police Construction Worker Killed In Fall, Failed To Secure Safety Harness: Lakewood Police
Construction Worker Killed In Fall, Failed To Secure Safety Harness: Lakewood Police A 51-year-old construction worker from The Bronx was killed after falling three floors in Lakewood on the morning of Friday, Feb. 21, authorities said. Jorge Paltan-Ajila was working at a construction site at 1600 Avenue of the States, Lakewood police said. Paltan-Ajila while working on the third floor of the construction site, slipped and fell while handing tools to a fellow employee on a boom lift, police said. He was wearing a safety harness, but it was not secured to any anchor point, police said. As he stepped on an unsecured beam, both the beam and Mr. Paltan-Ajila slip…
Thief Who Led High-Speed NJ Turnpike Pursuit In Stolen Audi Arrested: Cops Thief Who Led High-Speed NJ Turnpike Pursuit In Stolen Audi Arrested: Cops
Thief Who Led High-Speed NJ Turnpike Pursuit In Stolen Audi Arrested: Cops A 29-year-old Newark man was arrested on Thursday, Feb. 19, months after he was able to flee Secaucus police during a pursuit. On Wednesday, June 5 at 1:02 a.m., a Secaucus resident reported their  2022 Audi Q3 was in the process of being stolen from the driveway, Secaucus police said. Officers followed the stolen vehicle into a dead end, police said. Rakim Thompson purposely rammed several of the police vehicles, one of which was occupied, to escape and evade capture, officers said. Thompson then fled in the stolen Audi where he was pursued by officers onto the New Jersey Tu…
Man Trying To Keep Warm Charged With Arson In Massive NJ Storage Facility Blaze: Cops Man Trying To Keep Warm Charged With Arson In Massive NJ Storage Facility Blaze: Cops
Man Trying To Keep Warm Charged With Arson In Massive NJ Storage Facility Blaze: Cops An 84-year-old man who authorities say was trying to keep warm has been charged with arson after starting a massive fire at a storage facility in Cape May County on the morning of Wednesday, Feb. 19, authorities said. Salvatore Gellura was working in his storage unit at Burleigh Storage in Middle Township and lit cardboard in a metal container to keep warm sometime around 8:49 a.m., Middle Township police said. The fire spread beyond the container and Gellura was unable to control it, police said. One firefighter was transported to a nearby hospital for smoke inhalation, police sa…
NJ Transit Train Strikes Vehicle In Morris County NJ Transit Train Strikes Vehicle In Morris County
NJ Transit Train Strikes Vehicle In Morris County An NJ Transit train crashed into a vehicle in Morris County on the afternoon of Wednesday, Feb. 19, authorities said. At 4:01 p.m. Morris and Essex Line train 877, which departed Hoboken at 2:27 p.m. and was scheduled to arrive in Hackettstown at 4:23 p.m., struck a vehicle at the Main Street crossing adjacent to the Netcong Train Station, NJ Transit said.  The two occupants of the vehicle had exited the car prior to the strike but were transported to a local hospital with non-life threatening injuries, NJ Transit said. There were no injuries to the 15 customers and crew on board, NJ T…
Another Man Accused Of Exposing Himself To Young Girls In Ocean County: Prosecutor Another Man Accused Of Exposing Himself To Young Girls In Ocean County: Prosecutor
Another Man Accused Of Exposing Himself To Young Girls In Ocean County: Prosecutor The day after authorities announced the arrest of an 18-year-old ski-masked man masturbating in front of young females, officials in the same county announced a similar arrest. Michael Marto, 28, of Tuckerton, exposed his penis to a 10-year-old girl, propositioned two 15-year-old girls, and made sexual comments toward a 17-year-old girl — all in Lakewood, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer said. Marto's arrest comes one day after that of Massinissa Ladj, who wore a ski mask as he drove around and masturbated in front of females as young as 12 years old in Lakewood, polic…