An unidentified man was killed after shots rang out on the 400 block of South 11th Street Monday afternoon

NEWARK - A man was shot to death in the West Ward Monday afternoon - the fifth homicide to rock the city in four days.

Essex County Prosecutor's Office spokeswoman Katherine Carter confirmed that the unidentified man died after being wounded on the 400 block of South 11^th Street just before 4 p.m.

She said the investigation by the prosecutor's office's Major Crimes and Homicide Task Force was in its very early stages and no other details were available.

The shooting death marked the city's second on Monday - after NJIT student Joseph Micalizzi was killed in an apparent burglary gone awry at his fraternity house on Martin Luther King Boulevard just after 3 a.m.

The spree of violence began Friday morning, when 20-year-old Tyree Scott was killed on North Munn Avenue. A pair of death followed over the weekend, killing 42-year-old George Allen III of Montclair and 26-year-old Taquan Boston of Newark.

No arrests have been announced in any of the cases.

Dan Ivers may be reached at divers@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @DanIversNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

University officials cite bolstered police patrols, while students said they were not overly concerned for their own safety

NEWARK -- The NJIT community reacted to the fatal shooting of a fraternity brother Monday with added security and more sorrow than fear, according to university officials and students interviewed on campus.

"It was just really heartbreaking," said Vidhi Parekh, 19, a freshman from North Bergen.  "When I read the (president's email) messages, I thought, 'Oh, my god,' I hope that's not true.'"

Parekh, a sister at Alpha Sigma Tau, said she knew the shooting victim, Joseph Micalizzi, a mechanical engineering student, through recent Greek Week activities that mingled her sorority with his fraternity, Tau Kappa Epsilon.

Christian Tavares, a Rutgers junior who attended parties at the TKE fraternity house at NJIT, left a bouquet of flowers. "A great bunch of people," he said.Steve Strunsky | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com 

The messages she referred to were campus-wide emails sent out by NJIT President Joel Bloom, notifying students and faculty of what had happened, but assuring them that, "there is no imminent threat to the campus." 

Micalizzi, 23, was shot at about 3:22 a.m. in the TKE frat house on the 300 block of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard, the Essex County Prosecutor's Office said.

The incident remained under investigation, with no arrests made as of Monday evening. Early in the day, NJIT offered a $10,000 reward for information leading to an arrest in the shooting, followed by another $10,000 offer on top of that from the Essex County Sheriff's Office.

It was the second fatal shooting of a student in less than a month in Newark's University Heights section, after the death of Shani Patel, 21, of Toms River, a junior economics major at the Rutgers Newark campus neighboring NJIT.

Parekh and a friend, Priya Ravi, 18, a freshman from Kearny, were in between classes when they paused to talk about their reaction in a busy NJIT quad between the Campus Center and Fenster Hall, which was abuzz with students and looked as if all was normal on Monday afternoon. 

Both said they felt safe on campus, and noted that NJIT had provided safety tips during orientation and intermittently throughout the year, for example, don't text while you're walking, which could distract you from potential threats.

They also said they were reassured by the president's emails.

"It's good because they want everybody to be informed, and it shows that they care," said Ravi, whose parents told her at the start of the year not to leave the campus after 9 p.m.

Joe Gedutis, a 20-year-old freshman business major from Hawthorne, said he was "not too concerned" about his safety after the Rutgers or NJIT shooting, and that he tried to follow the advice he got from the school.

"They told us walk in twos or threes, don't be on your phone noticeably, mind your own business," Gedutis said, adding that the school did not discourage students from venturing off campus, only to be mindful of their surroundings while doing so.

A spokeswoman for NJIT, Lauren Ugorji, said patrols by the NJIT Police Department were being bolstered in the wake of the shooting, and that messages wold go out to students reiterating basic safety precautions, including the availability of off and on-campus escorts or rides by NJIT officers.

"Our students can call public safety any time of the night and they can get an escort," Ugorji said. "And we can't emphasize that enough. If they feel unsafe in any way they should call security."

Ugorji said plainclothes and uniformed officers patrolled the campus on foot, on bikes, and in patrol cars, watching out for the school's 11,300 students, inlcuding nearly 7,000 undergraduates. She said about 1,800 students live on campus, although many live in private housing within blocks of the school, including the TKE fraternity house.

Newark's acting public safety director, Anthony Ambrose, said he would meet with Rutgers Chief of Police Carmelo Huertas and NJIT Police Chief Joseph Marswillo "to work on strategies to increase patrols in the area."

Ugorji said that TKE brothers whose house is now a crime scene were being offered free on-campus housing for the two weeks remaining of the semester.

Graduation is May 17, and most classes had ended by Monday, before the start of later this week, she said. Students upset or disrupted by the shooting would be given extra time, Ugorji said. 

"Of course, whenever a student feels they need extra time for anything, they can always toalk to our dean of students, and we can make accommodations," she said.

Over the years, Ugorji said NJIT has tried to move fraternity houses onto the campus in order to better police security and other activities, though the issue is a sensitive one because the frats are private organizations that traditionally have resided in private housing. There are now 10 fraternities on campus, and seven off, most on a the same two-block fraternity row along MLK Boulevard where TKE is located.
 
There are actually two TKE frat houses on that row, one of them the Rutgers TKE house on the 400 block, one block north of the NJIT house. Members of both houses declined to comment on the incident.

Micalizzi was one of 30 current NJIT students who belonged to the TKE chapter, said Alex Baker, chief information officer for at the fraternity national headquarters in Indianapolis, In. 

"We are saddened to hear about the shooting of a member of Tau Kappa Epsilon that happened at NJIT," Baker said in a statement. "Our thoughts and prayers are with the member's friends and family."

Like several other local frat houses, each TKE house had its own security measures: an "Emergency" call box outside the Rutgers chapter house front door; and at teh NJIT house, a box with a large red button reading "Help," was well as a sign posted reading, "Warning: Premises protected by 24-hour surveillance." 

While several students said they were not concerned for their own safety, that didn't mean mothers and fathers weren't worried. Parekh and Ravi, the NJIT freshmen, said some of their classmates had been ordered home for the remainder of the semester. 

"We have friends whose parents were freaked out about it," Parekh said. "And they said, 'We're going to take you home right now.'"

Steve Strunsky may be reached at sstrunsky@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @SteveStrunsky. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

The parties reported their best first-quarter fundraising since 2009.

TRENTON -- New Jersey's county political parties, which are struggling to compete for donations, reported their most funds raised in the first quarter since 2009, according to the nonpartisan Election Law Enforcement Commission.

Political parties have been losing their financial influence as more and more money flows to less-regulated political action committees and other special interest groups.

ELEC has chronicled similar woes among statewide parties and legislative leadership committees. But first quarter financial reports show county parties also have their most cash on hand since 2010.

The 38 of 42 county parties that filed quarterly reports had more than $2 million in cash on hand at the end of March. During the first three months of the year they raised $1.5 million and spent $971,000, according to ELEC. Spending in the first quarter was at its lowest since at least 2009.

Two county parties did not file by the deadline and two spending less than $5,500 do not have to file, said Joe Donohue, ELEC deputy director. 

Cash woes a sign parties are weakening

Executive Director Jeff Brindle noted that despite the uptick, fundraising levels have fallen significantly.

"As recently as 2004, the combined county parties raised $2.8 million for the first quarter," he said. 

Burlington County Republicans raised the most amount of money in January, February and March, raking in nearly $206,000. It spent only $2,200. Somerset Republicans raised $131,000 and spent $43,500.

The Somerset GOP's $427,000 in reserves accounted for more than half of all Republican reserves.

Among Democratic parties, Bergen's brought in the most money, $177,000, followed by Essex with $121,000 and Passaic with $100,000.  

Samantha Marcus may be reached at smarcus@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @samanthamarcus. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.

Joseph Micalizzi encountered two men who broke into his fraternity house just after 3 a.m. Monday, sources said

NEWARK -- The New Jersey Institute of Technology student killed inside his fraternity house early Monday morning attempted to fight off two burglars before the fatal shots were fired, NJ Advance Media has learned.

According to multiple police sources who asked not to be identified because they were not authorized to speak publicly, 23-year-old Joseph Micalizzi was inside the Tau Kappa Epsilon house when the intruders entered through a rear door just after 3 a.m.

After a struggle, they fired multiple shots, striking Micalizzi in the hand and head. He was pronounced dead at University Hospital shortly after 5 a.m.

Police sources confirmed the Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard home had been broken into in recent weeks, with intruders leaving with a number of personal items. No arrests have been made in Monday's shooting, and it remains unclear whether the incidents are connected.

A Freehold native, Micalizzi had transferred to NJIT to pursue a mechanical engineering degree after two years at Brookdale Community College. He began living at the fraternity house, and made the Dean's List during the fall semester.

His family and fraternity members have largely remained silent in the immediate aftermath of his death, though classmates present and past have voiced their anguish.

In a Facebook post, fellow Howell High School graduate Joe Racugglia called him"a good man and one of the nicest people I had the pleasure of knowing in high school."

NJIT reacts to shooting with sorrow and security measures

Micalizzi's death comes less than a month after a student at neighboring Rutgers-Newark was killed at his off-campus home, sending shockwaves through the city's college community.

It also comes amid a rash of violent deaths across the city, including five over a four-day period since Friday.

In a statement, Newark Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose stressed that each of the recent homicides appeared to be isolated, and said officers would be redeployed in areas where violence was spiking.

He added that he met with Rutgers Police Chief Carmelo Huertas and NJIT Chief Joseph Marswillo on Monday to discuss new strategies and collaboration to protect both students and faculty at the universities.

"The men and women of the Newark Police Division will not be deterred and will continue our efforts by working tirelessly to control violence within our city," he said.

The City of Newark of Newark installed an electronic LED sign without getting approval from the Newark Landmarks & Historic Preservation Commission or the state Historic Preservation Office.

Newark City Hall has a new bauble on its front lawn - an eye-catching electronic LED sign that, at some point, will display events taking place around town.

On the next block of Broad Street, a chunk of Newark's history is propped up  as though it's part of a Hollywood set. That would be the facade of the Central Railroad of New Jersey Terminal, which served as the entrance to Newark's third train station until 1967.

But there's a preservation problem with these emblems of Newark's present and its past.

The City Hall sign is not supposed to be there and the city's landmark ordinance explains why. State laws do, too, as you will see in a moment.

MORE: Recent Barry Carter columns    

As for the train station facade, those in the preservationist community say the same city and state regulations should have stopped the Newark Housing Authority, which is also a redevelopment authority, from selling it to a developer.

Let's deal with the sign first.

In the city's preservation ordinance, any project that alters the historical integrity of a landmark building or historic district has to undergo a review and gain approvals from local and state historic boards.

Well, Newark City Hall is a landmark listed on state and national registers of historic places.

The Newark Housing Authority has sold the Central Railroad of New Jersey facade on Broad Street to a developer that wants use it for retail and office space. The preservationist community said the housing agency should not have been allowed to sell the property because it is located in the Four Corners Historic District and requires approval from the state Historic Preservation Office. Central Railroad was the third train station in Newark until 1967.Barry Carter | The Star-Ledger 

The electronic sign, encased in some type of stone, clashes with the ornate BeauxArts-style building constructed in 1902. And, the city didn't get the okay to put the sign on city hall property from the Newark Landmarks & Historic Preservation Commission or the state's Historic Preservation Office.

Newark blew past both safeguards and has yet to say why.

Residents can't do that. If they live in a historic home or district, Interim Commission Chairman David Robinson said, residents must receive clearance from the Landmarks Commission before they receive a building permit to do any kind of renovation.

 "It pops up as a flag and the building department will say you need to get historic approval,'' Robinson said.

Apparently, this didn't happen with the sign. It's also not clear if the city sought site plan approval from the he planning board.

Robinson said he wasn't aware of the sign until he saw it on his way to a commission meeting recently.

He said its members, who have many other proposals to consider, have not gotten around to dealing with the electronic sign surprise.

But the state's Historic Preservation Office did address the structure in a March 21 letter to the city. Daniel Saunders, an administrator for the office, said the city did not get "prior written authorization'' and that it had to submit an application retroactively for a review hearing on the project.

Larry Hajna, spokesman for the Department of Environmental Protection, said the city has reached out to gather information for the review, which will determine if the sign can stay or if it has to be modified or removed.

If the city doesn't apply - and it hasn't so far - there isn't much the state can do to make city officials submit to a review, except to remind them that they are violating the New Jersey Register of Historic Places Act.

"They (state) have no power,'' said Liz Del Tufo, president of the Newark Landmarks and Preservation Committee. "The only one who can take it down is the city itself.''

Not sure if that's going to happen. Haven't heard from Frank Baraff yet, the city's Director of Communication.

When Sharpe James was mayor, Del Tufo said, his administration hung a banner in front of City Hall that listed upcoming city events, something the sign is expected to do once it is programmed.

But after the preservation committee complained about the banner, citing the landmark ordinance, the city took it down. Short of that effort, Del Tufo said, somebody would have to file a lawsuit to make the city comply and have a hearing with the state.

A month before Newark was reminded of its responsibility about the sign, the state sent a similar preservation letter to the housing authority about the sale of the railroad terminal facade.

In the Feb. 8 letter, the state said the railroad terminal is located within the Four Corners Historic District and that any action regarding the property has to be reviewed.

MORE CARTER:Newark loses 2 of its champions

It's too late for that now.

NHA Executive Director Keith Kinard said the facade was sold for $480,000 in January. In its summary to the housing authority, 3Js Development Group of Morris Plains said it plans to have a jewelry store on the first floor and  offices or apartments on second.  

The Newark Housing Authority has sold the Central Railroad of New Jersey facade on Broad Street to a developer that wants use it for retail and office space. The preservationist community said the housing agency should not have been allowed to sell the property because it is located in the Four Corners Historic District and requires approval from the state Historic Preservation Office. Central Railroad was the third train station in Newark until 1967.Barry Carter | The Star-Ledger 

With the deal done, Kinard believes the state's request for a review or hearing applies to the developer, not his agency.

"It would apply to us if we are in development mode,'' Kinard said.  "I don't understand the problem.''

Even though the property has been sitting vacant more than 20 years, Ulana Zakalak, a consultant in preservation circles, called the sale illegal.

"They can't do that,'' she said. "They have a responsibility for their landmarks. You can't do anything to that building (facade) until you get approval.''

Residents have to get the thumbs up, too. They just can't do it like the city or the housing authority.

Barry Carter: (973) 836-4925 or bcarter@starledger.com or nj.com/carter or follow him on Twitter @BarryCarterSL

New Jersey is filled with legendary high school sports programs from Cape May to Mahwah. But which team is No. 1? We attempted to find out.

A 36-year-old man faces chargedwas arrested for a burglary at a Linden home that occurred nearly a year ago.

Jovany Infante, 36, was arrested in Essex County on a warrant charging him with breaking into a Linden home nearly a year ago, and cutting himself on a broken window, leaving traces of blood that police used as evidence to link him to the crime, authorities said. (Linden Police Department) 

LINDEN -- A city man who had eluded police for months is now being held in the Union County jail following his arrest for a burglary at a North Stiles Street home that was broken into nearly a year ago.

Jovany Infante, 36, of Linden, was arrested in Essex County and turned over to city police, Linden police Capt. James Sarnicki said in a statement Tuesday.

On May 19, 2015, police responded to a break-in alarm at a North Stiles Street home and found a broken window, Sarnicki said.

Officers found blood drops at the scene and recovered enough to send a sample to the Union County Prosecutor's Forensic Lab in Westfield for DNA testing, the captain said.

Last January, police Detective Michael Burnette obtained an arrest warrant for Infante, and Infante was contacted and agreed to surrender to investigators accompanied by his attorney, according to Sarnicki.

However, instead to turning himself in, Infante fled and eluded police for nearly three months, until the Essex County Sheriff's Department apprehended him, the captain said.

Details of exactly where and when Infante was arrested were not immediately available.

Infante is being held at the jail on $25,000 bail, pending a court appearance.

MORE UNION COUNTY NEWS

Tom Haydon may be reached at thaydon@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @Tom_HaydonSL. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Gunfire came after argument, police say

Antonio Seabrooks (Photo: Newark Police Dept) 

Detectives with the city's Fugitive Apprehension Team arrested Antonio Seabrooks at a residence without incident, Newark Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose said in a statement.

Police found two women, 34 and 45, and one man, 41, suffering from non life-threatening gunshot wounds at the bar on the 600 block of South 10th Street around 2 a.m. April 24, according to authorities. The three were are all treated and released from University Hospital. 

"After tediously scrutinizing evidence, Cease Fire Shooting Response Team detectives were able to identify Seabrooks as the shooter although they are unsure what prompted the argument, which preceded the shooting," Ambrose said.

Police investigate triple shooting at bar

Seabrooks faces aggravated assault and weapons charges. Officials said his bail was set at $350,000.

Police said the investigation was continuing and additional charges were possible.

Anyone with information was asked to contact the 24-hour Crime Stoppers tip line at 877-NWK-TIPS (877-695-8477) or NWK-GUNS (877-695-4867). Anonymous tips to Crime Stoppers would be kept confidential.

Noah Cohen may be reached at ncohen@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @noahyc. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Shamill Magre is one of two men who allegedly opened fire on an apartment building on March 16

Shamill Magre (Essex County Correctional Facility)

NEWARK - A 19-year-old city resident has been arrested in connection with a March shooting at an East Ward public housing complex, according to police.

Members of the Newark Police Department's Fugitive Apprehension Team caught up to Shamill Magre on the 70s block of North Munn Avenue Monday morning, Newark Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose said in a statement.

He had been wanted since detectives identified him as one of two men who opened fire on a Riverview Court apartment building on March 16, shooting through its windows before fleeing in a vehicle, Ambrose said.

Police did not say where the shooting occurred, but spokesman Capt. Derek Glenn said no one was hurt in the incident.

Magre is being held on $150,000 bond on charges of aggravated assault and multiple weapons offenses.

The second gunman in the incident remains at large. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Newark Police Department's anonymous tip lines at (877) NWK-TIPS or (877) NWK-GUNS.

Former teachers and friends paint a picture of Joe Micalizzi, the 23-year-old NJIT student who was fatally shot Monday during a burglary attempt to his fraternity house.

NEWARK -- When describing Joe Micalizzi, the NJIT student who was fatally shot Monday during a burglary attempt at his frat house, his former teacher offers the highest praise: "He was the kind of kid you would want your own kids to be friends with," says Joe Cantaffa.

It didn't surprise Cantaffa, a teacher at Howell High School, when he heard that Micalizzi, 23, died while trying to thwart the burglars.

"That makes perfect sense with who he was," Cantaffa said Monday night. "He would have stood up. He was disciplined, polite, focused, easy to work with and this amazing combination of humble and respectful. Quick to celebrate everyone else but not himself. He'd always seek to increase his responsibilities on any project. And I hate to use the word nice because it's so cliche, but he was just a nice guy."

According to multiple police sources, Micalizzi was inside the Tau Kappa Epsilon house on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard when two intruders entered through a rear door just after 3 a.m. After a struggle, they fired multiple shots, striking Micalizzi in the hand and head. Police sources confirmed the home had been broken into in recent weeks, with burglars leaving with a number of personal items. So far, no arrests have been made in the shooting.

Micalizzi, a Freehold native, graduated in 2011 from the Freehold regional district's Performing Arts magnet program at Howell High School, where he majored in entertainment technology and was one of only about 25 students admitted from thousands in the district. The rigorous program requires eighth-graders to audition.

"I remember him coming in and all his confidence," Cantaffa says of Micalizzi's audition. "He had a smile on his face and was wearing a shirt and tie. He even stopped and shook hands with all the adjudicators, which I'd tease him about if he were ever having a bad day - 'Hey, remember that kid who always knew how to smile and shook all the judges' hands?'"

Because of the program's structure - the small group spends all four years in class together studying music, production, video and editing and orchestrating school events and performances - the students have a particularly strong bond, Cantaffa says.

"They see each other at the height of stress together and have the most laughs together," he says. "They are doing live event support, solving problems all year long, and in that process, they bond really well. It's a family."

After he graduated, Micalizzi attended Brookdale Community College and worked at Brio Tuscan Grille in Freehold, where he happened to be the waiter at Cantaffa's family Christmas dinner in 2014.

"I hadn't seen him in a few years and here he was just unbelievable," Cantaffa said. "His interpersonal skills, his communication skills and being so polished at a professional waiter's level ... Cool, calm, collected. He'd grown up since the last time I'd seen him."

Cantaffa said he was proud to hear Micalizzi had gone into mechanical engineering, where he could use all the professional skills he learned in the high school program and also be creative like an artist. He had just finished up his credits at Brookdale and was transferring to NJIT.

"It was such a happy moment, and I was so glad to see that everything had come together for him," Cantaffa said. "That makes today sting worse. You see lots of kids who get lost or turned around but here's Joe, doing the right thing, totally on track and this ridiculous tragedy happens."

Cantaffa said he refused to believe the news at first when he heard the name, thinking it could be another Joe Micalizzi, but then he learned the victim was 23 and finally that he was from Freehold, the last bit of information making it clear it was the Joe he knew.

"Suddenly, the math all added up," he said. "There was no denying it.

Though the entertainment technology program was demanding, Micalizzi found time to squeeze in sports, too, wrestling all four years. Wrestling is a big deal in Howell, says John Gagliano, who has coached the team for almost 20 years.

"Joe wasn't a starter but he still stuck with the team and wouldn't quit," Gagliano said. "That's not the easiest thing to do. He worked hard every day and was humble and didn't need recognition. He set a great example. It is no surprise to find out he tried to fight back and defend himself - he was a Howell wrestler."

Gagliano said he couldn't imagine how Micalizzi's parents were dealing with the loss. Family members declined to comment on Monday.

"I pray for his family," he said. "All of the Howell program coaches are mourning the loss of a great man."

Micalizzi's fraternity brothers declined to comment, with one saying the group needed to mourn together before they could speak publicly, but friends were quick to speak about Micalizzi's character.

"I didn't know him as well as others may have but that is what was so special about a person like Joe," said high school classmate Joe Raccuglia, who sat at Micalizzi's lunch table. "You could have known him for 10 years or 10 minutes, and you would have known how genuine and pure his heart was. I was just lucky enough to have talked sports, movies and hobbies, and had the daily exchange of high-fives with him in the hallway. He was the kind of guy you always wanted on your team and in your class."

"He was a great guy with a heart of gold," adds Michael Migliore, who worked with Micalizzi at Brio. "He had an extremely bright future, and I'm heartbroken that it was taken from him."

Former Howell teacher Rachel Burkhardt with Joe Micalizzi at his high school graduation. (Courtesy Rachel Burkhardt)

It's Micalizzi's hugs that teacher Rachel Burkhardt says she'll miss. She remembers especially the big one he gave her on graduation day.

"He had such a kind heart, and he did have drive and passion," Burkhardt said Monday. "He was a little shy at times, but there was a lot more to him than you caught at first glance. And there's no doubt in my mind that if a person came in and was trying to steal things, that Joe would've stood up to him. I'm sure there is more to the story than we'll ever know."

Burkhardt said students in the entertainment technology program were distraught as the news spread. 

"My phone and Facebook have been blowing up all day. They are all in shock. It's been a really rough day," she said. "It's just not fair that we aren't going to get to see all that he could have accomplished."

Jessica Remo may be reached at jremo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @JessicaRemoNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Sheriff's narcotics unit seizes loaded gun, heroin, authorities say

Shahadah Robinson (Photo: Essex County Corrections) 

Narcotics detectives on Monday set up surveillance around Frelinghuysen Avenue and Foster Street in response to numerous complaints about drug dealing in the area, Sheriff Armando Fontoura said.

Shahadah Robinson approached a sedan that pulled up to the intersection and exchanged items in her fanny pack for cash with the motorist, Fontoura said in a statement.

6 arrested after drug busts in Newark, Bloomfield

When sheriff's narcotics detectives moved in to investigate, they found a loaded .32 caliber Smith & Wesson revolver and six heroin packets stamped with 'FACEBOOK' in Robinson's fanny pack, Fontoura added.

Robinson, 22, of Irvington, threatened to kill the arresting officer as she was taken into custody, the sheriff said. Officers did not locate the sedan driver.

She faces charges including possession with the intent to distribute narcotics, possession with the intent to distribute drugs within 500 feet of the Seth Boyden housing complex, weapons offenses and terroristic threats to kill a law enforcement officer.

Officials said Robinson was ordered held at the Essex County jail in lieu of $50,000 cash-only bail.

Noah Cohen may be reached at ncohen@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @noahyc. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Eight people were arrested and $500,000 worth of drugs were seized in an investigation stretching across Union County and into Middlesex Counties.

LINDEN -- It had been operating for months: a makeshift heroin mill fully functioning in the basement of an Elizabeth home and distributing drugs to a network of dealers in two counties, authorities said today.

On Friday, Elizabeth police, the Union County Prosecutor's Office and the FBI coordinated raids shut that down the mill, rounded up eight suspects and confiscated drugs with an estimated street value of more than $500,000, acting Union County Prosecutor Grace Park said in a statement on Tuesday.

Officers seized half a kilogram of raw heroin along with 7,700 folds or tiny envelops of heroin packaged into bricks, more than a full kilogram of cocaine, and half a kilogram of the designer drug known as "molly," Park said. Additionally, $63,500 in cash was confiscated, she said.

Authorities identified the primary target of the investigation as Dario Camino, 36, of Elizabeth.

"The investigation revealed that Dario Camino and his co-defendants had been orchestrating the distribution of large quantities of heroin and other drugs in and around the Elizabeth area during recent months," Park said.

On Friday, when Elizabeth police SWAT members approached Camino outside his home on the 1100 block of Mary Street, Camino got in his vehicle and sped away, the prosecutor said.

She said detectives arrested both Camino and another suspect, Jose Segovia, 31, a short time later at a bar in neighboring Newark.

Also arrested were Erika Garcia, 35, of Newark; Fatima Gonzalez, 22, and Martin Davis, 37, both of Plainfield; and Geovany Camino, 32, and Eddie Jimenez, 36, both of Elizabeth. Authorities did not indicate if Dario Camino and Geovany Camino are related. 

The eighth suspect, Amber Tompkins, 25, of Old Bridge, surrendered to authorities on Monday, Park said.

When police entered Dario Camino's home, they found a full brick of heroin, packaging paraphernalia -- including a stamp, ink pads, rubber bands, and empty packaging folds all used in the packaging of heroin -- as well as nearly $37,000 in cash, authorities said.

They said most of the drugs were found at a residence on the 200 block of Clark Place in Elizabeth, where Geovany Camino and Gonzalez were arrested. 

Officers there found the heroin mill with two drug presses, respirator masks, numerous stamps and ink pads, blenders, scales, rubber bands, and thousands of new empty folds used for packaging heroin, the prosecutor said.

She said Jimenez and Garcia were arrested at Jimenez's home on the 600 block of Elizabeth Avenue in Elizabeth.

Davis was arrested at his home on the 900 block of Prospect Avenue in Plainfield, where, authorities said, investigators seized $20,000 cash, raw and packaged heroin, ventilation masks, mixing bowls, rubber bands, rolls of tape, and numerous stamps with various markings used in the processing and packaging of heroin.

Dario Camino, Geovany Camino and Gonzalez are each charged with first-degree racketeering, first-degree distribution of a controlled dangerous substance, first-degree maintaining a drug production facility, second-degree conspiracy to distribute a controlled dangerous substance, and related lesser drug offenses.

Dario Camino also was charged with second-degree eluding. Superior Court Judge Regina Caulfield set bail for Dario and Geovany Camino at $500,000 each, and set bail for Gonzalez at $250,000.

Davis and Jimenez both were charged with first-degree racketeering, second-degree conspiracy to distribute a controlled dangerous substance, and multiple related second- and third-degree drug offenses, and their bail was set at at $350,000 each, cash only.

Tompkins faces charged of first-degree racketeering and third-degree conspiracy to distribute a controlled dangerous substance, and she is being held on $150,000.

Segovia was charged with third-degree hindering apprehension, while Garcia was charged with two disorderly persons drug offenses, authorities said.

The search warrants for the raids were obtained following an approximately three-week long investigation of the Guns, Gangs, Drugs and Violent Crimes Task Force in the prosecutor's office, Park said.

She said the task force, Elizabeth police and the FBI coordinated the raids, with assistance from police in Newark, Old Bridge, Plainfield, and Union County Police, and the Union County Sheriff's Office, and the prosecutor's offices in Essex, Middlesex and Somerset counties.

"We would like to express our profound gratitude to each of the assisting law enforcement agencies for providing invaluable logistical support in this investigation," Park said. "This was a true group effort that quickly produced outstanding results."

First-degree crimes carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison upon conviction.

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Tom Haydon may be reached at thaydon@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @Tom_HaydonSL. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Anyone with information urged to call investigators

NEWARK -- Authorities on Tuesday identified the man who was shot to death in the West Ward as a 20-year-old from Newark.

Anthony McFadden was shot Monday around 3 p.m. in the 400 block of South 11th Street and pronounced dead about 30 minutes later, according to a statement from Acting Essex County Prosecutor Carolyn Murray and Newark Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose.

No arrests have been made and the investigation was ongoing, the officials added.

Broad daylight shooting is Newark's 5th homicide since Friday

McFadden's slaying became the fifth homicide in Newark within four days. Thirty-three homicides were reported in the state's largest city this year.

Authorities asked anyone with information to contact the Essex County Prosecutor's Office Homicide/Major Crimes Task Force tip line at 1-877-TIPS-4EC or 1-877-847-7432. 

Noah Cohen may be reached at ncohen@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @noahyc. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Testing has shown elevated levels in some buildings over the last few years, and the district has been addressing issues of lead in the water since at least 2003.

NEWARK -- Parents of four students filed a federal lawsuit Tuesday against New Jersey's largest school district and other public officials over lead found in drinking water.

The parents allege in the suit against Newark's public schools that the district deliberately exposed children to harmful levels of lead, which is known to severely affect a child's development. The district shut off water fountains at half of its buildings in March because of elevated lead levels.

The suit is seeking class-action status, according to attorney Joel Silberman. The lawsuit said the district's actions created and increased the risk of serious and life-threatening dangers to the children, and it seeks compensatory and punitive damages.

Newark schools spokeswoman Dreena Whitfield said the district hasn't been served with the lawsuit yet.

"At Newark Public Schools, the health and safety of our students and staff is our highest priority," Whitfield said. "That is why we have taken proactive measures to share water quality results broadly with the public; to engage experts to create a new baseline for water quality in our schools; and to go beyond efforts taken in the past to solve this historic issue once and for all."

Testing has shown elevated levels in some buildings over the last few years, and the district has been addressing issues of lead in the water since at least 2003.

Newark is working with the state Department of Environmental Protection as well as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to tackle the issue. Efforts include testing every tap at every school. The district is also offering blood tests to as many as 17,000 kids who were potentially exposed.

The lawsuit alleges that the testing sites were set up far from affected schools to make them inconvenient.

18-year-old claimed he was a football recruit, authorities say

NORTH ANDOVER, MASS -- An East Orange man is accused of raping a student while he was visiting a Massachusetts college, authorities said Tuesday.

Jamad Thomas, 18, was released on $20,000 bail after an arraignment on the rape charge in Lawrence District Court on Monday, Essex County District Attorney's Office spokeswoman Carrie Monahan said. 

The female student told police she was walking back to her dormitory at Merrimack College in North Andover early Sunday when Thomas, who she didn't know, approached and asked for directions, the spokeswoman said, citing a police report.

She reportedly invited Thomas back to her dorm with her friend. Prosecutors allege the victim went to use a men's bathroom in the dorm and asked Thomas to watch the door while she was in the restroom.

Thomas allegedly followed her in and demanded oral sex, authorities said. When she refused, Thomas is accused of pushing her against a door and raping the student.

Man charged in triple shooting at Newark bar

"Merrimack College takes any allegation of violence very seriously. College police responded immediately and, after investigation, placed the suspect under arrest," a statement from the college said. "The college has also offered services to the victim in this case. Because of the nature of the allegations, and out of sensitivity to the student involved, we cannot comment further at this time."

Though Thomas allegedly told the victim he was a football recruit from New Jersey, the college said it did not recruit him for its program.

According to The Eagle-Tribune newspaper, Thomas said the sex was consensual and the student invited him back to her dorm room.

Both Thomas and the student said they drank alcohol but were not intoxicated, the report said.

Benjamin Faulkner, a lawyer for Thomas, told the newspaper his client is innocent. 

A probable cause hearing is scheduled for May 31. 

Noah Cohen may be reached at ncohen@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @noahyc. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Kirsten Miller, 21, of Hopatcong, faces a number of charges as well as 17 motor vehicle violations, including driving under the influence, Fairfield police say

FAIRFIELD -- Authorities allege that a 21-year-old woman was high Tuesday morning and rammed into a police car multiple times trying to flee from arrest in Essex County.

Kirsten Miller, 21, of Hopatcong.Fairfield Police Department 

The incident began shortly after 9 a.m. when police responded to a report of a woman using drugs in the parking lot of the Quick Chek on Passaic Avenue in Fairfield, according to Fairfield Chief Anthony Manna. 

Police said when authorities arrived at the store, a woman was seen sitting in a Chrysler PT Cruiser with her feet on the steering wheel, apparently smoking a cigarette, Manna said in a statement. 

The officer said he spotted several several glassine folds after approaching the driver's side door, and ordered the woman to get out of the car several times, according to the release.

Eventually, the Hopatcong woman, Kirsten Miller, sat up straight and attempted to drive away, according to the report. The officer said Miller almost him as she continually rammed the police car, which was parked behind the PT Cruiser, and hit a pick-up truck at the gas pumps before driving away.

Police followed Miller as she drove in "an extremely erratic manner" in North Caldwell until she turned down a dead end street and pulled into a driveway, Manna said. 

Miller was charged with eluding aggravated assault on a police officer, possessing the vehicle as a weapon for an unlawful purpose, use of a controlled dangerous substance, possession of heroin, possession of less than 50 grams of marijuana, destruction of evidence, resisting arrest and obstruction of justice, according to the release. 

She was also issued 17 motor vehicles summonses, including driving under the influence, police said.

Miller is being held on $25,000 bail at Essex County Correctional Facility. 

Craig McCarthy may be reached at CMcCarthy@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @createcraig. Find NJ.com on Facebook.    

Hundreds gathered on the college's West Plaza on Tuesday evening to honor Joseph Micalizzi, who was killed early Monday. Watch video

NEWARK -- Students stepped into the middle of the ever-widening circle, one by one, to share memories of the community member they had lost.

The people looking back at them Tuesday evening were largely silent as they held candles and, sometimes, each other. 

Several hundred students were gathered on the New Jersey Institute of Technology's West Plaza for a vigil honoring student Joseph Micalizzi, who was fatally shot Monday morning. 

"This is, in itself, a prayer," Rev. Bismarck Chau, the college's chaplain, told the crowd. "Your presence here says it all."

Micalizzi, 23, was killed around 3 a.m. Monday as he tried to fight off two burglars in the Tau Kappa Epsilon house on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, police sources said. The intruders fired multiple shots, which hit Micalizzi in the hand and head. 

Burglars had previously broken into the home and left with several items, the police sources confirmed. No one has been arrested in connection with the shooting. 

Micalizzi, a Freehold native, attended Brookdale Community College for two years and then transferred to NJIT to pursue a mechanical engineering degree. He lived at the fraternity house and made Dean's List last fall. 

Chau told students at the vigil Tuesday that he hoped Micalizzi's death would spur a conversation about preventing such violent crimes near NJIT. 

"All I know is that God knows your pain right now," Chau said. 

A member of Tau Kappa Epsilon, which organized the vigil, called Micalizzi "the face of the fraternity."

"He put every single one of us before himself," said the student, who did not give his name.

The group observed a moment of silence before they ended the hour-long ceremony by singing Eric Clapton's "Tears in Heaven," which is a reflection on grief. 

After the ceremony, sophomore Stephon De Silva said the NJIT community shows strong support for its members. 

"It doesn't matter who it is or where they come from," he said. "If they're a student, we always show support."

This shooting, in particular, had brought the campus together, said Charles Fay, NJIT's vice president for academic support and student affairs.

"Joe has, in his passing, helped this community understand that we're stronger together, we care about each other and that we will do everything we can to support each other during times just like this," he said.

A student at Rutgers-Newark, which is adjacent to NJIT, was also killed at his off-campus home in April. The nearly back-to-back shootings, combined with a recent uptick in homicides, has roiled Newark's college students. 

Fay said NJIT plans to work with Tau Kappa Epsilon and the school's other fraternities to evaluate how they can improve their security systems. 

The college will also increase the public presence of its 78-member campus police force and will distribute educational information about safety, said Lauren Ugorji, NJIT's associate vice president for communications.

In a statement, Newark Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose said the city's recent killings seem unrelated and the police department would send more officers to high-violence neighborhoods.  

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Marisa Iati may be reached at miati@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @Marisa_Iati. Find NJ.com on Facebook. 

The Hospital Safety Score, a public service provided by The Leapfrog Group, has made it more difficult for a medical center to earn a top rating.

Hospitals are places best avoided, but if you have to use their services, it's good to know you are in good hands - or not.

As pointed out in a recent report on nj.com, one-third of New Jersey's hospitals dropped a grade or more in the latest national report card judging how well they kept their patients safe by protecting them from infections, bed sores and harmful errors during their stays.

Nationally, New Jersey's hospital ranking plummeted to 22nd place this year compared to last year's respectable fifth-place status in the Hospital Safety Score, a public service provided by The Leapfrog Group, a nonprofit health care watchdog organization. It's the lowest the state has ever scored in the nine reports issued since 2012 by Leapfrog.

It has to be pointed out that the criteria used by Leapfrog to rate hospitals was expanded and graded on a tougher curve for this year's survey, according to Linda Schwimmer, president and CEO of the New Jersey Health Care Quality Institute, a Leapfrog-affiliated organization.

Hospitals are now judged on patient surveys grading their interaction and communication with nurses and doctors, and the incidence of life-threatening infections such as medically resistant staph infections.

These hospitals are the safest in N.J.

Medical facilities in our area reflect the statewide trend of lower ratings.

Of the five hospitals in or near Mercer County, none received the top A rating.

Three received a B rating: University Medical Center of Princeton at Plainsboro, St. Francis Medical Center in Trenton and Capital Health Regional Medical Center in Trenton.

Following up with a rating of C were: Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital at Hamilton and Capital Health Medical Center - Hopewell.

None of these local hospitals saw their scores improve from the previous year, while the rest either stayed the same or dropped slightly. Luckily, none of the local hospitals was rated below C.

Of the 67 New Jersey hospitals that participated in the review, 23 received an A, nine fewer than last year. Among those earning the top ranking were Hunterdon Medical Center in Flemington, Virtua Memorial Hospital in Mount Holly and St. Peter's University Hospital in New Brunswick.

Only two hospitals in New Jersey failed to make a C: Meadowlands Hospital Medical Center in Secaucus (D) and St. Michael's Medical Center in Newark (F).

If nothing else, the Hospital Safety Score provides a valuable yardstick for the public to use if they need medical treatment and have the option of selecting where to get it.

Better still, it serves as an impetus for image-minded hospitals to do a better job in providing quality health care.

Follow NJ.com Opinion on Twitter@NJ_Opinion. Find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook.

Shawn Custis is facing attempted murder and related charges in the 2013 home invasion attack in Millburn Watch video

NEWARK -- In the days after a 2013 home invasion attack in Millburn, township police released a "nanny-cam" video of the incident to the public, showing an African-American man severely beating a woman in front of her 3-year-old daughter.

The police received tips identifying more than two dozen individuals as the attacker, but former Millburn Police Lt. Keith Laverty said on Tuesday the evidence ultimately led to one man being identified as the suspect - Shawn Custis.

"We just led where the evidence went logically and came right to Shawn Custis," Laverty said. "We followed the evidence we received."

Laverty, who supervised the township police department's "nanny-cam" investigation, offered that testimony before the jury at Custis's trial on attempted murder and related charges in connection with the June 21, 2013 incident.

Custis, 45, of Newark, was identified as a suspect after people who are familiar with him watched the "nanny-cam" video on TV news broadcasts and contacted the police to identify Custis as the attacker, according to Laverty.

Of all the tips received in the case, township police received the most tips about Custis being the assailant, Laverty said. The lieutenant also stressed how those tipsters knew Custis intimately and provided descriptions about him, including how he walked.

In addition to the "nanny-cam" video, Laverty claimed Custis can be seen on surveillance video walking in the area near the Millburn residence around the time of the incident. Laverty said the people who know Custis had told police about his "distinct walk."

Custis's attorney, John McMahon, however, challenged Laverty's claim that Custis is the person seen walking in the surveillance video. McMahon also questioned Laverty about how the police did not follow up on certain other tips, but Laverty said "the investigation had turned towards Mr. Custis."

When Custis was arrested a week after the incident, police seized a pair of bloody jeans belonging to Custis and a DNA analysis later determined the blood belonged to the victim, authorities said.

But Laverty did not address questions about the latest twist in the case - the fact that Millburn Detective Collin McMillan was captured on the "nanny-cam" video uttering racial slurs about the suspect, including referring to him as a "monkey."

That's because Superior Court Judge Ronald Wigler on Monday denied a request from McMahon to question Laverty in front of the jury about the portions of the video containing the racial slurs.

At a hearing on Monday - when the jury was not in the courtroom - Laverty testified he watched the portion of the video that contains the attack in the days after the incident. But Laverty said he only learned about the portions containing the racial slurs when a prosecutor brought them to his attention on Saturday.

Laverty said he has known McMillan for about nine years and he never heard him utter racial epithets.

Wigler said he found Laverty to be credible when he testified about not being aware of the video portions containing the racial slurs until Saturday, and the judge barred questioning Laverty during the trial about those portions.

"It's not a situation where he at the time watched the whole thing and failed to take any action," the judge said.

The jury is expected to watch those portions of the video and hear testimony from McMillan. Jurors have already seen the portion of the video containing the attack itself.

The trial is scheduled to resume on May 10.

Bill Wichert may be reached at bwichert@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @BillWichertNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.