A Few Clouds 76°
Police & Fire
81-Year-Old South Jersey Man Sexually Assaulted 11-Year-Old At Flea Market: Prosecutor 81-Year-Old South Jersey Man Sexually Assaulted 11-Year-Old At Flea Market: Prosecutor
81-Year-Old South Jersey Man Sexually Assaulted 11-Year-Old At Flea Market: Prosecutor An 81-year-old Williamstown man is charged with sexually assaulting an 11-year-old, authorities announced Wednesday, July 15. Mamdouh Ghattas sexually assaulted the victim at a flea market in Union City in June 2022, Hudson County Prosecutor Wayne Mello said. Ghattas was apprehended Port Authority Police Department at Newark Liberty International Airport and transported to the Hudson County Correctional Facility pending his first court appearance, Mello said. He is charged with sexual assault by contact and endangering the welfare of a child, Mello said.

SHARE

by Sam Barron
Police & Fire
Off-Duty CT Police Officer, Passenger Mom Of 3 Killed In Head-On Motorcycle Crash Off-Duty CT Police Officer, Passenger Mom Of 3 Killed In Head-On Motorcycle Crash
Off-Duty CT Police Officer, Passenger Mom Of 3 Killed In Head-On Motorcycle Crash An off-duty Bridgeport police officer and his passenger were killed when their motorcycle collided head-on with a Jeep, leaving the other driver hospitalized with serious injuries. Cooper Whiteside, 38, of Danbury, and Brittany Islami, 34, of New Milford, died in the 2:45 a.m. Monday, July 13, crash on Sugar Hollow Road in Danbury, according to police. Danbury officers arrived to find Whiteside, who was riding the Harley-Davidson, and Islami dead in the roadway. The Jeep Compass sustained severe front-end damage. Firefighters extricated the SUV driver, who was rushed to Danbury Hospital wit…

SHARE

by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
TV Producer From NJ Found With Child Porn, Secretly Filmed Adult Victim: Officials TV Producer From NJ Found With Child Porn, Secretly Filmed Adult Victim: Officials
TV Producer From NJ Found With Child Porn, Secretly Filmed Adult Victim: Officials A 50-year-old man from a wealthy Bergen County town has been arrested on accusations that he secretly filmed a person in various states of undress and was found with child porn, authorities said. Brian C. Saracusa, of Wyckoff, photographed and recorded an adult on multiple occasions and in "various states of undress" without their consent or knowledge, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said. He was also found with child pornography, the prosecutor said. Saracusa's Instagram bio reads "I make TV and babies." His LinkedIn shows he is a TV producer who has worked on projects for …

SHARE

by Cecilia Levine
Police & Fire
Friends of Wrong Way NJ Driver Killed In Crash Start GoFundMe Friends of Wrong Way NJ Driver Killed In Crash Start GoFundMe
Friends of Wrong Way NJ Driver Killed In Crash Start GoFundMe Favian Cruz, a 24-year-old Bridgeton resident, was driving the wrong way on Route 55 when he was killed in a car crash on Monday, July 13. "This sudden loss has left their family facing not only unimaginable grief, but also the unexpected financial burden of funeral and memorial expenses," Gisel Gonzalez, who organized a GoFundMe wrote.  "The community are coming together to support the family and honor the memory of a life that touched so many." At 10:30 p.m., Cruz was operating a Ram pickup truck north in the southbound lanes on Route 55 in Mantua Township when he collided with a Vol…

SHARE

by Sam Barron
Police & Fire
AC Man Admits To Shooting At Cab Driver During Robbery: Prosecutor AC Man Admits To Shooting At Cab Driver During Robbery: Prosecutor
AC Man Admits To Shooting At Cab Driver During Robbery: Prosecutor A 25-year-old Atlantic City man pleaded guilty to robbing and shooting at a cab driver, authorities announced Tuesday, July 14. Davidson Dominique pleaded guilty to robbery and possession of a firearm for an unlawful purpose and per the terms of a plea agreement, faces five years in prison, the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office said. On Monday, April 28, 2005, Atlantic City police were flagged down by a taxi driver who said he was robbed and shot at near Route 30 and New Jersey Avenue by Dominique, authorities said. The cab driver picked up Dominique at the Ocean Casino and after he drov…

SHARE

by Sam Barron
Police & Fire
NJ Daycare Owner Gave Melatonin To Toddlers Without Parents' OK: Prosecutor NJ Daycare Owner Gave Melatonin To Toddlers Without Parents' OK: Prosecutor
NJ Daycare Owner Gave Melatonin To Toddlers Without Parents' OK: Prosecutor A New Jersey daycare owner has been charged after prosecutors say she gave melatonin to two young children without their parents' consent. The Dunellen Police Department received a report on Friday, July 10, that the owner of Precious Gifts Daycare in Dunellen had administered melatonin to two children, ages 2 and 4, Middlesex County Prosecutor Linda Estremera and Dunellen Police Chief Dan Smith said. Investigators identified the daycare owner as Cheryl Ambicki, 57, of Middlesex, who had administered melatonin to the children, as initially reported to investigators, Estremera and Smith said…

SHARE

by Cecilia Levine
Police & Fire
Wrong-Way Driver Killed in Route 55 Crash: NJSP Wrong-Way Driver Killed in Route 55 Crash: NJSP
Wrong-Way Driver Killed in Route 55 Crash: Njsp A 24-yearold Bridgeton man traveling the wrong way on Route 55 in Gloucester County was killed when he collided with a tractor trailer Monday evening, July 13, authorities said. At 10:30 p.m., Favian Cruz was operating a Ram pickup truck north in the southbound lanes on Route 55 in Mantua Township when he collided with a Volvo tractor-trailer traveling south, Christopher Postorino, a spokesperson for the New Jersey State Police said. Cruz was pronounced dead at the scene, Postorino said. The driver of the Volvo sustained minor injuries and was transported to an area hospital, Postorino said…

SHARE

by Sam Barron
Police & Fire
Motorcyclist 'Bunny Bear' Wasn't Speeding In Deadly Wildwood Crash, Family Told Motorcyclist 'Bunny Bear' Wasn't Speeding In Deadly Wildwood Crash, Family Told
Motorcyclist 'Bunny Bear' Wasn't Speeding In Deadly Wildwood Crash, Family Told After initial reports claimed that a popular Wildwood motorcyclist was traveling about 100 mph before the crash that killed him, his family says they have since been told he was not speeding. Brandon Vega, aka "Bunny Bear," 26, of Wildwood, was traveling about 50 mph and was not at fault, according to Ryan Vega. The crash happened on Route 47 near the Wildwood Welcome Center just after midnight Friday, July 10 (early Saturday morning). One other vehicle is believed to have been involved in the collision, according to photos and witnesses from the scene. The Lower Township Police Depart…

SHARE

by Cecilia Levine
Police & Fire
Pedestrian Struck, Killed By Vehicle: Winslow Township PD Pedestrian Struck, Killed By Vehicle: Winslow Township PD
Pedestrian Struck, Killed By Vehicle: Winslow Township PD A 44-year-old Hammonton man was recently struck and killed by a vehicle in Winslow Township, authorities said. At 10 p.m. on Thursday, July 9, officers responded to 625 White Horse Pike after  Jose Reyes was crossing the highway from the westbound side toward the eastbound side when he was struck by a vehicle traveling eastbound, Winslow Township police said. Reyes was pronounced dead at the scene, police said. The driver is cooperating with the investigation, police said.

SHARE

by Sam Barron
Police & Fire
Girl Slapped In NJ Boardwalk Fight Over Patriotic Sweatpants: Police Girl Slapped In NJ Boardwalk Fight Over Patriotic Sweatpants: Police
Girl Slapped In NJ Boardwalk Fight Over Patriotic Sweatpants: Police A 33-year-old New Jersey woman has been arrested after police say she slapped a girl during an argument over patriotic sweatpants with political wording on a Jersey Shore boardwalk on Friday, July 3 Kaitlyn Tracey was captured on video striking the girl once in the body and once in the face with an open hand following the argument, Point Pleasant police said. Tracey left the scene before officers could identify her, police said. Tracey was identified as the assailant on Monday, July 6, and she was charged with simple assault, endangering the welfare of a child, harassment, and obstruction, …

SHARE

by Cecilia Levine
Police & Fire
Bodycam Shows Viral Accused Toddler Abuser's DUI Arrest After Friend's NJ Funeral Bodycam Shows Viral Accused Toddler Abuser's DUI Arrest After Friend's NJ Funeral
Bodycam Shows Viral Accused Toddler Abuser's DUI Arrest After Friend's NJ Funeral A 25-year-old woman whose mugshot caught fire online following her arrest on accusations she sexually abused a 2-year-old boy has a laundry list of other offenses. Among her prior offenses was a 2023 drunken driving arrest, captured on body camera footage released last year by Transparency Bodycam. Police records show she was driving with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.16%, which is twice the legal limit. Barnegat police responded to a crash near West Bay Avenue and the Garden State Parkway overpass at approximately 8:42 p.m. on Monday, March 6, 2023, and learned the striking vehicle ha…

SHARE

by Cecilia Levine
Police & Fire
Pregnant Woman, 3-Year-Old Escape House Fire In Millville Pregnant Woman, 3-Year-Old Escape House Fire In Millville
Pregnant Woman, 3-Year-Old Escape House Fire In Millville A family, which included a pregnant woman and a toddler were able to escape a house fire that destroyed their home in Millville on Saturday, July 11, authorities said. At 4 a.m., firefighters responded to Dorset Avenue and immediately encountered flames, the Millville Fire Department said.  Katie Hatfield opened her bedroom door and was met with thick black smoke and extreme heat, Newell Branin Jr. wrote on Facebook. Hatfield had put Jack, 3 years old, on the back roof but she couldn't use the window, being six months pregnant, Branin said. Using 9-1-1, she directed firefight…

SHARE

by Sam Barron