Overcast 25°
Police & Fire
Massive Fire Battles Subzero Temps, Draws Response From 12 Departments In Sussex County Massive Fire Battles Subzero Temps, Draws Response From 12 Departments In Sussex County
Massive Fire Battles Subzero Temps, Draws Response From 12 Departments In Sussex County Firefighters from across Sussex County joined forces early Monday, Dec. 23, to battle a massive structure fire. The Sussex County Sheriff’s 911 Center began receiving calls about the blaze at the in the Carriage Acres development of Hampton Township, around 7:50 a.m., Hampton Township Fire & Rescue reported. Smoke was visible from all sides of the building when Chief 48-1 arrived on the scene. The chief confirmed the fire to dispatch, triggering a multi-agency response. Hampton Fire’s 48Engine2 was the first unit to arrive, deploying several lines to knock down the flames and prote…

SHARE

by Cecilia Levine
Police & Fire
Professor Sexually Harassed Student At Essex County Community College: Prosecutor Professor Sexually Harassed Student At Essex County Community College: Prosecutor
Professor Sexually Harassed Student At Essex County Community College: Prosecutor A professor at Essex County College in Newark was arrested and charged on Monday, Dec. 23 with criminal sexual contact against a student, authorities said. Gnanaseharan Selliah, a West Orange resident and adjunct professor at the school, engaged in sexually inappropriate contact with an adult student last month, Essex County Prosecutor Theodore Stephens and Essex County College Department Chief of Police Anthony Cromartie said. Seliah is also an ESL teacher at Bloomfield High School and taught at St. Peters University, according to his Linkedin.  The news comes days after Be…

SHARE

by Sam Barron
Police & Fire
Woman Burned In Space Heater Fire: NJSP Woman Burned In Space Heater Fire: NJSP
Woman Burned In Space Heater Fire: Njsp A 67-year-old woman was burned following a space heater fire in Sussex County on Thursday, Dec. 19, authorities said. At 9:25 p.m., officers responded to a residence on Oak Ridge Road in Montague Township and transported the woman to the hospital, Jeffrey Lebron, a spokesman for the New Jersey State Police said. The woman had non-life-threatening injuries, Lebron said. The fire remains under investigation, Lebron said.

SHARE

by Sam Barron
Police & Fire
Batman Fan At Large After Removing Sign In Morristown: Sheriff's Office Batman Fan At Large After Removing Sign In Morristown: Sheriff's Office
Batman Fan At Large After Removing Sign In Morristown: Sheriff's Office If he's not found soon, Morris County might have to call in the World's Greatest Detective. A man is at large after he damaged a sign at a business in Morristown on Saturday, Nov. 2, authorities said. At 12:25 a.m., a man wearing a Batman shirt was observed on surveillance video removing a plastic A-Frame sign from Prime Tobacco Zone at 45 South St, the Morris County Sheriff's Office said. He was also wearing a dark baseball cap, blue jeans, and dark boots with white soles, authorities said. After removing the sign he proceeded down South Street toward Community Place, stumbling as he…

SHARE

by Sam Barron
Police & Fire
3-Hour Fight: Firefighters Battle Raritan Township House Blaze 3-Hour Fight: Firefighters Battle Raritan Township House Blaze
3-Hour Fight: Firefighters Battle Raritan Township House Blaze Firefighters from multiple agencies came together to fight a structure fire on Saturday, Dec. 21 in Raritan Township, responders said. Yesterday afternoon at 1705 Hours, the Rescue Squad responded with the Raritan Township Fire Company and mutual aid... Posted by Flemington-Raritan First Aid and Rescue Squad on Sunday, December 22, 2024 The Flemington-Raritan First Aid and Rescue Squad responded to the Nashaway Drive blaze, which was reported at 5:05 p.m., the Flemington-Raritan First Aid and Rescue Squad said. When crews arrived, they found an active fire, officials said. The…

SHARE

by Cecilia Levine
Police & Fire
Decomposed Body Found In NJ Woods ID'd As Missing Man From India, 4 Charged With Murder Decomposed Body Found In NJ Woods ID'd As Missing Man From India, 4 Charged With Murder
Decomposed Body Found In NJ Woods ID'd As Missing Man From India, 4 Charged With Murder Four men from Indiana have been charged with murder and conspiracy to commit murder in connection with the death of a 35-year-old man from India, whose decomposed body was found in a wooded area of Ocean County, authorities said. Kuldeep Kumar had been reported missing by family members in Ozone Park, NY on Oct. 26, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer and NJSP Superintendent Colonel Patrick J. Callahan said. His body was later found in the Greenwood Wildlife Management Area in Manchester Township. On Sunday, Dec. 21, authorities identified the suspects as Sourav Kumar, 23…

SHARE

by Cecilia Levine
Police & Fire
Firefighter Injured During Santa Detail In Bergen County (PHOTOS) Firefighter Injured During Santa Detail In Bergen County (PHOTOS)
Firefighter Injured During Santa Detail In Bergen County (Photos) A Glen Rock volunteer firefighter was hospitalized Saturday night, Dec. 21, after sustaining a head injury during a "Santa Detail" event, according to incident reporter Boyd A. Loving. The 24-year-old firefighter was riding on top of a fire truck when his head was struck by a low-hanging tree branch on Doremus Avenue, near the Glen Rock Municipal Pool, Loving said.  The injury, described as non-life-threatening, prompted an immediate response from local emergency services. Firefighters from Hawthorne Rescue Company #5 assisted Glen Rock Fire Department personnel in moving the injured …

SHARE

by Cecilia Levine
Police & Fire
Newlywed Little Falls Officer Gets Special Hospital Sendoff After Harrowing Crash (VIDEO) Newlywed Little Falls Officer Gets Special Hospital Sendoff After Harrowing Crash (VIDEO)
Newlywed Little Falls Officer Gets Special Hospital Sendoff After Harrowing Crash (Video) The Little Falls Police Department has shared heartfelt footage of Officer Antonio Piedrabuena being discharged from The Valley Hospital on Saturday, Dec. 21, following a harrowing accident just days earlier. Piedrabuena, a newlywed, experienced a medical emergency on Thursday, Dec. 19, while driving his marked police vehicle. The episode caused the car to accelerate uncontrollably, reaching speeds of 102 miles per hour, the department said. The officer veered over the double-yellow lines, hit a curb and utility pole, and then crashed into Schumacher Chevrolet on Main Street near Union Avenu…

SHARE

by Cecilia Levine
Police & Fire
Residents Reflect On Life, Legacy Of Bound Brook Police Chief Who Died Of Cancer Residents Reflect On Life, Legacy Of Bound Brook Police Chief Who Died Of Cancer
Residents Reflect On Life, Legacy Of Bound Brook Police Chief Who Died Of Cancer The Bound Brook Police Department is mourning the loss of its chief, Richard S. Colombaroni, a lifelong resident and pillar of the community whose leadership and dedication over a 40-year career left an enduring impact. Chief Colombaroni passed away following a battle with pancreatic cancer, the department announced Friday, Dec. 20. He was 62 years old. A true embodiment of duty and integrity, Colombaroni began his career in 1983 as a dispatcher before attending the Municipal Police Academy in Sea Girt. That same year, he officially joined the Bound Brook Police Department as a pa…

SHARE

by Cecilia Levine
Police & Fire
NJ Dad Killed In Dump Truck Crash Was Avid Gardener With Hard Work Ethic NJ Dad Killed In Dump Truck Crash Was Avid Gardener With Hard Work Ethic
NJ Dad Killed In Dump Truck Crash Was Avid Gardener With Hard Work Ethic Services have been finalized for the 57-year-old Morris County man killed in a dump truck crash this week. Peter Janke, of Chester, rear-ended a garbage truck on Route 206 in Mount Olive early Wednesday, Dec. 18 in Morris County, the Morris County Prosecutor's Office said. Known for his strong work ethic, Pete was a manager at PLPS Printing Co. in Little Falls, his obituary on the William J. Leber Funeral Home website says. "Outside of work, he was an avid gardener with a passion for tending to his plants and maintaining his lawn," his obituary reads. "He found great jo…

SHARE

by Cecilia Levine
Police & Fire
Officer Reached 102 MPH, Went Airborne In Crash Caused By Medical Episode, Little Falls PD Says Officer Reached 102 MPH, Went Airborne In Crash Caused By Medical Episode, Little Falls PD Says
Officer Reached 102 MPH, Went Airborne In Crash Caused By Medical Episode, Little Falls PD Says Little Falls police have released details and identified the officer involved in a serious crash while on duty earlier this month. Little Falls Patrolman Antonio Piedrabuena began experiencing symptoms of a medical emergency, causing his marked police vehicle to accelerate uncontrollably around 1:18 a.m. on Dec. 12, his department said in a news release. The police unit reached speeds of 102 miles per hour as it veered over the double-yellow lines, struck a curb and utility pole, and crashed into the front of Schumacher Chevrolet along Main Street near Union Avenue, police said. The v…

SHARE

by Cecilia Levine
Police & Fire
New Details In Deadly Pursuit-Crash Involving 20-Year-Old Driver, New Jersey AG Releases New Details In Deadly Pursuit-Crash Involving 20-Year-Old Driver, New Jersey AG Releases
New Details In Deadly Pursuit-Crash Involving 20-Year-Old Driver, New Jersey AG Releases New details have been released in an October pursuit crash that killed a 20-year-old Virginia man in New Jersey, officials said. Scott Segreaves was operating a vehicle on Water Street in Milford Borough when New Jersey State Police Staff Sergeant Nicholas Pryszlak attempted to catch up to his car in connection with a speeding violation on Oct. 28, the State Attorney General's Office said this week. Both vehicles made left turns on Stamets Road in Holland Township and Sgt. Pryszlak activated his lights and sirens, authorities said. Segreaves continued to drive his vehicle, authorities …

SHARE

by Sam Barron
Police & Fire
20 Years In Prison For German Man Who Traveled To NJ For Sex With Kids: Feds 20 Years In Prison For German Man Who Traveled To NJ For Sex With Kids: Feds
20 Years In Prison For German Man Who Traveled To NJ For Sex With Kids: Feds A 40-year-old German man was sentenced to 20 years in prison on Wednesday, Dec. 18 after admitting he traveled to New Jersey to have sex with a minor, authorities said. In January 2023, undercover officers began chatting with Christian Stefan Walther abut his desire to have sex with young children, US Attorney Philip Sellinger said.  Walther sent an undercover officer two videos, each of which depicted an adult male engaging in sexual conduct with a prepubescent aged female child, Sellinger said. Walther also expressed his desire to engage in sexual conduct with children aged…

SHARE

by Sam Barron
Police & Fire
Photos Show Plane Crash Near Lakewood Airport, 4 Miraculously Survive (UPDATE) Photos Show Plane Crash Near Lakewood Airport, 4 Miraculously Survive (UPDATE)
Photos Show Plane Crash Near Lakewood Airport, 4 Miraculously Survive (Update) A small plane crashed near Lakewood's airport, leaving four passengers injured, authorities said. Officers received a call about the crash at the Lakewood Township Municipal Airport just before 4 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 19, a Lakewood Police Department spokesperson said. Emergency responders arrived at the scene and found the plane in a wooded area. The general aviation airport is located on 191 acres off Cedarbridge Avenue and is operated by the township government. Photos were shared by The Lakewood Scoop, who was the first to report the story. View this pos…

SHARE

by Chris Spiker
Police & Fire
NJ Police Officer Arrested For Falsifying Public Records, Prosecutor Says NJ Police Officer Arrested For Falsifying Public Records, Prosecutor Says
NJ Police Officer Arrested For Falsifying Public Records, Prosecutor Says A police officer in Warren County has been charged with falsifying public records following an investigation by the Warren County Prosecutor’s Office and the Greenwich Township Police Department, authorities announced. Greenwich Township Officer Tyler S. Roller, 30, of Somerset, was arrested on Thursday, Dec. 19, after an investigation found he entered the names of two individuals into the police department's records management system in connection with incidents they were not involved in, Acting Chief Assistant Prosecutor Kevin R. Brotzman said. Roller faces one count of falsifyi…

SHARE

by Cecilia Levine
Police & Fire
Drugs, Ghost Guns, Corruption: Former NJ Police Sergeant Indicted, Prosecutors Say Drugs, Ghost Guns, Corruption: Former NJ Police Sergeant Indicted, Prosecutors Say
Drugs, Ghost Guns, Corruption: Former NJ Police Sergeant Indicted, Prosecutors Say A former Middletown police sergeant was given 22 criminal charges after an investigation revealed a web of illegal activity involving untraceable guns, drugs, and abuse of power, authorities said. David Ringkamp, 43, was indicted by a grand jury, Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond Santiago said in a news release on Thursday, Dec. 19. Ringkamp was formerly a Union Beach resident. The investigation into Ringkamp began in December 2021. New York State Police identified Nicholas D’Ambrosio of Millstone as someone purchasing kits to assemble ghost guns, which are illegal in New Jersey.…

SHARE

by Chris Spiker
Police & Fire
Chester Resident ID'd As Victim In Fatal Car-Garbage Truck Crash: Prosecutor Chester Resident ID'd As Victim In Fatal Car-Garbage Truck Crash: Prosecutor
Chester Resident ID'd As Victim In Fatal Car-Garbage Truck Crash: Prosecutor A 57-year-old Chester resident has been identified as the man killed after rear-ending a garbage truck early Wednesday, Dec. 18 in Morris County, authorities said. Peter Janke, Jr. rear-ended the truck on Route 206 in Mount Olive around 5:45 a.m., a spokesperson for the prosecutor's office said. He was pronounced dead at the scene, authorities said. The driver of the garbage truck was not injured, authorities said. There were no passengers in either vehicle, authorities said. The crash remains under investigation, authorities said.

SHARE

by Sam Barron
Police & Fire
BREAKING: Wayne School Bus Crashes Into Building After Hitting 2 Cars, Police Say BREAKING: Wayne School Bus Crashes Into Building After Hitting 2 Cars, Police Say
Breaking: Wayne School Bus Crashes Into Building After Hitting 2 Cars, Police Say A Wayne Board of Education school bus crashed into a building after striking two vehicles at a busy intersection Thursday morning, Dec. 20, authorities said. ALSO SEE: Students, School Bus Driver Hospitalized In Crash With Tractor-Trailer On Route 17 In Paramus The crash occurred at approximately 7:28 a.m. as the bus was traveling north on Black Oak Ridge Road near the intersection with Pompton Plains Crossroad, according to Detective Captain Dan Daly of the Wayne Police Department. After hitting two vehicles stopped in the left turn lane, the bus continued into the intersection, veer…

SHARE

by Cecilia Levine
Police & Fire
Sexual Misconduct With Patient Means Revocation Of License For Bergen Physical Therapist: AG Sexual Misconduct With Patient Means Revocation Of License For Bergen Physical Therapist: AG
Sexual Misconduct With Patient Means Revocation Of License For Bergen Physical Therapist: AG The New Jersey State Board of Physical Therapy Examiners has permanently revoked the license of a Bergen County physical therapist who admitted to engaging in sexual relations with one patient and was accused of making inappropriate remarks to another, officials said. Danny O. Steffens, who practiced at facilities in New Milford and Fort Lee, voluntarily surrendered his license following complaints from two female patients, identified in filed documents as Patient #1 and Patient #2, Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin announced Thursday, Dec. 19. Steffens is prohibited from ever reappl…

SHARE

by Cecilia Levine
Police & Fire
Undercover Sting Exposes Butt Lifts, Treatments Offered In Unlicensed NJ Woman's Home: Cops Undercover Sting Exposes Butt Lifts, Treatments Offered In Unlicensed NJ Woman's Home: Cops
Undercover Sting Exposes Butt Lifts, Treatments Offered In Unlicensed NJ Woman's Home: Cops A New Jersey woman was accused of performing Brazilian butt lifts and wrinkle removals at an unlicensed medical practice, authorities said. Yamile Mattos, 61, of South Plainfield, was charged with unlicensed practice of medicine, possession with intent to distribute prescription legend drugs, and possession of counterfeit or misbranded prescription legend drugs, Middlesex County Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone said in a news release on Wednesday, Dec. 18. Undercover officers posed as clients seeking cosmetic procedures at a Park Avenue home on Tuesday, Dec. 17. During the sti…

SHARE

by Chris Spiker
Police & Fire
Jefferson Man Gets Three Years For Child Pornography: Morris County Prosecutor Jefferson Man Gets Three Years For Child Pornography: Morris County Prosecutor
Jefferson Man Gets Three Years For Child Pornography: Morris County Prosecutor A 31-year-old Jefferson Township man was sentenced on Friday, Dec. 13, to three years in prison after pleading guilty to possessing child pornography, authorities said. An investigation into Richard Kattermann began after authorities received a tip he had uploaded child pornography on Discord, Morris County Prosecutor Robert J. Carroll, Morris County Chief of Detectives Robert McNally, and Jefferson Township Chief of Police Paul Castimore said. Kattermann was arrested in February and pleaded guilty to one count of third-degree endangering the welfare of a child in September, …

SHARE

by Sam Barron
Police & Fire
'You're Good:' NJ State Troopers Often Gave Connected Motorists Free Pass, Comptroller Finds 'You're Good:' NJ State Troopers Often Gave Connected Motorists Free Pass, Comptroller Finds
'You're Good:' NJ State Troopers Often Gave Connected Motorists Free Pass, Comptroller Finds The difference between getting a ticket and getting a warning from a New Jersey State Trooper could be based on who you know, according to a new report from the New Jersey Comptroller's Office. As part of its Police Accountability Project, the comptroller's office reviewed camera footage of 501 stops by state police that did not result in a ticket. In 27% of the stops, motorists presented a courtesy card, claimed to have a friend or relative in law enforcement, or flashed a law enforcement badge and then were let go, the report said. In some cases, the trooper released the motorist immediat…

SHARE

by Sam Barron
Police & Fire
Driver Dies In Route 206 Crash With Garbage Truck: Prosecutor Driver Dies In Route 206 Crash With Garbage Truck: Prosecutor
Driver Dies In Route 206 Crash With Garbage Truck: Prosecutor One person died after rear-ending a garbage truck early Wednesday, Dec. 18 in Morris County, authorities said. The crash happened on Route 206 in Mount Olive around 5:45 a.m., a spokesperson for the prosecutor's office said. The driver of the vehicle was pronounced dead at the scene.  The identity of the victim is not immediately being released. The driver of the garbage truck was not injured. There were no passengers in either vehicle. The collision remains under investigation by the Morris County Prosecutor's Office Vehicular Homicide Task Force, Morris County Sheriff's Office…

SHARE

by Cecilia Levine
Police & Fire
Driver Injured After Truck Hauling Coconut Oil Overturns On Route 80: NJSP Driver Injured After Truck Hauling Coconut Oil Overturns On Route 80: NJSP
Driver Injured After Truck Hauling Coconut Oil Overturns On Route 80: Njsp A driver was injured after his truck overturned on Route 80 in Morris County the early morning of Tuesday, Dec. 18, authorities said. At 2:53 a.m. on Route 80 west in Mount Arlington, a tanker truck hauling coconut oil veered off the roadway and overturned, Jeffrey Lebron, a spokesman for the New Jersey State Police said.  The driver sustained non-life-threatening injuries and was transported to a local hospital, Lebron said. The crash remains under investigation, Lebron said.

SHARE

by Sam Barron
Police & Fire
Cops Cut Calm YouTuber Break During Bergen County Traffic Stops, New Bodycam Footage Shows Cops Cut Calm YouTuber Break During Bergen County Traffic Stops, New Bodycam Footage Shows
Cops Cut Calm YouTuber Break During Bergen County Traffic Stops, New Bodycam Footage Shows Newly released bodycam footage reveals tech influencer Marques Brownlee calmly navigating a series of traffic stops in Bergen County, NJ over the past two years. The videos, shared by Transparency Bodycam, show the 31-year-old YouTuber from Maplewood being pulled over on three separate occasions for traffic violations. June 30, 2023, Alpine: Brownlee was stopped by police for tinted windows. Brownlee realizes soon after being pulled over that he does not have his license. Brownlee and the officer make small talk over his barber and the fact that he's going all the way to Weehawken for a hai…

SHARE

by Cecilia Levine
Police & Fire
NYC Tour Helicopter Makes Emergency Landing Along Palisades, Police Say NYC Tour Helicopter Makes Emergency Landing Along Palisades, Police Say
NYC Tour Helicopter Makes Emergency Landing Along Palisades, Police Say A tour helicopter carrying the pilot and six passengers made a safe emergency landing in the parking lot of the Englewood Marina after experiencing mechanical failure mid-flight on Tuesday, Dec. 17, police said. The Bell 407GX helicopter, owned by HeliNY.com, was giving passengers a tour of New York City when it experienced a mechanical issue, according to Lieutenant Raymond E. Walter of the Palisades Interstate Parkway Police. The pilot successfully brought the helicopter down in the marina parking lot along the Hudson River in Englewood Cliffs around 11:45 a.m. All six passengers an…

SHARE

by Cecilia Levine
Police & Fire
Five Jersey City Victims Identified In Deadly Newark Crash: Prosecutor Five Jersey City Victims Identified In Deadly Newark Crash: Prosecutor
Five Jersey City Victims Identified In Deadly Newark Crash: Prosecutor Five of the victims in a fiery Newark crash that killed six people earlier this month have been identified, authorities said. At 10:47 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 6,  a vehicle carrying six people was traveling on Raymond Boulevard toward the Route 1&9 southbound on-ramp, Essex County Prosecutor Theodore Stephens II said. The vehicle then veered off the roadway, went airborne, and struck a support column for the Pulaski Skyway, Stephens said. Lamar McKnight, 31, has been identified as the driver. Darryl McKnight, 29,  Darnell Carr, 22, Bradley Cunningham, 41 and Veronica Bailey, 31 h…

SHARE

by Sam Barron
Police & Fire
NJ Man Pleads Guilty To Toms River Man's Grisly Dismemberment, Prosecutors Say NJ Man Pleads Guilty To Toms River Man's Grisly Dismemberment, Prosecutors Say
NJ Man Pleads Guilty To Toms River Man's Grisly Dismemberment, Prosecutors Say A Brick Township man admitted to his role in the dismemberment of a Toms River man's body, authorities said. Jared Krysiak, 34, pleaded guilty on Monday, Dec. 16 to desecration of human remains, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer said in a news release. Krysiak was among the four people indicted in the killing of 56-year-old Kerry Rollason. Elizabeth Mascarelli of Seaside Heights entered a guilty plea on Monday, Dec. 9 for an aggravated manslaughter charge. She was previously indicted on Thursday, Oct. 24 for murder, conspiracy to commit murder, hindering apprehen…

SHARE

by Chris Spiker
Police & Fire
Two Out Of Staters Busted In Morris County Burglary: Police Two Out Of Staters Busted In Morris County Burglary: Police
Two Out Of Staters Busted In Morris County Burglary: Police Two people, one from Maryland and New Jersey ran into some trouble attempting a break-in in Morris County on the early morning of Monday, Dec. 16. At 3 a.m., officers responded to a report of a theft in progress at Schooley's Mountain Road in Washington Township, police said. Officers located the vehicle involved in the theft and arrested a 54-year-old man from Maryland and a 38-year-old New York man, police said. The duo were charged with burglary and theft, police said and were lodged in Morris County jail pending a court appearance.

SHARE

by Sam Barron
Police & Fire
Internet Creep Shows Up At Child's Home, Chats With Undercover Bergen County Detective: Cops Internet Creep Shows Up At Child's Home, Chats With Undercover Bergen County Detective: Cops
Internet Creep Shows Up At Child's Home, Chats With Undercover Bergen County Detective: Cops A 32-year-old Staten Island man is facing charges for showing up to the Bergen County home of a 12-year-old child for sex and then engaging with an undercover detective who subsequently posed as a juvenile online, authorities said. Christopher J. Giglio, who was only acquainted with the child over the Internet, told the victim he was 13 years old before showing up outside of their home on Wednesday evening, Dec. 11, according to Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella and the affidavit obtained by Daily Voice. Giglio fled the scene after the child’s parent saw his vehicle idling in …

SHARE

by Cecilia Levine
Police & Fire
Overturned Truck Shuts All Lanes Of Route 80: DOT Overturned Truck Shuts All Lanes Of Route 80: DOT
Overturned Truck Shuts All Lanes Of Route 80: DOT A tractor trailer overturned on Route 80 in Morris County on Tuesday, Dec. 17, authorities said. The truck overturned at 8:45 a.m. on Route 80 westbound near Exit 30 at Howard Boulevard in Mount Arlington, the New Jersey Department of Transportation said. All lanes are closed, the NJDOT said.

SHARE

by Sam Barron