NJ Forest Fire: State Responder Critically Injured, Homes, Businesses Damaged, GSP Closed NJ Forest Fire: State Responder Critically Injured, Homes, Businesses Damaged, GSP Closed
NJ Forest Fire: State Responder Critically Injured, Homes, Businesses Damaged, GSP Closed UPDATE (w/VIDEO): A firefighter with the New Jersey Forest Fighter Service was critically injured while responding to what became a destructive forest fire on Sunday, authorities said. The wildfire jumped the entire width of the Garden State Parkway from Lakewood into Brick Township, damaged homes, office buildings and commercial businesses on and around Route 70 and forced the evacuations of a hotel, businesses and an entire neighborhood. Of 29 homes damaged in the Brick Lake Park area, three were deemed uninhabitable, Brick Mayor John Ducey said. Remaining residents were allowed to retur…
Convicted Murderer From Trenton Who Sold Gun, Extended Mag Gets 4 Years In Fed Pen Convicted Murderer From Trenton Who Sold Gun, Extended Mag Gets 4 Years In Fed Pen
Convicted Murderer From Trenton Who Sold Gun, Extended Mag Gets 4 Years In Fed Pen A convicted murderer from Trenton is headed to federal prison for four years for selling an illegal semi-automatic rifle and an extended magazine to a buyer who turned out to be a State Police cooperator. Edwin Gaines, 59, must serve all of the plea-bargained term approved Wednesday by a U.S. District Court judge in Trenton because there’s no parole in the federal prison system. U.S. District Judge Peter G. Sheridan also sentenced Gaines to three years of supervised release under the terms of the deal. The former Jersey City ex-con was among dozens of gun- and drug-running gang members nab…
PHOTOS: Early Morning Chimney Fire Tears Through Hunterdon County Home PHOTOS: Early Morning Chimney Fire Tears Through Hunterdon County Home
Photos: Early Morning Chimney Fire Tears Through Hunterdon County Home Fire crews jumped to action to extinguish an early morning chimney fire that broke out at a Hunterdon County home. The blaze was reported just after 5:10 a.m. Monday at a home in Union Township, the Pattenburg Volunteer Fire Company said on Facebook. “Within minutes our Chief and Deputy were on scene,” the company said. After discovering heavy smoke in the crawl space and billowing flames from the floor, fire crews had to tear up insulation before working on dousing the blaze. The fire was quickly placed under control with help from Pattenburg Rescue, Quakertown Fire, High Bridge Fire, Cl…
Detective Chase Down Paterson Teen Carrying Loaded Handgun, 170 Heroin Folds Detective Chase Down Paterson Teen Carrying Loaded Handgun, 170 Heroin Folds
Detective Chase Down Paterson Teen Carrying Loaded Handgun, 170 Heroin Folds Paterson detectives responding to a report of an armed assault chased down a teen who was carrying a loaded handgun and a 170 heroin folds, authorities said. Detectives Mohammad Bashir and Yamil Pimienta, responding to a report of a group assaulting two victims, approached a group of of four on the corner of Jefferson and North 5th Street, city Public Safety Director Jerry Speziale said. As they got out of their car, the detectives saw one hand a plastic bag to another and tell him to run. The boy, 17, tossed the bag as he ran through rear yards on North 4th Street before Detectives Musta…
WEATHER WHOAS: Bus Slams Into NJ Turnpike Toll Plaza WEATHER WHOAS: Bus Slams Into NJ Turnpike Toll Plaza
Weather Whoas: Bus Slams Into NJ Turnpike Toll Plaza No passengers were aboard a New Jersey Transit bus that slammed into an NJ Turnpike toll plaza as snow began falling heavily Thursday morning, authorities said. It was one of nearly 100 crashes and several dozen assist calls that brought State Police troopers on roadways across New Jersey. The driver escaped serious injuries when the #113 bus slammed into the plaza heading west on Route 78 in Newark shortly before 7:30 a.m., NJ Transit's Kate Thompson said. Another vehicle was involved but with no injuries, she said. A tow truck was awaited. Towers were out in force as the storm -- expec…
BUSTED! CT Man Facing 125 Burglary Charges Across NJ, NY Found With 9 Handguns, Crossbow BUSTED! CT Man Facing 125 Burglary Charges Across NJ, NY Found With 9 Handguns, Crossbow
Busted! CT Man Facing 125 Burglary Charges Across NJ, NY Found With 9 Handguns, Crossbow A 30-year-old Connecticut man arrested in connection with a string of burglaries across New Jersey and New York was found with nine handguns, a crossbow and a slew of other weapons and contraband following a multi-jurisdictional investigation, authorities said. Patrick Ryan of Fairfield, CT was arrested Sunday morning and charged with a total of 74 counts of burglary to a motor vehicle and dozens of other offenses, Hardyston police said in release from the Sussex County Detective’s Association. A search of Ryan’s house and car turned up nine handguns, a crossbow and a shotgun, as well as nu…
Police: Bethlehem Pair Nabbed For Selling Prescription Narcotics In Warren County Police: Bethlehem Pair Nabbed For Selling Prescription Narcotics In Warren County
Police: Bethlehem Pair Nabbed For Selling Prescription Narcotics In Warren County A man and woman from Bethlehem were charged with selling prescription narcotics in Warren County, authorities said. James Jones, 61, and Jennifer Jones, 50, were taken into custody Jan. 13 on accusations that they sold prescription narcotics in Washington Township and Washington Borough, township police said. The two were charged with distribution of CDS and conspiracy, police said. They were processed and released in accordance with bail reform. State Police and Hackettstown Police also assisted with the investigation.
Mayors Rejected Bribe Attempts By Fired Bergen Sheriff's Department Head, Report Says Mayors Rejected Bribe Attempts By Fired Bergen Sheriff's Department Head, Report Says
Mayors Rejected Bribe Attempts By Fired Bergen Sheriff's Department Head, Report Says UPDATE: A department head who was fired from the Bergen County Sheriff’s Office picked the wrong guys when he tried bribing one former and one current North Jersey mayor, according to a published report. Omid Bayati, 39, was charged with trying to bribe a senior official at the Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission to advance his career after taking a job there, state authorities announced Wednesday. Former Fair Lawn Mayor John Cosgrove, who was appointed to the commission in 2019, later told New Jersey Globe that he was the official. SEE: Official wears wire after sewerage commissioners…
Bergen Sheriff: Eight Of 9 ICE Protestors Arrested Are From NY, Officers Pepper-Sprayed, Bit Bergen Sheriff: Eight Of 9 ICE Protestors Arrested Are From NY, Officers Pepper-Sprayed, Bit
Bergen Sheriff: Eight Of 9 ICE Protestors Arrested Are From NY, Officers Pepper-Sprayed, Bit A troubled but resolute Bergen County Sheriff Anthony Cureton on Sunday said that he agrees with anti-ICE protestors but emphasized that "inciting chaos for the sake of chaos will not be tolerated." "What occurred yesterday was not a peaceful protest. It was not a productive act of political expression," the sheriff said during a news conference Sunday outside the jail in Hackensack. "What we saw yesterday was not, in the words of my hero, John Lewis, 'good trouble'." Cureton corrected social media errors -- noting, for example, that "tear gas was not employed" and that pepper spray was di…
Sheriff's Officers, Anti-ICE Protestors Clash Outside Bergen Jail Sheriff's Officers, Anti-ICE Protestors Clash Outside Bergen Jail
Sheriff's Officers, Anti-ice Protestors Clash Outside Bergen Jail Escalating tensions erupted Saturday night when a few protestors pepper-sprayed and threw bricks at sheriff's officers outside the Bergen County Jail, witnesses said. EMS units were summoned to treat at two injured sheriff's officers, a ranking officer with direct knowledge of the incident said. Bergen County Sheriff Anthony Cureton confirmed the report on Sunday. The sheriff said that he agrees with the anti-ICE protestors but emphasized that "inciting chaos for the sake of chaos will not be tolerated." SEE: Bergen Sheriff: Eight Of 9 ICE Protestors Arrested Are From NY, Officers Pepper-…
Rochelle Park PD Rescues NY Con Man Kidnapped By Pair Who Lost $20,000 In ‘Black Money’ Scam Rochelle Park PD Rescues NY Con Man Kidnapped By Pair Who Lost $20,000 In ‘Black Money’ Scam
Rochelle Park PD Rescues NY Con Man Kidnapped By Pair Who Lost $20,000 In ‘Black Money’ Scam A Rochelle Park police officer rescued a man who was kidnapped from a local motel by two Passaic County men after an accomplice fled with their money in a scam gone wrong, authorities said. Amady Kourouma, 31, of New York and a partner convinced the two Passaic County men that they could earn $60,000 by purchasing “dirty” money from them that had been dyed to avoid detection by authorities, Detective Lt. James DePreta said. “Black money washing” is a popular scam. Victims are less likely to report it given their participation in an apparent crime, authorities say. In this case, Jairo Mende…
Authorities: Detectives Nab Paterson Dealer With Loaded Gun Authorities: Detectives Nab Paterson Dealer With Loaded Gun
Authorities: Detectives Nab Paterson Dealer With Loaded Gun Detectives investigating a Paterson shooting nabbed a city drug dealer who had a loaded gun tucked into his waistband, authorities said. City Detectives Aaron Hensz and Joehan Suarez were investigating Tuesday's shooting when they saw Quashiek King, 21, selling drugs to the occupant of a vehicle near the corner of Broadway and Summer Street shortly before 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Police Director Jerry Speziale said. They ordered King to raise his hands and, when he did, spotted the handle of a 9mm Smith & Wesson semi-automatic handgun, he said. The detectives took King into custody and fo…