The 31-year-old man had been missing since being swept out to sea in Bradley Beach on Saturday night.

BRADLEY BEACH - Authorities have identified the body that was discovered floating in the waters off Sea Bright on Thursday as the 31-year-old Newark man who was swept out to sea on Saturday.

Julio Pierre was visiting Bradley Beach with friends on Saturday when he disappeared in the ocean near the Brinley Avenue jetty at around 7 p.m. on Saturday.

A multi-agency search effort that ensued covered 248-square miles until the U.S. Coast Guard officially suspended the search on Sunday night.

At approximately 9:45 a.m. on Thursday, the State Police's Marine Services Bureau's Carteret station received a report of a body floating in the water near the Route 36 bridge connecting Highlands and Sea Bright, State Police Sgt. First Class Greg Williams said.

Police Chief Leonard Guida said the body was discovered in the Atlantic Ocean, about two miles east of the bridge.

"It's a tragic situation, I really feel for the family here because I can only imagine how devastating it would be to be going through something like this," Guida said. "Hopefully this can bring some closure for them, that is most important."

Guida told NJ Advance Media on Sunday that the 31-year-old Pierre immigrated to Newark from Haiti about a month ago.

"They came down here trying to beat the heat up north and it turned into a tragedy," he said.

Rob Spahr may be reached at rspahr@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TheRobSpahr. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

If you thought selfies were obnoxious before, two men took the now-mainstream social practice to new heights Thursday night.

If you thought selfies were obnoxious before, two men took the now-mainstream social practice to new heights Thursday night. 

A pair of New Jersey men were arrested after allegedly jumping onto subway tracks at a PATH station in Manhattan to -- you guessed it -- take pictures and videos of themselves, Port Authority police said. 

The stunt halted PATH service for more than an hour and left Bernard Osei, 24, of Newark, and Rodney Rodriguez 34, of Guttenberg, facing charges of criminal trespass, disorderly conduct and obstructing traffic in a transit facility, police said. 

Port Authority police spokesman Joe Pentangelo said PATH service was suspended around 9:20 p.m. after authorities received a call of two men entering the tunnel at the Christopher Street station. Track power was shut down, but when officers got to the station no suspicious items were found. It was determined the two men had not in fact entered the tunnel, Pentangelo said. 

But photographic evidence showed the men appeared to be taking pictures and videos of themselves on the track. Osei and Rodriguez were arrested and taken to Manhattan Central Booking. Their cell phones were also confiscated for the investigation, Pentangelo said. 

The incident left PATH riders without service until 10:30 p.m. when power was restored to the track, Pentangelo said. 

Children have been building treehouses for ages with whatever material was available.

VERONA -- Joseph DeJohn of Verona finds a quiet place to study in this photo from 1976.

His "quiet place" just happens to be a wooden pallet amid the branches of a tree, serving as an instant treehouse.

Children have been building treehouses for ages with whatever material was available. These days, however, there is a trend toward "designer treehouses."

The cable network Animal Planet's lineup features "Tree-house Masters," on which Pete Nelson builds intricate ... and costly ... structures.

If you would like to share a photo that provides a glimpse of history in your community, please call 973-836-4922 or send an email to essex@starledger.com. And, check out more glimpses of history in our online galleries Thursdays on nj.com.

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

 

Police say they found drugs in the car that was being chased.

NEWARK -- Authorities are investigating the death of a pedestrian who was killed by a car during a police chase, officials confirmed Friday.

According to a spokeswoman for the Essex County Prosecutor's Office, a woman was killed after being struck by a car early Friday morning. Officials confirmed that the strike occurred during a Newark police pursuit.

Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose did not comment on what prompted the chase, but said that drugs were recovered from the car being pursued.

He declined to comment further, noting that the Essex County Prosecutor's Office was handling the investigation into the incident.

According to a WPIX report, the victim was in her 20s, and was standing near the intersection of Washington Street and University Avenue around 2:30 a.m. when she was struck.

Two other people were injured in the crash, the report said.

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

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

Water service in the residential area was disrupted as a result, officials said. Watch video

WEST ORANGE -- Water was rushing on the strets of a residential neighborhood for several hours Friday morning after a water main break in the area, officials confirmed.

The water main break. (Courtesy Julie Peart)
 

According to West Orange spokeswoman Susan Anderson, a main break was reported in the area of Pleasant Valley Way and Sunnyside Road before 7:30 a.m. Water was rushing onto the nearby residential roadways until about noon, Anderson said.

Hooper Avenue was opened to traffic, but Eagle Roack and Pleasant Valley Way remained closed with the roads caving in from damage sustained during the break, officials said. It should take two to three days for the damage to be repaired, Anderson said.

It is unclear how many people in the area lost water service, or exactly when it would be restored.

The fire and police departments, and NJ American Water, responded to the scene, officials said.

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

Police say the woman and child were not using seat belts

A woman was killed in a crash on the Garden State Parkway in Irvington Aug. 18, 2016 (File photo) 

Sabrina Jordan, 37, of Hillside, was pronounced dead shortly after the wreck Thursday around 8 p.m., according to Sgt. First Class Gregory Williams, a State Police spokesman. The child suffered non life-threatening injuries and was treated at University Hospital in Newark.

Jordan was driving a 1998 Ford Windstar in the southbound right center lane when she tried to change lanes and lost control of the vehicle, the spokesman said, citing a preliminary investigation. The Windstar ran off the highway and overturned in a grass area. It was unclear what caused the crash. 

Driver killed, 18 injured after 2 NJ Transit buses crash in Newark

Jordan and the girl, a front seat passenger, were thrown from the vehicle, Williams said. The pair were not wearing seat belts or using a car seat for the child.

Authorities did not disclose the relationship between Jordan and the girl, but said they lived at the same address.

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

An early morning crash of two NJ Transit buses at the intersection of Broad Street and Raymond Boulevard has left two people dead and many injured.

NEWARK -- The Newark intersection where two NJ Transit buses collided early Friday transformed into "total chaos" as people rushed to pull the injured from the twisted wreckage, witnesses said.

This photo, taken moments after the bus crash, shows people trying to pull injured passengers from the early morning crash of two NJ Transit buses at the intersection of Broad Street and Raymond Boulevard. (Photo provided)Craig McCarthy | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Antonio Costeira, a sergeant with the state Department of Corrections and one of three police officers first on the scene, said passengers were trapped inside the bus after it was broadsided and rescuers climbed through windows to help to the wounded.

"I felt bad for the people that were pinned," Costeira said, recalling the severity of the injuries as passengers were removed. "Some of the people they pulled out looked like [their limbs] were mangled."

One of the NJ Transit drivers was pronounced dead at the scene. Officials have not released the his identity, but have said he was the driver of an otherwise vacant No. 59 bus traveling west on Raymond Boulevard when it T-boned the No. 13 bus traveling north on Broad Street.

2nd victim dies after Newark bus wreck

Marquel Williamson was among the 18 people, including the driver, injured on the No. 13 bus. He also described a chaotic scene inside the bus after the violent collision threw him from his seat, causing head, neck and back injuries.

One of the female passengers died from her injuries hours after the crash. She has also not been identified. 

"People were screaming because they were in pain," Williamson said from a hospital bed at University Hospital in Newark, where he was being treated Friday morning.

Starbucks employees Kalita Cox and Jennifer Petrain were in the midst of opening the shop less than a block away when they heard the crash just after 6 a.m. Cox sprinted to the scene, but soon returned to the store for assistance.

"Kalita ran down to see what happened," Petrain said. "She came back and got me and we ran down with ice, water and med kit for the EMS workers to see if we could help."

Newark Mayor Ras Baraka said seven of the injured are in critical condition.

Roads were closed around the crash for hours as the investigation remained ongoing. Special equipment had to be brought in to pull the buses apart and remove them from the scene.

Authorities have scheduled a 3 p.m. press conference to provide an update on thie investigation.

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

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A female passenger has died, officials said.

NEWARK -- Authorities have released the identity of the driver killed in a two-bus wreck that claimed the lives of two people early Friday morning in downtown Newark.

Joseph Barthelus, 70, of Union, a veteran bus operator who had been an NJ Transit driver for 27 years, was killed in the crash, NJ Transit Interim Executive Director Dennis Martin said at a press conference Friday afternoon at Newark City Hall.  

The identification comes shortly after authorities confirmed a second person died as a result of the crash at the busy intersection of Raymond Boulevard and Broad Street just after 6:05 a.m.

"Our organization is in mourning today," Martin said.

A female passenger on board the other New Jersey Transit bus died Friday afternoon, a spokeswoman for the Essex County Prosecutor's Office said. She has not been publicly identified.

Bus wreck was 'total chaos' witnesses say

According to NJ Transit officials, Barthelus was driving the No. 59 bus that runs from Newark to Westfield, which was traveling west on Raymond Boulevard, when it struck a No. 13 bus traveling north on Broad Street from Irvington to Belleville. The No. 13 bus driver, who officials identified as 35-year veteran driver James Roberts, survived the crash, officials said. Both drivers were in good standing with the transit agency, Martin said.

Barthelus was heading to the beginning of his route at Lincoln Park in Newark, and had no passengers on board, officials said. Bus No. 13 had 17 passengers on board, they said.

"Whenever a tragedy occurs such as this, it strikes at the heart of our top priority, which is safety. NJ Transit is fully cooperating in this investigation to determine what went wrong, and make sure it does not happen again."

One of the 17 others injured in the crash remained in critical condition at University Hospital Friday afternoon, according to Mayor Ras Baraka. Five passengers were listed as serious, four in fair condition and four in good condition all at University Hospital. 

"We are praying that they will survive," he said of all of those who were injured in the wreck.

Mayor Baraka talks about the status of the injured passengers in this morning's #NJTransit crash pic.twitter.com/tElhc66bB4

-- Marisa Iati (@marisa_iati) August 19, 2016

Officials declined to speculate on the cause of the crash, saying that they were looking into all possibilities, including a driver medical issue. They did note that all drivers undergo routine physical exams every one to two years.

"It's a complicated process," Essex County Prosecutor's Office Chief Assistant Prosecutor Thomas Fennelly said of the investigation into the crash, which he said will include interviewing witnesses and passengers, examining the vehicles involved, and reviewing any video footage in the area.

According to Baraka, there were no red light cameras at the intersection but other footage was being reviewed. 

"There are multiple cameras," the mayor said. "We do have traffic cameras and there are other cameras that are available to us"

"It was an unfortunate accident and we are trying to figure out why (it happened)," Baraka said.

"We want to make that this does not happen again and that the buses are safe," he said. 

Amalgamated Transit Union of New Jersey Chairman Ray Greaves, which represents bus unionized employees at NJ Transit, asked for privacy for the family of the deceased driver.

"Our hearts and prayers go out the families of the victims and we continue to investigate what happened, it can take a long time for the authorities to sort out the details," Greaves said in an email. "The main concern of the Amalgamated Transit Union at this point in time is seeing to it that the family of our beloved member Joseph Barthelus and everyone involved (family and co-workers) gets the support they need."

The accident caused several road closures and major back-ups in the area. At the 3 p.m. conference Friday, Baraka said traffic was resuming in the area as the wreck was cleared. 

Several people were seen gathered outside the Barthelus home Friday afternoon. A man declined to speak with reporters. 

Authorities asked anyone with information or video of the crash to call the prosecutor's office Homicide/Major Crimes Task Force tips 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.

Authorities have identified the East Orange woman who was killed early Friday morning.

NEWARK -- Authorities have identified the woman killed by a driver who was being pursued by police early Friday morning.

Pedestrian Chynna E. Willis, 24, of East Orange, was standing in the 400 block of University Avenue before 3 a.m. when Newark police were pursuing a Dodge Charger being driven by Ken Gunther, Acting Essex County Prosecutor Carolyn A. Murray and Newark Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose announced in a release.

Gunther's car jumped a curb and struck Willis, authorities said. She was pronounced dead at the scene at about 3:07 a.m., authorities said.

Gunther, 45, of Newark, was treated at University Hospital for minor injuries he sustained in the crash, officials said. He was arrested on eluding and resisting arrest charges, officials said.

Police said Friday they also found drugs in his car.

The Essex County Prosecutor's Office is continuing an investigation into the strike, and is reviewing the pursuit to determine if officers followed proper procedure, officials said.

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

Jarrett Nelson, 40, and Ebony Walker, 31, pleaded guilty to misdemeanor endangering the welfare of children and recklessly endangering another person.

BENSALEM, Pa. -- A Newark, N.J. couple was sentenced to probation Friday for leaving their three children in a car in sub-freezing temperatures while they gambled at Parx Casino in January.

Jarrett Nelson, 40, and Ebony Walker, 31, pleaded guilty to misdemeanor endangering the welfare of children and recklessly endangering another person in in Bucks County Common Pleas Court in Dyolestown.

Nelson, who spent two months in prison after his arrest, was sentenced to time served and 34 months probation. Walker was sentenced to 36 months of probation before Judge Rea B. Boylan, the Bucks County District Attorney's Office said in a statement.

The children, ages 8, 3 and 18 months, were not injured during the Jan. 2 incident.

They were unattended in 31-degree weather for more than 90 minutes, the office said.

Walker told the judge she was struggling for money, had recently been robbed and was desperate for rent money, the office said. 

She and Nelson, who was unemployed, said they won more than $700 playing the slots at Parx, which they put toward their rent.

But both admitted that leaving the children alone was wrong and dangerous, although Walker said she was in constant contact with the 8-year-old via cell phone.

"It happened, and it's the worst mistake I ever made," Walker said in court, the office said. "I made the money I needed, but I got incarcerated."

"No excuse at all," Nelson said. "It will never happen again, because I love my kids so much."

The district attorney's office said New Jersey child protective officials placed the children in Walker's mother's custody following the couple's arrests.

Walker suffers from bipolar disorder. She said in court she placed herself into an intensive counseling program in New Jersey following her arrest, which she still attends.

Nelson said in court the couple hopes to marry after they recover financially and regain custody of the children.

Boylan, the judge, told the couple the cold weather was not the only danger the children faced by being alone in a casino parking lot. They could have been abducted.

Surveillance video showed the couple entering the casino at 7:33 p.m. and returning to their vehicle at 9:11 p.m.

"There's so many things that could have happened to your children, not just being cold and scared," Boylan told the couple.

Kevin Shea may be reached at kshea@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter@kevintshea. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Authorities found the man in a city apartment on Aug. 3.

Mellio. (Courtesy NPD)
 

NEWARK -- Police are seeking the public's help in locating the family members of a 57-year-old man who was found dead inside his home earlier this month.

According to Newark Police, the building superintendent called police to the Columbia Street residence of Nelson Mellio at about 2 p.m. on August 3 to report that he may be sick or injured. After authorities responded, Mellio was pronounced dead at the scene by the Medical Examiner's Office, police said.

A cause of death has not been released.

Police are asking anyone who knew him to contact them, so they can be in touch with his family members to notify them of his death.

Anyone who can provide information about Mellio's family is asked to call Det. Richard Warren at 973-733-4418.

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

Two motorists were charged in separate incidents with skipping toll payments on the bi-state bridge

John Branagan of Stanhope, left, and Zenadia Soto of Newark were charged with evading tolls at the Goethals Bridge(Port Authority police) 

Two alleged toll scofflaws were arrested in separate incidents as they tried to cross area bridges without paying the fees, authorities said Friday.

Port Authority police at the Goethals Bridge toll plaza in Staten Island saw the driver of a 2007 Nissan Versa pass through the EZPass lane without paying 6:30 on Wednesday morning, said agency spokesman Joe Pentangelo.

Records show that the driver, John Branagan, 46, of Stanhope, owed $17,317 in unpaid tolls and fees, Pentangelo said.

After pulling him over and verifying that he didn't pay a toll, Port Authority police arrested Branagan and charged him with larceny and obstructing government administration.

On Thursday at around 7:45 a.m., Port Authority police pulled over a 2003 Hyundai Santa Fe driving through an EZPass Lane at the Goethals Bridge without paying a toll, Pentangelo said.

He said a computer check confirmed that the driver, Zenadia Soto, 43, of Newark was a toll evader who owed $9,500 in unpaid tolls and fees. Police also learned that her driver's license had been suspended because she was uninsured, he said.

Soto, whose car was impounded, was charged with obstructing government administration, larceny, being an unlicensed driver and being an uninsured driver, Pentangelo said.

MaryAnn Spoto may be reached at mspoto@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @MaryAnnSpoto. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

The city should honor him with a ticker-tape parade.

RIO DE JANEIRO -- No matter what happens in his gold-medal fight, the city that Shakur Stevenson has represented here in Brazil with class and excellence needs to plan a first-class celebration when he returns home.

Newark should honor its 19-year-old boxer with a ticker-tape parade down Broad Street, with a proclamation declaring that day in his honor, because his Olympic medal represents this city's crowning athletic achievement at least in the past half century. 

This is no exaggeration. Newark, a city of 278,000 people, has seen just one of its own win a gold medal since 1956 -- that, of course, belongs to Shaquille O'Neal, who was part of the second Dream Team at the 1996 Olympics. 

That was an NBA All-Star team overwhelming the competition. This is a young boxer, who learned the sport at his grandfather's side in the city, with a chance to do something that no American men's boxer has done in 12 years. This is a talented kid with a chance to put his name on a list with Muhammad Ali, George Foreman and Oscar De La Hoya. 

"I'm focused," Stevenson said after his title-fight matchup was official. "I'm ready. This is the fight I've been waiting for." 

Why Floyd Mayweather believes in Stevenson 

He is 25-0 internationally but this one, without question, is the biggest challenge of his young life. He will fight Robeisy Ramirez, the 2012 Olympic gold medalist in the lightweight division, at 1:15 pm ET.

Ramirez, like Stevenson, is a sound technical fighter with quick hands and feet who -- at 22 -- is at the very beginning of his promising career.

Ramirez, like Stevenson, is really, really good.

"I think it's a great matchup," Stevenson said. "You've got the 2012 Olympic gold medalist from Cuba, a great fighter, you've got the up-and-coming rising superstar from the USA. We're going to put on a show, and I plan on coming out victorious." 

That isn't false bravado. From even a year ago, before he had even won the U.S. trials and punched his ticket to Rio, he has talked about bringing home that gold medal. He has talked about doing it for his family, including his eight younger siblings, and a USA Boxing program desperate for a return to the top of the medal stand.

But he has also talked about winning for Newark. He understands that bad reputation, sometimes deserved, that his home city has around the world. He believes that winning a gold medal would be an inspiration for the young people that live there. 

"It means everything to know that our city is behind me," Stevenson told me this spring. "They talk about the negative in our city and everything, but our city is more than all the bad stuff you hear about. 

"I want to bring something positive back to the city. I want to inspire the kids and show them that just because you're from Newark doesn't mean you can't be something. It means a lot."

That moment is here, a three-round opportunity to make history. Stevenson was not even born the last time an American boxer faced a Cuban in a gold-medal fight. That was 1996, when light middleweight David Reid knocked out Cuba's Alfredo Duvergelin for a stunning finish to a fight he was losing badly.

Jordan Burroughs suffers cruel Olympic defeats

Stevenson, a student of the sport in every way, watched a clip of that fight this week. He has watched Ramirez, too, and said he knows the challenge ahead. He already has had an eventful three weeks in Rio, from hearing the boos from the home crowd before his first fight to listening as Floyd Mayweather declared him the sport's next big thing.

It has all built up to this moment. 

"I'm competitive. I like competitive fights," he said. "I like being in the ring with people I think it's going to be good. It's going to be two talented skillful fighters and we're going to see who's going to come out on top. Which is going to be me, though."

No matter what happens, Newark should celebrate his achievement in the coming days. It should welcome him home with ticker-tape and marching bands, because this is the city's biggest athletic achievement in a long time.

Steve Politi may be reached at spoliti@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @StevePoliti. Find NJ.com on Facebook. 

People enjoy a warm day at Crystal Springs Family Aquatic Center in East Brunswick.

EAST BRUNSWICK -- Crystal Springs Family Aquatic Center in East Brunswick was the place to be for guests like Tony Mashkuli of Brooklyn with the temperatures pushing 90 Friday.

"This is a great place to spend the day; it's quiet and not overcrowded," Mashkuli said. "We will definitely be back."

According to John Roche, a manager at the water park, Crystal Springs is the first municipal water park to open in New Jersey.

They offer guests seven water amenities at the facility: lap pool, kiddie pool, recreational pool, activity pool, splash pad, water slides, and the Lazy River.

The park has become a popular place for summer fun since it first opened in 1994. "We are a family-friendly facility," Roche said. "You can bring your own food, barbecue and stay the entire day."

Information on rates and other details may be found on the park's website.

Patti Sapone may be reached at psapone@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @psapone. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

The Essex County Prosecutor's Office and the Newark Police Department are investigating two separate shootings that occurred while the 5th annual "24 Hours of Peace" celebration was under way.

NEWARK -- For the second consecutive year, the Essex County Prosecutor's Office and Newark police are investigating two fatal shootings on a night meant to highlight an attempt to curb violence in the city.

As was the case last August, gunshots rattled the city just hours after the annual "24 Hours of Peace" celebration got under way downtown on Friday. 

First, homicide investigators responded to a report of a shooting on Schuyler Avenue at 10:45 p.m., acting Essex County Prosecutor Carolyn Murray and Newark Public Safety Director Anthony F. Ambrose said.    

Chief Assistant Essex County Prosecutor Thomas Fennelly said his office's Major Crimes Task Force is investigating the fatal shooting that occurred there overnight. 

Newark police officers were dispatched to the 100 block of Schuyler Avenue for a report of a person shot, he said. Arriving officers found Kevin Baker, 19, of Newark, suffering from a gunshot wound, Fennelly said. Baker was rushed to University Hospital in Newark where he was pronounced dead at 12:08 a.m. Saturday, Fennelly said.

Fennelly also confirmed a second fatal shooting on Willoughby Street where another person was wounded shortly before midnight.

Newark officers responded to the 100 block of Willoughby Street on reports of a shooting, Fennelly said. There, officers found a man and a woman with gunshot wounds.

The man, Robert Harrison Jr., 24, of Irvington, was pronounced dead at the scene at 12:07 a.m. Saturday, Fennelly said.  The woman, who is 27, was taken to University Hospital where she has been admitted in critical condition, he said. Authorities are not releasing her identity for security reasons, he said.

Fennelly said that although the two shootings occurred close in time, investigators believe they are unrelated. 

Anyone with information is asked to call the Prosecutor's Tips Line at 877-847-7432.

The "24 Hours of Peace" celebration - in its fifth year - was moved to the city's downtown at Broad and Market streets this year to give it more visibility but started in the city's South Ward to address growing violence there.

These two fatal shootings boost the city's homicide count so far this year to 62, ahead of the count for this time last year.

Last year, Mayor Ras Baraka, who helped found the 24 Hours event, called the two shootings "disheartening."  Those shootings, like the ones this year, appear to be unrelated.

The second victim of the fatal Newark bus collision was identified as a city woman

NEWARK -- A hardworking city woman headed to her job at a factory early Friday was the passenger killed in the NJ Transit bus collision that also claimed the life of one driver, injured 17 others and snarled traffic for hours, family and friends said Saturday.

Jesy Garcia of Newark (center) was killed in the NJ Transit bus collision in Newark on Friday, her family says. In this family photo, Garcia, 49, is shown with her daughter, Irma Garcia and her son Larry Alvarez.(Courtesy of the Garcia family) 

Jesy Garcia, 49, of Newark was the woman killed on the No. 13 bus when it was T-boned by another bus at Raymond Boulevard and Broad Street, her daughter, Irma Garcia, told NJ Advance Media.

Irma Garcia learned of her mother's death late Friday night from investigators who traveled to her home in Elizabeth to break the news.

Family friend Jasmina Bosnjakovic said Garcia's family is "devastated" at losing a hardworking woman who was devoted to her grandchildren.

"She was absolutely crazy about her grandkids," Bosnjakovic said.

Bosnjakovic said investigators have not told her friend what caused the crash that also killed Joseph Barthelus, 70, of Union, the driver of the bus that hit Garcia's bus.

Irma Garcia and her husband William Mendez become emotional as they talk about her Irma's mother, Jesy Garcia, who lost her life from the injuries she sustained in the crash of two NJ Transit buses in Newark on August 19. Newark, NJ 8/20/16 (Robert Sciarrino | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)
 

Investigators have said they are examining the bus and area cameras and interviewing witnesses and passengers. They also have not ruled out the possibility that Barthelus suffered a medical emergency.

NJ Transit officials on Friday said Barthelus was driving the No. 59 bus that runs from Newark to Westfield, which was traveling west on Raymond Boulevard, when it struck the No. 13 bus traveling north on Broad Street from Irvington to Belleville.

Because Barthelus had just started his route, his bus was empty. The No. 13 bus had 17 passengers on board. The driver, 35-year veteran driver James Roberts, survived the crash.

Nine people are still being treated at University Hospital in Newark a day after the accident, spokesman Thaddaeus Diggs told NJ Advance Media. One person is still critical and another is in serious condition, Diggs said.

In addition to her daughter, Jessy Garcia also has a father in Newark, a son who lives in Florida, and a grandson who lives in Connecticut, Bosnjakovic said.

Staff writer Craig McCarthy contributed to this report.

NEWARK - For the 5th annual year, Newark celebrates 24 Hours of Peace in an effort to curb urban violence. For better visability the festival moved this year to downtown at the intersection of Broad and Market streets where people were entertained by hip-hop artists. National acts like Fat Joe and Big Daddy Kane performed with other local and regional performers....

NEWARK - For the 5th annual year, Newark celebrates 24 Hours of Peace in an effort to curb urban violence. For better visability the festival moved this year to downtown at the intersection of Broad and Market streets where people were entertained by hip-hop artists. National acts like Fat Joe and Big Daddy Kane performed with other local and regional performers.

Tragically for the second year in a row, two fatal shootings marred the night's message. They happened on Schuyler Avenue and Willoughby Street in city's South Ward.

The celebration goes on through 6 p.m. Saturday where there will be more entertainment including a live broadcast of 19-year-old boxer Newark boxer Shakur Stevenson's bantam weight gold medal fight.

Aristide Economopoulos can be reached at aeconomopoulos@njadvancemedia.com and you can follow him on Twitter at @AristideNJAM and Instagram at @aeconomopoulos  Find NJ.com on Facebook

Police officers responding to the apartment found Michael Agard unconscious, authorities said

NJ.com file photo 

ORANGE --The death of a man found unresponsive in his apartment in the city is being investigated as a homicide, Essex County authorities said Saturday.

Acting Essex County Prosecutor Carolyn Murray and Orange Public Safety Director Todd Warren have announced that authorities are investigating the death of Michael Agard, 59, who was found dead Friday night in his apartment in the 500 block of Chestnut Street.

Orange police officers had been dispatched to the apartment on a report of an unresponsive male, they said. When they arrived, the officers found Agard unconscious in the apartment. He was pronounced dead at the scene around 8:30 p.m., according to Chief Assistant Prosecutor Thomas Fennelly.

The exact cause of death will be determined by an autopsy at the Regional Medical Examiners' Office, but the matter is being investigated as a homicide, Fennelly said.

He would not say whether there were any outward signs of trauma to the body.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Prosecutor's Tips Line at (877) 847-7432.

The Newark native loses his gold-medal bout to Cuban opponent Robeisy Ramirez.

RIO DE JANEIRO -- Shakur Stevenson lost his gold-medal fight against Robeisy Ramirez on Saturday afternoon, but the Newark boxer will take home a silver medal for his overall performance here.

That is the best result for an American male boxer since 2004 when Andre Ward -- his idol turned mentor -- won gold, even if Stevenson had his sights set on reaching the top of the medal stand. 

But Ramirez, the 2012 gold medal winner in the flyweight division, was too good. He handed Stevenson his first loss in 26 international fights, but the boxers were so evenly matched it's hard not to hope for a rematch in the future. 

His grandfather and trainer, Wali Moses, was watching from the first row of the arena along with his mother, Malikah Stevenson, and his father, Shahid Guyton. They watched their boxer enter the ring with a smile, only to have chants of "CUBA!" fill the arena when they started fighting.

Ramirez won the first round on all cards. Stevenson won the second. The third was too close to call, but when the judges announced the decision, it was Ramirez's hand that was raised to the sky.

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Stevenson will have plenty to remember about his Olympic experience. He was booed lustily by Brazilian fans during a dominant performance in his first fight. He was called "the next Floyd Mayweather" by the former champ himself after his second fight, another unanimous decision. 

Then, as charges of fight fixing dominated the headlines, Stevenson's scheduled semifinal opponent dropped out due to injuries, putting the boxer in the Olympic final by walkover. He promised to put on a show against Ramirez, who at 22 already had an Olympic gold on his resume.

Steve Politi may be reached at spoliti@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @StevePoliti. Find NJ.com on Facebook. 

Man accused of punching at cops during arrest

(File photo) 

Detectives were conducting surveillance near North 9th Street and 4th Avenue around noon Thursday when they spotted Aquil Horne, 34, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Brandon Johnson, 20, of East Orange, unloading plastic sandwich bags from Horne's car, according to Sheriff Armando Fontoura.

"They moved as smoothly and efficiently as if unloading groceries," Fontoura said in a statement.

Two men -- identified as Thomas Lassen, 26 of Bloomfield, and Joseph Damico, 42 of Belleville -- approached the pair and exchanged cash with Johnson for items from his pants pocket, the sheriff said. The money then changed hands to Horne.

Sheriff's detectives stopped Lassen and Damico away from the area and found them with four glassine envelopes of heroin stamped "Mad Monkey" in red ink, Fontoura added. Both men were arrested on drug possession charges.

When detectives went to arrest the dealers, Horne jumped a fence, ran through backyards and into an abandoned building, Fontoura said.

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"[Horne] was cornered and initially resisted arrest by punching and flailing his arms and legs at our officers," the sheriff said.

Authorities seized 47 packets of heroin from Horne with similar markings as the kind taken from Lassen and Damico, according to Fontoura. Johnson was arrested without incident and also found with 33 heroin packets. Both men face various drug distribution charges. Horne faces added charges of resisting arrest by flight and resisting arrest by force.

Fontoura said a drug-sniffing sheriff's K-9, named Hanner, also hit on several areas of Horne's car, which investigators planned to search after obtaining a warrant.

Horne was ordered held at the Essex County Correctional Facility in lieu of $85,000 cash only bail while Johnson was jailed on $75,000 bail, according to authorities.

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