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NJ Man Convicted Of Beating Mom To Death, Prosecutor Says
A 38-year-old Maplewood resident was convicted on Monday, Oct. 21 of murder charges in his mother's death, which he then framed as a suicide, authorities said.
Benjamin Avrut was found guilty of first-degree murder after beating his 70-year-old-mothe Gwen to death, Prosecutor Theodore Stephens said. The jury had rejected Avrut's insanity defense.
On Monday, Jan. 4, 2021, Avrut entered his sleeping mother's apartment at The Top, a luxury condominium in Maplewood, Stephens said. When she awoke, Avrut beat her to death with his fists, Stephens said.
Avrut, who had a hist…
Reckless Drunk Driver Struck Parked Car: Mt Olive Police
A 45-year-old Budd Lake man was arrested and charged after he struck a parked car while driving drunk on Saturday, Oct. 26, authorities said.
At 9:24 pm, officers responded to a parking lot in the Hensyn Village Apartment complex and found a man, later identified as Ross Newman, struck a parked car, exited his vehicle and entered an apartment, Mount Olive police said.
Newman then exited the apartment and walked over to police to speak with them, officers said. As police spoke with Newman, they detected the odor of an alcoholic beverage and noted he appeared to be impaired, p…
NJ's Teri Garr From 'Young Frankenstein' Dead At 79
Teri Garr, the New Jersey actress who many knew from "Young Frankenstein," died on Tuesday, Oct. 29. She was 79 years old.
According to the New York Times, Garr's publicist, Heidi Schaeffer, said the cause was complications of multiple sclerosis.
Garr briefly lived in Franklin Lakes, NJ but her family settled down in Los Angeles, CA. Her father, Eddie Garr, was a vaudeville performer, and her mother, Phyllis, was a model and Rockette.
Garr was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in "Tootsie" and also rose to fame for her roles in "The Conversation,…
DUI Off-Duty Sergeant Charged In Route 23 Crash That Killed Dad Seeking Better Life: Prosecutor
An off-duty police sergeant has been charged in a head-on crash that killed a 55-year-old man on his way to work earlier this month on Route 23 in Morris County, authorities said.
Keith Gunther, 42, of Wanaque, and a sergeant with the East Hanover Police Department, was behind the wheel of the Ford F-150 that was traveling south in the northbound lanes when it struck a 2005 Toyota Camry, headed north, head-on just before 11 p.m. in Riverdale on Tuesday, Oct. 15, Morris County Prosecutor Robert Carroll said.
Hamid Shabuddin, a passenger in the Toyota, was killed as a result of the crash.
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