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Police & Fire
'Welcome To Florida!' Sheriff Mocks NJ Swatting Caller Sentenced To Prison 'Welcome To Florida!' Sheriff Mocks NJ Swatting Caller Sentenced To Prison
'Welcome To Florida!' Sheriff Mocks NJ Swatting Caller Sentenced To Prison A New Jersey man who made swatting calls to a Florida high school got more than his 15 minutes of fame: Two years behind bars. Brad Parga, of Guttenberg, who was 17 years old when he called in threats from the Garden State to Milton High School in Santa Rosa County on Feb. 14, 2022, said his reason for doing so was "to get on the news." On Nov. 14, 2024, Parga was sentenced to two years in the Florida Department of Corrections followed by three years of probation — and Santa Rosa County Sheriff Bob Johnson didn’t miss the opportunity to give the cheeky update. "You know I'm about gran…

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by Cecilia Levine
Police & Fire
AG IDs Man Who Plunged To His Death During Hudson County Police Pursuit AG IDs Man Who Plunged To His Death During Hudson County Police Pursuit
AG IDs Man Who Plunged To His Death During Hudson County Police Pursuit The New Jersey Attorney General’s Office has identified the man who died during a police encounter in Hudson County last week as a 26-year-old Texas man. Authorities on Friday, Nov. 22, named Brandon Lee Ortega as the individual who died following a foot chase with Guttenberg police on Tuesday, Nov. 12. The incident began around 11:02 p.m. when officers responded to 68th Street and Bellevue Avenue for a reported disturbance. Police were informed that one of the individuals involved, later identified as Ortega, was armed with a gun, according to the Attorney General’s Office. Guttenberg Pol…

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by Cecilia Levine
Police & Fire
Mysterious Drones Are Flying Over North Jersey: What We Know Mysterious Drones Are Flying Over North Jersey: What We Know
Mysterious Drones Are Flying Over North Jersey: What We Know Authorities in North Jersey are investigating reports of drone activity observed by law enforcement, they said on Tuesday, Nov. 19. The drones posed no known threat to public safety, Morris County Prosecutor Robert Carroll said. Following the announcement, residents in other areas reported seeing the drones. Residents are urged to stay cautious about misinformation online.  “We encourage the public to be mindful that what they read online may not be accurate,” officials said. Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact their local police department directly. …

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by Sam Barron
Police & Fire
NJ Corrections Officer Arrested On Child Porn Charges: Prosecutor NJ Corrections Officer Arrested On Child Porn Charges: Prosecutor
NJ Corrections Officer Arrested On Child Porn Charges: Prosecutor A New Jersey corrections officer has been arrested on child pornography charges, authorities said. Austin Metivier, 34, of Mount Holly, was taken into custody at the Burlington County Jail, where he works, and lodged at the Camden County Jail,  Burlington County Prosecutor LaChia L. Bradshaw and Pemberton Township Police Chief Jonathan Glass said. The investigation began last month after Pemberton Township police were informed that a hard drive belonging to Metivier contained child sex abuse material. A forensic examination of the hard drive later revealed that it contained multip…

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by Cecilia Levine
Police & Fire
NJ Gun Stores Sued For Selling Ammo To Unverified Buyers: AG NJ Gun Stores Sued For Selling Ammo To Unverified Buyers: AG
NJ Gun Stores Sued For Selling Ammo To Unverified Buyers: AG Gun stores in Cumberland and Morris counties have been sued by New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin for selling ammunition to unverified buyers. Both Butch's Gun World in Vineland and Point Blank Guns Ammo and LLC in East Hanover both sold a 1,000-round case of AR-15 rifle ammunition for cash, Platkin said. “Keeping guns out of the wrong hands is a critical public safety priority," Platkin said. “The compliance requirements this law imposes are no different from the types of demands we place on other industries that create a hazard to human health, and we will enforce our law.” New …

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by Sam Barron
Business
Cybersecurity Issue Hits Stop & Shop, Other Supermarkets, Parent Company Says Cybersecurity Issue Hits Stop & Shop, Other Supermarkets, Parent Company Says
Cybersecurity Issue Hits Stop & Shop, Other Supermarkets, Parent Company Says A cybersecurity “issue” has led the parent company of a supermarket chain to disconnect some systems to protect them. Ahold Delhaize USA said it recently detected a cybersecurity issue within its US network. "Immediately upon detecting the issue, our security teams began an investigation with the assistance of external cybersecurity experts," the company said. "We also notified law enforcement." The move affects: Stop & Shop, which has around 400 locations in New England, New York, and New Jersey; Hannaford, with stores in eastern upstate New York and New England; Giant Company, with…

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by Joe Lombardi
Police & Fire
NJ Teacher's Aide Slammed, Dragged Toddler At Montessori School: Prosecutor NJ Teacher's Aide Slammed, Dragged Toddler At Montessori School: Prosecutor
NJ Teacher's Aide Slammed, Dragged Toddler At Montessori School: Prosecutor A teacher’s aide at Apple Montessori School in Wayne has been charged with child abuse following an incident in which she allegedly assaulted a two-year-old in her care, the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office announced.  Meghan Hornidge, 19, of River Edge, was charged with fourth-degree abuse of a child and simple assault, stemming from an investigation conducted by the Special Victims Unit, Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes said. The investigation began on Aug. 13, 2024, when the Prosecutor’s Office received a report that Hornidge had reportedly slammed and dragged the …

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by Cecilia Levine
Police & Fire
Illegal Shotgun Round Sparked 350-Acre Jackson Wildfire, Brick Man Charged: Officials Illegal Shotgun Round Sparked 350-Acre Jackson Wildfire, Brick Man Charged: Officials
Illegal Shotgun Round Sparked 350-Acre Jackson Wildfire, Brick Man Charged: Officials A massive wildfire that scorched 350 acres in Jackson Township was ignited by an illegal shotgun round that authorities said was fired by a 37-year-old Brick Township man. Authorities charged Richard Shashaty, 37, with arson after an investigation revealed that magnesium shards from a prohibited Dragon’s Breath 12-gauge shotgun round sparked the blaze on Nov. 6, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer said. The fire, known as the Shotgun Wildfire, erupted shortly after noon on November 6 near the Central Jersey Rifle Range on Stump Tavern Road. Investigators determined that the incendi…

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by Cecilia Levine
Police & Fire
VIDEO: Officers Rescue Driver Seconds Before SUV Erupts In Flames On Route 287 VIDEO: Officers Rescue Driver Seconds Before SUV Erupts In Flames On Route 287
Video: Officers Rescue Driver Seconds Before SUV Erupts In Flames On Route 287 Two police officers' quick actions likely saved an unconscious 29-year-old New York driver from a wrecked car on Route 287, just seconds before it burst into flames. The Chevrolet SUV was heading south when he struck a Peterbilt tractor-trailer parked on the right shoulder at 4:20 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 19, New Jersey State Police Sgt. Charles Marchan said. "While Mahwah units were responding, dispatch updated that they were receiving additional 9-1-1 calls that the driver was still inside the burning vehicle and that witnesses were unable to extricate the driver," Mahwah Police Capt. Guido…

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by Cecilia Levine
News
NJ Veteran Who Bragged About 'Manhandling' Cops At Capitol Riot Convicted, Feds Say NJ Veteran Who Bragged About 'Manhandling' Cops At Capitol Riot Convicted, Feds Say
NJ Veteran Who Bragged About 'Manhandling' Cops At Capitol Riot Convicted, Feds Say A New Jersey man who the NY Times says is a veteran of the U.S. Army has been found guilty of assaulting a police officer at the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riot. Brian Glenn Bingham, 38, of Pennsville, has been found guilty of felony offenses of civil disorder and assaulting, resisting, or impeding an officer from the Metropolitan Police Department, the U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Columbia said on Tuesday, Nov. 4 — the day before Election Day 2024 (criminal complaint here). Bingham was also found guilty of misdemeanor offenses of entering and remaining in a restricted building or gro…

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by Cecilia Levine
Police & Fire
Fifth Suspect Captured In NJ Detective's Home Invasion Killing, Prosecutors Say Fifth Suspect Captured In NJ Detective's Home Invasion Killing, Prosecutors Say
Fifth Suspect Captured In NJ Detective's Home Invasion Killing, Prosecutors Say A fifth person has been arrested in the violent home invasion that killed a Cumberland County detective, authorities said. Byron Thomas of Paulsboro was charged with two counts of first-degree murder among other offenses, the Cape May County Prosecutor's Office said in a news release on Tuesday, Nov. 5. Sgt. Monica Mosley, a detective sergeant with the Cumberland County Prosecutor’s Office, was shot and killed in her Bridgeton home late at night on Tuesday, Oct. 15. Nyshawn Mutcherson, 29, of Vineland; Jarred Brown, 31, of Bridgeton; and Richard Hawkins Willis, 32, of Gl…

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by Chris Spiker
Police & Fire
Officer Kills Knife-Wielding Man In NJ Apartment Complex Stairwell: AG Officer Kills Knife-Wielding Man In NJ Apartment Complex Stairwell: AG
Officer Kills Knife-Wielding Man In NJ Apartment Complex Stairwell: AG A knife-wielding man in the stairwell of an apartment complex in Camden County was shot and killed by a police officer, authorities said. members of the Haddon Township Police Department responded to a 9-1-1 call regarding an attempted burglary in progress at an apartment complex located on West Crystal Lake Avenue in Westmont around 1:05 a.m., New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin said. Shortly after arrival, officers encountered a male in the stairwell armed with a knife. During an interaction in the stairwell, an officer fired his service weapon, striking the male, Platkin said.&nb…

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by Cecilia Levine