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Newark man facing 11 years for fatal hit-and-run of 7-year-old girl

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The mother and daughter were walking in the crosswalk and heading to school when Rodriguez's SUV hit them.

JERSEY CITY -- A Newark man choked back sobs as he pleaded guilty today to fatally striking a 7-year-old girl with his vehicle in West New York in February and injuring the girl's mother before fleeing the scene.

Fabian Rodriguez, 33, who faces up to 11 years in prison when sentenced, admitted that after striking the pair on Feb. 19 he got out of his SUV, saw the fatally injured Shaila Pichardo, 7, and her mother, and then got back in the vehicle and fled.

The pair was walking in the crosswalk and heading to school when Rodriguez's SUV struck them just after 8 a.m. on VanBuren Place at 61st Street.

Rodriguez pleaded guilty to leaving the scene of an accident resulting in a fatality and he faces up to seven years in prison on that count when sentenced. He also pleaded guilty to endangering an injured victim -- the girl's mother -- and faces up to four years for that count. The prosecutor is asking that the terms be served consecutively.

Finally, he pleaded guilty to hindering his own apprehension by falsely reporting to police after the incident that his vehicle had been stolen. He faces up to four years in prison on that charge but the term will run concurrent to terms on the other two charges.

The victim's father and tearful mother sat in the front row of the court gallery during the plea hearing today before Hudson County Superior Court Judge Mark Nelson.

Joanna Rosas-Alvarez, 26, was not in the SUV at the time of the collision but was charged with tampering with evidence by allegedly lying to police and saying the car was stolen at the time of the incident. Authorities also allege that she had the car washed and stickers removed from it, in an attempt to change its appearance. She was also charged with obstructing a government function. 

She applied to enter the pretrial intervention program but the Hudson County Prosecutor's Office objected. When she appeared in court for a status hearing today, Hudson County Assistant Prosecutor Leo Hernandez said the PTI issue will be worked out after Rodriguez is sentenced by Hudson County Judge Mark Nelson on Feb. 23 Rosas-Alvarez will also have a court appearance that day.

Pretrial intervention provides a route for first time offenders charged with lesser crimes to undergo a period of supervised release. If the person fulfills their obligations in the program, the charges are wiped from the defendant's record.  


Man grabbed hijab from woman's head in 'hate crime,' Newark mayor says

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Newark Mayor Ras Baraka is calling for the unidentified man to be fired from state employment.

Newark's 31st Annual Christmas Tree Lighting CeremonyMayor Ras Baraka welcomes residents to the 31st annual christmas tree lighting ceremony in Newark on December 5, 2016. (Alexandra Pais | For NJ Advance Media)

NEWARK -- The mayor of New Jersey's largest city on Tuesday called for the state to fire an employee who allegedly grabbed a hijab off a woman's head and threw it on the ground.

A white, male state employee ridiculed a Black, Muslim female Newark employee and snatched her hijab Dec. 5 in the Newark One-Stop Career Center, Mayor Ras Baraka said in a press release.

"This was an act of hate against the Islamic faith, as well as an attack on her as a woman," he said.

Newark police arrested the man and banned him from the One-Stop Center, but Baraka said the Essex County Prosecutor's Office should have charged him with a hate crime. He also called on U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman to investigate the incident and file a hate crime charge. 

In response, Essex County Prosecutor's Office spokeswoman Kathy Carter said based on the information her department received, the incident did not constitute a crime under state law.

The One-Stop Center is managed by the state Department of Labor and Workforce Development, which owns the building at 990 Broad St. Several state and city agencies comprise the One-Stop. 

The man who allegedly harassed the city employee works for the state Department of Labor's Employment Services section. 

Labor spokeswoman Amanda Pisano said in a statement that upon learning of the incident, the department suspended the employee without pay, cooperated with authorities and is pursuing termination in accordance with employee disciplinary procedures.

Newark police Capt. Derek Glenn said the suspect, a 67-year-old Brooklyn resident, faces harassment charges in connection with the incident.

"In the present climate of violence against Muslims across America and around the world, hate crimes must be recognized for what they are, and they must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law," Baraka said in the press release. "The climate of anti-Muslim violence that has exploded in recent weeks is leaving tragedy, pain and division in its wake."

New Jersey has seen other anti-Muslim incidents in recent months, including graffiti sprayed on a school used for Muslim prayers and "ISIS sympathizer" written on a campaign sign for a Muslim school board candidate. 

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

WATCH: Some notable inventions born in the Garden State

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Bet you didn't know these things originated in New Jersey Watch video

Most folks know that Thomas Edison, the Wizard of Menlo Park, invented such life-changing things as the incandescent light bulb, phonograph or the lesser known electrographic vote recorder and magnetic iron ore separator.  Edison was also the guy who penned this famous phrase, "Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration."


Well, it seems that there has been quite a bit of inspiration and perspiration over the past few centuries in New Jersey as it is considered the birthplace to many more firsts.

New Jersey invention helps create perfect pitch

Who would have guessed that the United States flag perched on the moon from the Apollo 11 landing in 1969 was made in Verona by Annin Flagmakers. There are actually several flags on the moon from other missions. In fact, according to NASA, images from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) shows that the flags left on the Moon by Apollo missions are still standing. Astronaut Buzz Aldrin originally thought the flag that his mission placed was knocked over by engine exhaust during lift off.

It was in 1949 that Edward "Eddie" Dee opened his first factory in Bloomfield to make Smarties. You know, those pale-colored melt in your mouth candy disks wrapped into a roll of shiny cellophane. And remember those little green army men you played with as a kid? -- they were manufactured by the Bergen Toy and Novelty Co. of Carlstadt.

From Taylor Ham, or pork roll if you prefer, to Mason jars and Lionel trains. New Jersey has made some notable contributions. Watch the video above to discover 10 things created here at home in the Garden State.

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Andre Malok may be reached at amalok@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @AndreMalok. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

N.J. superintendent slammed for Sandy Hook massacre reference, report says

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The superintendent appeared to compare ongoing teacher contract talks with the shooting

WEST ORANGE-- An email sent out by the head of the township's public schools on the anniversary of the Sandy Hook shootings last week has spurred an outpouring of criticism, Patch.com reported.

Jeffrey Rutzky sent the missive Dec. 14, four years after 26 students and staff were killed by a gunman at the grade school in Newtown, Ct. Rutzy referred to the incident in the context of ongoing contract negotiations with the teachers' union.

Rutzky's email was sent out to teachers and was reposted on a local Web site, GetInvolvedWestOrange.com.  

"Good morning. While we are all dealing with daily challenges, whether it be the contract or personal issues with family or friends, let us not forget the horrific act that happened 4 years ago today at Sandy Hook Elementary School," he wrote.

"Sometimes frustrations cause us to believe things are really bad until something like Sandy Hook happens and puts everything into perspective. I'm sure you would agree that everyone working at Sandy Hook Elementary School 4 years ago clearly keeps things in perspective.

With that, I want to thank you and ask that you think about what is really important. We will get through the struggles of the contract. Hang in there and keep plugging! I promise you that is happening at Sandy Hook Elementary School today." 

Teachers and parents responded with calls and emails deriding the email as inappropriate, prompting an apology from Rutzky.

Expressing regret for the "misunderstood message," Rutzky said he was trying to put the negotiations in perspective and did not intend to offend anyone, adding that he recognized the hard work of the districts' teachers and staff.

Teachers have been without a contract for more than a year. Their union, the West Orange Education Association, says its members have seen a significant reduction in take-home pay due to rising pension and healthcare costs.

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

 

 

Former Amtrak supervisor admits accepting $7K in 'gifts' from vendor

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The retired Pennsylvania man received a TV, tires, other items

NEWARK-- A Pennsylvania man who worked for Amtrak in Essex County admitted asking for and receiving $7,000 in items from a vendor the railroad did business with, the U.S. Attorney's Office said Tuesday.

Louis Moschitti, a 68-year-old retired building and bridges supervisor, pleaded guilty to one count of corruptly soliciting things of value.

In that capacity, Moschitti used his procurement charge card to purchase $185,000 in items from Bayway Lumber in Linden between 2010 and 2013.  In addition,  he received items including a camera, tires, a television set and a sound system as a reward for making the purchases at Bayway.

A part-owner of the business, Robert Dattilo, previously pleaded guilty to commit conspiracy in connection with the exchange. He is serving a four-year prison sentence.

Moschitti faces up to 10 years in prison when he's sentenced in March 2017.

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

 

 

How this Nutley artist became New Jersey's latest music pioneer

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Clams Casino's experimental sounds are dominating alternative hip-hop

HASBROUCK HEIGHTS -- It's no secret -- the rave has crashed and flooded popular music.  

Thumping electronic-dance influences are prominent in nearly all of 2016's ubiquitous hits, from Rihanna "Work," to Justin Bieber's "Sorry," to a list of jams from The Chainsmokers, the latest DJ group to explode on pop charts.

Even more undeniable was 2014's Grammy Awards, where DJ duo Daft Punk -- once dignitaries of the cultish French house movement -- scored Album of the Year.

Pop's resident rock acts Maroon 5 and Coldplay have joined in, too, trading guitar and piano leads for samples and synthesizers. If brassy synth and screaming guitars defined the '80s mainstream, then plunking, pulsating basslines are surely commanding the 2010s. 

The EDM bleed has paid dividends for Mike Volpe, a Nutley native better known as Clams Casino, who has become one of the most sought-after digital designers in hip-hop's experimental universe. 

The 29-year-old producer's dark, dreamy, and originally instrumental tracks have led him to collaborations with rap stars Vince Staples and ASAP Rocky, as well as millions of streams online, where his style -- a bridge between hip-hop and house music sometimes labeled as "cloud rap" or "trillwave" -- thrives on YouTube and Soundcloud. 

And even though his spacey genre is defined by its accessibility, where any hopeful with a laptop and taste for beat-making software -- about as pricey as a decent guitar and amplifier -- can post tunes online and find a following, Volpe is levels above. The artist signed to Columbia Records in 2014, and joined a major label roster that claims many of the world's electronic powerhouses --Daft Punk, Calvin Harris, MGMT and Krewella.

Most "cloud rappers" don't make it off their desk chairs. 

"It's great, how easy it is to get stuff out, and make music at home and all the sudden people everywhere can hear it," he says, from his home in Hasbrouck Heights. "It's an exciting time."

Volpe released "32 Levels," his debut LP on Columbia, this summer. On the album, he chose to serve his deep-fried beats two ways.

First, he presents his tracks conventionally, with artists as eclectic as R&B crooner Nikky Ekko and synthpop frontman Samuel T. Herring singing over a dozen of his ominous, droning rhythms.

But right where the record finishes, on the last, explosive dubs of his closing tune "Blast," it begins again -- the track list plays over, this time with all vocals removed.

"There are many details in the music that I spend a lot of time on, and I want to make sure people hear that, too," he says. "Plus, they can mix and match the songs, and make their own version of the album." 

The Nutley High School grad first began to tinker with beats as a teen, fooling around with basic keyboards and synthesizers, much simpler ones than the machines now scattered around his basement home studio. 

But there was no "aha" moment in embracing a style as obscure as atmospheric alt-rap, he says. He always loved hip-hop, and between delivering pizzas and stocking shelves around town, he found more intricate software, like his go-to beat program Sony ACID Pro. 

When his mix tapes, namely his eye-opening "Rainforest" EP, began to take off in 2011 -- just as he was finishing a physical therapist's assistant program at Essex County College -- he received requests to play, but was afraid the pre-recorded songs wouldn't translate live.

"I couldn't figure out how to do it ... would I just bring up my iPad and play it off the iPad, and then I feel stupid just standing there?" he says. "But I'm at the point where I enjoy it, I do some controlling, DJing the beats, getting deeper into it, and bring other artists out with me."

Volpe recently returned from a European headlining tour, filling clubs in Moscow and Poland, and jamming with live audiences he had previously avoided. He's heading to Australia and Asia early next year. 

The New York Times checked out his show in 2011, praising it as "garbled and maddening and also intoxicating." More recently, Pitchfork said his album was "uniformly strong rap side."  

All of this could suggest Volpe to simply be king of the computer, and somehow less than a true musician. But all those haunting, ambient percussion parts on "32 Levels" come not from a bag of sample clips but from Volpe's real taps on a real drum kit.

He records about 45 minutes of his own freestyle playing -- he messed around in more traditional rock bands as a teen -- then passes the sounds through guitar and warp pedals, tweaking levels as he goes, to create original drum samples, instead of the revamped soul or R&B fills some hip-hop artists lean on. 

Even when Volpe is commissioned to create an "official remix" for Sia, Florence and the Machine, or Lana Del Rey -- sanctioned by the stars themselves -- he uses none of the hit's original music. All he takes is the singer's vocal track, and he rebuilds the song from the foundation, morphing Sia's smash "Elastic Heart" into something metallic, even tragic in tone.

Still, in the space Volpe occupies -- somewhere between the abstract, heavily digitized hip-hop of Danny Brown or Travis Scott, and the entrancing underground electronica of Flying Lotus or Groundislava -- he is celebrated most for his tracks in their purest forms. 

"No matter what I put out, people hit me up for the instrumental version," he says. 

It's been this way for five years -- a veritable lifetime online -- and now, despite his major label debut album dropping just this year, Volpe is something of an elder statesman in the scene. Emerging producers like Chicago's Plu2o Nash and New York's MP Williams work to emulate the moody "Clams Casino sound."

"I can hear (my music) in their music, but they flip it and do their own thing with it, not just copying it. That's exciting for me," he says. "And it's full circle, me being inspired by them, by how they are using what I do. I love to hear it."

Bobby Olivier may be reached at bolivier@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @BobbyOlivier. Find NJ.com on Facebook

N.J. makeup mogul Bobbi Brown reportedly parting ways with her namesake company

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The mogul opened her first free-standing cosmetics store in Lackawanna Plaza in 2007.

bobbi-brown-6ed77506ccc3130a.jpgCosmetics mogul Bobbi Brown. 

Mogul Bobbi Brown, the Montclair resident who built a cosmetics empire and opened her first free-standing store and training studio in Lackawanna Plaza in 2007, has announced she will be leaving her company by the end of the year.

According to Forbes.com, Brown -- who founded Bobbi Brown Cosmetics in 1991 -- said she is thankful for the "extraordinary people" she has worked with during her 25-year career, and is "proud of the creative endeavors and innovative products we've shared together."

Brown, a 59-year-old mother of three, has published eight books and holds a degree in theatrical makeup. She has yet to announce what she plans to do next. 

Bobbi Brown Cosmetics was acquired by Estee Lauder Companies in 1995, and now sells a full range of makeup, fragrances, and skincare products to stores in more than 70 countries.

Fabrizio Fredo, president and CEO of Estee Lauder Companies Inc. told Forbes that Bobbi Brown Cosmetics is a "global prestige cosmetics powerhouse with a promising future."

Brown was born in Chicago, but once called herself a "born again Jersey girl after choosing to put down roots in Montclair.

"I love Montclair," she told NJ.com in 2010. "To me, Montclair is the closest, nicest suburb to New York. The people in New Jersey compare with the Chicago people from the suburb I come from. The town next to me was Evanston, which looks exactly like Montclair; great old houses and trees."

Brown served as Chief Creative Officer of Bobbi Brown Cosmetics since 1995, and Editor-in-Chief at Yahoo Beauty from 2014 until February.

Kelly Roncace may be reached at kroncace@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @kellyroncace. Find the South Jersey Times on Facebook.

N.J.'s 'last in, first out' teacher layoffs don't put children first | Opinion

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Partnership for Educational Justice: We must allow administrators to use thought, reason and judgment when making layoff decisions

By Ralia E. Polechronis

There's no shortage of debates about public education, but advocates from all sides should agree that a school's primary purpose is to educate students. 

And when it comes to educating students, teachers matter. Teachers are the heartbeat of public education. Teachers are the most significant in-school factor influencing whether a child learns in a classroom.

What, then, are we to make of New Jersey's seniority-based teacher layoff law? Does it serve a child's best interest? Is it even in the best interest of great teachers?

Only 10 states have seniority-based teacher layoff laws -- often called "last in, first out" or LIFO. Under this law, when funding cuts require teacher layoffs, districts must layoff teachers only based on when they started in the district, with the newest teachers losing their jobs first. Nothing else is considered. Whether they are good or bad, enough of the newest teachers are let go to close the budget gap. And, whether they are good or bad, the most senior teachers keep their jobs.

Let's pause there. If you had to lay off teachers and your primary goal was to educate students, what would you do? Which teachers would you keep in the classroom?

The answer is simple:If our goal is to put students' needs first, quality-blind teacher layoff statutes are not the way to go.

These laws too often hurt students by retaining ineffective teachers and letting go effective ones.

In Newark, for instance, this is exactly what would happen under LIFO.

Assuming a $100 million budget deficit, 80 percent of the teachers who would be laid off would have been rated effective or highly-effective by their principals.

By contrast, using a performance-based (instead of seniority-based) layoff model, no highly-effective teachers would lose their jobs and most of the teachers laid off would have received ineffective or partially effective ratings. Simply, the best teachers would keep teaching kids.

Of course, there is another side. Proponents of LIFO argue that it protects experienced teachers and removes inaccurate quality measures from a decision that impacts a teacher's livelihood.

It is true that LIFO rewards experience, which is frequently an asset in teaching and in other jobs. But, as many of us have encountered in our own professions, experience is not necessarily a stand-in for quality. If an experienced teacher is a good teacher, she should stay in classrooms. If an experienced teacher is a bad teacher, she should not.

LIFO supporters also argue that it prevents discrimination against more experienced (older) and higher-paid teachers during funding shortfalls. But we don't need LIFO to protect against age discrimination. Anti-discrimination laws protect against termination based on a person's age. Plus, experienced, effective and deservedly better-paid teachers frequently are the ones who make the school run smoothly, keep parents and administrators happy, and make great headway in student achievement.

 

Another defense of LIFO argues that performance-based teacher layoffs are unfair because teacher evaluation systems are flawed. This argument assumes that teachers cannot be fairly evaluated. But, every successful working relationship relies on communication and assessment. For teachers, as for the rest of us, the question of "are you doing your job well" is one that must be answerable. In states like New Jersey where teacher evaluations exist, their results should be considered in difficult layoff decisions.

Seniority-based layoff laws no longer have a place in public education, now that we have many more research-based tools at our disposal, legal protections against discrimination and now that we know the life-changing importance of good teaching. We must allow administrators to use thought, reason and judgment when making layoff decisions. Yes, there may be instances when the best layoff decision will align with teacher seniority; but we should not defend a system that requires such an important decision to be made blindly.

Ask yourself: When school districts face the difficult task of laying off teachers, should they be asking, "Who has been here the longest?" or "Whose students are learning the most?" If it were up to you, how would you decide?

Ralia E. Polechronis is executive director of Partnership for Educational Justice, a nonprofit organization that is supporting HG v. Harrington, a lawsuit filed by six Newark parents challenging the constitutionality of New Jersey's teacher layoff law.

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Triple homicide suspect pleads guilty to past attacks

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Jeremy Arrington is currently facing murder charges stemming from a stabbing spree that left two children and a college student dead at a Newark home in November

NEWARK -- Jeremy Arrington, the man charged in the stabbing deaths of three people at a city home in November, pleaded guilty Wednesday to charges from two separate attacks last summer involving the same woman.

Prosecutors say the charges stem from two incidents in July and August 2015 in which Arrington terrorized an ex-girlfriend. In the July incident, authorities say, Arrington threatened the woman inside her home in the presence of her child.

A month later, the same woman woke up to find Arrington again inside her home, standing over her and pointing a firearm, according to the Essex County Prosecutor's Office.

Asked by Judge Ronald D. Wigler whether he understood he was waiving his right to a trial, Arrington -- dressed in a green jail jumpsuit -- nodded his head.

"Yes, sir," he said.

Arrington -- who pleaded guilty to seven charges including second-degree burglary and pointing a firearm -- faces seven years in prison with 42 months of parole ineligibilty, according to Assistant Prosecutor Goldberg.

Arrington also is facing murder charges in the fatal stabbings of Syasia McBurroughs, 23, Al-Jahon Whitehurst, 11, and Aerial Little Whitehurst, 8, on Nov. 5 at a home on Hedden Terrace.

Arrington, who was wanted in connection with a separate sexual assault and shooting, was reportedly angered when an occupant of the home shared a Facebook post about his wanted status, according to investigators.

Newark man pleads not guilty in triple homicide

Goldberg said it has yet to be determined whether Arrington will serve his sentence for the 2015 crimes consecutively to or concurrently with any sentence imposed if he's convicted of the November stabbings.

Arrington's sentencing on the charges has been scheduled for March 24, 2017.

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

N.J. man charged in murders of 2 women may be suspect in 3rd killing, report says

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Khalil Wheeler-Weaver, 20, of Orange, is being held on $5 million bail

NEWARK-- Khalil Wheeler-Weaver, a 20-year-old Orange man accused in the strangling deaths of two women, may also be linked to the death of a Philadelphia-area prostitute, sources told News 4 New York.

Wheeler-Weaver yesterday pleaded not guilty in the slaying of Joanne Brown, 33, whose body was found in a vacant Orange home Dec. 5.

He was previously charged Dec. 6 in the murder of Sarah Butler, a 20-year-old New Jersey City University student whose body was found in Eagle Rock Reservation in West Orange after she had been reported missing in late November. Wheeler-Weaver has pleaded not guilty in Butler's death as well.

Now law enforcement sources quoted by News 4 say Wheeler-Weaver has been linked to the death of a third woman, a 19-year-old whose burned body was found in another Orange home after she was reported missing in September. The woman was not identified by name.

Wheeler-Weaver, who remains in jail on $5 million bail, is also related to two law enforcement officers, one in Orange, with whom Wheeler-Weaver lives, and another who works for the Newark Police Department,  the station also reported. He was working as a security guard for a company owned by two former Newark police officers.

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

 

Police in Belleville shoot, wound suspect, authorities say

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The incident occurred Wednesday afternoon

BELLEVILLE -- A township police officer shot at least one criminal suspect Wednesday, Chief Assistant Prosecutor Thomas Fennelly of the Essex County Prosecutor's Office confirmed. 

Fennelly said the incident was still under investigation and little information was immediately available, but did confirm that the male suspect sustained a non-fatal wound and is in serious condition at University Hospital in Newark. No officers were shot, he also said

The shooting occurred at a home in the 300 block of Joralemon Street around 6 p.m. 

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

 

 

Newark man wanted for attempted murder after allegedly choking woman

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The victim suffered a seizure and passed out, police said

NEWARK-- A $200,000 arrest warrant has been issued for a 31-year-old city man after he nearly strangled a woman to death Sunday night, Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose said.

Screenshot (93).pngReynaldo Nieves (Newark police)  

Reynaldo Nieves was in an argument with the victim when he choked her around 5 p.m., causing the woman to suffer a seizure and pass out, police said.

Police are now seeking the public's help in locating Nieves. Anyone with information is being asked to call the department's 24-hour Crime Stopper tip line at 1-877- NWK-TIPS (1-877- 695-8477) or 1-877- NWK-GUNS (1-877- 695-4867).  All anonymous Crime Stopper tips are kept confidential and may lead to a reward.

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

Vintage photos of celebrating Christmas in N.J.

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It seems that these days Christmas traditions are starting before we even purchase Halloween candy.

The Christmas season seams to start earlier and earlier every year.

By "starts," I mean retailers holding Christmas sales, radio stations playing seasonal music and TV stations airing holiday movies. It seems that these days such things are happening even before we purchase Halloween candy!

Growing up in Vineland in the '60s and '70s, the season did not officially "kick off" until after the city's annual Christmas parade.

Prior to the procession, children may have paged through catalogs looking at toys, but Santa Claus was not in the mall waiting to hear wishes. Retailers were preparing for their busiest season, but it was happening in stockrooms, not in store windows.

11-30-1959 vineland.jpgSanta lights the lights on Landis Avenue in Vineland on Nov. 30, 1959 ... also my first birthday. 

Homeowners moved nary a box of decorations from their traditional spots in the attic, and absolutely no one was selling any kind of cut evergreen tree anywhere. The only sign that something was "up" was when workmen began hanging the strings of red and green lights across the length of Landis Avenue.

On the Saturday after Thanksgiving, the city would hold its annual Christmas parade down that main shopping thoroughfare. Marching bands, floats and civic organizations would brave what was usually a cold night to march, with the evening's most special guest riding at the end. Then, for the piece de resistance, Santa himself would throw the switch to light those lovely lights and officially start the Christmas season.

MORE: Vintage photos around New Jersey

When we returned home from the event, the Christmas candles were taken down from the attic and set in the windows, the miniature creche was placed on the coffee table and the four little candle guys were arranged on the kitchen table to spell "NOEL" (my siblings and I drove my mom nuts by rearranging those pieces to spell "LEON" or "LONE.")

I liked it a lot more when the season started in late November, rather than early October.

Here's a gallery of Christmas celebrations from around the state in those good old days. Be sure to have captions enabled to read all about them.

Want more? Click here and here for a couple of galleries from previous years.

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

The 13 most bizarre New Jersey crimes in 2016

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New Jersey saw its share of bizarre police reports this year.

Santa arrives via firetruck for 2-year-old fighting to live

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The Newark Public Safety department and other agencies brought 30 gifts to Edithmarie Velez and her family.

NEWARK -- Most days, Edithmarie Velez takes seizure medicine, undergoes physical therapy and sleeps for at least 20 hours.

The 2-year-old with a rare and terminal illness doesn't move or talk, her dad said. 

But on Wednesday, her family's 9th Avenue home got a visit from Santa Claus and an elf, who pulled up outside in a big firetruck with bells and gifts. 

Members of Newark's police and fire departments led Old Saint Nick to the home with police motorcycles and an Emergency Services Unit truck. Batman and Batgirl helped deliver about 30 gifts to Edithmarie, who has nonketotic hyperglycinemia, a rare metabolic disorder.

"We didn't expect this," her dad, Edwardo Velez, said. "We just were supposed to have Santa Claus come over, take a couple pictures at home." 

The idea for the visit was born when Edithmarie's mom, Shirley Troche, who asked her daughter's social worker if they could get Santa to visit the house. Edithmarie can't leave their home often because she's so susceptible to getting sick, her dad said.

When the Newark Public Safety Department found out about Edithmarie's illness, the wheels started turning and a plan was set in motion.  

In partnership with the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program, Newark first responders also gave presents to Edithmarie's 3-year old aunt, Leslie Espinosa, who was born with the brain disorder hydrocephalus, and to Leslie's twin brother, Linger. They got tablets and bicycles, among other presents. 

Rutgers EMS and the New York City Police Department were also partners in the event. 

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


Girls Basketball: The NJ.com Top 20, Dec. 22

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One team falls out in the first regular-season edition of the Top 20

N.J. business goes viral with hurricane wood creation (PHOTOS)

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An Ocean County couple's reclaimed wood business gained international attention after a photo of one of their projects was posted on Facebook.

IRVINGTON - Hurricane Irene knocked down hundreds, if not thousands, of trees throughout the Garden State.

However, it only took one of those trees to transform an Ocean County couple's new business from a concept to a viral sensation.

Ocean Beach residents Gary and Lisa Horvath took a gamble in 2011, when they invested almost all of their savings into the idea that there is a big new business opportunity in old wood.

Real Antique Wood in IrvingtonGary Horvath stands next to a stack of reclaimed wood outside of Real Antique Wood in Irvington, which he owns with his wife, Lisa. (Rob Spahr | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com) 

Gary Horvath was working for someone else's flooring business when he noticed that a lot of customers wanted the story behind the reclaimed wood they were purchasing - such as where it came from and how old it was - instead of just classic look of the older wood.

When his boss wasn't interested spending the time and money to do the legwork to get those extra details about the wood, Gary and Lisa decided to start their own business that would do just that.

"Five years later, the couple's Irvington headquarters for their company - Real Antique Wood - is a bustling hub of industry and creativity.

The staff at Real Antique Wood spends its days sifting through and treating decades-old barn wood to create everything from flooring and fireplace mantles to tables and customized suitcases.

"The ability to do cool stuff here is way beyond anyone's imagination," Horvath said.  "The people who come through these doors, we don't know what's going to happen from day to day or hour to hour. Everyday is like an adventure."

Horvath credited Real Antique Wood's general manager, Anthony Saraceno, for a lot of the company's ability to make the array of reclaimed wood creations.

Saraceno, however, credited the materials.

"A lot of times we're working with wood that has been around for 100 or 200 years. Every piece has its own character and it's own story," Saraceno said. "It's beautiful wood that is still in good shape, we're just helping to give it new life."

Horvath spends a lot of time traveling to different states - mostly Ohio, but also upstate New York, the Carolina, West Virginia, Virginia, Tennessee and Kentucky - to check out barns from which to repurpose their wood and other parts.

"We go all over," he said. "I've taken down some barns that were in perfect shape and some barns where the wood is shot, and it really wasn't worth it for me to take them down. But only by me going to take a look and check the wood myself, will I know if there's any value."

However, it was a walnut tree that fell during Hurricane Irene that gave the company international recognition.

Real Antique Wood in IrvingtonReal Antique Wood in Irvington has gained international attention for its creative designs, including a floor and staircase made from wood from a tree felled by Hurricane Irene. (Courtesy of Real Antique Wood) 

A tree company delivered the tree to Real Antique Wood shortly after the storm and Horvath had it cut with the intention of using it as a floor in a home that he and his wife own in Bergenfield.

"I kept telling everyone how cool of a project it was going to be, but it just sat behind the couch in our living room for two year air drying. Because I'm a floor guy who doesn't do his own floors," Horvath joke.

When one of the couple's neighbors found out they didn't use the wood for their own floors, he hired them to use it on a home in Pompton Plains with a caveat: he also wanted the design to go up the staircase.

"He said: 'I want it to look like a tree fell through the front door of my house,'" Horvath said. "That was basically the premise, so Anthony and I got to work trying to figure out how to make it work."

The floor was completed in a couple days,  while the intricacy of hand carving the staircase out of pieces of the walnut tree and pieces of oak required about two weeks of labor.

The final result was not only an eye-catching, approximately 300-square-foot live-edge floor, but it was also worthy of the National Wood Flooring Association's 2015 Wood Floor of the Year.

According to The Journal of Light Construction - which called the project "The Floor Heard Round the World" - the photo of the floor was viewed nearly two million times and "liked" more than 123,000 times in less that two weeks after it was posted on the company's Facebook page.

Horvath said the photo's views had reached approximately four million views as of October.

"This was the ultimate 'Wow! This is cool' project," he said. "It's not for everybody, we understood that. But it was a project that was a nice challenge for us and was unique, because a lot of people haven't seen anything like it before. And the overwhelming response from the public has been freaking awesome."

The attention caused the demand for Real Antique Wood's products to skyrocket, Horvath said, forcing the company to set up a wait list for one-off customized projects for the second half of 2016.

"We started without a single piece of wood or equipment, so it's amazing to see how far we come," he said. "But we know, there is so much more we could do."

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

N.J. man sexually assaulted sleeping passenger on Newark-bound plane, feds say

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Prosecutors say the man put his hand inside the woman's shirt after she fell asleep.

Airport2.jpgFederal prosecutors say a Windsor resident sexually assaulted a fellow sleeping passenger during a flight from Mumbai, India to Newark on Wednesday. (Andrew Harrer | Getty Images)

NEWARK -- A Mercer County man has been charged with sexually assaulting a fellow passenger on his flight from India to Newark on Wednesday.

Ganesh Parkar, of the Windsor section of Robbinsville, is charged with a single count of abusive sexual contact under a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court, according to the office of U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman. 

Parkar, 40, was on an Air India flight from Mumbai to Newark International Airport when he moved from his ticketed seat in business class to the aircraft's economy section, sitting down next to a female passenger, according to the complaint.

Police: Man caught with loaded gun at airport

The woman, who fell asleep during the flight, awoke to find Parkar had pulled down the blanket covering her and put his hand inside her shirt and on top of her breast, the complaint states.

After the woman confronted Parkar and the flight crew returned him to his seat, the complaint states, he repeatedly asked to speak to the victim and later wrote two notes apologizing for "a moment's stupidity."

If convicted of the charge, prosecutors say, Parkar faces up to two years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine.

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

2 women face drug, gun charges after police raid in Newark

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The Essex County Prosecutor's Office says police obtained the search warrant following an investigation into drug-related activity at the residence.

NEWARK -- Two women are facing drug and gun charges after a Thursday morning police raid of a city home.

pjimage (3).jpgVirdea Beard (left) and Turqoise Williams. (Essex County Prosecutor's Office)

Virdia Beard, 37, and Turqoise Williams, 29, both of Newark, were arrested after detectives from the Essex County Prosecutor's Office Narcotics Task Force served a search warrant at 301 South Sixth St., according to a statement from Acting Essex County Prosecutor Carolyn A. Murray and Newark Public Safety Director Anthony F. Ambrose.

The task force, which includes Newark police detectives, had obtained the warrant following an investigation into drug activity at the home, according to the Prosecutor's Office.

Authorities say investigators found two handguns -- a .22-caliber and a .30-caliber -- along with a BB gun and various types of ammunition. They also found various quantites of Xanax and ecstasy, as well as small quantities of marijuana and cocaine, according to the Prosecutor's Office.

Man caught with $650K of drugs admits charges

Authorities say both women are facing numerous charges including unlawful possession of a weapon and possession of a controlled dangerous substance with the intent to distribute within 1000 feet of a school.

Beard and Williams are both being held at the Essex County Correctional Facility pending their arraignment on the charges, according to prosecutors.

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

These dogs make holiday travel a little less 'ruff' (PHOTOS)

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The canines greeted tired passengers at Newark Airport as they rushed to and from their flights.

NEWARK -- It's the most stressful time of the year -- that is, for the millions of people criss-crossing the country by plane to visit relatives for the holidays.

But making the travel a little less painful at Newark Airport on Thursday were six therapy dogs offering snuggles and kisses to weary passengers.

A steady stream of travelers "pawsed" in Terminal C to relieve anxiety by playing with friendly canines Rosie, Daisy, Sam, Beau, Bear and Kylee. Photos were snapped and smiles were shared as kids and adults alike met the dogs.

As she hugged Rosie, New York City resident Erika Kawaguchi said her journey to San Francisco was off to an aggravating start. Her driver to the airport had been late, and she had trouble checking her bags.

Kawaguchi, 20, said she had been steeling herself for a difficult day of travel. Then she saw the therapy dogs, brought by Morris Plains-based non-profit Creature Comfort Pet Therapy in partnership with United Airlines.

"This is quite possibly the best experience I've ever had in an airport," Kawaguchi said. 

Thursday was the fourth time Creature Comfort had brought dogs to Newark Airport, according to founder Annie Murphy. The canines have a busy schedule of roughly seven visits a day to colleges, nursing homes, fairs and mental health facilities. 

United estimates 45 million people will fly this holiday season, up 3.5 percent from 2015. Bringing the canines to the airport was meant to take the edge off a delayed flight or a long layover, said Nancy Fernandez, Creature Comfort's scheduler. 

And it works.

"You don't usually see people smiling at Newark Airport," Fernandez said, pointing to an airline crew member grinning as he passed the dogs.

Genie Maxwell, her husband and their two young kids were walking to their gate to board a flight home to Palm Beach, Fla., when they stopped to pet the canines. Maxwell's 7-year-old daughter Jordyn held a card Creature Comforts had given her with a photo of Beau, her favorite of the therapy dogs. 

"The kids actually sometimes were afraid of big dogs, but these dogs are so gentle and sweet," Maxwell said. 

When Tyler Erskine saw the comfort dogs, he was on the middle leg of a journey from Detroit to Tampa, Fla., that had begun with a 6 a.m. flight. He and his family were traveling to visit his grandparents for Christmas. 

Erskine, 20, loves animals, so he was happy to break up the day with a visit by the canines.

"It's really easy to approach them and kind of hang out with them for a few minutes," he said. "It takes your mind off the busy airport and all the people."

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

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