finediony 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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(Copyright ©2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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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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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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Friday, December 23, 2011

New Jersey Lawyers

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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