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Police & Fire
Kidnapper Coaxes 12-Year-Old Into His Car, Sexually Assaults Her At His NJ Home: Prosecutor Kidnapper Coaxes 12-Year-Old Into His Car, Sexually Assaults Her At His NJ Home: Prosecutor
Kidnapper Coaxes 12-Year-Old Into His Car, Sexually Assaults Her At His NJ Home: Prosecutor A Union County driver coaxed a 12-year-old girl into his car while she was walking home from the movies in Essex County and sexually assaulted her at his home the following day, authorities said. Keith Ashley-Drake, 52, pulled over and convinced the Irvington girl to take a ride from him around 10 p.m. on March 17, Union County Prosecutor William A. Daniel said. Ashley-Drake brought the girl to his home in Fanwood, and sexually assaulted her the following day, Daniel said. It wasn't immediately clear how the girl got away, however, an investigation launched March 24 identified Ashley-…

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by Cecilia Levine
News
'Joker' Sequel Films At Shuttered North Jersey Hospital 'Joker' Sequel Films At Shuttered North Jersey Hospital
'Joker' Sequel Films At Shuttered North Jersey Hospital Batman, beware. The Joker is causing mayhem in Essex County. "Joker: Folie à Deux," the sequel to 2019's "Joker" is filming at the shuttered Essex County Isolation Center this week, Belleville Mayor Michael Melham confirmed.  The hospital is standing in for the infamous Arkham Asylum, where Batman's rogue gallery of villains often end up after causing untold destruction in Gotham City. Residents can expect nearby roads to be closed during filming, while other roads will be only accessible by showing IDs, Melham said. Melham also warned that filming is on private property and asked peo…

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by Sam Barron
News
9-Year-Old Newark Girl's Death Prompts Wave Of Support 9-Year-Old Newark Girl's Death Prompts Wave Of Support
9-Year-Old Newark Girl's Death Prompts Wave Of Support Syhriah Julien was just nine years old when she died earlier this month due to complications from asthma, those who knew her said.  Now, residents of Union and Essex counties are coming together to help her Newark family. A GoFundMe has been organized to assist Syhriah's mother, Niyah as she deals with the sudden loss.  More than $26,300 had been raised as of Tuesday, March 28 on the campaign launched by Catherine Crowe. "Syhriah was a strong, heroic, spirited angel," Crowe said "She was such a fighter." The money will go to helping the family pay with funeral costs and al…

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by Sam Barron
News
WINNERS: Mega Millions Players Take Home $30K, $10K WINNERS: Mega Millions Players Take Home $30K, $10K
Winners: Mega Millions Players Take Home $30K, $10K There were two third-tier prizewinning tickets sold for the Friday, March 24, drawing that matched four of the five white balls and the Gold Mega Ball. One of those tickets was purchased with the Megaplier option, multiplying the prize to $30,000.  Those tickets were purchased at the following locations: Gloucester County ($30,000): Collings Lakes Food Market, 10 E. Blackhorse Pke, Williamstown; and Essex County ($10,000): Stop & Shop #2807, 875 Bloomfield Ave., West Caldwell. The winning numbers for the Friday, March 24, drawing were: 14, 17, 33, 42, and 66. The Gold Mega Ball w…

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by Jon Craig
News
NJ Bridal Shop Worker Admits Scamming Future Brides Out Of Gowns NJ Bridal Shop Worker Admits Scamming Future Brides Out Of Gowns
NJ Bridal Shop Worker Admits Scamming Future Brides Out Of Gowns A 53-year-old New Jersey bridal shop worker admitted to conning brides out of wedding dresses, authorities announced. Nidelka Mayers, of East Orange, pleaded guilty during a virtual hearing this week to five counts of theft by deception, officials in Essex County said. Victims told authorities that they had each purchased and paid for wedding dresses at Maplewood Bridal on Springfield Avenue, in Maplewood, dating back to August 2022, but had not received them, a spokesperson for the Essex County Prosecutor's Office said. They had also stopped hearing from the business. Mayers was…

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by Cecilia Levine
Police & Fire
Twins Charged With Man's Parking Lot Murder In Newark: Prosecutor Twins Charged With Man's Parking Lot Murder In Newark: Prosecutor
Twins Charged With Man's Parking Lot Murder In Newark: Prosecutor Twin brothers from Newark have been arrested in connection with the fatal shooting of a Jersey City man, authorities said. Dequan and Uquan Meadows, both 24, are accused of killing Boubacar Doukoure, 29, according to Acting Essex County Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephens, II. On Jan. 24, police responded at 5:28 p.m. to a report of a shooting on the 100 block of Clinton Avenue in Newark. Doukoure was found unresponsive in a parking lot and pronounced dead at the scene at 6:02 p.m., Stephens said. After an investigation by the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office Homicide Task Force, Dequan a…

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by Jon Craig
News
Three-Time North Jersey Bank Robber Convicted Of Cellphone Store Holdup Three-Time North Jersey Bank Robber Convicted Of Cellphone Store Holdup
Three-Time North Jersey Bank Robber Convicted Of Cellphone Store Holdup An ex-con from Essex County who served 13½ years in federal prison for holding up banks in Fair Lawn, Clifton and Belleville within weeks of one another was convicted Monday of robbing an East Orange cellphone store at gunpoint just two months after his release. Kenneth Graham, 50, of Newark, was wearing a black mask and blue jeans when he entered the downtown Boost Mobile store on Central Avenue and announced a robbery in the middle of the afternoon on Jan. 18, 2021, federal prosecutors said. Graham pointed a gun at a store employee, who was ordered to place several cell phones from a dis…

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
WINNERS: Mega Millions Lottery Players Take Home $30K, $10K WINNERS: Mega Millions Lottery Players Take Home $30K, $10K
Winners: Mega Millions Lottery Players Take Home $30K, $10K A pair of lucky Mega Millions lottery players won prizes in the Friday, March 17 drawing, state officials said. They matched four of the five white balls and the Gold Mega Ball drawn winning the $10,000 prize. One of those tickets was purchased with the Megaplier option, multiplying the prize to $30,000.  Those tickets were purchased at the following locations: Essex County ($30,000): Jerusalem Market, 252 Sanford St., East Orange; and Essex County ($10,000): Shoprite Essex Green Shopping Center, 495 Prospect Ave., West Orange. The winning numbers for the Friday, March 17, drawing we…

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by Jon Craig
News
WINNER: Lucky Jersey Cash 5 Ticket Sold In Montclair WINNER: Lucky Jersey Cash 5 Ticket Sold In Montclair
Winner: Lucky Jersey Cash 5 Ticket Sold In Montclair A Jersey Cash 5 ticket winning more than $161,000 was sold over the weekend in Essex County. The winning ticket  matched all five numbers drawn winning the $161,534 Jersey Cash 5 jackpot from the Saturday, March 18, drawing.  The winning ticket was sold at Acme #1764, 510 Valley Road in Montclair. The winning numbers were: 04, 10, 16, 24 and 27 and the XTRA number was: 02.  The retailer will receive a bonus check for $2,000 for the winning ticket sold. 

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by Cecilia Levine
Police & Fire
Thief Convicted Of Stealing Home, $110K+ From Victim Causing Her To Lose NJ Home Thief Convicted Of Stealing Home, $110K+ From Victim Causing Her To Lose NJ Home
Thief Convicted Of Stealing Home, $110K+ From Victim Causing Her To Lose NJ Home A 36-year-old Newark man has been convicted of theft and forgery that caused a woman to lose her home, authorities said. The thefts also caused the woman with a mental health condition to lose more than $110,000, according to Acting Essex County Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephens. ,After a four-day trial, the jury found  Obadiah Salters guilty on all 24 counts of theft and forgery charges, Stephens said on Friday, March 17. In December 2016, the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office Financial Crimes Unit initiated an investigation into alleged acts of forgery and theft by Salters against…

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by Jon Craig
News
WINNER: Jersey Cash 5 Lottery Player Takes Home $595K WINNER: Jersey Cash 5 Lottery Player Takes Home $595K
Winner: Jersey Cash 5 Lottery Player Takes Home $595K One lucky ticket matched all five numbers drawn winning the $595,153 Jersey Cash 5 jackpot from Thursday, March 16, state Lottery officials said. The winning numbers were: 02, 18, 23, 25 and 37 and the XTRA number was: 03.  The retailer will receive a bonus check for $2,000 for selling the winning ticket.  The winning ticket was sold at A1 Mini Market 2, 441 Mt. Prospect Ave., Newark in Essex County.

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by Jon Craig
News
$348K NJ Fast Play Lottery Ticket Sold At Krauszer's $348K NJ Fast Play Lottery Ticket Sold At Krauszer's
$348K NJ Fast Play Lottery Ticket Sold At Krauszer's One lucky player bought a Fast Play ticket for the $10 Max Cash Multiplier winning $347,930 on Tuesday, March 14. The winning ticket was sold at Krauszer’s Food and Liquor, 1263-1267 Broad St., Bloomfield in Essex County.

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by Jon Craig