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28°
Thursday, feb 6
Police & Fire
Bodycam Footage Shows
Lsd-f
ueled Drive Into Sussex County Lake: 'I Was Tripping'
A Sussex County woman’s wild, LSD-fueled drive ended with her SUV sinking into a lake—and newly released bodycam footage shows the moment she admitted exactly what went wrong. “I was tripping on acid, this is why this is happening,” 24-year-old Rhiannon Chesaux told officers after she drove her 2005 Honda CR-V straight into Fireman’s Pond on Nov. 11, 2024, according to newly-released bodycam footage obtained by Transparency Bodycam. The chaotic scene unfolded around 6:15 p.m., when Vernon Patrolman Joseph White responded to a call about a crash near County Road 515 and Guthrie Road, accordi…
Police & Fire
Hillsborough Man Chatted With Kids, Sent Out Child Porn: Prosecutor
A 33-year-old Hillsborough man was arrested and charged with possessing and distributing child pornography last month, authorities said. An investigation by the Somerset County Prosecutor's Office was launched into Adam Rose after they received information of child pornography being uploaded on social media platforms, Prosecutor John McDonald said. Detectives from the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office, along with members of the Hillsborough Township Police Department, executed a search warrant at Rose’s residence, seizing electronic devices from the residence for further forensic an…
Police & Fire
Mechanic Charged With Murder Of GF Found Stuffed In Refrigerator In NJ Forest: Prosecutor
A 45-year-old New Jersey man has been charged with murder in the death of his 50-year-old girlfriend, whose remains were found stuffed in a refrigerator in a forest last year, authorities said. Christopher Blevins has been charged with first-degree murder, with second-degree desecration of human remains and third-degree hindering apprehension in the death of Laura Hughes, Camden County Prosecutor Grace C. MacAulay announced. As previously reported by Daily Voice, Hughes had moved back to New Jersey from Virginia with Blevins, a mechanic, in hopes of having a real relationship with…
Police & Fire
Man Killed In Single Car Crash: Hillsborough PD
A man was killed in a single car crash in Hillsborough on the morning of Wednesday, Feb. 5, police said. At 7:46 a.m., officers responded to a collision along New Centre Road, Hillsborough police said, and found an unconscious driver in the driver's seat, police said. The occupant, who has not been identified, was removed from the vehicle by responding officers, who began life saving measures, police said. The driver was transported to Robert Wood Johnson Somerset where he was later pronounced dead, police said. The crash remains under investigation, police said.
Police & Fire
Harrowing Photos Show Officer Saving Boy From Drowning On Icy NJ Lake
A police officer in West Long Branch turned hero on Monday, Feb. 3 after he rescued a child that fell through an icy lake, authorities said. At 2:41 p.m., police received a call reporting that a child had fallen through the ice at Franklin Lake. Patrolman Dave... Posted by West Long Branch Police on Monday, February 3, 2025 At 2:41 p.m., officers received a call reporting that a child had fallen through the ice at Franklin Lake, West Long Branch police said. Patrolman Dave Brosonski, the first officer on the scene and highly trained in water rescue, arrived to find the child strande…
Police & Fire
Former HS Track Star Jailed On Murder Charges In Ocean County
A 20-year-old former track star at Lacey Township High School now faces murder charges, records show. Javir Askew-Mayweather was jailed on Tuesday, Feb. 4, according to the Ocean County Department of Corrections website. He faces charges of murder and attempted murder, according to the website. A spokesperson for the county prosecutor's office said the Toms River Police Department is handling the investigation. While at Lacey Township High School, Askew-Mayweather was one of the school's top runners, ranking near the top of the school record book in the 100 meters, 200 meters, 400 meters, …
Police & Fire
Man Runs Over Ex-GF Rendering Her Unconscious In Route 46 Motel Parking Lot: Cops
A Paterson man is accused of smashing his ex-girlfriend’s windshield, stealing her phone, and running her over in a fit of rage outside a Wayne motel this week, authorities said. At approximately 4:35 a.m. on Feb. 2, multiple Wayne Police Officers responded to the Quality Inn on Route 46 for reports of a man vandalizing a vehicle, police said. Officer Adrian Valentin arrived to find the suspect attempting to leave the scene and stopped him, authorities said. While the suspect refused to cooperate, a second man—the victim’s current boyfriend—approached and told officers the suspect had smash…
Police & Fire
Video Shows Route 17 Procession Escorting Body Of NJ Officer Steven Fernandez Home
The body of Ridgefield Park Police Officer Steven Fernandez was escorted back to New Jersey on Tuesday, Feb. 4, in a major procession along Route 17. Video captured by Boyd A. Loving shows Ridgefield Park Officer Steve Fernandez's body being escorted home Wednesday, Feb. 4. Boyd A. Loving Video of the procession was captured at the Route 17 Park & Ride in Ridgewood by Boyd A. Loving. The clip shows dozens of law enforcement vehicles traveling in the southbound lanes. The procession traveled along Route 17 through New York into New Jersey ending at approximately 4 p.m. Fer…
Police & Fire
Irvington Man Killed In Two-Car Crash In Edison: Prosecutor
A 36-year-old Irvington man was killed in a two-car crash in Edison on the early morning of Tuesday, Feb. 4, authorities said. At 12:07 a.m., officers responded to Route 1 and Grandview Avenue and discovered a two-car crash between a Mitsubishi driven by Makiano Francois and a Ford Explorer driven by a 48-year-old Brooklyn man, Middlesex County Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone and Chief Thomas Bryan of the Edison Police Department said. Francois was taken to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital where he was pronounced dead, authorities said. The Brooklyn man was hospitalized wi…
Police & Fire
Freehold Man Faces Five Years In Prison For Shooting Victim In Face: Prosecutor
A 26-year-old Freehold Borough man pleaded guilty on Monday, Feb. 3 to shooting a man in the face last year in Jackson Township, authorities said. Michael Vulpis faces five years in prison for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, per the terms of his plea agreement, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer said. On Thursday, June 27 at 12:20 a.m., officers in Jackson Township responded to Larsen Road and found a 27-year-old man with a gunshot wound to the face, Billhimer said. He was transported transported to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune where he was tr…
Police & Fire
Escaped Sex Offender Apprehended After Days On The Run:
Njsp
A registered sex offender who escaped from custody while being transported in Newark last week has been apprehended, authorities said. Nicholas Voutsas, 25, had escaped from a New Jersey Department of Health medical transport van while en route to a hospital, New Jersey State Police said. Police approached Voutsas at a homeless shelter for men in Brooklyn and he immediately tried to flee, NBC New York reported. Four officers were injured while subduing and handcuffing him, NBC New York said. The New Jersey Human Services Police Department has charged him with escape, police said. Vo…
Police & Fire
Wanted PA Arsonist Attacks FBI Agent During NJ SWAT Standoff: Officials
A York, PA man wanted for arson is facing attempted murder and other charges after a tense standoff with law enforcement in Bergen County, NJ, during which he wielded a pickaxe and attacked an FBI agent, authorities announced on Monday, Feb. 3. Tyre (Tyrie) R. Dunn, 36, was arrested on Monday, Jan. 27, after an investigation by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office, led by Prosecutor Mark Musella, alongside the FBI and Lodi Police Department. Dunn, who was already wanted in Pennsylvania, fled from law enforcement and barricaded himself inside a shed attached to a private home on Stokes St…
Police & Fire
Police ID Woman Killed In Tractor Trailer Crash In Somerset County
A 28-year-old North Plainfield woman was identified as the person killed in a crash with a tractor trailer on the early morning of Saturday, Feb. 1, authorities said. Kelly Haymond was driving a 2020 orange Dodge Charger when it collided with a 2009 black Volvo tractor trailer at South Middlebush Road and Jacques Lane, Prosecutor John McDonald, Chief of County Detectives Frank Roman, and Franklin Township Public Safety Director Quovella M. Maeweather said. Haymond was pronounced dead at the scene, police said. The driver of the Volvo was not injured, police said. The crash remains un…
Police & Fire
Fire Ravages NJ Motor Home (
Video
)
A motor home in Fairfield was fully engulfed in flames on the evening of Sunday, Feb. 2, authorities said. 🔹Motor Home Catches Fire on Camp Lane, No Injuries Reported🔹 🔹Fairfield (NJ) – On February 2, 2025, at approximately... Posted by Fairfield Police Department - Essex County, New Jersey on Sunday, February 2, 2025 At 8:48 p.m., Fairfield officers and Fairfield firefighters responded to Camp Lane for the fire, Fairfield police said. All occupants were safely out of the home, police said. The Fairfield Volunteer Fire Department, along with the Wayne Fire Department quickly exti…
Police & Fire
25 Years For Woman Who Killed, Dismembered Toms River Man: Prosecutor
A 29-year-old Seaside Heights woman was sentenced to 25 years in prison on Friday, Jan. 31 after pleading guilty to killing a Toms River man whose body was dismembered, authorities said. Elizabeth Mascarelli, 29, pleaded guilty in December to aggravated manslaughter, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer said. She was among four people charged in the killing of Kerry Rollason, 56. Maxwell Johnston, a 35-year-old Manchester Township man, was originally suspected of killing Rollason in his Ravenwood Drive home on Wednesday, July 3. Johnston had been wanted in the separate killi…
Police & Fire
43 Times: Serial ShopRite Shoplifter Busted In Stafford, Police Say
A 28-year-old Forked River man was arrested on Thursday, Jan. 9 and charged with shoplifting from a ShopRite in Ocean County 43 times, authorities said. Daquan Nieves stole almost $1800 worth of merchandise from the ShopRite at 297 Route 72 West in Manahawkin over two months, Stafford police said. Nieves was charged with shoplifting and released pending a court date, police said.
Police & Fire
Wrong-Way DUI Driver Kills PA Man On Route 80: Police, Court Records
A 31-year-old Pennsylvania man was killed by a wrong-way intoxicated driver on Route 80 early Sunday, Feb. 2, authorities said. Victor Peters, 45, of Parsippany was heading east in the westbound lanes of Route 80 in a Mercedes SUV in Rockaway Township when he struck a Ford pickup truck driven by Destinn McKnight around 2:20 a.m., according to New Jersey State Police Sgt. Charles Marchan. McKnight died while Peters was seriously injured, Marchan said. Records show Peters has been charged with a slew of motor vehicle offenses including DUI, reckless driving, careless driving, wrong way…
Police & Fire
Details Released In Snowmobile Crash That Killed Ridgefield Park Officer Steven Fernandez
The Ridgefield Park Police Department is mourning the loss of Steven Fernandez, a very well-liked officer who was killed in a snowmobiling accident over the weekend. Fernandez, 39, of Saddle Brook, was heading west on snowmobiling trails in Harriestown, NY, when he lost control, left the trail, and traveled down a steep embankment, and struck multiple trees around 2:05 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 1, New York State Police said. When troopers arrived on the scene, Saranac Lake Fire and Rescue were rendering aid to Fernandez, who was airlifted to the University of Vermont Medical Center, where he late…
Police & Fire
Firefighters Battle Massive Jackson House Fire For Hours
Firefighters from all four Jackson Fire Companies battled a large structure fire for nearly four hours on Saturday, Feb. 1, requiring backup from multiple neighboring departments, Fire Company No. 2 said. The fire broke out along Perrineville Road, in Station 56’s First Due area at approximately 4:45 p.m., prompting an immediate response. Assistant Chief 5610 arrived and transmitted a second alarm, bringing in additional resources from the Millstone Township Fire Department and other mutual aid partners to assist and cover Jackson’s firehouses. Because the fire was located in a non-hydrant …
Police & Fire
Major Belmar Fire Damages Multiple Structures, Injures Firefighters
A residential fire in Belmar left a resident with burns and two firefighters hurt on Saturday, Feb. 1, authorities said. Belmar police received a 911 call about a structure fire on the 500 block of 14th Avenue at approximately 7:37 p.m., police said. Fire crews from Belmar and surrounding municipalities responded and worked quickly to extinguish the flames, police said. Despite their efforts, multiple structures were damaged as the fire spread. Two firefighters suffered injuries while battling the blaze, though the severity was not immediately disclosed. A resident also sustained burn inju…
Police & Fire
Mayor Has Special Message For Killer Who Shot 9-Year-Old Boy In Newark
Authorities are searching for the person responsible for the fatal shooting of a 9-year-old boy outside his home in Newark on Friday, Jan. 31. The boy was exiting a vehicle with his father and sister at approximately 5:27 p.m. when he was shot on Osborne Terrace, a spokesperson for the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office said. A 36-year-old man, who does not appear to be related to the child, was also shot during the incident. Details of his injuries were not immediately available. Newark Mayor Ras J. Baraka expressed outrage over the tragedy, calling it “incomprehensible” and…
Police & Fire
'Compulsive' Sex Offender, Inmate Escapes During Transport To Hospital In Newark: State Police
The New Jersey State Police are asking for the public’s help in locating registered sex offender Nicholas Voutsas, who authorities said escaped from custody while being transported to University Hospital in Newark on Thursday, Jan. 30. Voutsas, 25, escaped from a New Jersey Department of Health medical transport van at approximately 9 a.m. while en route to the hospital, State Police said. The New Jersey Human Services Police Department has charged him with escape, authorities said. Voutsas is a Tier 2 sex offender, which is described as a "repetitive, compulsive" offender on the NJ Sex Off…
Police & Fire
Dodge Charger Driver, 28, From North Plainfield Dies In Somerset County Tractor Trailer Crash
A 28-year-old woman died in a fiery tractor-trailer crash early Saturday, Feb. 1 in Somerset County, authorities said. The North Plainfield resident had been driving a 2020 orange Dodge Charger died on impact in the crash with a 2008 black Volvo tractor-trailer, the driver of which was not injured, Somerset County Prosecutor John P. McDonald said. The vehicles collided around 2:50 a.m. near South Middlebush Road and Jacques Lane, the prosecutor said. Emergency responders rushed to the scene, where they found the woman, dead on impact. She was the sole occupant, as was the tr…
Police & Fire
Men Living In Same Home Arrested In Child Porn Case: Ocean County Prosecutor
Two men living under the same roof in Ocean County have both been arrested on charges related to child pornography, authorities said. Both Keenan Black, 32, and Daniel Bailey, 20, of Berkeley Township, were lodged in the Ocean County Jail following their arrests, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer said. The investigation began with Black, after the New Jersey State Police Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force was tipped off to a person sending/receiving images of child pornography, Billhimer said. An investigation by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s…
Police & Fire
$9K Theft Gets Former Ocean County Rec Director Probation: Prosecutor
A former Brick Township recreation official, once celebrated as a top professional in his field, was sentenced to three years probation on Friday, Jan. 31 after he admitted to stealing more than $10,000 in township recreation fees, authorities said. Daniel Santaniello, 46, pleaded guilty last month to theft, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer said. Santaniello was previously the recreation director for Brick Township. The New Jersey Recreation & Park Association gave him their "Professional of the Year Award" in 2016. Investigators said Santaniello abused his position to c…
Police & Fire
Ocean County Man Indicted In Dad's Murder: Prosecutor
A 38-year-old Lacey Township man was indicted by a grand jury on Thursday, Jan. 30 with murdering his father, authorities said. On Wednesday, Sept. 7, 2022, Lacey Township police responded to a residence on Weehawken Avenue after Justin Donaldson would not let family members into the residence. Police found Justin's father, David Donaldson, dead with apparent trauma to his face, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer said. An investigation by law enforcement determined Justin was responsible for his father's death, Billhimer said. He was taken into custody at the scene without …
Police & Fire
Married NJ Cops Had Sex In Front Of Kids, Wife Appeared Naked In Photos With Youngsters: AG
A married law enforcement couple from Mercer County was arrested on Wednesday, Jan. 29, for having sex in front of children and recording it, court records show. Brian DiBiasi, 39 was charged with causing or permitting a child to engage in a sexual act that may be photographed, filmed or reproduced, engaging in sexual conduct that would debauch the morals of a child, possessing and distributing images of child sexual abuse, while his wife, Elizabeth, 42, is charged with engaging in sexual conduct that would debauch the morals of a child Both are being held in the Monmouth County Jail. On …
Police & Fire
U.S. Figure Skaters Among Dozens Believed Dead In DC Black Hawk, Plane Crash: Reports
Figure skaters, family members, and their coaches were among the 64 people believed dead in a crash between a military helicopter and American Airlines plane in Washington DC on Wednesday, Jan. 29, according to U.S. Figure Skating and rescue officials. At least 27 bodies had been recovered and officials said they did not believe there were any survivors in the crash near Reagan National Airport, Authorities have switched to a "recovery effort," with more than 300 responders battling frigid temps, wind, and icy waters for hours overnight, Fire and EMS Chief John A. Donnelly said o…
Police & Fire
Sayreville Homeowner Thwarts Burglary Attempt, 4 Jersey City Suspects Arrested
A Sayreville homeowner's quick thinking and police response led to the arrests of four Jersey City residents trying to break into their home earlier this week, police said. The incident occurred at approximately 8:20 p.m. on Rhode Street, on Tuesday, Jan. 28, when the resident reported multiple individuals attempting to enter his home through a back window, Sayreville police said. The suspects were apparently targeting the homeowner’s luxury vehicle, authorities said. The suspects fled before officers arrived, but the resident provided detailed descriptions. Officers canvassed the area and …
Police & Fire
Newark Man Stole $700K Worth Of Luxury Vehicles: AG
A 19-year-old Newark man was arrested and charged with running a residential burglary and auto theft ring throughout the state last year, authorities said. Samir White's crew targeted high-end vehicles throughout New Jersey and New York, Attorney General Matthew Platkin said. White and others used stolen vehicles to travel to target locations throughout Monmouth, Ocean, and Essex counties, where they forced entry into homes using a crowbar, removed expensive items and key fobs to vehicles, then stole the homeowner’s cars from the residence, Platkin said. The estimated value of vehicles…
Police & Fire
Barnegat Man Faces Prison After Robbing Store At Knifepoint For Cash, Cigarettes: Prosecutor
A 39-year-old Barnegat man pleaded guilty to robbery and numerous shoplifting incidents in Stafford Township last year, authorities said. Per a plea agreement, Nicholas Santiago is expected to be sentenced to five years in prison for robbery and four years in prison for shoplifting, with the sentences running concurrently, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer said. On Monday, May 27, 2024, at midnight, officers responded to a convenience store on Route 72 for a report of a robbery, Billhimer said. An investigation revealed Santiago entered the store, brandished a knife at the…
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