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Elizabeth Man Gets 25 Years For Bludgeoning Woman To Death: Authorities
A 34-year-old Elizabeth man was sentenced to 25 years in state prison on Friday, Sept. 6, after he bludgeoned a woman to death in 2022, authorities said.
On Sept. 11, 2022, at 2 a.m., police in Elizabeth found Carmen Lopez Barahona, a 30-year-old Elizabeth woman, dead after sustaining blunt force trauma to the head, Union County Prosecutor William Daniel, Elizabeth Police Chief Giacomo Sacca, and Elizabeth Police Director Earl Graves said.
Gomez fled the scene and his vehicle was later located in Perth Amboy, where he was apprehended and transported back to Union County, authoriti…
Former West New York Police Officer Johnny Lara Dies, 53
Johnny A. Lara, a former West New York resident and police officer, died on Wednesday, Sept. 4. He was 53 years old.
Lara was born in Colombia and grew up in West New York, having served as a police officer before retiring and moving to Houston TX, according to his obituary on the Barquin Funeral Home website.
He is survived by his wife, Cindy Valderramos Lara; their children Brandon, Bella and Jeremy Lara; his mother Emma J. Lara; and his siblings, Rosario Crabtree, Jimmy and Sammy Lara.
Lara was preceded in death by his father, Marcelino and his brother Henry Lara.
Servic…
Ghost Gun, 10 Rounds Of Ammo Seized From Man Fighting With Spouse At Wildwood Motel: Cops
A 47-year-old man who tried to disarm police officers was found with 10 rounds of ammo, a ghost gun, and more during a domestic dispute at a Wildwood motel on Monday, Sept. 2, Labor Day, authorities said.
Police were called to the AA Heart of Wildwood Motel at 3915 Ocean Ave., around noon, where a man later identified as Rakesh Patel had tried to kick open the lobby door while fighting with his spouse, Wildwood police said.
While searching the area, officers saw Patel try to leave the scene in a vehicle parked nearby. Shortly thereafter, Patel began physically fighting two officers, w…
Stolen Vehicle Pursuit Ends In Linden Crash, 3 In Custody: Cops
Three people were in custody in Linden following a pursuit-crash involving a stolen vehicle on Friday, Aug. 30, authorities said.
Police in Linden were notified of a pursuit entering the area around 5:30 p.m., police said in a Facebook post.
The pursuit had been terminated on Route 1 near S. Wood Ave. A short time later, the stolen vehicle struck a curb near the intersection of S. Stiles Street 21st Street and became disabled, police said.
Three suspects fled from the vehicle on foot. Officers from Linden, Elizabeth, Union, Rahway, the Union County Sheriff’s Office, and the New Jersey Stat…
Man, 30, Charged With Killing Dog In Hunterdon County: Prosecutor
A 30-year-old Hunterdon County man was arrested and charged after he fatally shot a pit bull on Monday, Aug. 12, authorities said.
At 1:30 p.m., officers responded to Flemington Whitehouse Road in Readington Township on a report of a homeowner discharging a weapon, the Hunterdon County Prosecutor's Office and Readington Township Police Department said.
The owner of the property reported a pit bull began attacking another dog and the pit bull was being aggressive toward her, authorities said. Craig Cooke, who was with the woman, then shot the pit bull, resulting in the pit bull's death, auth…
NJ Victim Seriously Burned In Chemical Attack Carried Out By FL Pair Hired By Ex-BF: Cops
Three Florida residents are in custody after police said one paid two others to carry out a chemical attack on his ex-girlfriend in New Jersey, who was airlifted to a hospital with serious burns, police said.
William DiBernardino, 49, of Boynton Beach, FL, recruited Jmarr McNeil, 39, and Betty Jo Lane, 38, in the Friday, July 26 incident in Monroe (Gloucester County), Police Chief Thomas Gilbert said.
The 42-year-old victim was returning from work when the attack happened, police said. As she opened her car door, Lane threw a cup of a highly caustic acid on her, and she suffered burns acros…
Man Barricades Himself In Paramus Home After Breaking In To Terrorize GF, Four Kids: Police
A 38-year-old man is in custody following an hours long stand-off with police in Paramus overnight, authorities said.
Jerry Green of Newark, broke into a Juniper Lane home where his girlfriend and her young children ages 8, 6, 10, and 14 were staying around 1 a.m., Paramus Police Chief Robert Guidetti said.
Armed with a stick, Green began wreaking havoc inside the home, ripping a cable box off the television, Guidetti said. The woman and her children managed to flee the house and called 911.
"Upon arrival, officers assessed the situation and treated it as a barricaded subject incident…
Wanted NJ Child Abuser Busted With Police Uniform, Handcuffs In NY Traffic Stop, Cops Say
A man who had been wanted out of New Jersey on child abuse charges was arrested in a New York traffic stop last week, when authorities found him with police uniforms and handcuffs, they said.
Joseph Zuziela, 43, of Branchburg, NJ, was stopped in Oceanside, NY on Thursday night, Aug. 8.
Somerset County Prosecutor's Fugitive Task Force Unit
Nassau County Police said officers stopped Zuziela’s vehicle at around 11:45 p.m. near Merrick and Oceanside roads. Inside, they reportedly found a trove of law enforcement paraphernalia, including police uniforms, handcuffs, a gold badge, brass knu…
Cruel Man Who Hurled Dogs Over Fence Of NJ Animal Shelter Arrested, Police Say
The man seen hurling dogs over the fence of the Atlantic County Animal Shelter has been arrested, police said,
Jahlil McNeal, 23, of Atlantic City, was identified by city police as the man captured in disturbing footage throwing dogs over the fence at the county animal shelter and leaving.
McNeal has been charged with four counts of cruelty to animals, failure to provide care to animals, two counts theft of services, and witness tampering.
McNeal first abandoned an animal at the shelter after hours on July 15, police said. ACPD's Humane Law Enforcement Officer, Matthew Schmidt, initia…
9 NY, NJ Spas Selling Sex For Cash Exposed In Federal Investigation, US Attorney Says
Four people have been charged with offering sexual favors at nine different massage parlors and spas across North Jersey and New York, federal officials said.
Zhejun Piao, 37, a Chinese national, Miyeon Choi, 37, a South Korean national, Shangxian Cui, 36, Chinese national, and Meixiang Jin, 34, of Palisades Park, New Jersey, are charged by complaint with one count of conspiracy to commit interstate travel or transportation in aid of a racketeering enterprise., U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced Friday, Aug. 9.
The following nine spas and massage parlors owned and operated by …
Two Arrested After Man Fatally Shot In North Bergen: Prosecutor
Two people were arrested after a 31-year-old man was fatally shot in North Bergen on Monday, Aug. 5, authorities said.
At 9 a.m., North Bergen police responded to Meadowview Avenue and 61st Street and found Juan Ortiz, a North Bergen resident, with an apparent gunshot wound, Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez said.
On Tuesday, Aug. 6, James Baker, a 24-year-old Secaucus resident and Arwa Elmhodli, a 21-year-old North Bergen resident were arrested and charged with murder, robbery and numerous weapons offenses, Suarez said.
The defendants are being detained at the Hudson County Corr…
Former Bridgwater Officer, West Milford Special Officer Thomas Dinan Dies
Thomas Dinan, a police officer in West Milford, died on Tuesday, July 30, 10 days after his 66th birthday, the department announced.
Dinan joined the West Milford Police Department in June 2018 as a Class II special officer, assisting with traffic details, township events, prisoner watches and transports and court security, police said.
Prior to joining West Milford, Dinan spent 27 years in the Bridgewater Police Department, rising to the rank of lieutenant, before retiring in 2015 after serving as patrol officer, narcotics investigator, bias crimes officer and counterterrorism liaison, pol…
