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Police & Fire
SEE ANYTHING? Man, 28, Dies In Elizabeth Bar Fight; Authorities Seek Killer SEE ANYTHING? Man, 28, Dies In Elizabeth Bar Fight; Authorities Seek Killer
SEE Anything? Man, 28, Dies In Elizabeth Bar Fight; Authorities Seek Killer Authorities are offering a reward of up to $10,000 in an effort to solve the death of a 28-year-old man in an Elizabeth bar fight. Oscar Melara was taken to Trinitas Regional Medical Center after a 2 a.m. fight at Ben's Bar on Meadow Street, Union County Prosecutor Lyndsay V. Ruotolo said.  Melara was pronounced dead at the hospital. The prosecutor's office, Elizabeth Police Department and Union County Sheriff's Office are investigating. Anyone with information about Melara’s death is being urged to contact Sgt. Johnny Ho at 908-403-8271 or Detective Lamar Hartsfield at 908-451-…

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by Cecilia Levine
Police & Fire
Elizabeth Man, 19, Fatally Shot Over The Weekend Elizabeth Man, 19, Fatally Shot Over The Weekend
Elizabeth Man, 19, Fatally Shot Over The Weekend A 19-year-old Elizabeth resident was shot and killed in the city Saturday night, the Union County Prosecutor's Office said.  Carlos Rodriguez was found by police on the sidewalk in the 500 block of East Jersey Street around 7 p.m. He was taken to University Hospital in Newark, where he died Sunday afternoon.  The county's Homicide Task Force as well as Elizabeth and county police are taking part in the investigation along with the prosecutor's office.  Anyone with information about the shooting is being urged to contact Task Force Detective Sonia Rodriguez at 908-341-3380, S…

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by Paul Milo
Police & Fire
Residents Evacuated When Elizabeth Building Begins To Collapse Residents Evacuated When Elizabeth Building Begins To Collapse
Residents Evacuated When Elizabeth Building Begins To Collapse Firefighters in Elizabeth were called into action when a building in the city started to collapse Wednesday, the department said in a statement.  A vacant lot next door to 245 Union St. was being excavated when one side of the three-story, multi-family building began to crumble. A large crack formed on the side nearest the lot and pieces of the structure began to slide off,. according to photos from the scene.  Deputy 3, Battalion 3 and Battalion 5, as well as Elizabeth police, helped evacuate the building and to establish a collapse zone.  There were no reported injuries.&n…

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by Paul Milo
Police & Fire
Suspected Shooter From Elizabeth Who Fled U.S. Found Guilty Of Murder Suspected Shooter From Elizabeth Who Fled U.S. Found Guilty Of Murder
Suspected Shooter From Elizabeth Who Fled U.S. Found Guilty Of Murder An Elizabeth man Friday was convicted on all charges stemming from a shooting seven years ago that claimed the life of a 21-year-old Pemberton resident, the Union County Prosecutor’s Office said. On Aug. 8, 2012, Anthony Holmes Jr. was with friends and family near 3rd and Pine streets when someone in a Ford Mustang drove up and opened fire. Holmes, who was not the target, was hit and died at University Hospital in Newark the next day. The prosecutor’s office as well as the Union County Sheriff and Elizabeth police identified Eslam Gad, 30, as the suspect. In 2016, Gad, who fled the country…

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by Paul Milo
Police & Fire
Embattled Elizabeth Police Director Resigns Embattled Elizabeth Police Director Resigns
Embattled Elizabeth Police Director Resigns James Cosgrove, the longtime director of the Elizabeth Police Department, resigned Tuesday following an investigation into inappropriate conduct by the veteran law enforcement officer, Mayor Christian Bollwage said.  "After meeting with the Attorney General today and discussing a path forward, I have accepted the resignation of Police Director James Cosgrove. Our conversation centered on changing personnel in the Internal Affairs Department, as only the Chief of the Police Department has that power," Bollwage said in a statement Tuesday.   In addition, the whistle-blower comp…

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by Paul Milo
Police & Fire
State AG Calls For Elizabeth Police Director To Step Down, Appoints New County Prosecutor State AG Calls For Elizabeth Police Director To Step Down, Appoints New County Prosecutor
State AG Calls For Elizabeth Police Director To Step Down, Appoints New County Prosecutor New Jersey's Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal announced Friday that he's appointed a new acting prosecutor in Union County following widespread allegations that the public safety director in Elizabeth habitually used racist and sexist language.  Police Director James Cosgrove has  been under investigation since February following several complaints of inappropriate behavior towards black and female staff under his command, as well as allegations that he routinely threatened retribution against those who brought complaints against him.  In an interview with Daily Voice earlie…

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by Paul Milo
Police & Fire
Man Pleads Guilty To Beating Up Pregnant Bus Driver In Elizabeth Man Pleads Guilty To Beating Up Pregnant Bus Driver In Elizabeth
Man Pleads Guilty To Beating Up Pregnant Bus Driver In Elizabeth A 39-year-old Union resident pleaded guilty to assaulting a pregnant NJ Transit bus driver, the Union County Prosecutor's Office said in a statement.  Andre Dawson III attacked the woman around 4:30 p.m. Jan. 28 while the bus was traveling in Elizabeth at Broad Street and Westfield Avenue. The woman suffered bumps, cuts and bruises in the attack. She was treated at Trinitas Regional Medical Center.  Dawson was arrested in February following an investigation by Elizabeth Police Department Detectives Paul Tillotson and James Szpond, as well as New Jersey Transit Police Dep…

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by Paul Milo