The duo allegedly robbed Crescent Jewelers on July 28.

CHATHAM -- Two men have been accused of robbing Crescent Jewelers at gunpoint last month and stealing more than $75,000 in cash and jewelry, authorities said.

Michael Reed, 46, of Newark, and Raiys Grimes, 35, of West Orange, are facing charges of robbery, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, unlawful possession of a weapon, theft, burglary, criminal restraint and aggravated assault for pointing a firearm, Morris County Prosecutor Fredric M. Knapp and Chatham Borough Police Chief Philip J. Crosson, Jr. said in a news release. The duo is also accused of conspiracy to commit robbery, theft, burglary and criminal restraint.

Reed and Grimes allegedly produced a handgun during the robbery at 251 Main Street shortly before 11 a.m. on July 28 and physically restrained a store employee. The men then exited the store and entered a silver or gray Jeep driven by a third man, authorities have said.

The prosecutor's office has not yet released more information on the getaway driver except to say he was described as being bald and having a beard.

During the course of the investigation, investigators recovered various proceeds from the robbery as well as the handgun allegedly used during the robbery, Knapp and Crosson said.

Reed, who was also charged with certain persons not to have weapons, was remanded to the county jail on $250,000 with no 10-percent option. Grimes remains a fugitive and is currently being sought by law enforcement.

Anyone with information about this robbery can call the Chatham Borough Police Department at 973-685-8000, the Morris County Prosecutor's Office Major Crimes Unit at 973-285-6200, or Morris County Sheriff's CrimeStoppers at 973-267-2255. Callers may remain anonymous.

Justin Zaremba may be reached at jzaremba@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JustinZarembaNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Officials have identified a body found in a Downtown Marina as a missing 64-year-old boater.

JERSEY CITY -- The man found dead in a downtown marina over the weekend has been identified as a missing 64-year-old boater. 

Divers from the Jersey City Emergency Service Unit recovered the body of Roger Brown, of East Orange, Sunday afternoon following a two-day search at Liberty Harbor Marina, Jersey City spokeswoman Jennifer Morrill said. 

At about 10:30 p.m. Friday, a 49-year-old Jersey City man spotted an unattended sailboat floating in the water at the landing, where his own boat was docked. The sailboat's motor was still running when officers arrived, according to police report from the incident. 

The unattended boat -- named Veronica -- is registered to a 39-year-old New York woman. The owner arrived at the scene and said Brown left a New York City dock at about 8:30 p.m. and was expected to dock in Jersey City, the report states.

Officials from the U.S. Coast Guard and NYPD helped with the initial search for Brown on Friday night. Morrill said officers from Jersey City continued the search for the missing boater with an underwater robot until his body was recovered at about 4 p.m. Sunday. 

A medical examiner classified Brown's death as accidental. The cause of death was determined to be "drowning with contributory cause of a head injury consistent with a fall," Morrill said. 

A 34-year-old Newark man has been charged with raping and attempting to murder a 31-year-old woman he had a dating relationship with in Kearny on Friday.

JERSEY CITY - A 34-year-old Newark man has been charged with the rape and the attempted murder a 31-year-old woman he had a dating relationship with in Kearny on Friday.

Richard A. Perez-Andia, of the 500 block of Market Street, was arrested today and charged with attempted murder, aggravated sexual assault, aggravated assault, criminal restraint and making terroristic threats, the criminal complaint says.

He is charged with raping the woman while physically assaulting her and causing severe injury, the complaint says, adding that he choked the woman until she was unconscious while striking her in the head and face while telling her "he needed to kill her."

The complaint says he knelt on the woman's chest to prevent her from escaping as he continuously struck her, causing injuries including a fractured eye socket.

Finally, Perez-Andia is charged with making terroristic threats for telling the woman he had to kill her while choking her, the complaint says.

The defendant's bail was set at $300,000 cash or bond by Hudson County Superior Court Judge Mark Nelson, he was ordered to have no contact with the woman and must surrender all travel documents.

An official said Perez-Andia is from Bolivia and is an undocumented immigrant when he made his first court appearance on the charges this afternoon in Central Judicial Processing court in Jersey City. He was wearing street clothes and had his hands cuffed behind his back during the brief hearing conducted through a Spanish translator.

Probable cause for the charges is listed at the sworn statement of the victim and her injuries.

A CJP official said Perez-Andia makes too much money to qualify for a public defender. When asked by CJP Judge Margaret Marley if he wanted the Bolivian embassy notified of his arrest, Perez-Andia said he would decide after speaking to an attorney. 

The victim was 30 years old

NEWARK -- The man struck and killed early Tuesday morning on the Turnpike has been identified as a 30-year-old Jersey City resident.

State Police say Ning Ma was involved in a crash while driving a 2013 Honda Accord near Exit 15E. Ma left the car following the crash and attempted to cross the southbound Turnpike when he was struck by a Kia Forte around 12:36 a.m. Ma was pronounced dead less than an hour later.

Man killed while crossing Turnpike 

No charges were immediately brought against the driver of the Kia, although the investigation was still continuing, police said earlier Tuesday.

Paul Milo may be reached at pmilo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter@PaulMilo2. Find NJ.com on Facebook.  

Airborne cop spotted a stolen car early Tuesday

NEWARK -- Police aboard NPD1, the department's helicopter, tracked a stolen car early Tuesday until it stopped and one of the suspects was arrested, the department said in a statement.

The officer aboard the helicopter alerted officers on the ground when he saw the car speeding near Central Avenue and S 10th Street around 2 a.m. The chopper kept tabs on the vehicle, a stolen 2016 Audi A3, which stopped at Quitman Street. Four people got out and fled, police said.

Newark school official goes the extra mile for kids 

One of the suspects, a juvenile, was arrested after NPD1 notified officers on the ground of the car's exact location.

"This is yet another example that NPD1 enables arrests to be made from observations from the air that can't be seen from the street," said Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose.

This investigation is active and ongoing.  Anyone with additional information is urged to call the department's 24-hour Crime Stoppers' tip line at 877 NWK-TIPS (877 695-8477) or NWK-GUNS (877 695-4867).  All anonymous Crime Stopper tips are kept confidential and could result in a reward.

Paul Milo may be reached at pmilo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter@PaulMilo2. Find NJ.com on Facebook.  

The 44-year-old Newark resident is being held on $300,000 bail.

NEWARK -- A man was in custody Tuesday on charges he posed as a law enforcement officer, stopped a couple, and sexually assaulted the 48-year-old woman in Newark, according to jail records and officials.

Reggie Qualls, 44, of Newark, surrendered to authorities Aug. 1, and later pleaded not guilty to the charges, according to Essex County Prosecutor's Office spokeswoman Katherine Carter. He faces charges of kidnapping, sexual assault and impersonating a law enforcement officer.

Qualls was driving a BMW 745 on July 29 when he allegedly pulled up next to a couple in the 19th Street area, showed a badge and identified himself as a member of law enforcement, Carter said. He got the victim out of the vehicle and brought her to another nearby area, where he allegedly sexually assaulted the woman, the spokeswoman added. Qualls did not know the woman.

1 arrested, 1 wanted after Newark gunfire

An investigation into the incident was "active and ongoing," Carter added. Additional details of the alleged assault were not immediately released.

According to Essex County Department of Corrections records, Qualls was ordered held on $300,000 bail. The prosecutor's office spokeswoman said a hearing was set for Monday in an effort to have the bail reduced.

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

Two historians went on an epic hunt to gather photos, paintings and images that tell New Jersey's story.

NEW BRUNSWICK -- There have been plenty of history books written about New Jersey. Now, the state has its own historical photo album.

Two of the state's top historians released a book this month that brings together 654 photos and images to tell New Jersey's story from prehistoric times to the present.

"Envisioning New Jersey: An Illustrated History of the Garden State" was compiled by Maxine Lurie, professor emerita of history at Seton Hall University, and Richard Veit, chairman of the department of history and anthropology at Monmouth University.

Interest in teaching drops in N.J.

The 304-page book includes painting, photographs, documents and maps. The historians combed the collections of 150 institutions to hunt down well-known and little-seen images, from portraits of George Washington and Molly Pitcher to photos of World War II air raid wardens patrolling the streets of Newark, images of Martin Luther King Jr. speaking at Monmouth University and photos of the destruction left by Hurricane Sandy.

The book, published by Rutgers University Press, retails for the reduced price of $39.95 thanks to the New Jersey Historical Commission, the New Jersey Council for the Humanities and other donors who contributed tens of thousands of dollars  to help the authors obtain the rights to publish the images.

Lurie spoke to NJ Advance Media about the historic project. Here's an edited transcript:

How did you get the idea to put together a book of images spanning the state's entire history?

Actually, the director at Rutgers University Press, Marlie Wasserman, had suggested it quite a while ago. My first reaction was it was going to be too hard. There was no easy, reasonable way to gather all of the images.

And it turned out to be much harder than we thought. We started out thinking we could do an illustrated history using images from about five institutions. In the end, we had 654 images and they come from about 150 different institutions and individuals.

Did you have trouble finding the photos and paintings you needed?

We found more than we could use. So, we picked what we thought were the best illustrations for New Jersey history. Just getting that many permissions was very time consuming.

Where did most of the images come from?

Rich personally took about 50 pictures. He travelled around the state. Otherwise, we got the biggest number from Rutgers University's Special Collections and the New Jersey State Archives. Most came from New Jersey people or institutions.

But there are a few that came from England or other parts of the United States. A number came from the Library of Congress. We were working using grant funds and a very limited budget. People were very generous. Many let us use their images for free or gave us a discount.

Were you surprised by any of the photos you found?

A number of them did surprise me. Someone I know suggested an image of German POWs working on a farm in South Jersey in World War II. I had no idea that was part of the state's history.

Was there any image you wish you could find that you couldn't?

It took us a while to find images of the Ku Klux Klan in New Jersey, but we did and we are using two other them in the book. There were other images we wish we had. Some things were just too hard to find or we just gave up on them because in many cases they were just too expensive. Some of the commercial images we just couldn't begin to afford.

Is there an iconic image of New Jersey?

When I teach New Jersey history, the first thing I ask my students is to draw what they think is the image of New Jersey. And they can't. There isn't one. Unlike some other places where you could easily do this, there isn't an image of New Jersey. The state is just so diverse. It has such a long, interesting history. You can't usually come up with just one image.

Was there any forgotten piece of New Jersey history you wanted to get into the book?

I think most people just don't know anything about New Jersey history. We are emphasizing the diversity of the state -- including race, ethnic groups and religions. New Jersey really has been, from the 17th century on, very diverse. We included the history of women and the history of African Americans and slavery.

We also wanted to make sure we covered the entire state. So, every geographical part of New Jersey is represented.

Does having images available to you change the way you tell the story of New Jersey?

Having the images available has changed the way I teach in the last 15 or 20 years. I put the images up on the screen in the classroom and very often talk from them. Getting people to see the images will in many ways get them to understand the history better and draws them into the story.

People learn in different ways. Some people are more visual and other people are more verbal or get something from reading. I think when you combine them, you enable a larger number of people to understand history and get interested.

Kelly Heyboer may be reached at kheyboer@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @KellyHeyboer. Find her at KellyHeyboerReporter on Facebook.

The siblings bumped into each other a career fair while speaking to a state trooper

NEWARK -- A brother and sister who lost touch after being put in separate foster homes almost eight years ago were reunited thanks to an apparent common interest in law enforcement careers.

Faith and Terrell both happened to be attending the State Police's career fair at Rutgers-Newark and ran into each other while speaking to the same trooper.

The siblings said they lost contact with each other after Faith's last name was changed.

N.J. town's fire engine will soon battle blazes in Nicaragua

State Police shared the story on their Facebook page, though they didn't disclose the age, hometown or last name of either sibling.

"It was amazing to be there to witness the moment they were reunited," said Quaron Crenshaw, the trooper who was there when Faith and Terrell saw each other for the first time in years. "I am hoping they keep following their dreams and one day have a career in law enforcement."

Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

A state appeals court ordered a convicted murderer who was to spend 63 years in prison be re-sentenced.

NEWARK -- In May 2013, then 20-year-old Jaworski Sneed was sentenced to serve at least 63 years in prison for the 2010 murder of a Newark grocery store owner. Under the sentence, Sneed would be 83 years old before being eligible for parole.

Sneed, who was 17 at the time of the killing, was convicted of the Dec. 24, 2010 murder of store owner Darryl Logan, 47. He was sentenced to serve at least 63 3/4 years in prison, a term that raised eyebrows among legal experts, who said juveniles convicted in homicides usually receive sentences of up to 30 years.

Last week, a three-judge appeals court panel ordered that Sneed be re-sentenced and given a realistic chance at parole. Noting Sneed's age, the Appellate Court judges said that "the trial court must insure that his sentence does not amount to a life sentence without parole ..."

Was the 63-year sentence appropriate? Vote in our poll, and let us know why in the comments section below.

Here are some reader reactions to the Appellate Court judges order to re-sentence Sneed.

Y-man

When somebody is on the ground and shot in the back, it amounts to an execution. He's lucky he wasn't in a state like Texas. He would've been given the death penalty for a crime this horrible.

adampkr

The age of the criminal at the time of the crime does not make the victims any less dead. Life in jail, the trial court judge got it right.

WinterisComing

He is a kid....differentiating right from wrong has yet to fully develop in his brain yet....20-30 years should suffice....60 plus years is in fact way too harsh.

Tradizione

I knew murder was wrong way before I was 17.

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

Authorities have charged a 19-year-old Irvington man in the assault.

McPherson. (Courtesy Essex County Corrections)
 

MAPLEWOOD -- A 19-year-old Irvington man has been arrested on charges that he sexually assaulted a woman in a township park, police said in a release Wednesday.

According to police, the 18-year-old Florida woman said she was walking to a relative's house at about 9:30 p.m. on Aug. 1. While crossing through DeHart Park, the woman reported she was knocked to the ground and sexually assaulted, police said.

Brian McPherson, of Irvington, was arrested on kidnapping and sexual assault charges after an investigation that included increased patrols at township parks and help from the Irvington and Union police departments, authorities said.

According to county records, McPherson is being held on $500,000 bail at the Essex County jail.

Police said they do not believe the man and woman knew each other before the alleged attack.

DeHart Park is a township recreational facility that includes a field, street hockey rink, tennis court, and playground.

Jessica Mazzola may be reached at jmazzola@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @JessMazzola. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Convicted felon Anthony Pate, 40, of Belleville allegedly kicked the cars doors and laid on the hood

Anthony PateBergen County Prosecutor's Office 

NEW YORK -- A convicted felon from New Jersey was one of two workers who harassed a Manhattan couple trying to drive their sick dog to a veterinarian last fall, according to a lawsuit filed against a construction company.

Jair Freire and Angela Cuce later sued Plaza Construction for $1 million, NYDailyNews.com reported.

Anthony Pate of Belleville was working as a flagman when he and Bienvenido Rodriguez stopped Friere's BMW as it traveled along East 22nd Street between Park and Lexington avenues on Sept. 24, 2015.

Although Freire and Cuce frantically explained to the workers their bulldog was having trouble breathing, Pate allegedly laid on top of the car, the report said.

Pate also allegedly kicked both passenger side doors on the luxury vehicle, causing thousands in damage.

Rodriguez, meanwhile, climbed onto the BMW, slammed his hand on the hood and used threatening language to the couple.

Hero dog waits to return home after saving owner's life

The workers eventually let the couple pass and they made it to the vet on 15th Street in time to save the dog. Bruiser ended up dying several months later of heart failure, NYPost.com said.

Plaza Construction told the Daily News that a subcontractor doing work at the site hired Pate. A 777-foot building that will house condominiums is being built there.

Pate, 40, has a long rap sheet, including convictions for aggravated assault, kidnapping, and armed robbery from 2006-2013, according to the Post.

In 2014, he was one of six men arrested for allegedly taking part in a bloody brawl inside and outside a South Hackensack go-go bar that saw one man bludgeoned in the head with a hammer, another stabbed in the torso and two struck by a car.

Pate, who was stabbed in the torso during the altercation, was charged with aggravated assault and weapons offenses.

Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

The victim of an alleged crowbar attack in a Bloomfield restaurant parking lot is speaking out.

BLOOMFIELD -- What allegedly started as insults over a pro-Trump T-shirt escalated into a racially-charged verbal battle that ended in a physical attack, the alleged victim of the fight told media outlets Tuesday night.

According to multiple reports, Peter Yankowski admitted to getting into a verbal spat with the accused attacker before the man assaulted him with a crowbar in the parking lot of a Friendly's restaurant in Bloomfield last Wednesday night.

Yankowski told News 12 that while the fight started when the alleged attacker drove up to him and made a comment about his Donald Trump T-shirt, it turned into a shouting match that saw both of them trading insults and profanities at one another. Yankowski, who is white, and the alleged attacker, who police described as a young black male, also called each other racial slurs, the 62-year-old told News 12.

According to a PIX 11 report, a witness from the restaurant said both men were verbally aggressive. Yankowski told PIX that he regretted escalating the situation, but that "free speech" was not an excuse for the other man to turn violent.

Police said Tuesday that Yankowski was treated at the scene of the alleged attack last Wednesday for injuries he sustained during the altercation. Authorities said they are continuing to investigate searching for the alleged attacker.

Jessica Mazzola may be reached at jmazzola@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @JessMazzola. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Puppies and adult dogs were found in small, filthy cages after search Monday, according to animal welfare officials

IRVINGTON -- Officials discovered more than 20 dogs living in "dreadful conditions" at a house in Irvington, the Associated Humane Societies said Tuesday.

The puppies and adult boxer mixes were in "tiny cages and carriers filled with feces," according to a statement from Associated Humane Societies of Newark, which rescued the animals Monday.

"No owner was present at the time that the cruelty complaint was made nor could one be reached during the removal of these poor, frightened dogs," the animal welfare group said. "It looked as if it had been quite some time since the dogs were cared for by anyone as evidenced by the filth that they were living in and the malnourished appearance of most of the dogs."

Most of the puppies were "completely emaciated," the statement added.

Animal control officers brought the dogs to the AHS Newark shelter, where veterinarians vaccinated and dewormed the dogs, the group said. They were also treated for fleas.

100 animals rescued from 'deplorable' hoarding conditions

The New Jersey New Jersey Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals police were investigating, officials said. All of the dogs were being kept at Associated Humane Societies facilities while the probe continued and they received more care.

"It is not up to us to determine what the [owner's] intent was for these poor dogs, but it is easy enough to surmise that they were not being treated as family pets," AHS added.

NJSPCA spokesman Matt Stanton said charges were pending in the Irvington case. 

AHS said recent months have seen several cases of animal abuse in the area. In July, the organization rescued more than 100 dogs, cats, rabbits and birds from houses in Newark and Hillside. Across the state, animal welfare authorities have also noted an apparent jump in hoarding incidents.

"This has been an extraordinarily awful summer for animals found to be living in deplorable conditions and kept by cruel and neglectful individuals," the AHS statement said. "The only good news is that more and more people are speaking up on behalf of the animals, and we hope that trend will continue."

Citing the spike in cases, AHS said it was accepting donations on its website or by texting HumaneHelp to 41444.

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

Vauxhall man was arrested in Newark Tuesday, officials said.

Holloway. (Courtesy Essex County Sheriff) 

NEWARK -- A Vauxhall man allegedly carrying more than $25,000 worth of marijuana was arrested Tuesday after speeding past undercover officers, Essex County Sheriff Armando Fontoura announced in a release Wednesday.

Rashan Halloway, 33, was pulled over in Newark Tuesday afternoon after authorities say his 2016 Lincoln MKX illegally sped past an unmarked police cruiser and ran a red light at Somerset Street, Fontoura said. Smelling a "pungent" marijuana odor, police spotted an open backpack in the back of the car with vacuum-sealed baggies of marijuana in it, and another bag of drugs in the car's center cup holder, Fontoura said. Altogether, there was more than five pounds of marijuana in the car, with a street value of about $25,000, officials said.

Holloway allegedly got out of the car and ran from police, but was apprehended after a brief foot chase, authorities said. He was arraigned Wednesday on multiple drug charges, and remanded to the county jail on $150,000 cash bond, officials said.

Jessica Mazzola may be reached at jmazzola@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @JessMazzola. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Victim was shot while working on a ladder Monday morning, police say

Al Rashid (Photo: Dept. of Public Safety) 

Al Rashid, who is also known as Alfred Waldron and Albert Walker, faces charges of aggravated assault and weapons possession, according to Newark Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose.

Officers found the victim wounded on South 14th Street, near 9th Avenue, after responding to reports of gunfire in the area around 9:35 a.m. Monday, authorities said in a statement. The injured man was shot while working on a ladder.

Detectives identified Rashid as a suspect and warrants were issued for his arrest, according to police.

1 arrested, 1 wanted after gunfire on Newark street

Ambrose said a motive for the shooting was under investigation. The victim was rushed to University Hospital, where he was reported to be in critical condition.

The public safety director urged anyone with information about Rashid's whereabouts to contact the city's 24-hour tip line at 877-NWK-TIPS (877-695-8477) or NWK-GUNS (877-695-4867). Police said anonymous Crime Stopper tips would be kept confidential and could lead to a reward.

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

A 19-year-old was listed in stable condition

NEWARK -- A shooting late Tuesday in the city's North Ward left one man dead and another injured, according to authorities.

Bilal D. Rodgers, 25, of Newark, died from his wounds at University Hospital around 2:20 a.m. Wednesday, the Essex County Prosecutor's Office said in a statement.

Rodgers and a 19-year-old Newark man were shot around 11:40 p.m. on the 100 block of Broad Street, the prosecutor's office said. The second victim, whose name was not released, survived the shooting and was listed in stable condition.

Police ID suspect in shooting that critically injured man

Authorities have not identified any suspects and there were no arrests. Additional details were not immediately available.

According to law enforcement statistics, at least 56 murders have occurred in Newark this year.

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

The 47-year-old business owner was shot in his gas station May 30

NEWARK -- A man was arrested Wednesday on murder and robbery charges in the slaying of a gas station owner who was gunned down at his Newark business, authorities said.

Malcolm Massey, 49, of Newark, was ordered held at the Essex County Correctional Facility in lieu of $1 million bail, Acting Essex County Prosecutor Carolyn Murray and Newark Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose announced in a joint statement. Massey also faces felony murder and weapons charges in the killing of Devinder Singh Jodha, 47, of Iselin.

Newark gas station owner ID'd as victim in fatal shooting

Jodha, who owned Power Gas Station, was shot at the West Market Street service station around 4:25 p.m. May 30, authorities said. Emergency crews took the business owner to University Hospital, where he was declared dead less than a half hour later.

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

The break-in happened March 9 on Chilton Place

The Union County Sheriff's Office and U.S. Marshals on Wednesday apprehended a man wanted for slashing and robbing a woman in her Union Township home last March. (NJ.com file photo)

ELIZABETH -- A man wanted for breaking into a Union Township home and slashing a woman last March was arrested Wednesday in a home in Irvington, authorities said.

Raymond Oliver, 53, was arrested after the Fugitive Squad of the Union County Sheriff's Office tracked him to to the Irvington home, Sheriff Joseph Cryan said in a statement.

Oliver was wanted for a March 9 break-in at a home on Chilton Place in Union, where he allegedly demanded money from a woman, then slashed her on the hand with a box cutter before fleeing with $100, police said.

The woman required 13 stitches to close the wound, authorities said.

Oliver was charged with first-degree armed robbery, burglary and aggravated assault. He is being held at the Union County jail without bail.

Authorities said Oliver was also wanted for failing to pay child support.

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

Two suspects allegedly involved in car thefts caught hours apart

NEWARK -- A 19-year-old city woman was arrested Tuesday morning after she was tracked in a stolen car by an officer aboard the city's police helicopter, the department said in a statement.

Officers on the ground saw the black BMW speeding near South Orange Avenue and Grove Street around 6:45 a.m. The helicopter, NPD1, also responded to the area and radioed the car's route to police on the ground.

The car stopped between Ivy Street and Mt. Vernon Place and three people got out. One of them, Kalifa Purnell-Brown, was grabbed as she was trying to scale a nearby fence, police said. She has been charged with receiving stolen property.

Purnell-Brown was arrested a few hours after police said a juvenile tried to flee from another stolen car. The youth, whose name was not released, was also captured with the help of NPD1, police said Tuesday.

"NPD1 continues to prove itself as an invaluable tool in assisting patrol officers on the ground to locate and apprehend suspects fleeing crime scenes through our streets," said Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose.

This investigation is active and ongoing. Ambrose is urging residents to immediately contact police if they have additional information by calling department's 24-hour Crime Stoppers' tip line at 877 NWK-TIPS (877 695-8477) or NWK-GUNS (877 695-4867).  All anonymous Crime Stopper tips are kept confidential and could result in a reward.

Paul Milo may be reached at pmilo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter@PaulMilo2. Find NJ.com on Facebook.  

Step right up and take a look at the Garden State's amusements through the years.

One doesn't have to travel far in New Jersey to find an amusement park, carnival or fair.

From Sussex County to the Jersey Shore, the state is dotted with permanent attractions. Communities large and small hold annual seasonal fairs and festivals and the tradition of the county fair is still going strong in the Garden State.

That's a New Jersey lion over there on the left ... "What're YOU lookin' at?"Courtesy of Jimi & Sharon Ventura 

I, for one, have many fond childhood memories of trips to amusement parks and church fairs. The rides. The food. The games. The sights. The sounds.

When I was a boy enrolled at St. Francis of Assisi School in Vineland, I --like every other kid -- couldn't wait for the annual class trip. My first class trip was to Storybook Land in Egg Harbor Township (see gallery). In fact, my second class trip was to Storybook Land, too. The reason for the repeat visit? It was really popular with the children.

And, speaking of St. Francis, the church barbecues were legendary. During the bulk of my childhood, the church had three (yes, three) such events every summer. The annual affairs featured amusement rides and the world's best barbecue sandwiches. And, it was a mere 15-minute walk from my house.

MORE: Vintage photos around New Jersey

So, I was spoiled. But, if you live in New Jersey, it's safe to say you were, too. County fairs, church fairs, fairs sponsored by social organizations, it's a fair bet you have fond memories of them from your own childhood, too.

Traveling circuses aren't as common as they once were, but New Jersey always had its share of them - the Hunt Brothers circus even maintained its winter headquarters in Florence.

Here's a gallery of vintage photos from around the state of amusement parks, fairs, circuses and festivals. Be sure captions are enabled to read all about these great pictures.

Can't get enough? Here's a link to last year's gallery.

Greg Hatala may be reached at ghatala@starledger.com. Follow him on Twitter @GregHatala. Find The Star-Ledger on Facebook.