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Middlesex County, NJ

140-Acre Wildfire Possibly Sparked By Halloween Fireworks Continues To Rage In Morris County 140-Acre Wildfire Possibly Sparked By Halloween Fireworks Continues To Rage In Morris County
140-Acre Wildfire Possibly Sparked By Halloween Fireworks Continues To Rage In Morris County A Morris County wildfire that residents say may have been caused by fireworks set off on Halloween night had spread to nearly 140 acres as of Friday, Nov. 1. The Craigmeur Lookout near Notch Road in Rockaway Township had been 30% contained as of 8 p.m. Friday, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service said. Residents were asked to avoid the area, the NJFFS said. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Wyckoff Fire Department (@wyckoff_fire_department) The blaze threatened 13 structures and eight structures on Green Pond Road were evac…
Driver Flees From Crash That Killed Passenger On Route 9: Prosecutor Driver Flees From Crash That Killed Passenger On Route 9: Prosecutor
Driver Flees From Crash That Killed Passenger On Route 9: Prosecutor A 47-year-old North Plainfield man was killed in a single-vehicle crash in Woodbridge on Saturday, Oct. 25 in which the driver had fled from, authorities said. Mario Ortiz Bonilla was found dead in the front passenger's seat of the 2017 Kia Sportage on Route 9 and Green Street in Woodbridge just after 9:05 a.m., Middlesex County Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone and Woodbridge PD Director Robert Hubner said. The driver had fled the scene, Ciccone and Hubner said. Authorities did not provide further details. The investigation is active and continuing. Anyone with information is asked to call …
GUILTY! Bruce Cymanski Convicted In Nancy Noga's Cold Case Killing GUILTY! Bruce Cymanski Convicted In Nancy Noga's Cold Case Killing
Guilty! Bruce Cymanski Convicted In Nancy Noga's Cold Case Killing A 52-year-old New Jersey man accused of killing a 17-year-old girl 25 years ago has been found guilty, authorities announced. A Middlesex County Jury has found Bruce A. Cymanski guilty in the 1999 murder of Sayreville's Nancy Noga, Middlesex County Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone and Sayreville Police Chief Daniel Plumacker said. Nancy was a senior in high school when she was reported missing on Jan. 7, 1999. Five days later, her body was found in a wooded area behind a strip mall on Ernston Road. An autopsy later determined Noga died from blunt force trauma after being struck with a b…
NJ Water Company Pauses Billing After Cyberattack NJ Water Company Pauses Billing After Cyberattack
NJ Water Company Pauses Billing After Cyberattack A water utility company based in Camden said it is pausing billing in the wake of a cyberattack on Thursday, Oct. 3. American Water serves 2.8 million people in the Garden State, providing water to municipalities in Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Gloucester, Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth Ocean, Salem, Somerset, Union and Warren counties. "American Water learned of unauthorized activity in our computer networks and systems," the company said in a release. "This activity has since been determined to be the result of a cybersecurity incident. In an effort to protect our …
Dad Convicted In Route 287 Road Rage Shooting With Youngsters In Car: Prosecutor Dad Convicted In Route 287 Road Rage Shooting With Youngsters In Car: Prosecutor
Dad Convicted In Route 287 Road Rage Shooting With Youngsters In Car: Prosecutor A 41-year-old Middlesex County dad has been convicted of multiple charges in a road rage shooting on a Route 287 exit ramp in May 2023, authorities said. While driving in heavy traffic on Easton Avenue in Franklin Township by the Route 287 exit ramp, Gerald Chapman pulled alongside the victim's car and struck the passenger side mirror with his left hand, the Somerset County Prosecutor's Office said. Chapman then drove behind and around to the driver's side of the vehicle, pulled out a handgun and fired two shots at the car, striking the driver's window and the rear driver's side door while …
NJ Mom Believed Killed By Husband Survived By 4 Daughters, Campaign Says NJ Mom Believed Killed By Husband Survived By 4 Daughters, Campaign Says
NJ Mom Believed Killed By Husband Survived By 4 Daughters, Campaign Says Support is on the rise for four girls mourning the loss of their 40-year-old mother, who authorities said was stabbed dead by her husband this weekend in New Jersey. A GoFundMe campaign launched for Rosana Rodriguez's daughters had raised more than $10,000 as of Sunday, Sept. 22, more than 24 hours after she was found lying on the kitchen floor of a Perth Amboy home with stab wounds next to her husband, Wellington Leonard, as previously reported by Daily Voice. Officers were called to the Bertrand Avenue home around 3 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 21, Middlesex County Prosecutor Yolanda Ci…
Luxury Essex County Car Theft Ring Dismantled, Four Arrests Made, Prosecutor Says Luxury Essex County Car Theft Ring Dismantled, Four Arrests Made, Prosecutor Says
Luxury Essex County Car Theft Ring Dismantled, Four Arrests Made, Prosecutor Says Four teenagers were arrested on Thursday, Sept. 12 and charged for their participation in an auto theft trafficking network in North Jersey, authorities said. Two juveniles, a 16-year-old Newark resident and a 17-year-old Jersey City resident would use stolen Kias, Hondas and Hyundais to look for high-end luxury vehicles like BMWs and Mercedes, Union County Prosecutor William Daniel said. After identifying target vehicles, they would go to target homes and search for keys/key fobs, Daniel said. Once they got the vehicles, they would contact Tikeem Shearin, 18, and Carlos Espi…
Essex County Landlords Among 25 Facing Fines For Considering Tenants' Criminal Histories Essex County Landlords Among 25 Facing Fines For Considering Tenants' Criminal Histories
Essex County Landlords Among 25 Facing Fines For Considering Tenants' Criminal Histories Twenty-five landlords are facing fines after state officials said they violated state laws by considering potential tenants' criminal histories. According to NJ Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin and the Division on Civil Rights (DCR), the notices of violation allege that the housing providers violated the law by, among other things, asking criminal history-related questions on housing applications that are prohibited by the law. The Notices of Violation announced Monday, Sept. 16 were served on housing providers located in 15 municipalities across Atlantic, Bergen, Burlington, C…
Teen Shared Photos From Sea.Hear.Now Before Dying In Parkway Crash Alongside Parents Teen Shared Photos From Sea.Hear.Now Before Dying In Parkway Crash Alongside Parents
Teen Shared Photos From Sea.Hear.Now Before Dying In Parkway Crash Alongside Parents The deaths of a 17-year-old girl and her parents in a crash on the Garden State Parkway have left a Bergen County community reeling. UPDATE: Joint Services Set For Woodcliff Lake Family Killed In Garden State Parkway Crash David Dryerman, 54, Michele Dryerman, 54, and their daughter Brooke, of Woodcliff Lake were identified as the victims of the crash on the Garden State Parkway in Woodbridge just before midnight Saturday, Sept. 14. David and Michele also have a son, who survives them, loved ones said. Brooke was a senior at Pascack Hills High School, and shared photos to her Instagra…
Two West Nile Virus-Related Deaths Among Six New Cases Reported In New Jersey Two West Nile Virus-Related Deaths Among Six New Cases Reported In New Jersey
Two West Nile Virus-Related Deaths Among Six New Cases Reported In New Jersey New Jersey health officials are reporting an additional six cases of West Nile Virus including two deaths, and two presumptive viremic blood donor (PVD) cases in the state.  The six new WNV cases are residents of Bergen, Camden, Cumberland, Hudson, Mercer, and Middlesex counties (one 50+, two 60+, one 70+, two 80+). The two individuals who died were older adults from Cumberland and Mercer counties, the DOH said. Two human cases of WNV were reported earlier this year in Middlesex and Union counties. Seven out of the eight cases were hospitalized with neuroinvasive disease, includi…
Tornado Watch Shifts, Now Covers These Counties Across NJ, PA As Debby Creeps In Tornado Watch Shifts, Now Covers These Counties Across NJ, PA As Debby Creeps In
Tornado Watch Shifts, Now Covers These Counties Across NJ, PA As Debby Creeps In The National Weather Service has shifted its tornado watch across New Jersey and Pennsylvania as Hurricane Debby creeps in. In New Jersey, the tornado watch is in effect through 10 p.m. Friday, Aug. 9 and covers Bergen, Essex, Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Morris, Passaic, Somerset, Sussex, Union and Warren counties in North Jersey. In Pennsylvania, the tornado watch is issued in Lehigh, Northampton, Carbon, Monroe, and Bucks counties. The tornado threat for South Jersey has diminished since the initial watch was issued early Friday morning, which has since been canceled. AccuWeather Th…
NJ Reports Three West Nile Virus Cases NJ Reports Three West Nile Virus Cases
NJ Reports Three West Nile Virus Cases The New Jersey Department of Health has confirmed the state’s first human cases of the West Nile Virus, much earlier than in prior seasons. Two residents, one more than 70 years old and the other under 18, tested positive for the illness transmitted by mosquitoes after reporting symptoms in the first week of July, the state's health department said. The individuals, from Union and Middlesex counties, were hospitalized and have since been discharged. A third case of an asymptomatic WNV-positive blood donor was later reported, the DOH said. They were identified as a Somerset County resid…
Towns With The Most Rainfall In New Jersey Towns With The Most Rainfall In New Jersey
Towns With The Most Rainfall In New Jersey The National Weather Service has released the rainfall totals from the Tuesday, Aug. 6 storm. Residents across the Northeast woke up Wednesday, Aug. 7 to several inches of water — in some places, feet. Here are the towns that got the most amount of rain: Bergen County: Ridgewood 5.79 inches   Bogota 5.60 inches Oakland 3.86 inches Leonia 3.81 inches Lyndhurst 3.77 inches Hillsdale 3.56 inches Hasbrouck Heights 3.42 inches Hackensack 2.9…
Tracking Hurricane Debby, Severe Storms Expected To Slam Northeast This Week Tracking Hurricane Debby, Severe Storms Expected To Slam Northeast This Week
Tracking Hurricane Debby, Severe Storms Expected To Slam Northeast This Week The Northeast is in for a wild week of weather. AccuWeather forecasters say episodes of drenching rain and heavy winds are working their way across the country and are expected to arrive in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Maryland on Tuesday, Aug. 6. AccuWeather The above AccuWeather map shows which part of the region will be most impacted by the storms arriving Tuesday afternoon and lasting into the evening. Those include the Pennsylvania-Maryland border, South Jersey, and the Philadelphia and Baltimore areas. Tuesday will be sunny and hot with a high of 90 before storms roll in,…
NJ Teen Recruited Undercover Agent To Blow Up PSE&G Facilities, Nabbed At Newark Airport: Feds NJ Teen Recruited Undercover Agent To Blow Up PSE&G Facilities, Nabbed At Newark Airport: Feds
NJ Teen Recruited Undercover Agent To Blow Up PSE&G Facilities, Nabbed At Newark Airport: Feds A teenager from Middlesex County is facing federal charges for asking an undercover agent to destroy PSE&G electrical facilities in New Jersey, officials announced this week. Andrew Takhistov, 18, of East Brunswick, was arrested Wednesday, July 10 at Newark Liberty International Airport where he was planning to travel to Paris on his way to Ukraine, according to the U.S. Justice Department. Takhistov is charged with one count of soliciting another individual to engage in criminal conduct that involved destroying a public service enterprise group circuit breaker and substation, fede…
Husband Charged In NJ Crash That Killed Wife, Prosecutor Says Husband Charged In NJ Crash That Killed Wife, Prosecutor Says
Husband Charged In NJ Crash That Killed Wife, Prosecutor Says Two drivers including the husband of a woman killed were found at fault in the Route 9 crash last month in Old Bridge, authorities said. Benjamin Futerman, 32, of Manalapan, and Wilson Familia, 22, of Old Bridge, have both been charged in the June 2 crash on Route 9 at Ferry Road that left Kristina Godich dead and several others injured, Middlesex County Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone and Old Bridge Police Chief Thomas J. Montagna announced Thursday, July 11. Investigators found that speeding combined “with aggressive and reckless driving" contributed to the collision, Ciccone noted. Futerman …
GOTCHA! Authorities Nab Accused Assailant, Police Rescue Stabbing Victim At CNBC HQ Lot GOTCHA! Authorities Nab Accused Assailant, Police Rescue Stabbing Victim At CNBC HQ Lot
Gotcha! Authorities Nab Accused Assailant, Police Rescue Stabbing Victim At CNBC HQ Lot UPDATE: Authorities captured a man who stabbed a woman in the parking lot of CNBC corporate headquarters in Englewood Cliffs, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella announced. The 30-year-old victim was leaving the Sylvan Avenue (Route 9W) facility shortly after 5:30 p.m. Friday, June 14, when Harshkuma H. Patel, 29, of Piscataway, approached her in the parking lot, the prosecutor said. The accused assailant, who 'd previously been seen hanging around the area, tapped on the woman's car window in the CNBC parking lot, sources said. The victim, who didn't know Patel, opened the window, …
Homicide Suspect Killed By Police Officers At NJ Hotel, AG Says Homicide Suspect Killed By Police Officers At NJ Hotel, AG Says
Homicide Suspect Killed By Police Officers At NJ Hotel, AG Says Two police officers are recovering from injuries after being shot overnight at a hotel in Woodbridge while attempting to track down a homicide suspect. The suspect was shot and killed at the scene, according to New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin. The two injured officers were from the Woodbridge Police Department and New York City Police Department, Platkin said. More details from the incident were expected to be released later on Thursday, June 13. "This incident is another reminder that our law enforcement officers risk their lives daily to keep our communities safe," Platki…
Undercover Sting Nabs NJ Creeps Seeking Sex With Kids Online, Prosecutor Says Undercover Sting Nabs NJ Creeps Seeking Sex With Kids Online, Prosecutor Says
Undercover Sting Nabs NJ Creeps Seeking Sex With Kids Online, Prosecutor Says An undercover operation targeted toward people trying to lure children into sexual activity online has led to the arrests of four men, authorities in Middlesex County said. "Operation Cruel Summer" is a multi-agency sting between the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office, US Secret Service, Hudson County Prosecutor's Office, and various local police departments. The charges were announced by Middlesex County Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone, who said four men were arrested between June 3 and June 6, 2024. The underage “children” that the perpetrators were speaking with were, in fact, underco…
Member Of Burglary Crew That Targeted Asian Homeowners On 'Hit List' In NJ, NY, PA, Sentenced Member Of Burglary Crew That Targeted Asian Homeowners On 'Hit List' In NJ, NY, PA, Sentenced
Member Of Burglary Crew That Targeted Asian Homeowners On 'Hit List' In NJ, NY, PA, Sentenced 𝗨𝗣𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘: A confessed member of a burglary ring that targeted Asian-American small business owners in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Delaware was sentenced to 33 months in federal prison. Kevin Jackson, 57, of Rahway, NJ, must serve a little over two years before he'll be eligible for release because there's no parole in the federal prison system. Jackson was part of a second-story crew that the FBI said worked from a hit list of dozens of homes in the four states based on “stereotype and opportunity" from Dec. 2, 2016, to March 20, 2019. One of Jackson's associates told detectives t…
FedEx Driver Points Police To Bronx Thief On Quiet Waldwick Street: Authorities FedEx Driver Points Police To Bronx Thief On Quiet Waldwick Street: Authorities
FedEx Driver Points Police To Bronx Thief On Quiet Waldwick Street: Authorities An alert FedEx driver pointed police in Waldwick to a Bronx man waiting on a quiet dead-end street for packages that he fraudulently had delivered there, authorities said. Officers Chris Sanchez, Dillon Sherman and Jake Wanamaker responded to her call and found the dark-colored sedan with Florida plates on Lee Court, just off Wyckoff Avenue, around 2 p.m. Friday, May 10, Lt. Troy E. Seifert said. They arrested the driver, Juan Soriano, 34, after Detective TJ Palaia discovered that he'd gone there to collect fraudulently ordered packages, the lieutenant said. Soriano, who lives 25 mile…
South River Worker Killed, 4 Hurt In Explosion At Old Bridge Manufacturing Company (UPDATE) South River Worker Killed, 4 Hurt In Explosion At Old Bridge Manufacturing Company (UPDATE)
South River Worker Killed, 4 Hurt In Explosion At Old Bridge Manufacturing Company (Update) A fiery explosion left one woman dead and four others hurt at a manufacturing company in Old Bridge on Wednesday, May 1, authorities said. Eileen Marco, 73, of South River, was killed at the scene of the explosion at Superior Signal Company, LLC in Old Bridge at approximately 11:20 a.m., Middlesex County Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone said. Four other people were injured. Photos from the scene show medical choppers landing at Veteran's Field, located nearby to transport two of the victims with serious injuries. The other two victims were taken to an area hospital with minor injuries, …
Blood Trail From Second Floor To Sidewalk Left By NJ Stabbing Victim: Police Papers Blood Trail From Second Floor To Sidewalk Left By NJ Stabbing Victim: Police Papers
Blood Trail From Second Floor To Sidewalk Left By NJ Stabbing Victim: Police Papers Newly-obtained documents paint a harrowing picture of a deadly New Jersey stabbing. Jason Torres, 32, left a trail of blood from the second floor of the home where he was stabbed to the sidewalk near Smith and Maple streets in Perth Amboy at approximately 9 p.m. Sunday, April 28, according to the affidavit for probable cause. The exact address of the stabbing was redacted from police documents, but says surveillance video shows two people leaving the side door of the address and two people leaving the front door, including the victim, before the 911 calls were placed. Jason Torres was…
Crooked Cardio Doc Admits Pocketing $2 Million In Health Insurance Ripoffs Crooked Cardio Doc Admits Pocketing $2 Million In Health Insurance Ripoffs
Crooked Cardio Doc Admits Pocketing $2 Million In Health Insurance Ripoffs The owner and sole medical provider of a Middlesex County medical practice admitted in federal court that he pocketed nearly $2 million in a long-running series of blatant health insurance scams. Dr. Fazal Panezai, a 76-year-old cardiologist from Morganville, at one point submitted claims for a single day's worth of visits to his Matawan-Aberdeen Heart & Medical Center in May 2022 that totaled 27.9 hours, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger said. Hei also billed health insurance providers more than $80,000 for office visits when he was out of the country, the U.S. attorney said. Panezai …
JCP&L Will Trim Trees Along 3,400 Miles Of Power Lines To Reduce Outages JCP&L Will Trim Trees Along 3,400 Miles Of Power Lines To Reduce Outages
JCP&L Will Trim Trees Along 3,400 Miles Of Power Lines To Reduce Outages Jersey Central Power & Light is planning to trim trees to protect more than 3,400 miles of power lines across the Garden State, officials said. JCP&L will clear trees as part of a $32.5 million plan to prevent power outages during severe weather, the company said in a news release on Wednesday, Apr. 10. It's the first part of an annual $1.5 million increase in tree-trimming costs as part of a settlement with the state Board of Public Utilities. JCP&L also said it will spend $2.5 million more in each of the next five years to expand trimming zones along 18 high-priority circ…
82-Year-Old Man Heard Wife Scream After Accidental Deadly Shooting In Edison Home: Cops 82-Year-Old Man Heard Wife Scream After Accidental Deadly Shooting In Edison Home: Cops
82-Year-Old Man Heard Wife Scream After Accidental Deadly Shooting In Edison Home: Cops An 82-year-old man is believed to have accidentally shot and killed his wife in Edison. Robert Novak was in a room on the first floor of the Glencourt Avenue home he shared with his 76-year-old wife, Patricia Novak, when he tried to clear one of his registered guns around 2:10 p.m. Friday, April 5, Middlesex County Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone said. The weapon discharged into the basement of the home, striking Patricia, whom Robert heard scream, Ciccone said. Novak went to check on his wife and learned he'd accidentally shot her, and called 9-1-1, according to the prosecutor. Patricia w…
Police Detail Suicide Note Penned By NJ Dad Before Killing 9-Year-Old Son: Affidavit Police Detail Suicide Note Penned By NJ Dad Before Killing 9-Year-Old Son: Affidavit
Police Detail Suicide Note Penned By NJ Dad Before Killing 9-Year-Old Son: Affidavit The death of a 9-year-old boy at the hands of his father in Sayreville was intended to be a murder-suicide, according to police paperwork obtained by Daily Voice. Manuel Rivera, 43, recorded an apology video following a marital dispute he’d been having with a “witness” just before leaving an Eisenhower Drive home with the 9-year-old boy Thursday, March 28, according to an affidavit for probable cause obtained by Daily Voice. “We spoke to a witness who indicated that her and Mr. Rivera were having marital issues and that he sent her a video to her phone,” Sayreville Police Det…
Dad Charged With Murder In 9-Year-Old Son's Death Is Employed By Sayreville Schools: Officials Dad Charged With Murder In 9-Year-Old Son's Death Is Employed By Sayreville Schools: Officials
Dad Charged With Murder In 9-Year-Old Son's Death Is Employed By Sayreville Schools: Officials Charges have been upgraded for a New Jersey dad whose deceased 9-year-old son was found in a burning vehicle, authorities said. Manuel Rivera has been charged with second-degree aggravated arson, first-degree murder, second-degree endangering the welfare of a child, and second-degree desecration of human remains, Middlesex County Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone said. According to Sayreville Schools Superintendent Richard Labbe, 43-year-old Rivera was employed by the district, and his son was a student at the Wilson School. The charges were filed in connection with an incident Thursday…
Controller From NJ Who Embezzled $2.37M From Madison Avenue Firm Gets 27 Months In Fed Pen Controller From NJ Who Embezzled $2.37M From Madison Avenue Firm Gets 27 Months In Fed Pen
Controller From NJ Who Embezzled $2.37M From Madison Avenue Firm Gets 27 Months In Fed Pen UPDATE: A controller from Middlesex County was sentenced to more than two years in federal prison for embezzling $2.37 million from his Madison Avenue employer. Gerard Beauzile, 63, South Plainfield, conducted an elaborate, long-running scheme to issue bogus checks to himself that he then deposited into his bank account, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger said. Beginning a decade ago and continuing through the end of 2020, Beauzile admitted issuing 140 checks to himself from the Manhattan-based company, which offers news, analysis, research and data for the "global energy industry," accordin…
CLOSE CALL: Stolen Car Rams Englewood Police Cruiser CLOSE CALL: Stolen Car Rams Englewood Police Cruiser
Close CALL: Stolen Car Rams Englewood Police Cruiser An Englewood officer escaped serious injury when a police cruiser was rammed by a driver in a stolen car, authorities said. Several occupants were in the 2019 Honda Pilot when a license plate reader flagged the vehicle – which had been reported stolen out of Elizabeth earlier that day -- shortly after 10:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 13, Deputy Police Chief Matthew de la Rosa said. Officers tried to stop the SUV on South Dean Street, but it sped off, the deputy chief said. The pursuit headed south on Broad Avenue, where the Pilot slammed into a cruiser, sending it spinning out, he said. The po…
NJ Baby Killed By Dog ID'd In Campaign NJ Baby Killed By Dog ID'd In Campaign
NJ Baby Killed By Dog ID'd In Campaign Support is surging for a New Jersey family whose 3-month-old baby was killed by the family dog. Daymon Jair Balbuena was mauled by the dog at his home on Mereline Avenue in Avenel around 6:15 a.m. Saturday, March 9, according to a GoFundMe campaign, along with Middlesex County Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone and Woodbridge Police Department Director Robert Hubner. Daymon's mother, Sierra, suffered serious injuries in the attack, the campaign says. "The love he brought to his family during his short life will never be forgotten," the boy's obituary says. More than $16,000 had been rai…