Preview of FEMA trailers for NJ residents

Web produced by Jennifer Matarese, Eyewitness NewsUNION BEACH, N.J. (WABC) -- The devastation in Union Beach is so extensive and there are dozens of other homes on Shore Road that are destroyed.

FEMA officials said Tuesday that 50 trailers will go out to New Jersey residents starting next week.

Eyewitness News got a preview of what residents can expect.

40 FEMA trailers have been parked at Great Adventure since early November.

Starting next week, some New Jersey residents who lost everything in Hurricane Sandy will call these one and two-bedroom units home.

"If you've lost everything and you come into this, you will feel a little more relaxed," said Steve Minnick, of FEMA.

Inside the trailers, the basics; a couch and dining room table in the living room, a bed and a dresser in each bedroom, and one full bathroom.

For people who lost everything, FEMA provides the kitchen essentials, including a coffee maker, pots and pans, utensils, and even a weather radio to alert families when another storm is on the way.

FEMA officials say the trailers will be provided for free to qualified families. They will be set up in mobile home parks, outside of flood zones, and will be home for about 18 months.

"Rental units are our primary option for long term housing," said Chris McKniff, of FEMA.

In Union Beach, which sustained some of the worst storm damage, many believe the trailers are a better long-term solution than hotel rooms or extended stays with relatives.

"If they get a trailer they have a place to store it and have a Christmas," said Joann Peperoni, a storm victim.

Others wonder why the trailers have been parked in an empty parking lot for six weeks, instead of being shipped out to people who need them.

Konstantine and his neighbor lost their homes along the water.

"She has nothing and her whole lifelong possessions are in that house. Gone. She is right back to where she started," said Konstantine Zios, a storm victim.

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Residents warned about terrifying phone scam

JERSEY CITY (WABC) -- There's a warning about a phone scam targeting people in the tri-state area.

People are receiving calls saying a relative has been kidnapped and they need ransom money, but it's all fake and the calls aren't even from this country.

"I want you to be afraid, and test me. You're going to see my face. Alright. Don't call the police everything will be just fine. What happened they got nervous alright," the phone call said.

That is audio of a new scam with a new horrifying twist.

Jersey City Police say men call saying their holding people's family member hostage and they demand money and threaten to kill their loved one.

"You're brother has already seen my face. I don't want anybody else to see my face alright. My cousin took out a gun and broke his head you see, I told him to calm down, he wanted to act stupid. That's what happens to him," the caller said.

Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah T. Healy and Deputy Police Chief Peter Nalbach say the calls come from Puerto Rico and Florida.

This has been going on in the tri-state area for several months and in Jersey City for several weeks.

"They're just fishing getting somebody who's gullible and they don't ask enough questions. Fortunately, this woman's brother called because she would have been scammed out of the money," Jersey City Deputy Police Chief Peter Nalbach said.

Investigators say one woman fell for the scam and believed her brother would be murdered, fortunately that sibling called just before she made the transfer.

"We want all of our citizens to know that there are a lot of scammers out there. This is the latest scheme scam or flip flam that some of these have come up with. We want you to be alert, aware, and vigilant," Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah T. Healy said.

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Residents concerned over stinky water in New Jersey

  Eyewitness NewsJERSEY CITY -- Water might taste and smell different to residents in Jersey City, Hoboken and Weehawken.

United Water says lab tests show the water is safe to drink.

General Manager Jim Glozzy says the change in taste and smell can be caused by turnovers in the reservoir when surface water cools and sinks to the bottom.

The company says customers might find the taste improves if they keep their water in an open pitcher in the refrigerator.

United Water says it's working to resolve the issue.

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The State of New Jersey Owes Residents Hundreds Of Millions In Unclaimed Money

Roselle Park residents rally for their post office

Web produced by Jennifer Matarese, Eyewitness NewsROSELLE PARK, N.J. (WABC) -- Dozens of people in New Jersey rallied Thursday night to save their post office. It's one of the thousands set to be closed in the country.

For so many people their post office is something of a lifeline, where they pay their bills the old fashioned way, they mail them.

It wasn't the biggest rally you'll ever see, but then again, Roselle Park isn't the biggest town you'll ever visit.

That may be why the local post office means so much to the people who live here.

"This is a small town, you're picking on small town people. It's not right," said Jeanette Taveras, a Roselle Park resident.

"We have a lot of seniors here who depend on this! My post office closed," said Mary Ann Jackinowitz, a Roselle Park resident.

The Roselle Park Post Office is just one of 3,700 locations the U.S. Postal Service is looking to shut down, nationwide.

It's a move intended to save roughly two billion dollars from a system that is basically broke.

"Things have changed in our business and like any responsible business you have to react to that," said the Postmaster General.

But critics say it's about more than nostalgia, more than the inconvenience of travelling farther to buy stamps and mail packages.

It's about losing middle-class jobs at a time when the nation needs more not fewer.

"Senior citizens use it, so, it's vital to us," Roselle Park Mayor Joe Accardi said.

(Copyright ©2011 WABC-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.) Get more New Jersey News »

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New Jersey Residents Need a New Jersey License

Police warn NJ residents of Craigslist robber

By Scott Curkin; Eyewitness NewsIRVINGTON, New Jersey (WABC) -- Buyers beware as a man is allegedly posting ads on Craigslist is robbing his customers at gunpoint.

The Craigslist robber is believed to have struck at least three times in Irvington, New Jersey.

In the first robbery, on Carolina Avenue in March, he posted an ad for a discounted iPad and robbed a man from Brooklyn of his phone and cash. In the latest two robberies, he posted an ad for a Honda Civic and asked potential buyers to meet him for a 'cash only' sale.

Police believe the suspect wanted to meet his buyers at the end of Orange Place because it's quiet and residential. What he didn't know was that neighbors were very observant and suspicious.

Last Thursday, a neighbor snapped a photo of the suspect, automatic weapon in hand, robbing two men who had come to purchase the car he saw advertised on Craigslist. The suspect stole an iPhone and cash. Police say this should be a cautionary tale for Craigslist users.

"If you're going to meet someone and you're carrying money, why don't you pick the meeting place," said Joseph Santiago, Director of Irvington Police.

On May 7, a neighbor's surveillance cameras caught another robbery attempt, but that person never even got out of his car and sped away when the man he thought was selling him a car pulled out the gun.

People sometimes get so excited about a bargain that they don't make every effort to protect themselves," said Chief Michael Chase.

The suspect only communicated with his victims on a cell phone, which was prepaid and cannot be traced. Irvington officials are hoping someone recognizes the suspect from the photos.

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