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Police & Fire
Meth & Cocaine, Guns, Thousands In Cash Seized In Major Takedown Of NJ Drug Ring Meth & Cocaine, Guns, Thousands In Cash Seized In Major Takedown Of NJ Drug Ring
Meth & Cocaine, Guns, Thousands In Cash Seized In Major Takedown Of NJ Drug Ring A seven-month-long investigation led to nearly two dozen arrests and the seizure of several pounds of drugs, firearms, ammunition, drug money and more, authorities in Central Jersey announced. "Operation Fire and Ice" — launched under the direction of Acting Somerset County Prosecutor Thomas J. Chirichella Jr., and multiple federal law enforcement agencies — targeted a crystal meth, cocaine and firearms distribution ring, Chirichella's office said on Monday, March 7. Twenty search warrants were executed at the homes of Jeffrey Cope, Shayne Murdock, Jermaine Lloyd, Jason Fort, David Nin…

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by Cecilia Levine
Police & Fire
3 Charged With Attempted Murder In Union County Shooting 3 Charged With Attempted Murder In Union County Shooting
3 Charged With Attempted Murder In Union County Shooting Three men have been charged with attempted murder in an April 2021 shooting in which they fired 35 rounds at their target while in a stolen car in Union County, authorities said. Raheim Morgan, 19 of Dunellen, Ja’Son Spann, 19 of Plainfield and Demetrius Stephens 19 of Piscataway, were driving on Liberty and West 4th streets in Plainfield, on April 26 around 1:30 p.m., when they opened fire, Union County Prosecutor William A. Daniel said. The victim was able to hide and take cover, ultimately emerging unharmed, authorities said. Once on scene, officers found numerous shell spent casings and…

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by Cecilia Levine
News
Conspirator Who Used NJ High School Students To Cash Stolen COVID Stimulus Checks Gets 4 Years Conspirator Who Used NJ High School Students To Cash Stolen COVID Stimulus Checks Gets 4 Years
Conspirator Who Used NJ High School Students To Cash Stolen COVID Stimulus Checks Gets 4 Years One of a nest of criminals who paid New Jersey high school students to cash COVID stimulus checks stolen from the mail was sentenced to four years in federal prison. Because there's no parole in the federal prison system, Jeffrey Bennett, 27, of Irvington, must serve just about all of the plea-bargained sentence rubber-stamped by a U.S. District Court judge in Newark via videoconference on Monday, Feb. 14. Bennett -- a reputed associate of a group called "The Members" -- recruited U.S. Postal Service employees to steal checks, checkbooks, debit cards, and credit cards from the mail in excha…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
Trash Disposal Business Owner Pinned, Killed Working On Garbage Truck In Central Jersey: Police Trash Disposal Business Owner Pinned, Killed Working On Garbage Truck In Central Jersey: Police
Trash Disposal Business Owner Pinned, Killed Working On Garbage Truck In Central Jersey: Police The 67-year-old owner of a garbage collection business was killed while working on a company truck, authorities said. Kenneth Buratti of Piscataway was pinned by a hydraulic arm attached to a garbage collection truck at 8:31 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 9,, according to Middlesex police. Police received a 9-1-1 call from an employee at Bridgewater Disposal, 1 South Raritan Ave. reporting the machinery accident,  Buratti was performing maintenance on a truck when the accident occurred, police said. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Representatives from the Middlesex County Medica…

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by Jon Craig
Police & Fire
NJ Woman Found Dead In Lake Alongside Her Baby Was Mourning Loss Of Her Dad NJ Woman Found Dead In Lake Alongside Her Baby Was Mourning Loss Of Her Dad
NJ Woman Found Dead In Lake Alongside Her Baby Was Mourning Loss Of Her Dad The woman who died alongside her 9-month-old son after their car was found in a Central Jersey pond had been mourning the loss of her own father, according to her posts on social media. The bodies of Tamequa Robinson, 30, of Edison, and her baby boy were pulled from their car in Piscataway's New Market Pond around 5:35 Tuesday morning, according to Middlesex County Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone. The boy was identified as Noah by family on social media. A passerby reportedly called police after spotting a vehicle floating in the pond at Stelton Road and Lakeview Avenue. The mom and her baby w…

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by Jon Craig & Cecilia Levine
News
Winning Jersey Cash 5 Lottery Player Takes Home $841K In Central Jersey Winning Jersey Cash 5 Lottery Player Takes Home $841K In Central Jersey
Winning Jersey Cash 5 Lottery Player Takes Home $841K In Central Jersey There's a very lucky Jersey Cash 5 winner in Central Jersey, state Lottery officials said. One lucky ticket matched all five numbers drawn to win the $840,823 Jersey Cash 5 jackpot from Friday's drawing.  The winning numbers were: 03, 21, 29, 31, and 45 and the XTRA number was: 05. The retailer will receive a bonus check for $2,000 for selling the winning ticket.  The winning ticket was sold at Walmart #2633, 1303 Centennial Ave., Piscataway in Middlesex County.

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by Jon Craig
Business
QuickChek Just Opened 3 New Stores In NJ [Look Inside] QuickChek Just Opened 3 New Stores In NJ [Look Inside]
QuickChek Just Opened 3 New Stores In NJ [Look Inside] Three new QuickChek convenience stores have recently opened for business throughout the Garden State — and several more openings are on the horizon. The new locations can be found off Route 287 in Roxbury, on Easton Avenue in Somerset and Lakeview Avenue in Piscataway, brand officials said in a press release. Each new store features indoor/outdoor seating, has 16 gas pumps and of course, serves up the chain’s classic food and drink menu. The new stores have also shifted to prioritize convenience amid pandemic-related routine changes. “When consumer behavior shifted during the early stages…

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by Valerie Musson
Police & Fire
Victim ID'd In Central Jersey Shooting Victim ID'd In Central Jersey Shooting
Victim ID'd In Central Jersey Shooting Authorities have released the name of a 22-year-old victim who was fatally shot in Central Jersey.  Alphonso Brown of North Brunswick sustained apparent gunshot wounds in the shooting at 3:58 p.m. Thursday in Piscataway, authorities said.. The victim was taken to a nearby hospital where he was later pronounced dead, according to Middlesex County Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone and Piscataway Police Chief Thomas Mosier.  The shooting occurred nearWashington Avenue and West Fifth Street  Anyone with information or surveillance footage of the area is asked to&n…

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by Jon Craig
Police & Fire
Central Jersey Police Seek Public's Help In Deadly Shooting Investigation Central Jersey Police Seek Public's Help In Deadly Shooting Investigation
Central Jersey Police Seek Public's Help In Deadly Shooting Investigation Authorities in Central Jersey are seeking the public's help in a shooting that left one dead Thursday. Officers found a male with gunshot wounds near West Fifth Street and Washington Avenue in Piscataway just before 4 p.m., Middlesex County Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone and Chief Thomas Mosier said. Responders performed lifesaving measures before the man was taken to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead. His identity was being withheld pending notification of family. Anyone with information or surveillance footage of the area is asked to call Detective TJ Patel of the Piscata…

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by Cecilia Levine
Weather
IDA: Death Toll Climbs To 23 In New Jersey IDA: Death Toll Climbs To 23 In New Jersey
IDA: Death Toll Climbs To 23 In New Jersey The death toll caused by the remnants of Hurricane Ida that tore through New Jersey Wednesday had climbed to 23 as of Thursday afternoon, Gov. Phil Murphy said at a press conference. Most of these deaths were individuals who got stuck in vehicles due to flooding and were overtaken by water, he said from fire station in Hillsborough. The governor reminded residents New Jersey is still in the midst of Ida, and urged people not to travel. Those who died include: Four Elizabeth residents -- a couple ages 71 and 72, their 38-year-old son and a 33-year-old neighbor. Their bodies were found by…

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by Cecilia Levine
News
Crews Recover Body Of 31-Year-Old NJ Man Carried Into Sewer Pipe By Flood Waters Crews Recover Body Of 31-Year-Old NJ Man Carried Into Sewer Pipe By Flood Waters
Crews Recover Body Of 31-Year-Old NJ Man Carried Into Sewer Pipe By Flood Waters Officials have identified the body of a man who was killed after being swept into a storm drain in Central Jersey flood waters Wednesday as a 31-year-old Edison man. The body of Dhanush Reddy was recovered Thursday morning from the 36-inch pipe in a wooded area on the1300 block of Centennial Avenue in Piscataway, officials said. 09/02/2021: Shortly after 1am, a team from Neptune Township Special Operations were deployed to Middlesex County with a... Posted by Neptune Township Special Operations Rescue on Thursday, September 2, 2021 The pipe goes from under Stelton Road in South Plainfi…

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by Cecilia Levine
Obituaries
Hunterdon County Native, Beloved Family Restaurant Owner John Cryan III Dies Suddenly At 31 Hunterdon County Native, Beloved Family Restaurant Owner John Cryan III Dies Suddenly At 31
Hunterdon County Native, Beloved Family Restaurant Owner John Cryan III Dies Suddenly At 31 Hunterdon County native and family restaurant owner John F. Cryan III died suddenly at his home in Pittstown on July 17. He was 31. Born in Piscataway, Cryan spent several years in Inverness, FL before moving to Pittstown, where he’d lived for the past 21 years, his obituary says. Cryan graduated from Delaware Valley Regional High School and Sage Day High School in 2008, his memorial says. Afterward, he joined the family business by stepping into the role of owner and manager at Cryan’s Tavern in Annandale, which posted a sign honoring his memory that was flooded with heartfelt comments o…

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by Valerie Musson