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PA Gov. Shapiro’s Mansion Firebomber Cody Balmer Sentenced — Watch New Video Evidence
Cody A. Balmer has pleaded guilty to the attempted murder of Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro in a firebombing attack that endangered 22 people inside the Governor’s Mansion in Harrisburg, prosecutors announced on Tuesday, Oct. 14.
Balmer admitted to all charges, including attempted murder, aggravated arson, 22 counts of arson (one for each person endangered), burglary, and related offenses, according to Dauphin County District Attorney Fran Chardo.
The Sentence
Judge Deborah E. Curcillo accepted a plea agreement in which Balmer, 38, was sentenced to a state correctional institution for 2…
Sheriff’s Officers Stole Designer Belt, Sneakers During NJ Drug Raid: Prosecutor
Three Essex County Sheriff’s officers have been charged with theft after allegedly taking high-end sneakers and a designer belt during a narcotics search in East Orange, authorities said.
The incident happened on Jan. 10, 2023, at the apartment of Kirk Mansook, 470 Park Ave., Essex County Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephens II said in a Friday, Aug. 29 announcement.
At the time, Officers Jimmy Rodriguez, 39, of Kearny; Fabian Caicedo, 45, of East Rutherford; and Erik Udvarhely, 44, of Belleville were assigned to the Sheriff’s Office Bureau of Narcotics, Stephens said.
Mansook was arrested on m…
CDC Reportedly Reduces Scope Of Foodborne Illness Tracking
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has scaled back a major foodborne illness surveillance program, according to a new report.
The agency is now tracking just two pathogens instead of the usual eight, NBC News reports.
As of Tuesday, July 1, the Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network (FoodNet) is only monitoring for salmonella and Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC),
Previously, the program also tracked listeria, shigella, campylobacter, cyclospora, vibrio, and Yersinia.
Some of those illnesses can cause severe or life-threatening illness, e…
$52K In Appliances, Tools Stolen By Organized Theft Ring In PA, Suspect Caught In NJ
An organized retail theft group accused of stealing more than $52,000 worth of appliances and tools from Home Depot stores across four Pennsylvania counties has been dismantled, prosecutors announced on Friday, Aug. 22.
Balvin Greene, 32, Terrell Jackson, 39, and Kristopher Heard, 38, all of Philadelphia, were arrested and charged with multiple felonies, including running a corrupt organization, organized retail theft, retail theft, conspiracy, and dealing in the proceeds of unlawful activity, according to Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin R. Steele.
From May 18 through Aug. 11, 202…
‘I Did It For Gaza’: Gunman Flew In, Killed Israeli Couple Outside DC Jewish Museum: Court Docs
He flew in from Chicago with a gun, bought a ticket to a Jewish diplomatic event, waited outside, then opened fire.
Moments later, he told police: “I did it for Palestine. I did it for Gaza.”
Elias Rodriguez, 30, of Illinois, is now facing multiple federal charges, including the murder of foreign officials, after he allegedly carried out a deadly ambush near the entrance of the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, DC on Wednesday, May 21, federal officials announced.
The attack happened just after 9:00 p.m., outside a ticketed event hosted by the American Jewish Committee that was designed…
520 Heroin Folds, 22 Vials Of Crack Seized In NJ Drug Bust: Sheriff
A drug investigation sparked by an anonymous tip led to the arrest of two men and the seizure of heroin, crack cocaine, and cash from a Paterson apartment, Passaic County Sheriff Thomas Adamo announced.
The tip came through the department’s Tip-Hotline, reporting illegal drug activity from Apartment #6 at 50 Colonial Ave., Adamo said.
On Monday, April 14, detectives with the Bureau of Narcotics (BON) began surveillance at the location. While watching the area, they saw Henry Hiemstra, 62 — who was arrested on drug charges in 2019 — leave the apartment and get into a white Chevrolet driven b…
Iran Sent Hitmen To Kill NY Journalist: Two Mobsters Convicted In Foiled Plot
Two Eastern European mobsters were convicted in a chilling plot to assassinate an Iranian-American journalist on US soil—at the behest of the Iranian government.
A Manhattan federal jury found Rafat Amirov, 46, of Iran, and Polad Omarov, 40, of Georgia, guilty on all five counts related to a murder-for-hire scheme targeting journalist and human rights activist Masih Alinejad on Thursday, March 20.
The pair orchestrated the plan under orders from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), offering a hitman $500,000 to kill Alinejad outside her Brooklyn home, according to prosecutors.
…
NJ Man Helps Cousin Kill Girlfriend’s Brother In PA, Sentenced To Decades
A Pennsylvania man was gunned down while sitting in a parked car with his family, and two men—including his sister’s abusive boyfriend and his cousin—have now been sentenced to decades in prison for his murder, the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office announced on Friday, March 14, 2025.
Breon D. McRae, 34, of Morrisville, PA, and Pacqi S. Lassiter, 29, of Trenton, New Jersey, were each sentenced to 40 to 80 years in state prison for conspiring to kill Clifton “CJ” Burgess-Williams Jr., 26, on Dec. 22, 2022, prosecutors said. McRae received an additional 4 ½ to 9 years for witness intimid…
Brazen Dunkin' Bandit Steals $18K From 14 Locations Across New Jersey: Prosecutor
A Newark man is behind bars after authorities say he went on a multi-county Dunkin’ burglary spree, swiping more than $18,000 in cash and leaving a trail of destruction behind.
Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella announced the arrest of 24-year-old Enajaim E. Bowman, who turned himself in on Tuesday, Feb. 25, after detectives tracked him down following weeks of investigation.
For nearly two months, Bowman prowled the overnight hours, prying open doors and smashing windows to loot cash registers, safes, and managers’ offices at Dunkin’ Donuts locations across Bergen, Middlesex, Morris, and…
Shoplifter Turned Attacker Charged With Robbery At Garden State Plaza, Paramus Police Say
A Bronx man accused of shoplifting from a store at the Westfield Garden State Plaza allegedly assaulted multiple people, including a store manager, a pursuing employee, and an elderly female shopper, authorities said.
Omar A. Ricketts, 33, was arrested and charged with robbery following the violent incident on Thursday, Feb. 20, at approximately 5:50 p.m., according to Paramus Police Chief Robert Guidetti.
Three men entered Champs Sports, and Ricketts allegedly concealed two Nike Tech Fleece jackets before attempting to leave without paying.
When a store manager confronted him, Ricketts sh…
NY Mailbox Thief Nearly Hits Officer In High-Speed NJ Chase, Police Say
A Westchester, NY man has been arrested for his role in a mailbox theft ring that plagued Bergen County for weeks, authorities said.
Edward Orozco, of Yonkers, was apprehended after a dramatic high-speed chase and a month-long investigation by the Wallington Police Department, Sgt. Brian Rosas said.
The theft ring, which targeted mailboxes in October, resulted in thousands of dollars in losses for residents after stolen checks were rewritten and repeatedly deposited, according to Rosas.
Wallington police launched an extensive investigation, identifying the suspect vehicle as a blue BMW M-S…
Smile For The Doorbell Camera: Paterson Porch Pirate Arrested For $1K Lyndhurst Theft, Cops Say
A Paterson porch pirate is facing charges for swiping a $1,000 electronics package from a Lyndhurst home, police announced.
Jeison Sime Martinez, 24, was arrested on Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024, after the Bergen County Sheriff’s Department apprehended him during a motor vehicle violation investigation, Detective Lt. Vincent Auteri said.
The arrest stemmed from an incident on Tuesday, Oct. 22, when a Lyndhurst resident reported that a package had been stolen from their front porch.
Surveillance footage from a doorbell camera provided detectives with a clear description of the suspect and …
NY Drug Dealer Tries Swallowing Cocaine During Hotel Bust In Bergen County, Police Say
Two New York men were arrested in Bergen County on Monday evening, Nov. 25, after police caught them trying to hide cocaine during a suspected drug deal, authorities said.
Mahwah police were conducting surveillance at a local hotel at approximately 6:30 p.m., following reports of possible illegal drug activity, Chief Timothy O’Hara said. Officers observed two individuals, later identified as Kervin Plasencia, 35, of Queens, and Christian Rivera, 33, of New York, NY, being dropped off by a rideshare vehicle at the hotel entrance.
As officers approached the vehicle, Plasencia tried to swallow…
Bayonne Burglar, 'Heavyset' Getaway Driver Tracked Down In Jersey City: Police
A Jersey City man trying to break into a Bayonne home and his getaway driver are in custody, police said.
Kenneth Dowdy, 43, was dressed in all black and trying to pry open an apartment door at 233 Avenue B in Bayonne when he was confronted by a building resident around 7:25 a.m. Friday, Oct. 11, police said.
"A witness then saw the actor enter the passenger seat of a vehicle that was parked nearby, which was being driven by a ‘heavy-set” female," police said in a release.
The getaway driver was later identified as April Sanders, 50, of Jersey City.
Bayonne police arrived at the scene and…
