Kesnold Baptiste, 50, of Roselle, is accused of health care claims fraud, conspiracy, and commercial bribery for his role in a statewide conspiracy.

TRENTON -- A Union County chiropractor is the latest medical professional to be arrested for participating in a scheme that steered patients to radiology centers in exchange for bribes, Attorney General Christopher Porrino announced Wednesday.

Kesnold Baptiste, 50, of Roselle, is accused of health care claims fraud, conspiracy, and commercial bribery for his role in a conspiracy that has ensnared dozens of doctors, lawyers, and medical facility operators in central and north Jersey. 

"Each new arrest by our Commercial Bribery Task Force leads to information on additional doctors, medical service providers, and other professionals involved in a criminal conspiracy that is spreading like a stain across the state's healthcare industry," Acting Insurance Fraud Prosecutor Christopher Iu said in a joint statement with Porrino.

7 doctors charged in kickback scheme

Baptiste allegedly took "tens of thousands of dollars" in bribes from Ata "Danny" Chaudhry, 55, of Paramus, who owns MRNJ Newark, MRNJ Oradell, and Hudson Radiology Center of New Jersey, according to the announcement.

Chaudhry and Tariq Din, 48, of Paramus, who owns Clifton MRI Facility also known as Open MRI of Clifton, pleaded guilty last month to paying more than $850,000 to more than 15 physicians and other professionals in exchange for referrals.

Authorities said Ronald Hayek, a chiropractor practicing in Totowa, also pleaded guilty July 21 to accepting tens of thousands of dollars in kickbacks from Din in exchange for patient referrals. He also admitted to receiving kickbacks in exchange for referring patients to facilities owned or controlled by Rehan Zuberi, who pleaded guilty last year to orchestrating the scheme.

The arrests were carried out by the Attorney General's Commercial Bribery Task Force, formed in January to target commercial bribery in the healthcare industry.

"The type of kickback schemes that we are uncovering with our new commercial bribery task force have a corrosive impact on our healthcare system, leading patients to receive unnecessary diagnostic services and treatments, and ultimately inflating costs for everyone," said Elie Honig, director of the Division of Criminal Justice.  Susan K. Livio may be reached at slivio@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @SusanKLivio. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.

The mother of a Kearny man killed in the family's jewelry store testified today to seeing her son shot dead before her eyes as two men robbed the Kearny Avenue store in 2009.

JERSEY CITY -- Seven years after Sylvia Egoavil watched her son die inside their family-owned jewelry store, she took the witness stand today and delivered dramatic testimony that could put the alleged gunman behind bars for life. 

"My son told him he couldn't be there -- told him to get out," Egoavil said this morning during the trial of John DeRosa, 58, of Bloomfield, who is being accused of fatally shooting Xavier Egoavil, 47, of Kearny, inside Rachel Jewelers on Aug. 18, 2009.

From the witness stand, she recalled the gunman had rushed to the rear of the Kearny jewelry store where she was talking with her son that morning. Her son put his hands on the man's chest and began guiding him backwards when the robber drew a pistol, she said. 

"They were talking and he would point his gun at him," said the mother, who kept her composure on the witness stand despite the jarring testimony. "I asked him what was going on and he said, 'Mommy don't move from there.'"

As she watched, a second man entered and cleaned out a display case, taking gold items and items with jewels, and stuffing them in a garbage bag before fleeing.

The mother said the gunman had his pistol pointed at her son the whole time and after the second robber left, the armed man stepped away from her son. She thought he was going to run out as well. 

"As he was taking the two steps back, he shot my son," said Sylvia Egoavil, who watched her son's death through a window in a separate room. "When I came out, my son was dead."

Sylvia's husband, who had gone out for coffee and missed the ordeal, returned to find his son dead. Someone flagged down an ambulance immediately but her slain son could not be saved.

The prosecution alleges that Xavier Egoavil scuffled with DeRosa during the robbery, and was struck in the head, back, thigh and chest by gunfire.

The accused getaway driver, Elvis Feratovic, 30, of Bloomfield, was charged with felony murder, but pleaded guilty to robbery and agreed to testify against DeRosa. Edmir Sokoli, 29, of Bloomfield, was also charged with felony murder and pleaded guilty to robbery. He, too, agreed to testify against DeRosa.

Egoavil was survived by his wife, Gina, and two children: a son who was 10 years old at the time and a daughter who was 6.

Investigators got a break in the case when Kearny police received a tip that the alleged getaway car was being worked on at a Passaic County auto repair shop to alter its appearance, officials said.

But during questioning by Hudson County Assistant Prosecutor Leo Rinaldi, Sylvia Egoavil was never asked to identify DeRosa in court. Another witness testified today that she saw two men running away, one with a gun. She said the gunman had a black beard that didn't look real and hair that matched it. She was not asked to identify DeRosa either.

During his opening statement today, attorney Scott Finkenauer spoke of DeRosa's co-defendant, saying: "There is no direct evidence, no physical evidence to show John DeRosa had anything to do with this other than the testimony of these people... I submit to you that the two defendants lied at some point in time. Does that mean they will lie when they 'testify?' You are going to have to decide."

The trial is before Hudson County Superior Court Judge Patrick Arre in the Hudson County Administration Building in Jersey City. DeRosa faces up to life in prison if convicted. 

It's taken years for the trial to begin, primarily due to turnover on DeRosa's defense team. Now on his fifth attorney, DeRosa said he was contemplating representing himself due during a pretrial hearing in November. The judge noted that he did not cooperate with his first attorney and did not get along with his second attorney. The judge said DeRosa's third attorney was overwhelmed at his practice and had to give up the case, while his fourth lawyer became a judge.

Hospitals in Glen Ridge and Westwood will become part of the nation's 2nd-largest chain of for-profit hospitals.

Two North Jersey hospitals affiliated with Hackensack University Medical Center but majority owned by a for-profit company will now become part of a larger for-profit system.

Hospitals in Glen Ridge and Westwood are impacted by a recently announced merger between LHP Hospital Group Inc., of Plano, Texas, and Ardent Health Services of Nashville. Together, the two will form the second-largest chain of for-profit hospitals in the country.

HackensackUMC at Pascack Valley was reopened in 2013 under an agreement between Hackensack-based chain of hospitals and LHP. HackensackMountainside has been under a similar arrangement since 2012.

The two are among the five acute-care hospitals operated by LHP. The others are in Idaho, Florida, and Texas.

The chain they are merging with, Ardent Health Services, will then operate 19 hospitals in six states.

Although the companies' announcement didn't directly announce the impact on employees, it did state, "The transaction is not expected to impact the day-to-day operations of the affiliated hospitals."

The transaction is expected to be completed in early 2017.

Kathleen O'Brien may be reached at kobrien@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @OBrienLedger. Find NJ.com on Facebook. 

Victim wounded Sept. 22 on North 5th Street

Guillermo Arroyabe (Photo: Dept. of Public Safety) 

Guillermo Arroyabe was charged in connection with the Sept. 22 shooting on the 400 block of North 5th Street, according to police. Arroyabe turned himself in with his attorney and was arrested by city police Fugitive Apprehension Team officers.

The victim suffered non life-threatening injuries in the attack, police said. 

15-year-old carjacked woman at gunpoint before crash, authorities say

Authorities did not immediately say if there was a motive in the attack or release further details. 

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

The first day of testimony continued this afternoon in the murder trial of a Bloomfield man with a medical examiner describing the grisly bullet wounds that claimed the life of a Kearny jewelry store owner during a robbery in 2009.

JERSEY CITY -- The first day of testimony continued in a Bloomfield man's murder trial today with a medical examiner describing the grisly bullet wounds that claimed the life of a Kearny jewelry store owner during a fatal robbery in 2009.

John DeRosa, 58, of Bloomfield, is being tried for allegedly murdering Xavier Egoavil, 47, of Kearny, on Aug. 18, 2009 in the victim's Rachel Jewelers on Kearny Avenue as his horrified mother watched.

Assistant Medical Examiner Dr. Eddy Lilavois testified that one bullet struck Egoavil in the forehead and exited the back of his skull. A second bullet enter the victim's back and exited through his left chest.

While Hudson County Assistant Prosecutor Leo Rinaldi displayed autopsy pictures, Lilavois' said Egoavil had a grazing bullet wound to his chest, an abrasion on his forehead, and wound from a final bullet that entered the midsection of his inner right thigh and was removed from his leg during the autopsy.

Testimony began this morning with Egoavil's mother, Sylvia Egoavil, on the stand describing the robbery and seeing her son shot dead. But the mother was not asked to point out the gunman in court today, nor was a woman who said she saw two men running away, one carrying a gun.

At the end of testimony this afternoon, Rinaldi said the state will call one of DeRosa's co-defendants to the stand tomorrow to testifying against him.

The accused getaway driver, Elvis Feratovic, 30, of Bloomfield, was charged with felony murder, but pleaded guilty to robbery and will testify against DeRosa tomorrow. Edmir Sokoli, 29, of Bloomfield, was also charged with felony murder and pleaded guilty to robbery. He, too agreed to testify against DeRosa.

During his opening statement this morning, attorney Scott Finkenauer spoke of DeRosa's co-defendants saying "There is no direct evidence, no physical evidence to show John DeRosa had anything to do with this other than the testimony of these people... I submit to you that the two defendants lied (to police) at some point in time. Does that mean they will lie when they 'testify?' You are going to have to decide."

For his part, Rinaldi told jurors the evidence they will see will paint a clear picture showing DeRosa was the trigger man.   

Egoavil was survived by his wife, Gina, and two children: A son who was 10 years old at the time and a daughter who was 6.

The trial will resume tomorrow morning before Hudson County Superior Court Judge Patrick Arre in the Hudson County Administration Building in Jersey City. DeRosa faces up to life in prison if convicted. 

It's taken years for the trial to begin, primarily because turnover on DeRosa's defense team. Now on his fifth attorney, DeRosa said he was contemplating representing himself due during a pretrial hearing in November. The judge noted that he did not cooperate with his first attorney and did not get along with his second attorney. The judge said DeRosa's third attorney was overwhelmed at his practice and had to give up the case, while his fourth lawyer became a judge.

For the second time in two days planes bump into each other

NEWARK -- One aircraft was damaged in a minor collision on the ground at Newark Liberty International Airport Wednesday afternoon, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey said. 

An aircraft belonging to United Airlines clipped wings with another craft from Austrian Airlines around 4:30 p.m., the Port Authority said. No passengers were aboard either craft and no one was hurt, a United spokeswoman said.  

Planes clip wings at Newark Liberty

United Flight 31, a Boeing 767, made contact with Austrian Airlines Flight 90, also a Boeing 767, as it pushed back from the gate at Terminal B, Port Authority spokesman Joseph Pentangelo said. 

Less than 24 hours earlier, a Lufthansa airliner struck a parked United airliner as it was being towed at the airport. No one was injured in that incident. 

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

Authorities said a suspected carjacker drove directly at a state trooper, who shot and killed the him

ELIZABETH -- A Union County grand jury determined a State Police detective acted in self defense when he shot and killed a man in a stolen car in 2015 in Union Township, acting Union County Prosecutor Grace Park said Wednesday.

Park, in a statement, said the grand jury voted not to bring any charges against the detective who shot Daniel Wolfe, 35, of Sayreville, on April 15, 2015 as State Police attempted to apprehend him in a stolen Jeep Grand Cherokee.

She said two civilian witnesses saw Wolfe drive at the detective before he fired.

Authorities said the Cherokee was stolen from the owner of the vehicle in a carjacking two days before the shooting, on April 13, in Bloomfield.

Police subsequently received a tip that the vehicle would be in one of two places, and detectives found the Cherokee on Manor Drive in Union, the prosecutor said.

She said three State Police detectives, driving three unmarked police vehicles, set up surveillance near the Cherokee, and at 5:52 p.m., a man, later identified as Wolfe, was dropped off near the Cherokee.

As he walked toward the vehicle, and activated a key fob to unlock the vehicle's doors, the troopers, identified only as detectives No. 1, No. 2, and No. 3,  then moved in, with detective No. 1 on foot and the other two still in unmarked vehicles, Park said. She said detective No. 1 was wearing a black tactical vest bearing the words "State Police" in large block letters.

Authorities never released the name of the detective who fired the shots.

Park described the following series of events.

Wolfe, however, quickly entered the Cherokee and drove in reverse, striking an Audi parked immediately behind him.

As the detective on foot stood in front of the Cherokee, the other two detectives used their vehicles in an attempted to box in Wolfe.

The detective, standing with his back against a brick apartment building wall, yelled "Stop! Police!" several times, but Wolfe revved the engine of the Cherokee, quickly accelerated forward, and jumped a curb immediately in front of the detective driving directly at him.

The detective fired his 9mm service pistol twice with one bullet entering the front driver's side window and the second bullet entering the upper door frame of the front driver's side door.

One bullet struck Wolfe in the left shoulder and the second bullet entered his  upper torso, striking multiple internal organs. Wolfe continued driving out of complex, making a right turn and then striking several parked cars before coming to a stop.

All three detectives rushed to the crash scene, with the detectives in the unmarked cars applying gauze to the gunshot wounds, and administering cardio-pulmonary resuscitation. Emergency medical personnel were called, but Wolfe died a short time later.

Park said the state Attorney General's Shooting Response Team began an investigation.

A witness in a second-floor apartment less than 40 feet away saw the incident from immediately after Wolfe backed into the Audi, the prosecutor said. She said the witness saw Cherokee drive directly at the detective and believed the vehicle would have hit him if he had not fired his gun.

A second civilian witness, who was nearby on the ground level, also observed  Wolfe drive near the detective, the prosecutor said.

Investigators took photographs of the Cherokee tire, including one set immediately beyond the concrete curb, and directly in front of the detective, and a second set of tracks along the escape route, authorities said.

They said the detective gave investigators a statement saying he was pinned against the wall with no way to escape the Cherokee. He said he believed his life was in jeopardy, authorities said.

Park said no video surveillance footage of the incident was found.

The case was presented to a grand jury as required by state regulation, but the grand jury returned a "no-bill" of indictment and found the detective was justified in using deadly force, Park said.

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

Two alleged victims have filed lawsuits against a New Jersey priest, the Newark Archdiocese, and a Montclair church.

NEWARK -- Two more sex abuse lawsuits were filed this month accusing a New Jersey priest of sexually abusing children when they attended a Catholic school in the 1980s.

The Rev. Michael "Mitch" Walters is accused in 2 new lawsuits of sexually abusing kids. (Archdiocese of Newark)

That brings the total lawsuits lodged against the Archdiocese of Newark and the Rev. Mitch Walters to three.

And more may be coming, according to Mitchell Garabedian, a Boston-area attorney who was portrayed by Stanley Tucci in the 2015 film "Spotlight."

Garabedian said he is representing six clients who say they were abused by Walters.

The latest two lawsuits were filed separately in Essex County Superior Court on Oct. 5 by Danielle Polemeni and David Ohlmuller. Both attended St. Cassian's Parish and the church's associated school in Upper Montclair when they were children while Walters was a priest and deacon.

Jim Goodness, spokesman for the Archdiocese of Newark, declined to comment on the lawsuits. Goodness said earlier this year that Walters denies the allegations against him. Walters was removed from the ministry in January after the allegations arose.

Polemeni, a 47-year-old teacher who now lives in Columbus, Ohio, said in an interview with NJ Advance Media that Walters groped her on multiple occasions when she was 13 and 14 years old.

"I thought it was my fault," Polemeni said. "I was extremely embarrassed and ashamed."

Polemeni's family was active in the church and friendly with Walters, she said. Polemeni said that Walters once groped her buttocks and put his face in her breasts while he was in her family's home.

During an eighth-grade class trip to the Poconos, Polemeni said Walters carried her around a swimming pool while fondling her breasts and buttocks for several minutes. Though her parents did not witness either incident, other people were around, she said.

Ex-priest facing criminal sex abuse probe

"I also thought that that was just how men behaved," Polemeni said. "That, sometimes they were creepy, and gross, and you just had to wait for them to go away."

Ohlmuller, a former alter boy at the St. Cassian's, alleges that Walters fondled him "many, many times" in the church's confessional in 1982 when he was 12. Ohlmuller, who also spoke with NJ Advance Media, also said the priest kissed him.

Ohlmuller said he distanced himself from the church and struggled with anxiety and substance abuse as a result of the alleged sexual assaults.

He said he began having flashbacks to the alleged abuse last year when his son entered the sixth grade, the grade Ohlmuller was in when he alleges he was assaulted.

"I don't want anyone else to go through this," Ohlmuller said, so he contacted Bob Hoatson of Road to Recovery, a group that supports victims of sexual abuse. Hoatson, who put the victims in touch with Garabedian, commended the two for going public with their stories.

"Talk about courage," Hoatson said. "The fact that they put their names on this...shows they are not just looking out for themselves, but also for the healing of so many others."

Katherine Carter, a spokeswoman for the Essex County Prosecutor's Office, said the Archdiocese contacted authorities about the allegations but said no criminal charges have been filed against Walters.

Hoatson said his group often pursues civil suits because criminal statutes of limitation have expired in many clergy sex abuse cases.

Garabedian said he plans to continue to pursue cases that shed light on past abuses.

"It's about empowering themselves, and making the world a safer place for children everywhere," Garabedian said.

Though they are not seeking a specific amount in damages, the two plaintiffs said just filing the suits has brought them some sense of closure.

Polemeni, who works in a Catholic school in Ohio, said talking about the alleged abuse has been painful, but healing.

"My relationship with the Catholic Church is definitely a paradox," she said. "It is where I have received the most hurt and the most shame, but also where I have received healing and grace."

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

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Joseph DiBella has already taken a leave of absence from his role on the Brookdale Community College Board of Trustees.

NEWARK -- A community college trustee facing a firestorm after his Twitter account allegedly "liked" racist tweets has lost another gig.

Joseph DiBella (Brookdale Community College)

Essex County officials said they sent a letter to the insurance firm that employs Joseph DiBella to request that he stops doing work for the county while an investigation into the tweets is completed.

"We are appalled at the content of these posts and believe that having Mr. DiBella represent and work with Essex County is inappropriate," Essex Human Resources Director Robert Jackson wrote to insurance and benefits broker Conner Strong & Buckelew, where DiBella works as managing director and vice president.

"We request, that while the prosecutor's investigation is ongoing, Mr. DiBella be prohibited from performing any further work on Essex County business or servicing the health benefits accounts of Essex employees (and) retirees."

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The firm confirmed to the Asbury Park Press that it has removed DiBella from Essex work for now.

DiBella, who is also a trustee at Brookdale Community College, has been under fire since the controversial "likes" popped up on his Twitter account last month. He has denied making the posts, and blamed the activity on a computer hack. The Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office is investigating the incident.

After allegedly receiving a death threat over the matter, DiBella took a leave of absence from the unpaid trustee position.

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The North Jersey District Water Supply Commission work is at least affecting residents in Newark and Bloomfield, officials said.

BLOOMFIELD -- Residents in at least two towns are experiencing brown water issues Thursday, thanks to water main flushing.

Brown water in a Bloomfield washing machine. 

Officials in Bloomfield and Newark announced Thursday that residents may be seeing brown and otherwise discolored water from their faucets. Though they said the water is safe to use and drink, they recommended people flush the water in their homes for five to ten minutes before using it, to clear the discoloration.

"It appears to be a system-wide issue related to the North Jersey District Water Supply Commission exercising valves at the Wanaque River Aqueduct," Bloomfield spokesman Phil Swibinski said.

"The Bloomfield Fire Department is currently flushing all township fire hydrants, which we believe will correct the problem." Residents reported seeing brown water at least once before, on Sunday. 

Officials in Newark issued a similar alert Thursday blaming the water main flush, and telling residents that they should expect the discoloration to continue into the afternoon.

According to Commission spokesman Bill Maer, the valve exercising is a "fairly routine" procedure that is federally mandated. The Commission, which let each municipality it serves know in advance that the flushing would be taking place, is working "very closely" with the DEP on the procedure, he said. 

The Commission also supplies water to about a dozen other municipalities and agencies across northern New Jersey, though it is unclear if those areas have experienced brown water, as well.

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

A gas station attendant was beaten and robbed at gunpoint early Wednesday morning while working just blocks away from the Harrison PATH station, police said.

HARRISON -- A gas station attendant was beaten and robbed at gunpoint early Wednesday morning while working just blocks from the Harrison PATH station, police said. 

The robbery was reported in what authorities are calling an "attractive crime location" -- an area that has seen a number of incidents reported in recent months -- prompting police to search for solutions to curb the crime. 

At about 12:45 a.m., a 20-year-old Jersey City man working at the Delta Gas station was approached by two men wearing dark clothes, masks, and gloves approached, according to a police report. 

The victim said he was sitting in a chair outside the office when one of the men put him in a headlock. The suspects then dragged him inside the office, began punching the 20-year-old and demanded money, the report states. 

The two men grabbed the victim's Samsung tablet and $600 in cash before leaving the gas station, police said. 

A short time after the robbery, a man called police and said he saw a "commotion" at the gas station when he was driving home from the PATH station. He said the suspects got inside a red SUV, drove up Frank E. Rodgers Boulevard, turned left on Harrison Avenue, and continued into Newark, the report states. 

The witness was able to provide police with the suspects' license plate number. The victim was treated at the police station for swelling on his face, the reports states. 

Multiple robberies have been reported in the neighborhood surrounding the Route 280 underpass. Harrison Police Lt. David Doyle said the area has been identified by authorities as being "prone to thefts and robberies." 

Last month, a man and woman were robbed while walking down the street at the same intersection as this morning's robbery. Weeks before, a couple had a machine gun pointed to their heads while getting out their car on Essex Street, authorities said.  

In June, Swedish tourists were robbed of $17,000 worth of jewelry in the same neighborhood under the Route 280 underpass. Two weeks later, a man was beaten while fighting off his would-be robbers while walking home from the PATH station, cops said. 

Doyle said Wednesday's robbery is not believed to be related to recent crimes because the suspects had a different method of operation. The department has a Crime Suppression Unit that is working to find ways to curb robberies in the neighborhood, Doyle added. 

Additionally, the Hudson County Sheriff's Office has added an extra patrol car to help Harrison patrol neighborhoods that have been identified as "attractive crime locations," Doyle said. 

Caitlin Mota may be reached at cmota@jjournal.com. Follow her on Twitter @caitlin_mota. Find The Jersey Journal on Facebook.

Rick King allegedly said after Patel's death that he'd no longer have to worry about robbery charge, prosecutors have said. Watch video

NEWARK -- A man charged in the 2013 robbery of an Irvington liquor store made his first appearance in New Jersey Superior Court Thursday on charges he killed a witness in that case.

Rick King, 32, pleaded not guilty before Judge Ronald Wigler in Newark to charges of murder and witness tampering in connection with death of Amit Patel.

Patel, 28, of Edison, had given a statement to police as a witness in the Oct. 31, 2013 robbery of Roseway Liquors and Deli, his father's store on Lyons Avenue.

Shortly after, King was arrested and charged with the robbery, and subsequently learned Patel was slated to testify at his trial, prosecutors said.

Authorities said that just over a year later, on Feb. 15, 2015, Patel was fatally shot while working at the store's counter.

After Patel's death, prosecutors moved to make his pre-trial statements to police officers admissible in court. 

Prosecutors later said that King had claimed after Patel's death that he no longer had to worry about the murder charge. Law enforcement officers searching King's phone after the shooting found he had looked up information about Patel and the shooting, they said.

Prosecutors also said cameras on the streets near the liquor store captured a man wearing the same clothes as King was seen wearing that day entering and fleeing the store around time of the shooting.

"In light of the probable likelihood Rick King caused Amit Patel to be unavailable (to testify), the state submits all of Amit Patel's statement should be admissible for trial purposes," Assistant Prosecutor Mira Ohm said in court filings.

Judge Russel J. Passamno agreed, and on Sept. 26 ruled that Patel's statements to officers were admissible as an exception to rules normally prohibiting the use of hearsay evidence.

Wigler set King's bail at $1 million cash. He said the new charges against King will be referred to a grand jury.

King is next scheduled to appear in court in the robbery case on Oct. 21 for a status conference, according to court records. 

Thomas Moriarty may be reached at tmoriarty@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @ThomasDMoriarty. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

The duo will bring their talents to NJPAC this weekend for a much-anticipated concert

For Zakir Hussain, the world's most-famous tabla player, music has been something shared between musicians and between generations.

His father, Alla Rakha, was the most well-known tabla player of his day, regularly performing with sitar master Ravi Shankar. Now the award-winning Hussain -- having established himself across the fields of Indian classical music, jazz and world music -- is helping raise the profile of younger performers from India.

His latest effort is a tour with sitarist NIladri Kumar, which brings him this weekend to NJPAC in Newark and a sold-out show at the Skirball Center in Manhattan.

Hussain, 65, said his earliest introduction to music "was a conspiracy." He said that from birth, his father began to sing Indian rhythms in his ear. "By three, it was all there," he said, noting that his first tabla teachers were his father's students.

[enhanced link]

He played tabla for several years, saying, "I was a ham." He recalled that "whenever I sat down at the tabla, it was the happiest place I could be...it was the greatest playpen." But it was not until he was seven years old that his father finally asked him: "Do you really want to do this seriously?"

After Hussain excitedly answering in the positive, they were soon up at 2 a.m. each day learning music.

"I was tired....but it was magical," he said, adding that it was particularly sweet because he worshipped his father. "I finally had him to myself."

When Hussain was a teenager, he recalled, a fan of his father once approached the two of them and said that the son sounded like the elder musician. Hussain said he was surprised to hear his father say that he hoped his son didn't sound like him. "I hope he finds his own way," his father said.

In fact, Hussain did, in part due to his father. While his father travelled the world with Shakar, he brought back varied albums, from Miles Davis to the Grateful Dead. As a young man, Hussain also played with a mix of musicians on Bollywood film soundtracks and, he recalled, during breaks they would jam, using influences from all over.

In 1969, Hussain took what he thought was a short-term assignment in the United States, playing with Ravi Shankar to replace his father, who was ill. Bringing with him just a suitcase and a tabla, Hussain ended up staying to teach at the University of Washington and eventually meeting open-minded musicians from across genres with whom he would collaborate, people like jazz guitarist John McLaughlin and Grateful Dead drummer Mickey Hart. He has lived in the United States ever since.

He said he found in McLaughlin "another brother" and that he was immediately comfortable playing with him when they formed Shakti, which was the first popular fusion of jazz and Indian classical music. The acoustic band, which also fused Northern and Southern Indian musicians, brought Hussain and Indian music to new audiences around the globe.

Another ground-breaking collaboration was with Hart and other percussionists from around the world in a group called Planet Drum, whose first album won the first Grammy in the new world-music category in 1991. Hussain said that later this year there will be a 25th anniversary reissue of the Planet Drum album with several tracks that were not included on the original.

Four years ago, Hussain said, he decided to give back by raising the profiles of younger Indian musicians who had been working away for years building audiences in Indian concert halls. For many outside the country "Indian music begins with Ravi Shankar and ends with Ravi Shankar," he said. "Not much attention has been paid to the bench strength of Indian music."

Hussain said he aims to "cement [Kumar's] place as an international representative of Indian traditional music." As with all the young masters he is working with, Hussain said, "I tell them 'don't hold back,'" adding he wants them to "give as good as they get." For each performance, he said he wants to "go up there as colleagues; not me senior and you junior." With some experience together, he said, "they burn a fire under my behind and I hope I do the same for them."

Zakir Hussain and Niladri Kumar

When: Sunday at 3 p.m.

Where: Victoria Theater at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, 1 Center Street, Newark

How much: $49-$79; call 888-GO-NJPAC; or go to www.ticketmaster.com

Marty Lipp may be reached at martylipp@hotmail.com. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Suspect should be considered armed and dangerous, according to police.

Jeremy Arrington (Photo: Dept. of Public Safety) 

NEWARK -- Police on Thursday asked for the public's help to find a man accused in a shooting and sexual assault in the city's Clinton Hill section.

Jeremy Arrington, 26, should be considered armed and dangerous, according to authorities.

The victim walked to Beth Israel Hospital after she was attacked Sunday, police said in a statement. She was treated for non life-threatening injuries.

Massive Newark drug crackdown results in 155 arrests

Arrington and the victim are acquaintances, police also said. 

Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose urged anyone with information to contact the city's 24-hour toll-free Crime Stopper tips line at 1-877-NWK-TIPS (1-877-695-8477) or 1-877-NWK-GUNS (1-877-695-4867). Police said all Crime Stopper tips are 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.

Fatal shooting reported Thursday afternoon

IRVINGTON -- A shooting Thursday afternoon in the township left a 32-year-old man dead, according to authorities.

Police rushed to reports of a shooting shortly before 1:30 p.m. on the 100 block of Montgomery Avenue, where they found Ronald Mayweather unresponsive and wounded, the Essex County Prosecutor's Office said.

Mayweather was pronounced dead at the scene at 2:18 p.m., according to Chief Assistant Essex County Prosecutor Thomas Fennelly, of the homicide unit. Mayweather's hometown was not immediately clear.

Anyone with information was urged to call the prosecutor's office tips line at 877-847-7432.

A 38-year-old man was also found shot to death at an apartment on Crescent Lane Sunday night. 

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

Public invited to event honoring police, firefighters and EMTs from around the area

The Novena Mass at St. Lucy's Church in Newark (File photo) 

The fourth annual Novena Mass will be held at St. Lucy's Church, 118 7th Avenue, beginning at 7 p.m., an announcement from the city said.

The Mass will honor police officers, firefighters, emergency medical technicians, Essex County Sheriff's officers, members of the county prosecutor's office and corrections department.

Newly-appointed Acting Newark Fire Chief Rufus Jackson and Deputy Fire Chief Raul Malave are among officials slated to speak at the service.

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

The co-defendant of a Bloomfield man on trial for the murder of a Kearny jewelry store owner in 2009 took the stand today telling of his and the defendant's role in the robbery gone bad and left court with a flair of anger toward the defendant.

The co-defendant of a Bloomfield man on trial for the murder of a Kearny jewelry store owner in 2009 took the stand today telling of his and the defendant's role in the robbery gone bad and left court with a flair of anger toward the defendant.

Elvis Feratovic, 30, of Bloomfield, was led from the witness stand in handcuffs when he turned to the alleged killer, John DeRosa, 58, of Bloomfield, and said "F---- you" before being remanded to the Hudson County jail in Kearny. 

DeRosa, who is charged with murdering Xavier Egoavil, 47, of Kearny, on Aug. 18, 2009, in the victim's Rachel Jewelers on Kearny Avenue, thought it was funny.

On the witness stand, Ferotovic said he and his friend Edmir Sokoli, 29, of Bloomfield, were working security at a Newark club in June of that year when DeRosa approached them with a plan.

"He said he knows about a jewelry store on Kearny Avenue that we could rob that has tons of jewelry and tons of diamonds in the back and it was a good score," Feratovic said, adding that the three then met a number of times to plan, cased the area and arrived at a getaway route. "The plan was no one would get hurt. No one would get hurt."

"To me he was the architect of the whole Rachel Jewelry thing," said the admitted getaway driver. "I guess I felt a sense of entrapment and I kept going with it like an idiot." He said he made up excuses on two occasions which called off the heist.

But on Aug. 18, 2009, he said he was behind the wheel when he pulled up two doors from the store and DeRosa and Sokoli got out wearing wigs and fake beards. He then pulled around the corner to wait. He said DeRosa had a pistol.

"About a minute later, Mr. Sokoli ran into my car out of breath and stressed and he told me Mr. DeRosa shot him, the person who was in there," Feratovic told the jury. "I'm thinking, he's coming, he had a gun, might be better to take off."

But Feratovic said seconds later DeRosa "got in with the gun in his hands. That's when Mr. Sokoli grabs the gun from him, takes the gun and puts it in the front. That was a great idea because he could have shot both of us, got in his car and drove off."

Egoavil's mother was in the store at the time of the shooting and testified to seeing her son murdered before her eyes. 

Investigators got a break in the case when Kearny police received a tip that that Feratovic's car was being worked on at a Passaic County auto repair shop to alter its appearance. That led to the three arrest, officials said.

When shown surveillance pictures from the area of the store, Feratovic admitted that the BMW seen in the area that day and the day before was his.

Feratovic was charged with felony murder, but pleaded guilty to robbery and agreed to testify against DeRosa in exchange for a sentence of not more than 20 years. Sokoli was also charged with felony murder and pleaded guilty to robbery. He too agreed to testify.

While cross examining Feratovic today, defense attorney Scott Finkenauer pointed out to the jury that the first time he was interviewed by police he made up a lie about having been carjacked. It begged the question, was Feratovic lying then or on the witness stand?

The defense attorney also worked to show discrepancies in testimony Feratovic gave today and in his confession prior to getting a plea deal.

Finkenauer asked Feratovic if he hoped to get less than 20 years when sentenced. The getaway driver responded "Who wouldn't?"

The jury had already been excused when Feratovic gave DeRosa his parting words. 

Testimony in DeRosa's trial will continue on Tuesday in the Hudson County Administration Building in Jersey City.