Friday, December 30, 2011
NJ man charged with murder to act as own lawyer
Eyewitness NewsJERSEY CITY, N.J. -- A New Jersey man will represent himself in court against charges he murdered his girlfriend and dumped her body in a suitcase in New York.
Shawn Southerland's trial is scheduled to begin next month in Hudson County.
The 50-year-old Southerland, of Bayonne, is accused of killing 36-year-old Christie Neely in 2007. Neely's body was found in a suitcase off the Henry Hudson Parkway in the Bronx. She had worked as a telemarketer in midtown Manhattan.
Police say they traced the suitcase to a store in Bayonne, where a store employee identified Southerland as the person who bought it.Southerland was arrested in Philadelphia in 2008. He has been granted a non-jury trial and will have his case tried before a state Superior Court judge.
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Police ID suspect in 2-year-old's shooting
The 2-year-old boy, identified as Mikhy Robinson, was shot in a house on St. James Place at around 10:30 a.m.
Neighbors say whatever was going on inside the home started as early as 4 a.m.
"It sounded like a dispute, and the son was in the wrong place at the wrong time," said Tyree WilliamsThe shooting police say, happened at about 9:48 this morning. The child's mother, and Wakir Bryant, rushed the toddler to Beth Israel Hospital, where he was pronounced dead a half an hour later.
Friends of the family came to the scene along with relatives of the victim, who would not speak as they were overcome with emotion, as the reality of the loss sank in.
Newark and Essex county investigators are still trying to piece together how this tragedy unfolded. The mother was being questioned, but Bryant who was with her and the child inside at the time of the shooting left the hospital and police are now searching for him.
Bryant is now wanted for aggravated manslaughter and weapons offenses.
Newark Police Director Samuel DeMaio said, "I am saddened by this tragic and senseless loss of life and extend my heartfelt condolences to the family and loved ones of the infant. The investigation into this incident is in the very early stages and police have yet to clarify all of the details surrounding the case at this time. Nevertheless, I am confident that the hard working investigators assigned to the Essex County Homicide Task Force will conduct a thorough investigation in the pursuit of justice and closure for the family."
Police were looking a white four door Pontiac newer than 2000, with a broken rear passenger brake light.
It was the 90th homicide of the year in Newark.
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Thursday, December 29, 2011
Several rescued from fire in Bayonne
Adam Stephan, Eyewitness NewsBAYONNE, N.J. (WABC) -- First responders rescued several people from a fire at a four-story apartment building in Bayonne, New Jersey Thursday night.
The fire started on the third floor of 92 West 33rd Street at around 8:20 p.m.
When firefighters arrived, three people were on the fire escape.
Firefighters managed to rescue them with a tower ladder.Three other people were rescued from the basement.
Nobody was seriously injured.
One officer was treated for smoke inhalation.
Police say the fire was caused by an electric heater that caught fire in a back closet.
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Federal commuter tax benefit cut by nearly half
The federal commuter tax benefit, which lets you deduct mass transit expenses, pre-tax, has been cut by nearly half.
That means a sort of hidden tax hike for millions of people.
Brianna and a buddy are taking the train into the city. She called her trip by car to Long Island the other day, a nightmare."We got caught in traffic. After 2 hours, we were still in Jersey City," said Brianna Graciano, a commuter.
It's what hundreds of thousands of bus and rail commuters miss, thank goodness, by not driving.
But many are about to lose part of another commuter benefit that saved them hundreds of dollars a year.
A federal stimulus plan that nearly doubled the amount of money commuters could claim tax free, as a part of the expense of traveling to work, ends at the end of the year.
For example, a monthly pass from New Brunswick to New York Penn Station is $361.
With the stimulus, only $131 dollars of the expense is taxed. Without the benefit, $241 is taxable income.
"You're talking about 13, 14 hundred dollars a year, doldrums that it is," said Albert Papp, NJ Association of Railroad Passengers.
New Jersey Senators Bob Menendez and Frank Lautenberg sent a letter to the Senate Finance Committee, asking it to maintain the higher benefit for commuters, who's mass transit travels, they say, have more far-reaching benefits for everyone.
"It saves on the fuel, it's hard to park over there," a commuter said.
Commuters sign up for the benefit through their employers, who also get a 10% tax break.
Rail activists say it can save commuters up to 1,500 a year.
So far, the finance committee has not acted.
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Woman saved from being sex slave by Facebook
Andy Field, Eyewitness NewsHACKENSACK, N.J. (WABC) -- Police in New Jersey say a woman was forced into prostitution and used Facebook to get rescued. Police say the 30-year-old woman sent a message to her brother in Florida saying she was being held against her will.
New Jersey Police think 29-year-old Trenace McCarroll bailed out a woman from jail and then essentially kidnapped her and worked her as a prostitute to pay off the bail money.
He thought the woman had no cell service but she did have an iPhone that got a Wi-Fi signal.She used it to put out a call for help on Facebook to her family, who called Hackensack Police, who then went to McCarroll's apartment but didn't find him.
He called back, turned himself into the police station with the woman in the car.
The police chief says she might still be a sex slave if it wasn't for her iPhone and Facebook.
"It had no service, so I think that he was under the impression that she couldn't do anything with it, but as we all know, these new phones you have Wi-Fi access and there's a lot of Wi-Fi spots," said Captain Tomas Padilla, Hackensack Police Department.
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Customs: Cocaine in soccer balls at NJ airport
Eyewitness NewsNEWARK -- Customs officers at New Jersey's Newark Liberty Airport say they seized some unusually heavy soccer balls from a Peruvian man's luggage. It turns out the four deflated balls contained a substance that tested positive as cocaine. Customs say they also found the same powder inside four pair of sandals belonging to the same man, 46-year-old Heber Razuri Leon.
Customs officers say the balls and the sandals were both heavier than they should have been. In all they recovered nearly 5 pounds of cocaine.
It was the second drug discovery in the past week at the airport. Customs also found 1.2 pounds of cocaine inside an "anomaly" in the luggage of 29-year-old Italian citizen Daniela Mastromariono. She arrived on a flight from Costa Rica.Both travelers face federal charges.
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Long-burning NJ warehouse may not have to be razed
Eyewitness NewsELIZABETH, N.J. -- Firefighters have found a surprise after getting a weeklong fire under control in a New Jersey warehouse: The building may not need to be razed. Elizabeth Fire Chief Thomas McNamara tells The Star-Ledger (http://bit.ly/u2xBVK ) that about one-third of the five-story, 2 million-square foot building was damaged. But the rest was unaffected in the chemical-fueled blaze.
He says the insurance company is debating whether to demolish the building in an historic industrial area. The fire has been burning since last week, but firefighters say it's now under control. It's not clear when it can be put out entirely.PHOTO GALLERY: PHOTOS FROM THE AREA SURROUNDING THE FIRE
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NTSB releases preliminary report on NJ plane crash
By DAVID PORTERHARDING TWP., N.J. -- Federal investigators have released a preliminary report on last week's plane crash in New Jersey that killed five people.
The preliminary National Transportation Safety Board report released late Monday draws no conclusions on what caused the Dec. 20 crash. A final report could take a year or more to complete.
The single-engine turboprop crashed about 15 minutes after takeoff from Teterboro Airport and was headed to Georgia. The report describes how pilot Jeffrey Buckalew radioed to air traffic controllers that he was experiencing icing and requested to climb to a higher altitude. The plane peaked at 17,900 feet before descending.The plane crashed in a wooded median on Interstate 287 in Morris County.
Buckalew's wife and two children and a business colleague also perished.
CLICK HERE TO SEE PHOTOS FROM THE SCENE
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Vice principal, vol. allegedly put camera in showers
Web produced by Jennifer Matarese, Eyewitness NewsSOMERVILLE, N.J. (WABC) -- 54-year-old Patrick Lott, Vice Principal of Bernardsville Middle School, was also a volunteer coach at Immaculata High School.
Wednesday night, he is in jail on half a million dollars bail.
The Somerset County Prosecutor's office says two weeks ago, investigators seized computer files from Lott's Eastern Avenue home, and found images of male students at Immaculata as they bathed in a communal shower.
At least nine of the teens are under the age of 16.No one answered the door at Lott's home.
Many neighbors declined to speak, except one, who says he's known Lott for decades.
"I don't believe it. (You know him?) Yes, I don't believe it. (Why?) He's a nice guy," said Harry Potts, a Somerville resident.
Police won't say what tipped them off, but after seeing the images, they were able to locate the hidden camera.
Lott is charged with 22-counts of invasion of privacy and 27 counts of endangering the welfare of a child.
Eyewitness News spoke to parents arriving for a basketball game.
"I think it's awful, you think your kids are safe at school and their sports programs," said Renee Nicholson, a Staten Island resident.
The school sent a letter to parents, saying in part: "Our school has worked with detectives from the very beginning to provide information and access, and, we do everything in our power to provide a safe environment for our students."
Visiting basketball players spoke to Eyewitness News as they were headed to the gym.
"When you go into a locker room, it just feels weird and awkward like," said Stephen Steyer, a Staten Island resident.
Lott has played a prominent role in education in Somerset County.
The prosecutor's office says its investigation into his alleged activities is far from over.
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LeGrand to attend Broncos' game in Denver
Eyewitness NewsPARSIPPANY, N.J. -- Paralyzed former Rutgers player Eric LeGrand says he will attend the Denver Broncos' home game against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday. LeGrand has been spending this week in New York with his former Rutgers teammates as they prepare for the Pinstripe Bowl against Iowa State on Friday at Yankee Stadium.
He grew up in New Jersey rooting for the Broncos. His favorite player was Terrell Davis, whom LeGrand will get to meet and watch the game with at Sports Authority Field at Mile High.
LeGrand suffered a spinal injury in 2010 during a game against Army. He took this week off from physical rehabilitation to participate in bowl activities.---
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NJ couple launches new food pantry - for pets
Eyewitness NewsEWING -- A year-old central New Jersey food pantry is aimed at pets, not people. It its first year, The Pet Food Pantry a couple operates out of their Ewing home supplied nearly a ton of food for 59 dogs, 83 cats, five parrots and a duck.
Liz and Jonathan Iszard say people need companionship during tough times - and pets fit the bill.
But in a slow economy, pet abandonment has risen quickly.The couple owns a natural pet treat company and contributes 10 percent of their profits to their food pantry.
They provide pet food to local animal shelters, senior citizens and low-income people. They tell the Times of Trenton (http://bit.ly/uMmTs6 ) that most clients have asked for help just once.
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Traffic light camera company posts crashes online
Eyewitness NewsNEWARK -- Crash at a New Jersey intersection and you could wind up on YouTube. The company that provides red-light cameras for many New Jersey communities is posting footage of some crashes on the video site.
Ten filmed traffic mishaps from 2011 are on a video on the site.
American Traffic Solutions says the collisions and some near-misses are put online as a way to remind people of the consequences of running red lights.Twenty-five New Jersey cities have the cameras.
Steve Carrella of the National Motorists Association tells The Star-Ledger (http://bit.ly/uMWoX8) the cameras won't reduce crashes.
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NJT and GSP tolls increasing on New Year's Day
Tolls on the New Jersey Turnpike and Garden State Parkway are going up, and for some drivers, that could mean a difference of several hundred dollars next year.
Commuters Eyewitness News talked to really feel like they're getting squeezed.
Tolls are going up on the Turnpike and the Parkway, and they recently went up at the Hudson River crossings.Even NJ Transit bus and train fares are up!
"It's disgusting, they're not offering anything and they're just taking more money," said Jeff Tanner, a driver.
More money is right, tolls on the NJ Turnpike and the Garden State Parkway will go up by as much as 50% in 2012.
"The gas goes up and the tolls go up and it's just more and more," said Janet Wojtowicz, a driver.
The toll hikes were approved in 2008 as a two-step process.
"I don't like it but its part of life and the condition on the roads demands that they improve them," said Paul Mitchell, a driver.
To illustrate how much a cash paying driver at peak hours would pay, imagine driving from Exit 4 on the NJ Turnpike North to exit 14C and then taking the Holland Tunnel into Lower Manhattan.
In January 2011, tolls for the trip would cost you $14.70. In 2012, it'll cost you $22.25, that's more than a 50%increase. And that's before you pay for gas!
"I'm going to think twice before driving here again. I'm not going to drive here again, next time I'll fly," said Omar Ali, a driver.
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Masked man robs Old Bridge jewelry store
Andy Field, Eyewitness NewsOLD BRIDGE, N.J. (WABC) -- A geezer bandit caught on camera robbing a jewelry store may be much younger than he appears. The suspect walked into a jewelry store along Route 9 in Old Bridge, New Jersey, wearing a rather distinctive disguise.
The robber knew what he wanted as security cameras recorded him rushing into the counter.
He drew a gun and ordering one clerk to the floor and then demanded another fill a bag as he meticulously selected various rings and bracelets."He came right in knew what he was doing, he walked in approached both employees, he had one employee get down, the second employee, he had him take him around, he pointed at the jewelry he wanted, they provided the jewelry," said Captain Robert Weiss, Jr., Old Bridge Township Police.
The Halloween masked man robbed Corbo Jewelers about 5 Tuesday afternoon at the Shoppes of Old Bridge along Highway 9.
The workers inside were terrified on what was a slow post Christmas sales day.
"The employees at the store were pretty shook up, but physically everyone was unharmed, he didn't hurt anybody, he pointed the weapon at them and left the store," Weiss said.
Old Bridge Township Police don't have much to go on but they're hoping someone recognizes something in the security tapes and helps find the thief.
"He's got a mask, he's got a hooded sweatshirt, he's a bit stocky, about 5'10", he's wearing an overcoat that makes him even look a bit larger," Weiss said.
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Suspect returns 1 of 2 stolen lambs from church
John Antalek, Eyewitness NewsRUMSON, N.J. (WABC) -- A criminal with a conscious who pulled off a Christmas caper was caught on camera in New Jersey.
Surveillance video shows the man running off with two lamb statues from a nativity scene outside Holy Cross Church in Rumson last week.
Later that same night, surveillance caught the thief again, this time returning one of the lambs.
A reward is offered for the safe return of the second statue.---
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Falcon freed after getting leg caught in NJ tree
Eyewitness NewsPARK RIDGE -- It took a fire truck and a chain saw to do it, but animal control officers have freed a falcon stuck in a tree in northern New Jersey.
Authorities say the adult predator was found Tuesday afternoon hanging upside down high in a tree outside Park Ridge High School.
The bird's leg was tangled in rope, according to The Record (http://bit.ly/vSBorE).
An animal control officer climbed a fire truck's ladder and cut through branches to reach the bird.The falcon was taken in for evaluation.
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Family's son honored in Rose Parade
Roberto Perez was just 17 when he died of a brain aneurysm, but because he was an organ donor, he gave life to 5 others.
The Perez family will leave their home in North Bergen to fly out to California at 6 a.m. Thursday.
They'll have front row seats to the Tournament of Roses Parade, where their son Roberto will be the only New Jersey organ donor honored on a very special float."I see that part of my son is still here and I feel very proud that my son gave life to the person," said Maria Perez, Roberto's mother.
Maria Perez's 18-year-old son Roberto was a healthy college freshman when he died suddenly of a brain aneurysm in 1997.
His parents made the decision to donate his organs, a choice that they are grateful for every day.
"Because of the decision we made, Roberto saved five lives," Perez said.
Roberto's heart still beats in the chest of a 78-year-old man who lives on Long Island.
Maria says she felt an instant connection.
"The first thing I asked is if I can put my ear on his heart and listen to his heart because that's my son's heart. So it makes me very proud," Perez said.
This year, Roberto's portrait, made of flowers, will be featured on a float in the Tournament of Roses Parade, which honors donor families and recipients.
"I know Roberto is happy we made the decision we did," Perez said.
On the day they were presented with Roberto's parade portrait, his parents were joined by the man who has his kidney, and by the widow of a man who had his pancreas and lived nine years longer before passing away. "If I save two people, I know I'm doing my job. It's a legacy, it's a legacy that we're going to continue," Perez said.
The Rose Bowl Parade is next Monday.
71 organ donors will be featured on the float, Roberto is the only one from New Jersey.
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Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Interfaith service held at desecrated temple
Web produced by Jennifer Matarese, Eyewitness NewsHACKENSACK, N.J. (WABC) -- A special interfaith service was held at a temple in New Jersey that was desecrated by vandals last week.
Religious and community leaders came together to rededicate Temple Beth El and rally against hate.
"I'm here because injustice to one is injustice to all," said Rev. Gregory Jackson, of Mt. Olive Baptist Church.
"We stand together with Temple Beth El to stand up against these acts of hate," said Rev. Donald Pitches, of the Bergen Co. Council of Churches, and a Presbyterian minister.People of many religions prayed and stood in solidarity with the people of Temple Beth El, where outside, cowards scrawled swastikas and nasty messages on the first night of Hanukkah.
"I visited Poland, I saw the remnants of the Jewish community of Europe which was destroyed by Hitler, so to see swastikas on a building is very, very upsetting on a personal level," said Robert Schumeister, of Temple Beth El member.
So far, no one has been arrested, but police are trying to catch them.
"For this to be happening in this day and age, I hope it was pranks," said Mayor Jorge Menses, of the City of Hackensack.
On this final night of Hanukkah, where songs of peace were sung, this gathering had a counter message as all joined to light the menorah of many faiths.
"Too many people died, cried to say nothing," a member said.
"We want you to know, these candles, are calling you out," another member said.
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Suspect critically injured in shootout with police
Adam Stephan, Eyewitness NewsNEWARK (WABC) -- A suspect was injured during a police involved shooting in Newark. It happened Monday just before 10 p.m. near the intersection of 18th Avenue and Livingston Street.
NJ State Police troopers and Newark Police officers were both pursuing the suspect apparently, according to police scanners, for his involvement in a carjacking.
The chase ended in a crash and shots were exchanged between the cops and the suspect.The suspect was shot multiple times and is being transported to University Hospital in critical condition.
Multiple crime scenes have been established in the area as a result of the pursuit.
No police officers were shot.
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Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Church battles to keep Paramus location
The church is in a battle to keep their current building.
If they lose, they will have to move from their current location in Paramus.
"We have a depiction of the Good Samaritan, Jesus with out-stretched arms," said Pastor Joe Smaha, of Community Church.The days are numbered for Pastor Joe Smaha and his wife Pam to enjoy Community Church of Paramus' cozy quarters.
"This is a hugging church. You don't come or leave without getting a hug," Pastor Smaha said.
"Well, you know, it is our life," said Pamela Smaha, a church member.
The church has long paid off its mortgage.
Expensive restorations were recently made to the 82-year-old building, but it's been struggling for years to grow a congregation, barely six members at its lowest.
But now, things have really grown.
"At Christmas Eve services we had about 35 people," Pastor Smaha said.
But that growth apparently isn't enough for the "Christian Missionary Alliance", which the small, once independent church joined in the 90's, to add to its credibility.
Pastor Smaha says a little known clause in the agreement, gave the CMA power that is bringing the church to its knees.
"He said, 'Your congregation is too small, we can shut you down.' I said, 'How is that possible?' He said, 'We can take the church and the property,'" Pastor Smaha said.
They're out January 1st, though they are appealing the decision.
The pastor and his congregation have been in this fight for three years now.
So far, judges have not decided in their favor, but they're not giving up, they are leaning on faith."
"We feel like God called us to help the community," Pastor Smaha said.
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Monday, December 26, 2011
Desperate search for elderly Newark woman
Eyewitness NewsNEW YORK (WABC) -- A Newark woman is spending her Christmas searching for her elderly mother who vanished among the throngs of tourists in Times Square. They were eating at a Sbarro's on Broadway at 49th street on Saturday.
The daughter got up for a moment and when she returned, her 73-year-old mother, who suffers from dementia, was nowhere to be found.
She also never returned to the assisted-living facility where she lives in Newark.The missing woman's name is Nellie Beamon. She answers to the name Gemini.
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Sunday, December 25, 2011
Mass Transit changes for Monday
Eyewitness NewsNEW YORK (WABC) -- Some mass transit changes for Monday you'll need to know about. New York City subways will operate on a Saturday schedule on Monday.
Buses will run on a Sunday schedule.
Metro-North will be on a Saturday schedule, while the Long Island Railroad is on a normal schedule.New Jersey Transit is on an enhanced weekend schedule, with extra "peak period" service on select lines.
Bus schedules vary by route.
PATH trains will follow a Saturday schedule.
Alternate side parking rules are suspended on Monday, meters do not have to be paid.
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NJ pilot apparently tried to declare emergency
By DAVID PORTERHARDING TWP., N.J. -- The pilot of a small plane that crashed on a highway median in New Jersey, killing all five people aboard, appeared to be in the middle of declaring an emergency when the radio transmission died, according to an audio recording of his exchange with air traffic controllers. Speaking quickly but not sounding panicked, pilot Jeffrey Buckalew says, "Declaring an ..." and appears to start forming the word "emergency" when he is cut off.
Buckalew's single-engine turboprop spiraled out of the sky shortly after taking off from Teterboro Airport, broke apart and crashed on busy Interstate 287 on Tuesday. No injuries were reported on the ground. Just before his final transmission, Buckalew confirmed to controllers that the plane was accumulating ice as he ascended, National Transportation Safety Board investigators said this week.Controllers had warned Buckalew and other pilots about icing occurring up to 17,000 feet.
The NTSB has not speculated about what role icing may have played in the crash, and investigators have not commented on whether Buckalew may have been trying to land at nearby Morristown Municipal Airport.
Several witnesses said the plane appeared to be headed northeast - away from its destination in Georgia - toward the airport before it crashed.
Investigators retrieved maintenance records for the Socata TBM-700 this week. Neither the plane nor Buckalew had any record of enforcement actions or accidents, Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Jim Peters said Friday. A preliminary NTSB report on the crash is due next week.
Killed were the 45-year-old Buckalew, an investment banker with Greenhill & Co. in New York; his wife, Corrine; their two children; and colleague Rakesh Chawla, 36.
Buckalew's father, Dr. Vardaman Buckalew, said that his son commuted from New York to Charlottesville, Va., where his wife and children lived, and that the family had planned to travel to Tennessee for a gathering with Corrine Buckalew's family before returning to Charlottesville.
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El Salvador girl comes to NJ to help sick sister
Eyewitness NewsNEWARK, N.J. -- A young Salvadoran girl has come to New Jersey so she can give a life-saving bone marrow transplant to her 5-year-old sister. Seven-year-old Gisselle Bonilla Ramirez arrived at Newark Liberty International Airport early Friday, three weeks after federal officials agreed to provide her with a humanitarian visa.
That came after the U.S. State Department had twice denied her a visitor visa that would have let her stay in the country up to three months.
Doctors have determined that Yarelis Bonilla, an American citizen who is undergoing chemotherapy for leukemia, desperately needs the marrow transplant as her best chance to live a normal life. And they determined that Gisselle - who had never met her sister before - was a perfect match after their whole family was tested.Officials say the marrow transplant will likely take place sometime next week at Hackensack University Medical Center.
State Department officials have repeatedly declined comment on why the visitor visa requests were rejected, citing visa confidentiality laws. But lawyers for the family have said that when a visa applicant has several family members living in the U.S., the government has a tendency to deny the application on the presumption the visitor will remain in the country.
The family was able to secure the humanitarian visa earlier this month after U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., personally sent the family's application to the head of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. The humanitarian visa, which is valid for 90 days, allowed Gisselle to travel to New Jersey strictly for the transplant.
Yarelis was born in the U.S. and both her parents live here. Her sister lives with the girls' grandmother in El Salvador.
A letter in support of the humanitarian visa application from the head of Newark Beth Israel Medical Center, where Yarelis is being treated, said the child was diagnosed in May with "high risk acute lymphocytic leukemia." The letter describes the form of blood cancer as "life threatening and extremely serious," and with a poor prognosis.
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(Copyright ©2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) Get more New Jersey News »new jersey, newark, leukemia, bone marrow, new jersey news
Saturday, December 24, 2011
Man charged in hit-an-run accident that killed NJ boy
Eyewitness NewsLAKEWOOD, N.J. -- Authorities have made an arrest in connection with a hit-and-run accident that killed a 12-year-old southern New Jersey boy.
Ocean County Prosecutor Marlene Lynch Ford announced Saturday that 40-year-old Jesus Arellano of Lakewood was charged with leaving the scene of a fatal motor vehicle collision.
The charge stems from a Dec. 16 accident in which Edward Juarez was struck and killed while walking to his family's apartment in Lakewood.
Arellano, who authorities say is an illegal immigrant, was being held without bail. It wasn't known if he had retained a lawyer.Authorities say the arrest came after police conducted a road block near the accident scene. They soon learned a van - covered by a tarp - had been parked at a nearby home since the night the accident occurred.
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NJT Train, car collide in Jersey City
Eyewitness NewsNEW JERSEY (WABC) -- Normal service has resumed on the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail line more than six hours after a train hit a car and derailed early Friday. The accident happened at 6th Street, causing the train to derail just after 3:00 a.m.
Investigators said it appeared the driver went thru a red light.
The driver was extricated from the vehicle and hospitalized with injuries, but officials said the person is expected to survive.There were no passengers on the train.
The light rail train was knocked off its tracks in the crash and unable to be moved for hours.
First, workers had to remove the car, which became wedged between the train and a utility pole.
They then had to get the train back on the rails and inspect the tracks before service could resume.
There were delays in both directions between Tonnelle Avenue and 8th Street in Bayonne. Buses and PATH honored light rail tickets.
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(Copyright ©2011 WABC-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.) Get more ABC7 Traffic Center »mass transit, abc7 traffic center
Toll booths robbed on Garden State Parkway
Eyewitness NewsHILLSIDE, N.J. (WABC) -- State troopers are looking for four men who robbed two Garden State Parkway toll booths at gunpoint Friday.
Shortly after 5:00 a.m. this morning ,four masked men in a silver Chrysler, possibly a 200 or Sebring, robbed the northbound toll plaza on the Garden State Parkway (This is know as the Union toll plaza).
Police said one of the passengers in the back seat showed a gun and robbed toll lane 7 in which the vehicle was stopped.
Another passenger in the back got out of the car and robbed the collector in lane 4.No one was injured.
Surveillance footage showed the license plate of the involved car. Following that information, State Police detectives located a silver Chrysler 300 at the registered address, but discovered that the car had the front plate removed and had not been moved for some time. It appears that the robbers stole the plate to apply to a very similar vehicle that they used for the robbery.
Police would not say how much money was taken, officials said such heists are rare and usually are not fruitful.
Anyone with information is asked to call detectives at the Bloomfield Station on the Parkway at 973-338-1370.
All tips can be offered anonymously.
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Good Samaritan foils purse snatching
Eyewitness NewsPARAMUS (WABC) -- A purse snatcher who knocked a woman to the ground in a Paramus mall's parking garage was arrested after another shopper slashed his tire, slowing down his getaway.
The incident unfolded at the Garden State Plaza Mall's parking garage just after 8:00 p.m.
A 56-year-old woman from Englewood was leaving the mall on the third level of the south parking deck. As she got to her vehicle a man approached her and demanded money. When she said she did not have any money, the suspect attempted to grab her purse. She resisted until he grabbed her by the neck and threw her to the ground.
She started screaming, and a good Samaritan named Pedro Solla, 48, from New York City heard the victim's screams and pursued the suspect in his vehicle as he tried to run away.As Solla turned the corner, the suspect jumped into a green Ford Explorer along with a female passenger. Solla got out of his vehicle and attempted to stop the suspect from driving away.
When he recognized that he was unable to do this, Solla punctured the rear tire of the vehicle with a knife.
Still, the suspect hit the gas and sped away, striking three vehicles on his way out of the parking deck. The explorer exited the Garden State Plaza onto Route 17 South. As they drove along Rt 17, the female passenger threw the pocketbook out the window.
Rochelle Park Police located the vehicle about a half-mile away after the suspect pulled over to fix the flat. Police detained both of them until the victim could be brought to Rochelle Park, where she positively identified them. Both were arrested.
Shane Mahi , 25, from Franklin Lakes, was charged with robbery. Bail was set at $50,000. He was taken to Bergen Regional Medical Center after complaining of chest pains.
The passenger, Therese Tabano , 21, from Clifton, was charged with conspiracy to commit robbery and was released on her own recognizance.
Solla is a city sanitation worker and it's not his first heroic act. In November 2004, he and his colleague noticed a house on fire. They ran into the house and saved the residents.
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Stabbing spree at NJ hip hop party
Eyewitness NewsEDISON, N.J. (WABC) -- Six people were stabbed, one killed at a hip hop party in Edison, New Jersey Saturday morning. Police say a series of fights broke out at the Mirage restaurant and catering hall during a performance of hip hop artist French Montana.
A 21-year-old man was killed.
So far, there have not been any arrests.---
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(Copyright ©2011 WABC-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.) Get more New Jersey News »new jersey, edison, stabbing, new jersey news
Friday, December 23, 2011
Group wants NJ town to remove 'Christ' banner
Eyewitness NewsPITMAN -- A national group is asking officials in the southern New Jersey town of Pitman to take down a banner that says "Keep Christ in Christmas." The Freedom From Religion Foundation says the banner violates the Constitution because it was put up by members of the local fire department and hangs from two town-owned light posts over a county-owned road.
The banner was paid for by a Knights of Columbus group.
Officials say a similar banner has hung over the town about a dozen miles south of Philadelphia for the past 50 years.Freedom From Religion says the banner should be moved to private property.
The mayor says he's asked a town lawyer to look into the situation.
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(Copyright ©2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) Get more New Jersey News »new jersey, new jersey news