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43°
Friday, nov 15
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Public Safety
Police & Fire
South Jersey Man Who Killed GF With Toilet Tank Cover, Belt On Her Birthday Sentenced: Feds
A New Jersey man will spend up to a quarter-century in prison after admitting to brutally killing his girlfriend in a Washington, D.C. hotel, authorities said. William Barrett, 69, of Mount Holly, was sentenced on Friday, Oct. 25 to 25 years in prison, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia said in a news release on Monday, Oct. 28. He was arrested in the killing of 36-year-old Romaine Maddox, a resident of the northeast quadrant of D.C. According to trial evidence, Barrett and Maddox checked into Ivy City Hotel on New York Avenue, Northeast at around 7 p.m. …
Police & Fire
Throngs Of Unruly Teens Break Up NJ Haunted Hayride Event, Police Say
About 200 teens and young adults caused chaos at a PTA-sponsored hayride in Collingswood, authorities said. The large group was dropped off by several vehicles on the outskirts of Knight Park on Saturday, Oct. 19, the Collingswood Police Department said in a Facebook post. The teens and young adults started fighting each other, ran recklessly through the crowd, and cut in line for the Haunted Hayride. Officers at the event broke up the unruly teens and other Camden County police departments were called in to help. "To ensure the safety of those in attendance, the decision was mad…
News
Family Plans Lawsuit After NJ Transit Train Operator Killed By Fallen Tree
The family of the New Jersey Transit train operator killed by a fallen tree is planning to sue several organizations for negligence, an attorney said. Jessica Haley of Levittown, Pennsylvania, was identified as the person who died in the crash, according to a news release from the Anapol Weiss law firm on Thursday, Oct. 15. The single mother of three boys was 41 years old. Haley was operating a River LINE train heading north from Trenton at around 6 a.m. on Monday, Oct. 14. The light rail train struck a tree that had fallen on the tracks south of the Roebling station in Mansfield …
Police & Fire
Man, 34, Beaten To Death In New Brunswick Street Fight: Prosecutors
A New Brunswick man was beaten to death in the city over the weekend, authorities said. Oscar Sanchez, 34, died on Sunday, Oct. 13, Middlesex County Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone said in a news release on Tuesday, Oct. 15. New Brunswick police responded to a 911 call on Comstock Street at around 3:03 a.m. Officers found Sanchez unconscious and performed CPR on him. He was rushed to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital where he was pronounced dead. Investigators said Sanchez had been in a fight and suffered serious injuries. "It has been determined that this i…
Police & Fire
Smoke Expected To Linger For Days After NJ Forest Fire
A 30-acre forest fire has been contained, however, smoke could linger across parts of South Jersey for days, fire officials said. The fire broke out on Friday, Oct. 11 along Heath Road in the Tamarac section of Medford Township, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service said. It consumed up to 30 acres by the time it was fully contained on Saturday, Oct. 12. "Smoke is expected to remain present until significant rain falls over the fire area," the agency said. "Forest Fire Service staff will remain on scene and continue to monitor control lines and address areas of concern until significant…
Police & Fire
Suspect Wanted After Double Shooting Near Rutgers-New Brunswick Campus
Police were investigating after two men were shot in a New Brunswick neighborhood near the Rutgers University campus, authorities said. Officers responded to the shooting on Jones Avenue between Comstock and Hale streets at around 11:17 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 30, the New Brunswick city government said in a Facebook post. Investigators said two groups were fighting when a suspect from one group fired shots at the other one. Two New Brunswick men, ages 27 and 26, were brought to a nearby hospital. They were expected to survive their injuries. The Rutgers University Police Depar…
Police & Fire
RWJ Hospital Worker Arrested In Dangerous Car Rally
An illegal car meetup with fires and a police officer nearly being struck has led to two more arrests — this time of people from outside the Philadelphia suburbs, police announced on Saturday, Sept. 28. Alexis Boyce, 20 of Englishtown, NJ, turned herself into Philadelphia Police at 600 Arch Street at 11:15 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 27, and Albert Woynar, 18 of Pittsburgh, was arrested by Pennsylvania State Troopers later that day, Philadelphia Police detailed in the release. Both were wanted in connection with a 50-car meetup in the 7400 block of Bustleton Avenue on Saturday, Se…
Police & Fire
Repeat Offender Convicted In Trenton Shooting That Paralyzed Man, Prosecutors Say
A Trenton man was found guilty of shooting and paralyzing another man more than two years ago, authorities said. A jury convicted 40-year-old Henry Hutchinson on all counts on Wednesday, Sept. 25, Acting Mercer County Prosecutor Theresa Hilton said in a news release. He was indicted in a shooting that happened at around 11 p.m. on Saturday, July 16, 2022. Investigators said Hutchinson shot a 38-year-old man twice on the 100 block of Chambers Street. "After the victim fell to the ground, Hutchinson stood over him and shot him a third time," said Hilton. "The victim was rendered a …
Police & Fire
Man Exposed Himself To Woman On Rutgers Bus, Police Say
Rutgers University police were looking for a man who flashed a woman on a bus, authorities said. The woman "affiliated" with Rutgers reported the incident happened at around 3:30 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 23, the university's police department said in a community message. The victim was standing on a bus running on the Livingston Campus in Piscataway. The woman said the man exposed his genitals, "intentionally maintaining direct contact with her clothed buttocks." She confronted the man and he immediately got off the bus on Rockafeller Road. The victim wasn't injured during the incident. …
Police & Fire
Four Officers Lauded In Jersey Shore Water Rescues
Four police officers are being recognized in three separate water rescues at unguarded New Jersey beaches. On Friday, Sept. 13, Seaside Park Class One Officers Dakota Giglio and Bryan Urspruch were conducting a quad patrol near Stockton Avenue Beach when they were flagged down for a swimmer in distress. The swimmer, approximately one hundred feet out in the water, was rescued by Giglio and Urspruch, and later declined medical attention. On Thursday, Sept. 19, Class Two Officer Mason Kinlan and Class One Officer Luke Cox were conducting a quad patrol when they were dispatched…
Police & Fire
Naked Man Harassed Women, Touched Himself At South Brunswick Apartment Complex: Police
Police were looking for a man who had been harassing women while naked in a South Brunswick apartment complex, authorities said. The South Brunswick Police Department said a man has been approaching women at least five times in the parking lot of the Royal Oaks & East Garden Apartment Homes since July. The only article of clothing the suspect wore was a ski mask. Investigators said the man goes up to the women and "aggressively manipulates his waist area." The man has also approached women on a nearby trail. While previous incidents have happened between 11 p.m. and 12:30 a.m., the mos…
News
PA Man Accused Of Drugging, Assaulting Women He Met On Sugar Daddy Site, DA Says
At least six women are known to have been sexually assaulted after going out with a man they met on an online dating site who ended up drugging them, District Attorney Jennifer Schorn and Bristol Township Police Chief Robert Coulton announced on Wednesday, Sept. 11. Andrew Gallo, 40, of Copper Beech Lane, Bristol Township, was charged with five counts of rape by causing impairment, six counts of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, four counts of strangulation, two counts of selling or furnishing liquor or malt or brewed beverage to minors, and one count each of s…
Police & Fire
Campfire Accidentally Sparked Huge Wildfire Near Jersey Shore Neighborhood: Investigators
An illegal and abandoned campfire started a massive wildfire that burned for three days in Ocean County, authorities said. Investigators determined the wildfire was accidentally started by "an unknown person(s) improperly extinguishing a campfire," Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer said in a news release on Wednesday, Sept. 11. The roughly 189-acre wildfire burned near Fishers Pit, a sand and gravel pit in the Bayville section of Berkeley Township. In its final update, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service said the wildfire was 100 percent contained a…
Police & Fire
Sidewalk Save: Bodycam Footage Shows NJ Officers Saving Choking Baby
Newly-released body-worn camera footage shows two New Jersey police officers saving a choking baby. Hightstown Officers Daniel Abbatemarco and Kenneth Larsen responded to a call of a choking baby girl on March 31. Upon arrival, they were met by a man holding the girl. Larsen arrived on scene and quickly performed the Infant Heimlich Maneuver on the girl, who was breathing again in a matter of seconds. Meanwhile, Abbatemarco and Larsen comforted the man holding her and a woman crying at the scene. "She's breathing, she's clear," the officers say. "Let's let out a cry sweetheart!" …
Police & Fire
Woman Critically Injured, Man Arrested In Unprovoked Asbury Park Stabbing: Prosecutors
An Asbury Park man was accused of critically injuring a woman in an unprovoked stabbing on Labor Day, authorities said. Travis Cavanaugh, 39, was arrested in the case, Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond Santiago said in a news release on Wednesday, Sept. 4. Asbury Park police responded to the 500 block of Asbury Avenue for a report of a stabbing on Monday, Sept. 2. Officers found the woman suffering from several stab wounds and bystanders were giving her aid. The woman was rushed to a hospital and she was listed in critical condition. Investigators said …
Police & Fire
Early Morning House Fire Breaks Out In South Brunswick, Police Say
A 50-year-old man has been arrested after police say he set his girlfriend's house on fire in South Brunswick. Officers were called to the home at 155 Old Beekman Place by a resident around 3 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 3, asking for help making Leonard Jones IV leave the home, South Brunswick Police Chief Raymond Hayducka said. Boyfriend charged with setting fire to girlfriend’s parents home. Three residents escaped the fire.#Arson pic.twitter.com/rtdaS7YJDv — So Brunswick PD (@SoBrunswickPD) September 3, 2024 As officers were responding, a second 9-1-1 call came in, this one saying the …
Police & Fire
Boy, 4, Critical After Near-Drowning In Jersey Shore Swimming Pool: Police
A 4-year-old boy was in critical but stable condition after nearly drowning in a Jersey Shore swimming pool Friday, Aug. 30, authorities said. Berkeley Township Police responded to a home in South Seaside Park on a report that a boy had been removed from a swimming pool and found to unresponsive around 3:30 p.m., Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer said. Emergency life-saving techniques were performed on the child. He was transported to Jersey Shore University Medical Center, where he is listed in critical but stable condition. The incident is under investigation by the Oce…
News
Michele Rhodes, 55, ID'd As Woman Who Died At Elizabethtown Fair: Coroner
The woman who died following a "medical emergency" at the Elizabethtown Fair on Tuesday, August 20 has been identified by the Lancaster County Coroner's Office. Michele Rhodes, 55, of Akron, PA, and originally from Mount Holly, NJ, choked to death at the Elizabethtown Fair, Chief Deputy Coroner Eric Bieber explained and as detailed in her obituary posted by Roseboro Stradling Funeral and Cremation Services, Inc., Denver. Police officers were eating lunch at the fair located at 900 East High Street in Elizabethtown Borough when the incident began at 12:55 p.m. Aug. 20, as Da…
Police & Fire
Woman Charged For Breaking Into Tiger Enclosure At NJ Zoo, Police Say
A Millville woman was accused of hopping a fence at a Bridgeton zoo and trying to pet a Bengal tiger, authorities said. Zyair Dennis, 24, was charged with one count of defiant trespassing, the Bridgeton Police Department said in a news release on Monday, Aug. 26. She was also cited for two violations of city ordinances about people climbing fences at Cohanzick Zoo. Investigators said Dennis went into the restricted area near the zoo's tiger and bear enclosures on Sunday, Aug. 18. Police began investigating after the city's recreation department received video from other …
Police & Fire
Boy Airlifted After Stepping On Hot Coals Illegally Dumped On NJ Beach, Officials Say
A boy was airlifted to a hospital after officials say he stepped on hot coals that had been illegally dumped on a New Jersey beach. Paramedics and EMTs from Sea Bright and Robert Wood Johnson were called to Sandy Hook near Guardian Park, where they found the boy with burns to both feet around 2:45 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 13, Gateway National Recreation Area spokeswoman Daphne Yun said. Witnesses said the child had stepped on hot coals that had been illegally dumped between rocks in the area, Yun said. The child was flown by Hackensack Meridian to a local burn center, and the area wher…
Police & Fire
Intruder Breaks Into Tiger Enclosure, Nearly Gets Bitten At South Jersey Zoo (
Video
)
Police in South Jersey are seeking the public's help in identifying and locating a woman who hopped the fence at a local zoo to interact with a tiger. Video shared by Bridgeton police on Tuesday, Aug. 20 shows the incident from the tiger exhibit at the Cohanzick Zoo. Officers didn't say when the incident happened. The 16-second clip shows the female putting her hand through wire fencing and trying to pet the tiger. The big cat then appears to try biting the female's hand and starts frantically pacing. The female then backs away from the wiring and climbs back over the wooden fence on the o…
Police & Fire
Monroe Township Man Among Two More Arrests In Jersey Shore Murder Plot, Prosecutors Say
Two more men were charged in a plot to shoot and kill another man in Jackson Township, authorities said. Noah Phelps of Monroe Township and Glenn Franzson of Jackson Township were arrested, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer said in a news release on Tuesday, Aug. 20. The two were facing charges in the shooting on Thursday, June 27. Jackson police responded to the shooting report on Larsen Road at around 12:20 a.m. and officers found a 27-year-old man with a gunshot wound to his face. He was treated at Jersey Shore University Medical Center and released from the N…
Police & Fire
Popular Sea Isle Taco Shop Gutted By Fire
A popular Sea Isle restaurant was destroyed by a fire Wednesday, Aug. 14. A Facebook post shared on behalf of Casa Taco owner Victor Loaeza says that the restaurant suffered a roof collapse in the blaze just after 5 p.m. "Sometimes, life takes an unexpected turn, and this time it’s ours to face," the post reads. "The most important thing is that everyone is safe. We can’t thank our fire departments and emergency personnel enough for their quick response and bravery. Your support means more to us than we can express." Conshy Bakery shared footage of the fire. Dozens of patrons commented i…
Police & Fire
Bystanders Stop Sex Offender From Raping Teen Girl In Trenton Neighborhood, Police Say
A sex offender was accused of trying to rape a teen girl in a Trenton neighborhood one day after he was released from prison, authorities said. Malik Bright, 24, of Trenton, was arrested on Wednesday, Aug. 7, the Trenton Police Department said in a news release. Officers responded to the report of an attempted sexual assault near the corner of Louise Lane and Marion Street in the city's Stuyvesant/Prospect neighborhood at around 9:37 a.m. Investigators said Bright followed the 17-year-old girl from a bus stop for several blocks. She knew Bright was following her and she tried…
Police & Fire
Why Sergeant Won't Be Charged In Crash That Killed 44-Year-Old Pedestrian: AG (
Video
)
Charges will not be filed against a police officer who last November struck and killed a 44-year-old man while on-duty in a patrol car, authorities said. Sgt. Richard Sbarra was on White Horse Pike (Route 30) in the Atco section of Waterford when he hit Christofe “Christopher” Wita, 44, of Berlin on Nov. 23, 2023, NJ Attorney General Matthew Platkin previously said. Bodycam footage and radio transmissions from the incident were released last month. On Monday, Aug. 12, Platkin said Sbarra would not be charged following an investigation by the Office of Public Integrity and Account…
News
5 Hospitalized In DWI Golf Cart Simulation Crash At Wildwood National Night Out, Police Say
Five people were hospitalized in a DWI simulation involving a golf cart operator by a juvenile and an officer at National Night Out in Wildwood on Tuesday, Aug. 6, authorities said. The impaired operator simulation has been running at the annual event for 20 years, Wildwood police said in a news release. During one of the course operations Tuesday evening, a speed-governed cart operated by a juvenile and a Wildwood operator left the enclosed course at Fox Park and struck several people, police said. The City of Wildwood Fire Department was already on scene for the event and immediatel…
News
Several Shark Sightings Reported Near Cape May's Coast
Several sharks have been spotted off the coast of Cape May in recent weeks, according to reports. A shark was spotted near the beach in Cape May Point at around 3 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 5, 6abc Action News reported. One beachgoer said the shark was about six feet long. The sighting caused swimmers to run onto the shore and lifeguards kept people out of the water for about a half hour, according to Wildwood Video Archive. "Sharks are always out here," Cape May Point Beach Patrol Chief Ben Swan told 6abc. "We swim with sharks every day. Most of the time you just don't see them." The beac…
Police & Fire
Suspect Wanted For Attacking Woman Inside Library At Princeton University
A woman was attacked by a man inside a library at Princeton University, authorities said. The attack happened inside the Lewis Science Library at about 12:30 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 5, the university's Department of Public Safety said in a campus alert. The woman reported she was working in a room on the fourth floor when a man asked her for help. The man then grabbed the woman by her neck and pushed her against a wall. The woman screamed and got out of the room before calling public safety. The man didn't follow her. The suspect is described as between 25 and 30 years old with dark…
Police & Fire
Bodycam Footage Shows Arrest Of DWI Driver In Wild Jersey Shore Boardwalk Wreck With His Dog
Newly-released bodycam footage shows the arrest of a wrong-way DWI driver who police say nearly hit multiple people before crashing into another vehicle then landing on a boardwalk along in a Jersey Shore town. As previously reported by Daily Voice, Jason Nagy, 44, of Avon-by-the-Sea, was arrested on Thursday, July 11, the Belmar Police Department. This is Nagy's third DWI: The first was in Toms River in March 2006, and the second was in Avon-by-the-Sea in June 2014, New Jersey court records show. Three days after Nagy's July 11 DWI, he was cited for loud/offensive language out of Wa…
Police & Fire
Kayaker Who Drowned In NJ Lake Wasn't Wearing Life Preserver, Investigators Say
Authorities have identified the Old Bridge man who drowned when his kayak capsized in Jackson Township. Search and rescue divers found the body of 29-year-old John Pereira in Prospertown Lake on Sunday, Aug. 4, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer said in a news release. He was first reported missing at around 2 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 3. Witnesses told Jackson Township police that Pereira was not wearing a life preserver and they believed he drowned. The search was suspended in the evening due to severe weather and Pereira's body was recovered at around 3:55 p.…
News
Jersey Shore Beach's Access Restricted As Erosion Exposes Century-Old Submerged Structure
An Atlantic County beach's access has been restricted after erosion exposed debris from a large structure about a century old, officials said. Access to Cove Beach is closed between Bay Court and Renaissance Cove because of "changing and unpredictable conditions," Brigantine's mayor said in a Facebook post on Thursday, Aug. 1. The city had previously put up signs warning beachgoers about submerged and hazardous conditions near the beach's erosion area. Changing tides and other erosion forces have revealed a large structure that was demolished and dumped in the water about 100 years ago. "W…
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