Authorities are asking for the public's help in locating the driver of the Toyota crossover.

NEWARK -- Authorities are looking for the driver of a crossover utility vehicle that they said struck a city police officer Sunday morning and fled the scene.

Authorities are looking for the pictured Toyota Matrix. (Courtesy Newark Police)
 

The 15-year veteran officer was standing near his personal vehicle, a 2013 Ford F-150, parked outside the third precinct at Market and Read Streets at about 7:51 a.m. Sunday, when the car struck him. Police have identified the car as a silver Toyota Matrix.

The car stopped momentarily, but then sped off, ignoring the officer's instruction to pull over, police said. The 46-year-old officer, whose name was not disclosed, was treated at University Hospital and has been released, authorities said.

Police have released photos of the suspected vehicle involved and are asking for the public's help in locating the driver. Anyone with information is asked to call 877-695-8477 or 877-695-4867.

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

The 19-year-old was issued a handful of summonses in the crash that injured 13 people.

Car collides with NJ Transit bus in Newark; 13 hurt https://t.co/d7aF7yMgFx #newyork #nyc pic.twitter.com/vGWhXtCqza

-- NY News Now (@nynewsn) October 24, 2016

NEWARK -- The driver of a car that crashed into a New Jersey Transit bus in Newark Monday morning has been cited for multiple traffic violations, including driving without a license, police said.

The 19-year-old from Orange was driving a silver 1996 Honda Accord westbound on Market Street at about 4:33 a.m. Monday when he veered into oncoming traffic, police said. He has been issued summonses for being an unlicensed driver, failure to exhibit a license, failure to exhibit a registration, failure to wear a seatbelt, and careless driving, police said.

The owner of the car, who was not the man driving it, was also issued a ticket for allowing the car to be operated by an unlicensed person, police said.

Car struck cop, sped off, police say

Authorities declined to identify the driver of the car, who was not arrested as a result of the crash.

The car driver, his passenger, and 11 people on board the bus were hospitalized and treated for non-life threatening injuries, police have said. A total of 29 people were on board the bus at the time of the crash, police said.

Authorities are continuing to investigate the cause of the crash, which they said occurred when the Honda drifted out of its lane. Though not directly a head-on collision, police said the front driver's sides of both the car and the bus were damaged in the crash.  

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The Newark boy is now facing new charges in connection with an Oct. 16 carjacking in Maplewood, police said.

MAPLEWOOD -- A 13-year-old Newark boy charged in a crime spree last weekend has been hit with additional charges, Maplewood police said Monday.

The teen, who was arrested and released twice in one weekend, has been charged with carjacking, robbery, and conspiracy in connection with an Oct. 16 incident in Maplewood, police said.

The 13-year-old, whose name has not been released because he is a juvenile, had previously been charged for allegedly being in possession of an iPhone that was stolen during the carjacking, authorities said.

Arrested Friday, boy charged again Sunday

The boy was arrested on multiple charges in Newark the same weekend after allegedly stealing an SUV there, crashing it during a police chase, and running from authorities, Newark officials have said. He is also under investigation in other nearby carjackings, police have said.

In Maplewood, police said the boy and a 22-year-old associate stole a 2015 BMW X5 after throwing the car's owner, a 64-year-old woman, to the ground.

According to Maplewood authorities, the boy has been in the juvenile detention center since his arrest last Sunday.

Police said they are continuing to investigate the incident, and have increased patrols in the area of Oakwood Avenue, where the carjacking occurred.

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

Districts all over the state are holding mock elections in their social studies classes.

LIVINGSTON -- If it were up to about 2,200 kids in the Livingston public school system, Hillary Clinton would be the next president.

In a mock election held at the school last week, the Democratic candidate got about 57.5 percent of the vote, beating out Republican Donald Trump, Libertarian Gary Johnson and Green Party candidate Jill Stein.

By similar majorities, the kids would also voted against bringing casinos to northern New Jersey, and in favor of allocating all of the revenue from New Jersey's gas taxes to transportation projects.

The school is one of many districts across the state holding kid elections in the weeks leading up to Nov. 8.

NJ Mock Election - a project put on by the NJ Social Studies Supervisors Association, NJ Center for Civic Education, the Community Foundation of NJ, and the NJ Council for Social Studies - will be collecting the results from schools across the state over the next few weeks. The overall results will be posted before Nov. 4.

On Friday, Oct. 14, Livingston students too young to vote went to the polls to cast votes in the NJ Mock Election. Shown casting a vote in a digital polling booth at Heritage Middle School is Edward Padilla. (Courtesy Livingston schools)
 

"We have historically found that middle school students are very accurate" in terms of predicting the results of elections, said Robert O'Dell, the social studies coordinator at Nutley Public Schools and director of NJ Mock Election.

He said the practice of voting is one that will stay with the students as they get older.

"The goal of the New Jersey Mock Election is to help students become critical thinkers and informed citizens who can sustain our democracy," O'Dell said.

Livingston has gained a reputation as a civic-engaged school system. Last year, the high school hosted alum Gov. Chris Christie when he officially announced his campaign to run for president.

Though the district has conducted other types of mock elections in the past, this is the first year that the district signed on for the NJ Mock Election. It has helped enhance teachers' lessons about the election process, and the current candidates, school officials said.

"During preparation for voting and using the debates as learning opportunities, the teachers facilitated classroom discussions that examined (things like) the historical role debates played in American politics (and) the positions of Libertarian and Green party candidates," said Scott Kercher, the district's social studies supervisor.

"(Our) teachers have found inventive ways to guide classroom discussion into topics related to civic participation and the role of a citizen in a democratic country."

Authorities have identified the victim as a 29-year-old city man

NEWARK -- Authorities are investigating the shooting death of a 29-year-old Newark man Sunday evening.

Lewis Griffith was shot around 8:30 p.m. on Peabody Place and pronounced dead at the scene soon after, Essex County Prosecutor's Office spokeswoman Katherine Carter said.

Man killed near Newark health department

No additional details were immediately available. Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to call 877-847-7432.    

The homicide is the second in three days in the state's largest city. Friday afternoon, a man was shot and killed on William Street, right outside of where the city's Department of Health and Welfare is located.

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

Authorities say they are continuing to investigate the daytime fatal shooting.

NEWARK -- Authorities have identified the 33-year-old city man who was shot and killed outside the Newark health department's headquarters Friday afternoon.

Davion Jackson was gunned down at about 4:30 p.m. Friday outside the William Street building, acting Essex County Prosecutor Carolyn A. Murray and Newark Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose announced in a joint release Monday.

Jackson was transported to University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 6:10 p.m., authorities said.

Newark man killed in Sunday evening shooting

City officials could not immediately confirm whether or not Jackson was employed by the department, or just nearby when he was shot. Prosecutor's Office spokeswoman Katherine Carter declined to comment on his employment.

The prosecutor's office is continuing to investigate the shooting, officials said. Anyone with information is asked to call 877-847-7432.

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

A look at 25 big N.J. performances in college football this weekend.

Elizabeth man is wanted in at least eight law enforcement jurisdictions for similar slimes, authorities said.

NUTLEY -- Authorities are looking for an alleged thief who they say targets elderly women in supermarkets.

Police are searching for Denmon. (Courtesy Nutley Police)
 

According to Nutley police, a man later identified as Charles E. Denmon, 62, of Elizabeth, was caught by a surveillance camera stealing a wallet from a 74-year-old woman shopping in a local supermarket. Denmon, police said, waited for the woman to leave the purse in her shopping cart momentarily unattended while she was shopping in the frozen food aisle, and snatched her wallet from it. The woman had several hundred dollars and her identification in the wallet, police said.

After investigating the incident, police in Nutley discovered that Denmon was wanted in multiple other towns for similar thefts.

He allegedly targets elderly women in supermarkets, and steals cash and credit cards from their wallets when they aren't looking. Denmon, who is also wanted by the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office, Bergen County Sheriff's Office, New Milford Police, Verona Police, Caldwell Police, Livingston Police, and Essex County Sheriff's Office, was arrested Saturday in Wallington, police said.

He was transported to the Bergen County Jail where charges from multiple jurisdictions are being processed, police said.

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

The man allegedly chased down and stabbed his 26-year-old victim, police said.

NEWARK -- A city man has been arrested after allegedly chasing down and stabbing another man Friday night, police said Tuesday.

Brandon W. James. (Courtesy Newark Police)
 

Police said they found a 26-year-old man with a stab wound to his midsection at 8:39 p.m. on Friday near Chadwick and Clinton avenues.

The man said he was being chased by the person who stabbed him, police said.

Brandon W. James, 35, of Newark, was found nearby holding a knife, police said. Upon seeing police officers, James tossed the knife and ran, authorities said.

He was arrested after a brief chase and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, unlawful possession of a weapon, and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, police said.

The stabbed man was transported to University Hospital for treatment, authorities said.

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

The 27-year-old was stabbed in the stomach while trying to stop a drunk man at a party from driving

The man accused of killing a New Jersey resident during a dispute at a party in Texas was indicted on Monday, according to a report.

Mark Groendyk, 27, of Bloomfield was stabbed to death at a party in early August after he and others tried to prevent a man who was intoxicated from driving, according to TylerPaper.com.

Mark GroendykCBS19.tv 

An argument broke out and Jeremy Robert Lane, 25, of Athens, Texas allegedly stabbed Groendyk in the stomach. The two didn't know each other.

Groendyki was flown to a hospital, where he died of his injuries.

Lane is held on $1 million bond.

Groendyki traveled the world teaching conservation and building sustainable structures, according to an online obituary. He helped build a school on Easter Island and a community center in Templehof, Germany as well as aiding earthquake victims in Nepal.

He was in in Athens, Texas to take part in the building of a community center, according to CBS19.tv.

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

A look at which NJ natives had strong showings in NFL action over the weekend.

The former Rutgers-Newark professor was convicted last year of sexually abusing a man with cerebral palsy

NEWARK -- An Essex County judge has awarded $4 million in damages to the family of a disabled man who was sexually assaulted by a former Rutgers-Newark professor.

The mother and brother of the victim, referred to in a related criminal case as "D.J.", filed suit against Anna Stubblefield and Rutgers University in February 2013.

Stubblefield, once the chair of the philosophy department at Rutgers-Newark, was convicted in a high-profile trial last year of sexually abusing D.J., who has cerebral palsy. She's currently serving a 12-year prison sentence.

The family's lawsuit was moved to federal court, where a judge ultimately dismissed the complaint against Rutgers, records show.

But the civil case against Stubblefield continued in state Superior Court, and in a default judgment Oct. 19, Judge Dennis F. Carey III awarded D.J.'s mother and brother -- his legal guardians -- $2 million in compensatory damages, including attorneys fees, and another $2 million in punitive damages.

"My clients are victims of a horrible predator, and they're wonderful people," said attorney Charles S. Lorber in a phone interview Tuesday.

Stubblefield was representing herself in the civil case at the time of the judgment, according to her former attorney, William B. Jones II of Morristown.

Lorber said Stubblefield "basically conceded the case."

"She's got 12 years to think about it, and the judgement is good for 20," Lorber said.

D.J.'s brother, a Rutgers student at the time, met Stubblefield in 2008 when he attended one of her classes, according to the civil complaint.

Stubblefield was a proponent of facilitative communication, a technique that purportedly helps disabled people communicate, often through the use of typing, the complaint states.

D.J.'s brother asked Stubblefield if the technique could be used to help his sibling, and she began working with D.J. regularly at the Rutgers-Newark campus and at the family's home, the complaint states.

The controversial technique would form the core of Stubblefield's defense at her criminal trial, during which she claimed D.J. had communicated his consent to sexual activity.

The family's lawsuit argued Stubblefield's communication with D.J. was all an act, that she violated his rights and that she targeted him for exploitation based on his disability. 

Stubblefield, of West Orange, is currently incarcerated at the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women in Hunterdon County.

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

Prosecutors say Giacomo DeRosa's company received inflated contracts in exchange for kickbacks.

NEWARK -- A federal judge Monday sentenced a former contractor for the Newark Watershed Conservation and Development Corp. to six months in prison for his role in a kickback scheme, much less time behind bars than sentencing guidelines recommended he should serve.

Giacomo DeRosa, a former contract for the Newark Watershed Conservation and Development Corp., was sentenced Monday on federal money laundering charges stemming from his role in a kickback scheme. (File photo)
 

Giacomo "Jack" DeRosa, 68, previously had pleaded guilty in January in the U.S. District Court in Newark to a charge of laundering $85,000 in kickbacks to the non-profit corporation's special projects manager, Donald Bernard Sr.

Prosecutors have said DeRosa's East Orange company, Essex Home Improvement Corp., was among those that received inflated contracts in exchange for the kickbacks, taking in more than $350,000 in payments from the watershed between 2008 and 2013. 

Bernard, who also has pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of bribery and filing a false tax return, sought kickbacks from watershed contractors that totaled more than $409,000, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

DeRosa's attorney, Anthony Pope, argued that unlike other vendors who allegedly received no-show contracts from watershed officials, DeRosa actually did the work. "There was no greed here," he said.

Although DeRosa faced more than two years in prison under federal sentencing guidelines, Pope made an impassioned case that DeRosa was needed as a caregiver for his wife, who suffers from debilitating medical conditions and is confined to a wheelchair.

Judge Jose L. Linares agreed to a departure from the sentencing guidelines, saying he would recommend the Bureau of Prisons place DeRosa in a halfway house near his wife.

But the judge also ordered that one of the three years DeRosa is to spend on supervised release be served under home confinement, saying he had to be held accountable for his actions.

DeRosa will also be on the hook to pay back the $85,000 in restitution.

The watershed corporation, which previously ran Newark's water infrastructure, has been embroiled in controversy over a culture of bribery and kickbacks detailed in a scathing 2014 report by the state comptroller's office, which accused former executive director Linda Watkins-Brashear of dolling out more than $1 million contracts to her friends.

Watkins-Brasher later pleaded guilty in December 2015 to federal charges of wire fraud and filing a false tax return. She is scheduled to be sentenced on the charges Jan. 25, 2017, court records show.

The watershed corporation was officially dissolved in 2013. The next year, a newly constituted board of trustees voted to file for bankruptcy in an attempt to recover looted funds.

Former mayor and now U.S. Sen. Corey Booker was one of 18 people named as defendants in a bankruptcy lawsuit by the trustees, who argued Booker failed to conduct oversight of the watershed's administration while serving as chair of the agency's board of trustees.

Booker argued he had taken immediate action to bring the watershed under the city's control once evidence of corruption appeared. A federal judge dismissed him from the suit in June.

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

Prosecutors say Miye Chon previously served as an operations officer and assistant vice president at a bank in Fort Lee.

NEWARK -- A former assistant vice president of a Fort Lee bank was sentenced Tuesday to more than six years in prison for embezzling more than $1 million from customer accounts.

Miye Chon, of Englewood Cliffs, was sentenced Tuesday in the U.S. District Court in Newark to more than six years in prison for embezzling more than $1 million in funds from accounts at the bank where she worked.Star-Ledger file photo 

Miye Chon, 36, previously pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court in Newark to charges of bank fraud, embezzlement by a bank employee and aggravated identity theft, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Prosecutors say Chon, of Englewood Cliffs, was employed as an operations officer and later as an assistant vice president at the Fort Lee branch of BankAsiana, which was acquired by Wilshire Bank in 2013.

Prosecutors say that Chon, over a period of several years, regularly made unauthorized transfers from customers' certificate of deposit accounts in to the bank's vault cash account.

Chon would typically take tens of thousands of dollars at a time, and in one case converted $100,000 from a customer's CD account.

Prosecutors say Chon also opened a bank account under a victim's name and forged checks from the account using their name.

In addition to the prison term, Judge William H. Walls ordered that Chon serve two years under supervised release and pay $1,350,081 in restitution, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

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

15-year veteran of the police division thrown toward his car, according to officials. Watch video

NEWARK -- Authorities on Tuesday released security camera footage of a vehicle they said struck an officer outside a police precinct and fled the scene.

The 46-year-old Newark police officer was treated and released from University Hospital after he was hit outside the third precinct station at Market and Read streets shortly before 8 a.m. Sunday, according to Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose.

Police are looking for the driver of this car. (Courtesy Newark Police)

"The suspect vehicle stopped momentarily before ignoring the officer's commands to stop and pull over," Ambrose said.

The officer, a 15-year veteran of the force, was getting items from his personal vehicle when the Toyota Matrix Crossover Utility Vehicle hit him, authorities said. The officer was thrown toward his car on impact and the Toyota sped away east on Market Street. 

In a statement, Ambrose urged anyone with information to call the city's 24-hour tip line at 1-877-NWK-TIPS (1-877-695-8477) or 1-877-NWK-GUNS (1-877-695-4867). Anonymous tips are kept confidential and could lead to a reward, police added. 

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

The owner and an employee are facing charges

PARSIPPANY -- Authorities say an adult video store on Route 46, Video Boutique, has been selling synthetic drugs to customers since last year. 

Both the owner, Jeffrey Namer of Livingston, and an employee, Gamage Jayantha of Parsippany, are facing numerous charges in connection with an alleged conspiracy to sell the drugs to customers, police said in a news release Tuesday.

Between Oct. 2015 and Nov. 2015, township police officers received information indicating that synthetic drugs were being sold in the store, and following an investigation, police seized more than 100 packages of synthetic drugs on Oct. 11, 2016. 

Police didn't say in the news release what type of synthetic drugs the duo allegedly sold or provide more information on the delay between when officers received information on drugs being sold at the store and the arrests. However, the Daily Record previously reported the men were charged on Oct. 12 with possessing and selling imitation Xanax and nail polish removers that were promoted as inhalants.

Namer and Jayantha have both been charged with conspiracy to distribute imitation controlled dangerous substances, conspiracy to distribute prescription legend drugs, conspiracy to distribute toxic chemicals, possession of imitation controlled dangerous substances with the intent to distribute, possession of prescription legend drugs with the intent to distribute, possession of toxic chemicals with the intent to distribute, as well as multiple counts of distribution of imitation controlled dangerous substances, distribution of prescription legend drugs and distribution of toxic chemicals.

Jayantha was remanded to Morris County Correctional Facility in lieu of $125,000 bail. Namer was arrested on Oct. 14 and released later that day after posting $150,000 bail. 

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

A man blocked the path of a woman in Lackwanna Plaza and stuck his hand down his pants, police said.

MONTCLAIR -- Authorities are seeking a man who was wearing a mask that partially covered his face when he exposed himself to a woman passing through Lackawanna Plaza on Wednesday, police said.

The man was walking up and down the street peering into store windows around 10:30 p.m., when he approached a woman who was exiting a store, police said. They said he blocked her path and started moving his hands inside his pants. 

Police said the woman went back into the store and called police, while the man fled in an unknown direction. 

He is described as thin and between 5-feet-7-inches and 5-feet-10-inches tall. Police said he was wearing black pants and a gray long-sleeve shirt.

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

Courses to range from gang awareness to arson investigations

Participants in the Newark Public Safety Department's Citizen/Clergy Academy graduated from the program May 31, 2016 (Photo: Newark Department of Public Safety) ( ) 

NEWARK -- The public safety department's Citizen/Clergy Academy is set to begin next week, offering an inside look at law enforcement and emergency services in the city, officials announced Tuesday.

Participants will learn about the police, fire and emergency management divisions of the Newark Department of Public Safety, Anthony Ambrose, the department's director, said in a statement.

"The Citizen/Clergy Academy is a great tool for exposing community members to all facets of the Office of Public Safety," Ambrose said. "The course will allow Newark residents to become active partners in our efforts to eliminate crime, while inviting them into the world of police officers, firefighters and emergency management personnel."

Academy seeks to build community trust, offer inside look at public safety

Courses will cover topics ranging from gang awareness, crime prevention, domestic violence issues, how to develop fire escape plans, arson investigations and firefighting, the announcement said. Participants will also learn about how calls are handled at the city dispatch center and how the city prepares for major emergencies.

The first class is scheduled to begin Nov. 3, at 311 Washington Street at 6 p.m., officials said. The academy will last over six weeks and end with a graduation ceremony.

Anyone interested in participating is asked to contact the Public Safety Department Community/Clergy Affairs Unit at (973) 877-9552 or (973) 877-9550 or email Detective Febus at FebusD@ci.newark.nj.us. Officials said seating is limited and those interested in participating in a 2017 class are also invited to contact the department.

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