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Police & Fire
NJ Under Mandatory Fire Restrictions, Drought Watch Amid High Risk For Wildfires: What To Know NJ Under Mandatory Fire Restrictions, Drought Watch Amid High Risk For Wildfires: What To Know
NJ Under Mandatory Fire Restrictions, Drought Watch Amid High Risk For Wildfires: What To Know New Jersey officials have implemented high-level fire restrictions due to extremely dry conditions, making forests extremely vulnerable to wildfires. The Stage 3 restrictions prohibit all fires unless they are contained in an elevated stove using only propane, natural gas or electricity, according to the Department of Environmental Protections, which mandated Stage 3 fire restrictions earlier this week. No wood or charcoal fires are allowed, and the use of kerosene or gas torches of any kind is prohibited during the Stage 3 restrictions. The fire ban is in place on all public lands and priv…

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by Cecilia Levine
Police & Fire
Driver, 33, Charged In Crash That Killed Passaic County Grandmother: Prosecutor Driver, 33, Charged In Crash That Killed Passaic County Grandmother: Prosecutor
Driver, 33, Charged In Crash That Killed Passaic County Grandmother: Prosecutor A 33-year-old Clifton man has been charged in the April crash that killed a 58-year-old grandmother from Passaic, authorities announced. Grzegorz Wolak was in a red Ford Explorer when he struck Rachel McNeil on Passaic and Aycrigg avenues around 11:15 p.m. April 10, Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes and Passaic Chief of Police Luis A. Guzman said. McNeil died two days later at St. Joseph’s University Medical Center. McNeil, who worked at nearby St. Mary's General Hospital, had two sons, a daughter, and 13 grandchildren, as previously reported by Daily Voice. W…

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by Cecilia Levine
Police & Fire
Missing Juvenile Located, Arrested For Stealing Vehicle: Berkeley Heights PD Missing Juvenile Located, Arrested For Stealing Vehicle: Berkeley Heights PD
Missing Juvenile Located, Arrested For Stealing Vehicle: Berkeley Heights PD A missing teenager was located and subsequently arrested for stealing a vehicle on Monday, Oct. 21, in Berkeley Heights, police said. Bernards Township police notified surrounding municipalities of a missing juvenile from a residential school within their township, Berkeley Heights police said. The juvenile was found at a family member's residence in Berkeley Heights hours later but fled prior to the arrival of the police, officers said. Officers then conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle reported stolen from Bernards Township earlier in the day, police said. The driver of the vehicle,…

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by Sam Barron
Police & Fire
Union County Man Arrested For DUI After Striking Curb: Police Union County Man Arrested For DUI After Striking Curb: Police
Union County Man Arrested For DUI After Striking Curb: Police A 43-year-old Union County man was arrested and charged with drunk driving after he struck a curb in Denville on Monday, Oct. 21, authorities said. Officers responded to 3056 Route 10 West after a black Honda struck a curb, Denville police said. The driver, Brian Sharkey, a Mountainside resident, was found to be under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs, police said. Sharkey was arrested and transported to police headquarters for processing, police said. Sharkey refused to submit to a chemical test and was charged with driving under the influence and reckless driving, among other off…

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by Sam Barron
Police & Fire
Paterson Building Collapse Under Investigation Paterson Building Collapse Under Investigation
Paterson Building Collapse Under Investigation Authorities are investigating a building collapse overnight in Paterson. The vacant, single-story building on Ryle Avenue collapsed around 12 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 23, the fire department said. The building is attached to a vacant three-story mill. Public Service Electric was on the scene working to isolate power to the street and manage downed wires. Crews are actively conducting primary searches of the collapsed area.

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by Cecilia Levine
Police & Fire
Two People Critical After Struck By Vehicle Outside High School: Newark PD Two People Critical After Struck By Vehicle Outside High School: Newark PD
Two People Critical After Struck By Vehicle Outside High School: Newark PD Two people are in critical condition after being struck by a vehicle outside Arts High School in Newark on the morning of Wednesday, Oct. 23, authorities said. At 10:39 a.m., police responded to the 500 block of Dr. Martin Luther King Boulevard on a call of two pedestrians struck, Newark Public Safety Director Fritz Fragé said. Police found two women who had been struck as a result of a two-car crash resulting in one vehicle striking a wall at Arts High School, Fragé said.  The two pedestrians and both drivers have been transported to a nearby hospital for treatment, Fr…

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by Sam Barron
Police & Fire
Video Shows DUI Flying Jeep Driver Chatting With Cops In Hospital Bed After Wild NJ Wreck Video Shows DUI Flying Jeep Driver Chatting With Cops In Hospital Bed After Wild NJ Wreck
Video Shows DUI Flying Jeep Driver Chatting With Cops In Hospital Bed After Wild NJ Wreck Newly released bodycam footage shows the arrest of a 39-year-old man who police say was intoxicated when he blew a stop sign and sent a Jeep Wrangler airborne and onto the back deck of a New Jersey homeowner. Video shared to YouTube by Transparency Bodycam this week shows the massive police and fire response in Holmdel on Aug. 31, caused by Anthony Hernandez, of North Plainfield. “I just feel below myself,” Hernandez told officers from the hospital (around the 2-hour mark in the video). "I'm just happy you’re okay," the officer responded, saying things could've been a lot worse given the n…

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by Cecilia Levine
Police & Fire
Undercover Operation Busts NJ Smoke Shop Worker Selling Vapes To Underage Customers: Cops Undercover Operation Busts NJ Smoke Shop Worker Selling Vapes To Underage Customers: Cops
Undercover Operation Busts NJ Smoke Shop Worker Selling Vapes To Underage Customers: Cops A 24-year-old Passaic County smoke shop employee was arrested after he sold a flavored vape e-cigarette to an officer who was under 21 years old, local police said. Prospect Park police had gotten several complaints regarding activities at Moe's Smoke Shop on North 6th Street, particularly selling restricted products to underage customers, they said in a press release. Aluwyn Gomez-Amarante, an employee at the shop, was charged with one count of selling a flavored vape e-cig to an officer under 21 years old following an investigation that concluded on Wednesday, Oct. 16, police said. Gomez…

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by Cecilia Levine
Police & Fire
Newark Man Fatally Struck by Paterson Police Officer: Prosecutor Newark Man Fatally Struck by Paterson Police Officer: Prosecutor
Newark Man Fatally Struck by Paterson Police Officer: Prosecutor A 51-year-old Newark man was killed after he was fatally struck by a vehicle driven by a Paterson police officer on the evening of Monday, Oct. 21, authorities said. The police officer struck a pedestrian as they were exiting the Paterson Police Department parking lot at Memorial Drive, Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia Valdes and Paterson Police Department Officer-In Charge Isa Abbassi said. The officer remained on scene and attempted to render aid to the victim, authorities said. The victim was transported to Saint Joseph’s University Medical Center for injuries to his arm and head but wa…

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by Sam Barron
Police & Fire
Two-Month-Old Dies In Elizabeth: Authorities Two-Month-Old Dies In Elizabeth: Authorities
Two-Month-Old Dies In Elizabeth: Authorities A two-month-old infant died in Elizabeth on Monday, Oct. 21, authorities said. Police responded to a report of an unresponsive infant at Pingry Place, a spokeswoman for the city said. Both parents were working, and their eldest child was watching his younger siblings, including the infant, when the infant had a medical emergency, authorities said. The infant was pronounced dead at Trinitas Hospital, authorities said. The Division of Child Protection and Permanency was notified, authorities said. No foul play was suspected and the incident remains under investigation, authorities said.

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by Sam Barron
Police & Fire
NJ Police Officer John Paul Patrick Dies Weeks After On-Duty Medical Episode: Chief NJ Police Officer John Paul Patrick Dies Weeks After On-Duty Medical Episode: Chief
NJ Police Officer John Paul Patrick Dies Weeks After On-Duty Medical Episode: Chief The Springfield Police Department is mourning the loss of one of their own. Officer John Paul Patrick suffered a medical episode while on duty on Oct. 6, which Chief John Cook said ultimately led to his passing on Monday, Oct. 21. On Tuesday, Oct. 22, Patrick was posthumously promoted to the rank of detective. He is survived by a wife, two young children, a host of caring family members and colleagues. Officer Patrick joined the SPD in May 2007 after graduating from the Cape May County Police Academy. After spending the early part of his career as a patrol officer, Patrick was assigned as…

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by Cecilia Levine
Police & Fire
NJ Man Fights Officers While Violating Protection Order In CT: Cops NJ Man Fights Officers While Violating Protection Order In CT: Cops
NJ Man Fights Officers While Violating Protection Order In CT: Cops A 41-year-old New Jersey man got into a fight with multiple Connecticut police officers trying to stop him as he violated a protective order in New Haven County, authorities said.  Jose Valentin Duran-Castillo, of Phillipsburg, NJ, faces several felony charges following his arrest on Friday, Oct. 18, East Haven Police said. A judge ordered him held on a $250,000 bond.  Police were called to a Highland Avenue home in East Haven around 5:45 p.m. to reports of an unwanted man on the property. Officers arrived to find Duran-Castillo, who immediately became hostile with authoritie…

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by Josh Lanier