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Thursday, jul 30
Police & Fire
Boy, 10, Dies In Passaic River; Search Expands 8 Miles For Missing Girl
A recovery operation stretched into Thursday morning, July 30, after a 10-year-old boy died and a 10-year-old girl remained missing in the Passaic River, officials said. At approximately 6:15 p.m. on Wednesday, July 29, three children entered the river but quickly slipped into deeper water because of the fast current and high water levels, Passaic Fire Chief Patrick Trentacost said. An 11-year-old girl was able to pull herself to the riverbank about 100 feet south of where the children entered the water near Holy Rosary Parish. She was safely removed from the river, according to the c…
Police & Fire
NJ Creep Sent Naked Videos To 7-Year-Old, Asked For Explicit Pics On TikTok: Prosecutor
A 36-year-old New Jersey man has been arrested after sending a 7-year-old girl naked videos of himself and soliciting explicit photos of her in return, authorities announced Thursday, July 29. The investigation began on Monday, July 20, after the girl said a man had been sending her messages by text and over TikTok, Camden County Prosecutor Grace MacAulay said. Elmer Lao, a Camden resident, engaged in online conversations with the girl, whom he knew to be seven years old, MacAulay said. During those messages, Lao sent nude videos of himself to her and requested she send nude …
Police & Fire
New Photos: 2 Kids Swept Away In Passaic River, Major Search Ongoing
UPDATE: The body of a 10-year-old boy who vanished in the Passaic River was recovered after hours of searching, while the recovery operation for the girl remained ongoing, city officials said. ORIGINAL STORY: A massive multi-agency search is underway after a 10-year-old boy and a 10-year-old girl disappeared in the Passaic River near Pulaski Park in Passaic on Wednesday evening, July 29, city officials confirmed. Reports of children entering the river came in at approximately 6:21 p.m., Passaic Mayor Hector C. Lora said. A third child, a young girl, made it safely out of the wate…
Police & Fire
66 Chickens, Including 60 Baby Chicks, Rescued After Household Kitchen Fire
Sixty-six neglected chickens—including 60 baby chicks—were rescued after a house fire led first responders to a backyard where the birds were being kept in what rescuers described as torturous conditions, authorities and an animal rescue organization said. Officers responded to a kitchen fire at 67 Mist Lane in Westbury, New York, around 10 a.m. Tuesday, July 28, where they found an active fire inside the home, according to Nassau County police. The East Meadow Fire Department extinguished the flames, and no injuries were reported. While investigating the fire, officers discovered several …
Police & Fire
911 Call, Doorbell Video Released After Coach Eric Bieniemy's Son Shoots Mother
New details are emerging after the son of NFL coach Eric Bieniemy shot his mother in Northern Virginia. Mia Bieniemy, 57, was allegedly shot by their 27-year-old son, Elijah Zion Bieniemy, in the 20000 block of Northpark Drive in Ashburn during a weekend altercation, according to the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office. Mia Bieniemy was taken to an area hospital for treatment and evaluation of her injuries. Her son is now charged with malicious wounding and other weapons offenses. In the days following the shocking shooting, the dispatch call has been released by Good Morning Am…
Police & Fire
‘Armed And Dangerous’ Teen Murder Suspect With NJ Ties On The Run: Authorities
A teenage New York murder suspect with ties to New Jersey remains on the run, authorities said Monday, July 27. Jacqua Cowan, 19, is wanted in the killing of 24-year-old Jamier Allen in March 2025 in Albany, the U.S. Marshals Service said Monday. He is considered armed and dangerous. Allen, of Albany, was shot and killed March 26, 2025, then his body was dumped in a wooded area, police said. About two weeks later, four people were arrested in the case, which was also tied to a car fire four days prior to Allen’s death, according to investigators. A warrant for Cowan’s arrest was issued Thu…
Police & Fire
Two NJ Residents Admit To ISIS Terror Plot: Feds
Two Montclair residents, including the son of a prominent poet, have pleaded guilty to their involvement in planning an aborted terrorist attack in Detroit on Halloween, authorities announced Wednesday, July 29. Tomas-Kaan Jimenez-Guzel, 19, and Milo Sedarat, 21, pleaded guilty to terrorism-related offenses, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazier said. Jimenez-Guzel pleaded guilty to conspiracy to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization, and Sedarat pleaded guilty to concealment of material support and resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization. Sa…
Police & Fire
Lightning Strike Kills Man, 32, At NJ Solar Field: Police
A 32-year-old man died after he was reportedly struck by lightning at a solar field in New Jersey on Tuesday afternoon, July 28, authorities said. The Monroe Township Police Department received a report at approximately 3 p.m. that a man may have been struck by lightning near the solar field at 355 Hoffman Station Road, Monroe Police Chief Griffin Banos said. Officers, Monroe Township EMS, and Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital paramedics responded and found the man unconscious in the field, Banos said. The man was taken to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick, whe…
Police & Fire
Woman Exposed Genitals, Butt At 16 Handles: Montclair PD
A woman is at large after she put on a show at 16 Handles in Montclair, authorities announced Tuesday, July 28. On Tuesday, July 21, officers responded to 16 Handles at 42 S. Park Street after a woman purchased a cup of frozen yogurt, only to inform employees she didn't have the money to pay for the yogurt, Montclair police said. When the employees told the woman she could not have the yogurt, she became irate, exited the business, walked up to the glass window and removed her pants, showing her buttocks toward employees and customers inside, police said. The woman then turned around, pull…
Police & Fire
Aspiring Doctor Charged In Deadly NJ Crash After Running Red Light: Prosecutor
An 18-year-old driver has been charged with vehicular homicide after a woman was killed in a crash at a New Jersey intersection Monday morning, July 27, authorities said. Siddartha Prasad Surapanani, of Belle Mead, was behind the wheel of a Genesis SUV when he struck the driver's side of an Acura SUV at the First Avenue intersection along Route 202 in Raritan just before 6:30 a.m., Somerset County First Assistant Prosecutor Annemarie L. Mueller said. The driver of the Acura, a woman from Bridgewater, was pronounced dead at the scene, Mueller said alongside Somerset County Prosecut…
Police & Fire
2 Dogs Rescued, Firefighter Hospitalized In 2-Alarm West Milford House Fire
A West Milford home was destroyed in a two-alarm fire Monday, July 27, that injured two firefighters but spared the lives of two dogs rescued by neighbors, authorities said. The fire broke out shortly before noon at 357 Oak Ridge Rd., where firefighters arrived to find the house fully engulfed, according to West Milford Fire Marshal and OEM Coordinator Michael Moscatello. All six West Milford fire companies responded, along with mutual aid departments from surrounding towns, Moscatello said. Neighbors rescued the home's two dogs before firefighters arrived, according to Moscatello and Comm…
Police & Fire
Route 4 Armed Gas Station Robbers Indicted: Prosecutor
Two Bronx men have been indicted in connection with an armed robbery at a Fort Lee gas station in which an employee was assaulted at gunpoint, authorities said. Fort Lee police responded to the business on Route 4 at approximately 4:05 a.m. Friday, Jan. 10, 2025, after receiving a report of an armed robbery, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said in a news release issued Monday, July 27. Responding officers learned a masked suspect approached an employee, pointed a handgun at the victim, and demanded money and jewelry before physically assaulting the employee and fleeing in a waiting ve…
Police & Fire
Video Shows Coaches Brawl At Youth NJ Softball Game
Newly obtained video appears to show the youth softball brawl among coaches in a postgame handshake line last week in New Jersey. The footage, obtained by the New York Post from the GameChanger app, appears to show Matthew J. Magaletta, 54, of Florham Park, approaching another coach and shoving him during the handshake line just feet from players following a 12U game between Little Falls and a combined East Hanover/Florham Park team. As the confrontation intensified, other coaches and the umpire appeared to intervene in an attempt to separate those involved. The video appears to show at lea…
Police & Fire
Harrison Employee Charged In Bail Funds Theft Investigation: Police
A Harrison Municipal Court employee has been charged after investigators determined cash bail money went missing over several months, police announced. Gabriela Sandwith, 38, of Harrison, has been arrested and charged with third-degree theft of movable property, police said. She was employed by the Town of Harrison when the thefts occurred, according to the statement. The Harrison Police Department Detective Bureau, working with the Hudson County Prosecutor's Office Special Investigations Unit, launched a criminal investigation earlier this year after reports of misappropriated municipal co…
Police & Fire
Feds ID Driver Who Crashed Pickup During NJ Pursuit
Federal officials have identified the man who crashed his pickup truck during a pursuit on Sunday, July 26 in Teaneck. In an update on Monday, July 27, a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said Luis Angel Cifuentes Rodas is an illegal immigrant from Guatemala. “He illegally entered the U.S. at an unknown time and place," the spokesperson said. "All of his claims will be heard by a Justice Department immigration judge and he will receive full due process. “Resisting officers and evading arrest is dangerous for our officers, illegal aliens, and the public. We remind the public that…
Police & Fire
NJ Man Murdered Sister: Prosecutor
A Jersey City man is charged with murdering his sister, authorities announced Monday, July 27 At 11:40 p.m. on Monday, April 13, Jersey City police responded to a domestic dispute on Woodlawn Avenue after Yanesha Bradley, 47, was assaulted by her brother Alerjuan, Hudson County Prosecutor Wayne Mello said. Yanesha was transported to Jersey City Medical Center and was pronounced dead on Friday, June 5, Mello said . A medical examiner ruled the death a homicide from blunt force injuries, Mello said. Alerjuan is charged with murder in the first degree, Mello said.
Police & Fire
Mom's Quick Actions May Have Saved Daughter From Ex-BF's Abduction In AC: Prosecutor
A 27-year-old Pennsylvania man pleaded guilty to assaulting his ex-girlfriend in Atlantic City, authorities announced Monday, July 27. On Sunday, Sept. 28, Atlantic City police responded to Adriatic Avenue after a woman was dragged into a Chrysler 3000 by Lucas Moran, a Dunmore resident, who was wielding a knife, the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office said. As Moran attempted to drag the woman back into the vehicle, the woman’s mother prevented him from doing so, authorities said. The woman was able to escape and Moran then fled westbound toward Absecon Boulevard in his vehicle, auth…
Police & Fire
NFL Coach's Son Arrested For Shooting Wife At Family Home, Officials Say
The son of an NFL coach has been arrested for a shooting at the family home in Virginia, Daily Voice has learned. Eric Bieniemy's wife, Mia Bieniemy, 57, was reportedly shot by their son Elijah Zion Bieniemy, 27, on Sunday, July 26, in the 20000 block of Northpark Drive, according to the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office and ESPN. Eric Bieniemy is the Kansas City Chiefs' offensive coordinator. Deputies were called shortly after 7:30 p.m. on July 26 to the home, where there were reports of gunshot wounds. One woman was treated and rushed to an area hospital. Mia Bieniemy was listed in st…
Police & Fire
Serious Injuries Reported In Late-Night Route 21 Nutley Crash
Several passengers were seriously injured after a vehicle crossed the median and crashed into two oncoming vehicles on Route 21 in Nutley late Saturday night, July 25, police said. Nutley police responded to a major crash on Route 21, where a vehicle traveling north struck the center median before crossing into the southbound lanes and colliding with two other vehicles, according to the department. Several passengers sustained serious injuries and were taken to local hospitals for treatment, police said. The Nutley Police Department and the Essex County Prosecutor's Office are investigatin…
Police & Fire
Repeat Offender Threatens Child On Train In Bergen County, Rail Officials Say
A 37-year-old man with a lengthy criminal history was arrested after threatening a juvenile during a fight aboard an NJ Transit train in Bergen County, rail officials said. The incident happened at approximately 9:10 p.m. Saturday, July 25, aboard Bergen County Line train 1880, which departed Waldwick at 8:34 p.m. and was scheduled to arrive at Hoboken Terminal at 9:28 p.m., according to NJ Transit spokesman John Chartier. The train crew reported a fight between two passengers in which one passenger allegedly threatened another at Rutherford Station, Chartier said. New Jersey Transit P…
Police & Fire
DUI Arrest Of Prosecutor's Top Detective In NJ Captured On Newly-Released Bodycam
Newly released bodycam footage shows the moment that former Somerset County Prosecutor's Office Chief of Detectives Francisco "Frank" Roman Jr. was arrested for DUI after hitting multiple vehicles in a county-issued vehicle last March. The video was released by Transparency Bodycam on YouTube on Sunday, July 26, and opens with officers speaking to owners of the vehicles that Roman had allegedly struck in downtown Somerville on March 20. He has since been suspended without pay. About 22 minutes into the recording, Officer Maurice Alvarez tells Roman he will have to perform field sobriet…
Police & Fire
ICE Pursuit Ends In NJ Crash, Downs Utility Pole
A man fleeing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents crashed into a parked SUV and snapped a utility pole in Teaneck on Sunday morning, July 26, leaving one driver trapped inside a vehicle surrounded by live wires for about an hour, police said. View this post on Instagram Teaneck police responded to the intersection of Queen Anne Road and Walraven Drive at approximately 11:21 a.m. after receiving multiple 911 calls reporting a vehicle had struck a utility pole, according to a department release. One of the callers identified themselve…
Police & Fire
Uncle Saves 3-Year-Old Girl After Near-Drowning In Backyard Bergen County Pool: Police
A 3-year-old girl was rescued after a possible drowning in Bergen County on Saturday evening, July 25, thanks to her uncle's quick actions, police said. Officers responded to a home on 14th Street just after 6 p.m. for a report of a possible drowning involving the child, Cresskill Police Chief Jason Lanzilotti said. When officers arrived, they found the girl conscious and alert after her uncle administered back blows that cleared water from her airway, the chief said. Officers, along with firefighters and EMS personnel, evaluated the child to confirm her vital signs were stable and ensure …
Police & Fire
E-Scooter Rider Airlifted After Slamming Into Guardrail In North Jersey: Police
A 41-year-old man was airlifted to a trauma center after crashing his electric scooter into a guardrail in North Jersey on Saturday evening, July 25, police said. Bloomingdale police responded at approximately 7:50 p.m. to the area of Hamburg Turnpike and Vreeland Avenue for an initial report of a pedestrian struck by a vehicle, according to Bloomingdale Police Sgt. Sami Zeidan. When officers arrived, they determined the incident involved an electric scooter operator, not a pedestrian struck by a vehicle, Zeidan said. The preliminary investigation found the man was riding the scooter when …
Police & Fire
26-Year-Old Dead, 2 Seriously Hurt In Jersey Shore Boat Crash, State Police Say
A 26-year-old man was killed, and two others were seriously injured after a boat struck a channel marker in Barnegat Bay in Toms River late Saturday, July 25, authorities said. A 32-foot Boston Whaler was traveling through the Intracoastal Waterway when it struck an Intracoastal Waterway channel marker, just before 11 p.m., New Jersey State Police Trooper II Christopher Postorino said. After the collision, the operator, Kevin Wells, 39, of Warren, drove the vessel to a home on Silver Lagoon Drive in Toms River, where emergency personnel responded to render aid, the trooper said. …
Police & Fire
15-Year-Old Passenger Kills Teen Driver On South Jersey Highway: Prosecutor
A 15-year-old has been charged in the shooting death of a 19-year-old driver whose vehicle had crashed along Route 30 in Atlantic County, authorities said. Mullica Township police responded to a single-vehicle crash near Route 30 and Snow Hill Road late Friday night, July 24, where officers found the 19-year-old Javonte Stallworth, of Mullica Township, dead inside the vehicle with a single gunshot wound to the head, according to the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office. Witnesses told investigators that two people fled the crash scene on foot, authorities said. Police soon found tw…
Police & Fire
Details Released In SWAT Standoff At Hackensack Building
A woman was taken to a hospital for evaluation after barricading herself inside a Hackensack apartment and claiming to have a knife, prompting a response from the Bergen County Regional SWAT Team, authorities said. View this post on Instagram Hackensack police responded to a mental health incident involving a 44-year-old woman at the Park Lane Apartments at Union Street and Conklin Place Friday evening, July 24, Chief Michael Antista tells Daily Voice. When officers made contact, the woman barricaded herself inside an apartment a…
Police & Fire
Coaches Brawl After Youth NJ Softball Game, Arrest Made: Report
A Florham Park man has been charged after a fight between adults broke out following a youth girls' softball game in East Hanover, authorities confirmed. East Hanover police responded to Lurker Park on Ridgedale Avenue on Wednesday, July 22, on a report of a physical altercation between adults at the ballfield, Morris County Prosecutor's Office spokeswoman Meghan Knab said. Citing video of the altercation, NJ.com says the fight erupted among coaches during the postgame handshake after a 12U game between Little Falls and a combined East Hanover/Florham Park team. Several coaches from bo…
Police & Fire
2-Year-Old Ingested Cocaine, NJ Man Arrested: Prosecutor
A 39-year-old Ringwood man was arrested and charged after a 2-year-old was found cocaine in their system in Wildwood, authorities announced Friday, July 24. On Monday, July 20, a 2-year-old was taken to a hospital by Alexander Moles because they were having difficulty breathing, Cape May County Prosecutor Jeffrey Sutherland and Wildwood Police Chief Joseph Murphy said. EMS administered two doses of Narcan to the toddler, authorities said. A blood test revealed the toddler had cocaine, authorities said. An investigation determined Moles was vacationing in Wildwood when the toddler…
Police & Fire
Ex-Treasurer Stole $244K From Charity For Disabled Adults In NJ: Prosecutor
A 65-year-old New Jersey accountant is accused of stealing more than $244,000 from a New Jersey nonprofit that supports adults with disabilities, authorities said. Stephen Ferguson, of Cedar Grove, served as treasurer of the Association for Hunterdon Development Center in Clinton from June 2023 through March 2025, Essex County Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephens II announced Friday, July 24. The nonprofit was established by families of residents to provide additional support and resources for adults with disabilities living at the state-run facility, Stephens said. Ferguson allegedly made mult…
Police & Fire
Gucci Thieves Ram Paramus Police Vehicles After Garden State Plaza Heist, Officer Hurt: Chief
Three men accused of targeting luxury handbag thefts were arrested after one of them rammed multiple Paramus police vehicles while trying to flee from officers at Westfield Garden State Plaza, authorities said. Members of the Paramus Police Department's Crime Suppression Unit spotted a white Mercedes-Benz CLA 250 parked and idling in the Nordstrom parking lot at approximately 9:15 p.m. Thursday, July 23, according to Police Chief Robert Guidetti. Investigators had identified the Mercedes as a suspect vehicle connected to two handbag robberies at the Gucci store inside Garden State Plaza ear…
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