Local New Jersey News

Covering Essex, Morris, Middlesex, Union, Somerset counties and more

BERKELEY HEIGHTS -- Police arrested two New York men who were driving through the township in a stolen vehicle Thursday, according to a news release. Around 10:50 a.m., a patrolman pulled over a 2002 Infiniti driven by Jean Reyes, 23 of Bayshore, N.Y., for a motor vehicle violation and spotted a small amount of marijuana on Reyes’ leg, said the... Full story »

BERKELEY HEIGHTS -- Police arrested a nursing home employee Thursday on charges he stole about $48,000 by forging employee paychecks, including those of mentally-challenged individuals who worked at the home, police said. Roel Lopez, 38 of Bayonne, was responsible for distributing paychecks to mentally-challenged employees, according to a news release by Berkeley Heights police Sgt. Frank Fortunato. A month-long investigation... Full story »

BLOOMFIELD -- Police are searching for two men who robbed a woman at gunpoint Friday morning. At about 1 a.m. yesterday, a woman was walking home near Grove Street and Watsessing Avenue and was allegedly approached by two men who demanded her money, said Lt. Richard Wallace. One of the robbers was holding a handgun, Wallace said. The victim handed... Full story »

EAST ORANGE -- Police said that two incidents of sexual assault were reported in two days, and were probably committed by the same man. Sgt. Andrew Di Elmo said that a man attempted to grab a 23-year-old woman on the street near Central Avenue and Oak Street around 11 p.m. Thursday. Two hours later, a man grabbed a 32-year-old woman... Full story »

MAPLEWOOD -- A Union man suspected of using a Taser gun to shock a gas station attendant before robbing him at the Denco retailer on Springfield Avenue early Thursday morning was chased down and caught by Maplewood Police shortly afterward, police said. Michael Terry, 22, faces weapons, aggravated assault, robbery and resisting arrest charges. Police suspect Terry of shocking the... Full story »

MILLBURN -- Authorities are dissecting the possible cause of the Thursday morning fire at the Exxon gas station on Millburn Avenue but suspect it started by accident. “They are deeming it accidental,” Millburn fire Battalion Chief Edward Wade said on Friday morning. Citing the ongoing investigation by fire and police officials, Wade declined to give details. Fire crews on Friday... Full story »

MONTCLAIR -- Police are beefing up security outside the township’s high school in the wake of two days of after-school fights that resulted in at least 15 arrests and left three officers nursing injuries. Some parents are panicking, while police are trying to get to the bottom of what caused the spate of violence this week. They’ve said the fights... Full story »

SAYREVILLE --The pedestrian who died last week after being hit by a car while crossing Route 35 in Sayreville has been identified as a 23-year-old Morris County woman, Detective Sgt. David Lasko said today. Lorena Di Bello, of Dover, was struck Nov. 8 by a 1990 Lexis 400 driven by James Haaf, 43, of Edison, authorities said. She was flown... Full story »

NORTH PLAINFIELD--With his baby in one hand and a serrated knife in another, a North Plainfield man chased down and stabbed the baby’s mother and grandmother this afternoon. As he fled, he stopped and thrust the crying child into the arms of a neighbor taking out her trash, authorities said. The surprised woman rocked the wailing baby girl until police... Full story »

PARSIPPANY - Two men accused of swiping $15 from a grocery store yesterday were later cleared, but not before store management called the police, police said today. The two men were shopping at the Shop Rite grocery store on Route 46 around 8 p.m., Sgt. Yvonne Christiano said. At that point, police received a report that a robbery was in... Full story »

FLEMINGTON--With a fresh supply of vaccine arriving earlier this week, Hunterdon County is expanding the eligibility for people who qualify to get an H1N1 shot on Sunday. And it couldn’t have come too soon for the people who’ve been calling the health department since October, asking when they or their children can get the swine flu shot. “We know that... Full story »

MIDDLESEX BOROUGH--The borough council, which is already set for a shake-up next year, will now have a vacancy until January after Councilman Michael Venuto stepped down this week. Venuto’s three-year term expires at the end of the year. The Democrat did not seek re-election to the six-member board. He cited “personal reasons” in the resignation letter he delivered to the... Full story »

Thanksgiving weekend isn't just a time for families to get together. It's also prime season for high school reunions. Graduates from high schools or other institutions around the Garden State will have an opportunity to reconnect with former friends and classmates. Among the upcoming reunions are these: Arthur L. Johnson Regional High School of Clark Class of 1989, 20-year... Full story »

MONTVILLE--A renowned Maryland coin dealer said today that authorities have recovered most of the million-dollar stockpile of rare coins and currency that was stolen from his minivan last month at a Montville restaurant. Arrests in the theft, however, have not been made, said Julian Leidman, the reigning dealer of the year for the American Numismatic Association. Thieves raided Leidman’s locked... Full story »

HARDING--Municipal budget woes don’t come as a shock to most New Jersey towns. But Harding Township, a town where estates come with their own names and the average household income tops $200,000, isn’t like most towns. Still, municipal leaders have discovered the monied township is not immune to recession as they have started to balance a surprisingly unwieldy budget for... Full story »