Fair 93°
Police & Fire
Off-Duty Cop From Firefighting Family Smashes Into Burning NJ Home To Save 2 Dogs Off-Duty Cop From Firefighting Family Smashes Into Burning NJ Home To Save 2 Dogs
Off-Duty Cop From Firefighting Family Smashes Into Burning NJ Home To Save 2 Dogs An off-duty Bergen County police officer out for a walk with his wife became an unlikely hero Sunday, June 7, when he spotted smoke billowing from a neighboring Bloomingdale home and learned two dogs were trapped inside. Joe Kopacz, 34, was babysitting a friend's son when neighbors told him the animals were still in the house. The door was locked, no one was home, and time was running out. Kopacz searched the property for a way in and found a sledgehammer in a backyard shed. The 10-year Garfield police veteran and former volunteer firefighter with 14 years of service smashed through th…

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by Cecilia Levine
Police & Fire
YouTuber Gets Trespassing Conviction Overturned By NJ Court: Report YouTuber Gets Trespassing Conviction Overturned By NJ Court: Report
YouTuber Gets Trespassing Conviction Overturned By NJ Court: Report Matt Dolitsky, the YouTube star, who was convicted earlier this year of trespassing in New Jersey due to one of his videos, is now a free man. A New Jersey State Superior Court judge found him not guilty of trespassing last week, reversing the conviction he received from Sayreville Municipal Court. The judge found Dolitsky guilty of violating an ordinance and fined him $400. Dolitsky celebrated the verdict in a YouTube video. "This appeal was a huge victory for us, I am so happy, even though it was a huge financial burden," Dolitsky, who requested donations from users, said. "The entire or…

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by Sam Barron
Police & Fire
5 Men Injured In Random Stabbing Spree At Penn Station: Report 5 Men Injured In Random Stabbing Spree At Penn Station: Report
5 Men Injured In Random Stabbing Spree At Penn Station: Report Five people were injured in a random stabbing attack inside Penn Station in New York City — and a suspect is in custody, according to reports.  The attack happened shortly after 7 p.m. on Sunday, June 7, on the NJ Transit concourse inside the Midtown Manhattan transit hub, ABC7 reported, citing FDNY officials.   One person suffered serious injuries, two people sustained moderate injuries, and two others were left with minor injuries, according to the outlet. All five victims were taken to Bellevue Hospital and are expected to survive.  Authorities said the suspect, a 51…

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by Ben Crnic
News
55 Charged In Massive HersheyPark Brawl Investigation, Including 3 Adults: Police (UPDATE) 55 Charged In Massive HersheyPark Brawl Investigation, Including 3 Adults: Police (UPDATE)
55 Charged In Massive HersheyPark Brawl Investigation, Including 3 Adults: Police (Update) A months-long investigation into a large fight involving dozens of youths at Hersheypark has resulted in charges against 55 people, police announced on Monday, June 8. The disorder erupted inside the Dauphin County amusement park on Friday, April 3, when multiple groups of youths engaged in assaultive and disruptive behavior, prompting a large response from Hersheypark Security, Derry Township Police, Pennsylvania State Police, and other local agencies. Following what police described as a lengthy and thorough investigation, authorities identified 55 individuals allegedly involved in the in…

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by Jillian Pikora
Police & Fire
Man Convicted Of Murdering Ex-GF, Leaving Body In Backseat: Monmouth County Prosecutor Man Convicted Of Murdering Ex-GF, Leaving Body In Backseat: Monmouth County Prosecutor
Man Convicted Of Murdering Ex-GF, Leaving Body In Backseat: Monmouth County Prosecutor A 32-year-old Edison Township man was convicted of murdering his girlfriend and leaving her body in his car, authorities announced Friday, June 5. Jordan Vilcatoma-Correjo was found guilty of murder in the first degree and disturbing human remains in the death of Sonia Gonzalez, a 26-year-old Edison Township resident, Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond Santiago said. At 7:45 a.m. on Friday, June 10, Atlantic Highlands police responded to Asbury Avenue and located a Honda Accord, Santiago said. Gonzalez's body was in the backseat covered in garbage bags, missing an eye, and with si…

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by Sam Barron
Police & Fire
Paterson Home Invader Caught Within The Hour, Cops Say Paterson Home Invader Caught Within The Hour, Cops Say
Paterson Home Invader Caught Within The Hour, Cops Say A Paterson man was arrested less than an hour after a home invasion on the city's Eastside, authorities said. Paterson police responded at approximately 1:19 p.m. on Thursday, June 4, to a reported home invasion in the 300 block of Van Houten Street, according to the department. Officers secured the area and launched an investigation while detectives from the Major Crimes Division and members of the Crime Scene Investigation Unit responded to assist, police said. Investigators developed information that led them to a suspect a short distance from the scene, authorities said. Rishee Jackson…

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by Cecilia Levine
Police & Fire
BMW Driver, Teens Charged After Sneaker Trip Turns Armed Robbery In Bergen: Cops BMW Driver, Teens Charged After Sneaker Trip Turns Armed Robbery In Bergen: Cops
BMW Driver, Teens Charged After Sneaker Trip Turns Armed Robbery In Bergen: Cops What was supposed to be a trip to buy sneakers and grab Chick-fil-A ended in an armed robbery last month, according to police in Bergen County Christopher Sanchez-Fernandez, 20, of Harrison, was arrested in connection with the incident, which Deputy Chief Paul Haggerty said unfolded on Saturday, May 30, at approximately 7:33 p.m. near 1 DeKorte Park Plaza. The victim told officers he was picked up in Harrison by Sanchez-Fernandez and driven toward the Meadowlands with three other occupants in a gray BMW X3, according to police. The group was originally supposed to travel to Newport Centre …

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by Cecilia Levine
News
$616K! Monmouth County Lotto Player Hits Jackpot $616K! Monmouth County Lotto Player Hits Jackpot
$616K! Monmouth County Lotto Player Hits Jackpot It was a fabulous Friday for a lottery player in Monmouth County. A ticket sold in Freehold matched all five numbers in the Jersey Cash 5 drawing on Friday, June 5, winning $616,344.  The ticket was sold at Krauszers at 546 Park Ave.  The winning numbers were 08, 11, 13, 24 and 44. The Bullseye was 44 and the XTRA was 02. 

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by Sam Barron
Business
American Dream: Brazilian Family Transforms Bergen County Warehouse Into Tropical Brewery American Dream: Brazilian Family Transforms Bergen County Warehouse Into Tropical Brewery
American Dream: Brazilian Family Transforms Bergen County Warehouse Into Tropical Brewery A family beer brand born in Brazil has landed in Bergen County after a decade-long dream, nearly 200 warehouse tours, and years of hands-on work by the son of one of its founding investors. Asturia Brewing Co. recently opened at 155 Lodi St. in Hackensack, bringing the tropical flavors and laid-back atmosphere of Brazil to a space that owner Nicolas Reis spent years imagining, and months helping build himself. Reis, 30, of North Arlington, opened the brewery with his sister, Natalia Reis, 28, and cousins Victoria Santos, 26, and Alice Santos, 19. The business traces its roots to Brazil, wh…

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by Cecilia Levine
Business
Critical Dashboard Warnings May Not Appear In Huge Toyota, Lexus Recall Critical Dashboard Warnings May Not Appear In Huge Toyota, Lexus Recall
Critical Dashboard Warnings May Not Appear In Huge Toyota, Lexus Recall Nearly 82,000 Toyota and Lexus vehicles are being recalled because a dashboard display defect can keep critical safety warnings from appearing. Toyota issued the recall for about 81,893 vehicles, according to a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration report filed on Wednesday, May 27. The recall includes Toyota Land Cruiser Hybrid and Mirai vehicles, along with Lexus GX and UX Hybrid vehicles. The issue involves a 12.3-inch combination meter in the instrument panel, which may experience a startup problem that causes some areas of the display to go blank. That can keep required w…

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by Chris Spiker
Police & Fire
Pedestrian Killed In Paterson Crash: Prosecutor Pedestrian Killed In Paterson Crash: Prosecutor
Pedestrian Killed In Paterson Crash: Prosecutor A pedestrian was struck and killed by a vehicle in Paterson on Sunday night, June 7, authorities said. Paterson police responded at approximately 8:22 p.m. to Madison Avenue and Third Avenue on a report of a pedestrian struck by a vehicle, Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes and Paterson Police Officer-In-Charge Patrick Murray said. Officers found the victim, an unidentified male, authorities said. The victim was taken to Saint Joseph’s University Medical Center, where he was later pronounced dead. The driver involved in the crash remained at the scene, authorities said. …

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by Cecilia Levine
Police & Fire
Man Airlifted In Critical Condition After Falling From NJ Roof Man Airlifted In Critical Condition After Falling From NJ Roof
Man Airlifted In Critical Condition After Falling From NJ Roof A 52-year-old man was critically injured after falling from the roof of a home in Linden on Monday morning, June 8, police said. Linden police and firefighters responded at approximately 9:35 a.m. to the 1200 block of Bergen Avenue following reports of a medical emergency, police said. When first responders arrived, they determined the man had fallen from the roof of a two-story home. The victim was transported from the scene and then flown by medivac helicopter to University Hospital in Newark. He remained in critical condition.

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by Cecilia Levine