Rev. Manuel A. Cruz, auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Newark, was otherwise resting on Sunday, according to a spokesman for the Archdiocese.

NEWARK -- The auxiliary bishop who was attacked during mass Saturday is doing well and addressed a congregation on Sunday to assure them he was fine, according to a spokesman for the Archdiocese of Newark.

Rev. Manuel A. Cruz, auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Newark, was punched in the mouth Saturday afternoon during an event for baseball Hall of Famer Roberto Clemente, authorities have said.

"He did meet and address the congregation this morning to tell everybody that he was fine and that, certainly, people should not be making this a matter that they can be worked up on," said James Goodness, spokesman for the Archdiocese of Newark. "This was an isolated incident." 

Cruz is resting and doesn't have any other events scheduled for the day, Goodness said.

Cruz was taken to the hospital after the attack with injuries that were not serious. Goodness declined to say which hospital Cruz was taken to, but that he was released later on Saturday and went back to the cathedral residence.

"He is fine. Certainly we're thankful that law enforcement was on hand and able to apprehend the assailant," Goodness said.

Goodness would not comment on possible motives.

Officials said a man named Charles Miller was arrested by The Essex County Sheriff's Office and charged with aggravated assault. The Essex County prosecutor's office is handling the investigation.

Miller was held in the Essex County Correctional Facility pending a court appearance, said Thomas Fennelly, Essex County's chief assistant prosecutor.

"Indian Head" will have its world premiere at Luna Stage in West Orange.

Soon after leaving her native California and settling in New Jersey, playwright Nikkole Salter noticed something unusual about her new home state: the abundance of strange-sounding place names.

"Weehawken, Hoboken, I thought maybe they were Eastern European or something," the Obie Award-winning actress and writer  recalled in an interview with NJ Advance Media. "Then I found out they weren't Czech but names from a native language. Putting it together helped me understand how present Indian country and Native American words are in our every day lives and daily vocabulary yet how invisible their actual presence is."

Her latest work, "Indian Head," builds on that idea. The play premieres at West Orange's Luna Stage Feb. 2 and runs Thursdays through Sundays until March 5.

The four-character story centers on a Nanticoke Lenni-Lenape teenager who is caught vandalizing school property to protest its mascot, a Native American warrior. The student and her mother clash with the school's football coaches who are focused on finally winning a championship, not righting a historic wrong. 

"This is about the mascot issue, but it's really about tradition and respect and how to best deal with being disrespected," she said. "The play asks how much can you take? What's it like being part of a culture that's inherited the burden of being disrespected? Whose traditions get to live and at whose expense?"

The story may sound familiar: Salter was inspired by Parsippany's decision to change the name of its high school mascots from the Redskins to the Redhawks in 2001. The name of the high school in the play is the same as the actual high school, Parsippany-Troy Hill. The mascot's image is a profile of a native in full feathered headdress similar to the one used by Washington's NFL team.

The play also looks at changing social norms among Native Americans. When sports teams were choosing names like the Redskins decades ago, there was little outcry because natives had learned what could happen if they tried to assert themselves, Salter said.

"The newer generations are demanding respect in ways the previous generations would have," said Salter, noting how the Generation Indigenous initiative supported by the Obama administration encouraged this pride.  "People are staking their claims and restoring their cultural heritage."

"Indian Head" was one of three new plays about local issues commissioned by a partnership between NJPAC Stage Exchange and New Jersey Theatre Alliance. To ensure authenticity, Salter consulted with members of the Nanticoke Lenni-Lenape tribe. 

She also wanted to cast Native actors for the role of the mother and daughter. Carla-Rae, an actress with Seneca/Mohawk ancestry, plays Patricia, the mother.

"She is a mom who sees much of herself in her daughter who is traveling the tricky waters of being American Indian in a world where her peers and teachers think the Indian is merely a picture on the wall," Carla-Rae said. "Having to face her own past, Patricia tries to help her daughter stand strong in her convictions, in a non-violent manner, while reaching out out to bridge the gap of ignorance between cultures."

Salter's works frequently takes cues from real life, or as she puts it, "ripped from the headlines." "Lines in the Dust," also set in New Jersey, looks at education disparities and the steps parents take -- legal or not -- to ensure their children get equal opportunities. "Repairing a Nation," set in Oklahoma, is about a family's differing responses to a lawsuit seeking reparations for those affected by a 1921 race riot. 

"I tend to write about things that are contemporary," Salter said. "All plays are about human existence. It's what good storytelling is about: how we live and if we can live better."

Indian Head

Luna Stage

555 Valley Rd., West Orange. 973-395-5551.

Tickets: $22-37; Feb. 2 to March 5.

Natalie Pompilio is a freelance writer based in Philadelphia. She can be reached at nataliepompilio@yahoo.com. Find her on Twitter @nataliepompilio. Find NJ.com/Entertainment on Facebook.

The Essex County Prosecutor's office said the incident occurred Sunday on Van Ness Court, a cul-de-sac on the township's south side

The Essex County Prosecutor's office is investigating a death Sunday on Van Ness Court in Maplewood.Google 

MAPLEWOOD -- Authorities said they are investigating a death Sunday in Maplewood.

"Our office is investigating an inciident on Van Ness Court in Maplewood," said Tom Fennelly, an assistant Essex County Proscutor who heads the county homicide unit.  "Further information may be released as it become available."

The incident occurred  at The Gardens at Maplewood, a garden apartment complex on Van Ness Court.

Van Ness Cort is a cul-de-sac in the southern end of the township, about a half mile north of Interstate 78.

The Maplewood Police Department referred questions to the prosecutor's office.

NJ Advance Media staff writer Spencer Kent contribute to this report.

Steve Strunsky may be reached at sstrunsky@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @SteveStrunsky. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez and Reps. Bill Pascrell and Donald Payne Jr. to unveil legislation that would provide grants to help campuses raise awareness of fire evacuation plans.

SOUTH ORANGE -- Seventeen years after a fire set in a Seton Hall University dorm killed three students, federal lawmakers from New Jersey will announce legislation intended to improve fire safety on college campuses nationwide.

U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez will join Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr. (D-9th District) and Rep. Donald Payne (D-10th District) Jr. on the university's South Orange campus to unveil a competitive grant program to enhance awareness among students, faculty and staff of campus evacuation and response plans.

The total amount of the grant program would be $15 million, with amounts awarded based on how effectively specific criteria are met, said Steven Sandberg, a spokesman for Menendez.

Several former students who survived the fire are expected to attend the 10 a.m. event at Jubilee Hall, in addition to Joe and Candy Karol, whose son Aaron was killed in the fire.

Pascrell, who chairs the Congressional Fire Services Caucus, is the prime sponsor of the measure. Payne, whose district includes Seton Hall, is a cosponsor. Menendez is a Senate sponsor.

It was the early morning of Jan. 19, 2000, when a fast-spreading fire set in a third-floor lounge at Boland Hall, a dormitory, killed freshmen Aaron Karol of Green Brook, Frank Caltabilota Jr. of West Long Branch, and John Giunta of Vineland. Fifty-eight others were injured.

Two students, Sean Ryan and Joseph LePore, later admitted they set fire to a banner draped over a couch in the lounge, saying it was a prank after a night of drinking.

Ryan and LePore both guilty to a third-degree arson charge, and were sentenced to five years in prison in January 2007. Ryan's parole was approved in 2009. LePore waived his right to parole, and was released in 2010.

Apart from the legislation to be announced on Monday, the fire spurred fire-safety initiatives on and off campuses across the state, including a state law in New Jersey requiring all dorm rooms to have fire sprinklers.

Steve Strunsky may be reached at sstrunsky@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @SteveStrunsky. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Authorities said firefighters who responded to an apartment on Van Ness Court to check on an occupant's well-being found the bodies of two men and a woman

Authorities said they were conducting a homicide investigation into the death of three adults in Maplewood on Sunday, after their bodies were found in a garden apartment on Van Ness Court. Google 

MAPLEWOOD -- Three people were found dead in a Maplewood apartment on Sunday, and their deaths are being investigated as a triple homicide, authorities said. 

"They're being investigated as homicides," said Chief Assistant Prosecutor Thomas Fennelly of the Essex County Prosecutor's Office.

Fennelly said the cause of death for the three victims was still under investigation, and would be determined by autopsies.

Earlier on Sunday, Fennelly had said his office was investigating "an incident" at the location, a garden apartment on Van Ness Court, a cul-de-sac on Maplewood's south side. 

But on Sunday evening, Essex County and Maplewood authorities issued a joint statement providing a fuller picture of the grim scene.

"Acting Essex County Prosecutor Carolyn A. Murray and Maplewood Police Chief Robert Cimino have announced that authorities are investigating an incident in which three people were found dead in a Maplewood apartment earlier today," the Sunday evening announcement stated.

"At approximately 11:45 am, the Maplewood Fire Department responded to an apartment on Van Ness Court to check on the well-being of a resident," the announcement continued. "Upon entering the apartment, firefighters discovered three unresponsive adults, two males and a female. The individuals were pronounced dead at the scene."

Fennelly said the identities of the victims were being withheld pending notification of the next-of-kin.

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

Steve Strunsky may be reached at sstrunsky@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @SteveStrunsky. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Authorities did not release the name of the male student or say what the kind of drug was involved

Authorities say there was a fatal overdose Sunday at Laurel Hall, a dorm at New Jersey Institute of Technology in Newark NJIT 

NEWARK -- A student at New Jersey Institute of Technology in Newark died of a drug overdose on Sunday night, authorities said.

The fatal overdose occurred just after 4 p.m., and involved a male student, said Essex County Chief Assistant Prosector Thomas Fennelly.

Fennelly did not reveal the name of the student or say what kind of drug was involved.

The dormitory is Laurel Hall, which houses up to 598 upperclassmen and women, and graduate students, on Summit Avenue, according to NJIT. Students live in suites that include two bedrooms and a share bathroom.

Steve Strunsky may be reached at sstrunsky@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @SteveStrunsky. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

The 47-year-old was struck Sunday evening as she crossed Springfield Avenue in Newark

NEWARK -- A 47-year-old woman crossing a Newark street was struck and killed by a hit-and-run driver Sunday evening, authorities said.

Josette Morales, of Irvington, was hit by a car on the 600 block of Springfield Avenue around 6:30 p.m, Essex County Chief Assistant Prosecutor Thomas Fennelly said in a news release.

Morales was pronounced dead at the scene. A description of the vehicle was not provided.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Essex County Prosecutor's Office detectives at (877) 847-7432 or (973) 621-4586.

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

Consider adopting one of the thousands of homeless animals throughout New Jersey.

While New Jersey was never known as "Hurricane Alley," recent visits by hurricanes Irene and Sandy as well as winter nor'easters have shown that big storms call for preparations.

These recent storms have led to many of us learning more about being prepared as people ... it's also important to consider preparing for pets' needs in the event of another big blow.

Experts from BluePearl Veterinary Partners have put together some tips for pet owners that apply to natural disasters including hurricanes, floods and earthquakes:

* Make sure that people who have agreed to give you a place to stay if you have to leave your home can also accept your pets; during a storm is not the time to discover unknown pet allergies.

* Knowing in advance of any pet-friendly hotels in your area could make a big difference if friends and relatives are also escaping the situation.

* If you've prepared an emergency 'kit' for you and your family, make sure it has items for your pets including food bowls, resealable bags that can hastily be filled with food, toys and blankets or bedding.

* Store your pet's veterinary documents where you keep your own important papers; should your home be damaged in a storm, those important items could be destroyed.

Hoping that a boarding facility or veterinarian's office will be open and available when a storm approaches or is in progress is not planning; pets are members of a family and deserve to be a part of your emergency preparation plan.

Here's a gallery of pets in need of adoption in northern and central New Jersey. More homeless pets can be viewed by clicking here and here.

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

The NJ.com Top 20 is here, and several teams that were out of the poll returned this week.

Some Rutgers students from the seven affected countries were traveling outside the country when the ban went into effect, a campus spokeswoman said.

PISCATAWAY -- As protests against President Donald Trump's immigration order erupted over the weekend, Rutgers University's president sent out a letter to try to reassure the school's students and faculty.

Rutgers has students, researchers and professors from the seven countries on Trump's "barred entry" list who are currently travelling outside the country, wrote Rutgers President Robert Barchi. The university is working to help them with questions about their immigration status.

"We share the view of many of our peer institutions who have argued strongly that many aspects of the executive order run counter to the academic and social mission of higher education," Barchi wrote.

Rutgers students demand 'sanctuary campus'

Colleges across the nation scrambled over the weekend to react to Trump's executive order that limits citizens of seven Muslim-majority nations -- Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen -- from entering the U.S. for at least 90 days. The order led to confusion in airports and legal challenges.

About 17,000 students from the seven affected countries attend U.S. colleges and universities, making Trump's order a major concern on campuses nationwide.

The Rutgers president's letter drew criticism from some students, alumni and faculty who said the head of the state university should have come out strongly against Trump's immigration order.

"This is a weak response by Rutgers 'leadership' with no clear indication of support for those unjustly treated by this unconstitutional executive order. Incredibly disappointing," Faizan Munshi, a Rutgers medical student, wrote on Facebook.

When asked about the criticism of Barchi's statement, a Rutgers spokeswoman said the university shares the view of many of its peer institutions, including members of the Association of American Universities, that have argued against Trump's executive order.

"President Barchi has made it very clear that Rutgers strongly supports and protects all of our students, including undocumented students and those who have come to study at Rutgers from other countries. President Trump's executive order doesn't change our position," said Karen Smith, a Rutgers spokeswoman.

Smith said some Rutgers students from the seven affected countries were traveling outside the country when the ban went into effect, but she declined to give any details "out of respect for their privacy and security."

Some college presidents sharply criticized Trump.

Columbia University President Lee Bollinger send a letter to the Ivy League campus saying it is important for the institution to object publicly to the immigration ban.

"This order undermines the nation's continuing commitment to remain open to the exchange of people and ideas. We must not underestimate the scale of its impact," Bollinger wrote.

University of Michigan President Mark Schlissel released a statement saying the school remains committed to international students and will not release immigration status information about its students.

"Our ability to attract the best students and faculty from around the globe enhances our teaching, learning, research and societal impact and is in part responsible for our standing as a great public research university," the University of Michigan statement said.

At Princeton University, President Christopher Eisgruber said the school believes that everyone on campus benefits from the ability of people to cross borders to get an education.

"That is emphatically true for me. My mother and her family arrived in this country as refugees escaping from a war-torn continent. They would have perished had they been denied visas," Eisgruber, whose parents were German immigrants, said in a letter to the campus.

New Jersey's Catholic colleges joined in a statement from the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities released Sunday opposing Trump's immigration order.

"Catholic higher education was founded precisely to serve the children of Catholic immigrants who in their own time were excluded from higher education. This is a legacy that we proudly pledge to continue," the ACCU letter said.

The New Jersey Education Association, the state's largest teachers' union, also issued a statement condemning Trump's immigration actions.

"The Trump administration has employed rhetoric, and is now taking actions, that undermine American democracy. The President and those around him have created a climate of fear and distrust that is harmful to all of us, but particularly to the children we educate," NJEA President Wendell Steinhauer, vice president Marie Blistan and secretary-treasurer Sean Spiller said in a joint statement.

The franchise has nearly 400 locations throughout mostly the southern United States.

EAST ORANGE -- Huddle House has come to New Jersey.

The state's first Huddle House officially opens Monday afternoon in East Orange, with a ribbon cutting ceremony at 12:30 p.m., the franchise location's owner Dipen Desai announced last week.

The eatery, which has nearly 400 locations across mostly the southern U.S., serves traditional American fare for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

 The restaurant is one of four Huddle Houses he plans to open in the Garden State. The others will be in Newark, Roselle, and Garfield, he said. The Newark location should open in May, with the others opening sometime in 2017, he said.

"This location is phenomenal," Desai said of the East Orange restaurant, which replaced a shuttered discount store at 539 Main Street, near the Brick Church Plaza. "It's near the ShopRite that is open 24 hours, bus stops, and a lot of traffic."

Referendum passed by 77 percent, now board wants to squash it

Addisu Sileshi, an East Orange resident who will serve as general manager of all of the New Jersey Huddle Houses, said the community has been "super excited" about the new locations.

There is a truck stop Huddle House in Pennsylvania, but the East Orange eatery will be the brand's first freestanding location in the Northeast, Sileshi said.

"People keep asking about our opening," he said. "We are casual dining, not fast food, and it's great to bring that to East Orange."

So far, Sileshi said, he interviewed about 400 people to fill 48 jobs at the restaurant. The positions include 38 full-time and 10 part-time jobs. According to East Orange Mayor Lester Taylor, 44 of those employees are East Orange residents.

"We are extremely excited to welcome Huddle House, whose management chose not only to invest in our city, but the people who live here, too," he said in a statement. "We are looking forward to continuing a great partnership."

All three had been shot, authorities said.

MAPLEWOOD -- Authorities have identified the three people found dead in a shooting Sunday in a Maplewood apartment.

Michael Davis, 45, of Maplewood, Roshana Kenilson, 30, of Paterson, and Lance Fraser, 44, of Newark, were discovered dead inside the Van Ness Court apartment at about 11:45 a.m., authorities said.

All three people had been shot and an autopsy later Monday will determine the exact causes of death, acting Essex County Prosecutor Carolyn A. Murray and Maplewood Police Chief Robert Cimino said in a statement. 

Only Davis lived in the apartment, a prosecutor's office spokeswoman said. Kenilson and Fraser were friends of Davis who were visiting, she said. 

Firefighters discovered the bodies after receiving a call from someone who was concerned about not being able to reach the three friends, authorities said. The firefighters used a ladder to get into the apartment, officials said. 

Authorities have not identified any suspects or a possible motive for the killings. 

Several residents of the Gardens apartment complex did not answer knocks on their doors Monday morning. But around the corner on Berkely Street, residents said the incident was out of character for the neighborhood. 

"Usually, it's quiet," said Fran Cargill, who has lived on Berkely for 45 years, and had lived at the Gardens before then. "Nothing like that ever happened."

After pausing for a moment, Cargill said the cul-de-sac that the Gardens surrounds did seem to have a lot of traffic for a dead end. 

"I tell you, it's a busy street," she said. "A lot of people going in and out at all hours." 

Anyone with information on the killings is asked to call 877-TIPS-4EC or 877-847-7432.    

Staff reporter Steve Strunsky contributed to this report.

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

U.S. Sens. Cory Booker and Robert Menendez spoke out Monday against President Donald Trump's recent executive orders on immigration and travel restrictions. Watch video

NEWARK -- New Jersey's two U.S. senators, Cory Booker and Robert Menendez, vowed Monday to do all they can to fight President Donald Trump's controversial executive orders on immigration and travel restrictions, warning that they not only defies American values but puts Americans in greater danger. 

Menendez said he and Booker, a fellow Democrat, are considering a number of moves -- including trying to defund federal departments that carry out the Republican president's orders, pushing back against further legislation, and calling on communities to "rise up and speak up."

"I have never seen in all of my years working on immigration reform a moment of such fear and also of such absolute commitment to fight back, to push back, and we are going to find every way we can to do that legislatively," Menendez said at a joint news conference with Booker in Newark.

Booker, a former Newark mayor who has been rumored as a possible Democratic presidential candidate in 2020, called this a "a perilous time in America."

"Only 10 days into this administration, and we have seen some of the most dramatic assaults on American values in my lifetime," Booker said. "Sen. Menendez and I are not going to be reactionist. We are going to be activists in the Senate."

Where the potential next N.J. governor stands on Trump's travel ban

It's unclear how successful their efforts may be because both chambers of Congress -- the Senate and the House -- are controlled by Republicans. Still, a number of GOP lawmakers have broken from Trump over the travel ban in recent days, including three House members from New Jersey.

Trump made a few immigration related moves in recent weeks. First, he signed an executive order threatening to cut off federal funding for cities that continue to be "sanctuary cities," which protect undocumented immigrants within their borders. 

Then, on Friday, Trump signed another executive order barring citizens from seven Middle East countries with predominantly Muslim populations from entering the U.S. for 90 days, while also preventing refugees from entering for 120 days, and blocking refugees from Syria indefinitely. Trump said the move is needed as his administration works on a stricter vetting process to prevent possible terrorists from sneaking into the U.S.

That order sparked protests across the U.S. this weekend, including in Elizabeth and at Newark Liberty International Airport. Booker spoke at the Elizabeth rally Sunday.

Booker argued Monday that the ban may inspire terrorists to believe the U.S. is not waging a war on "radical jihadi terrorists" but on Islam in general.

"We are now seeing in America something I would never imagine in my lifetime: a religious test to see if you can come into the country," said Booker, a former Newark mayor who has been rumored as a possible candidate for president in 2020. "I find this so offensive to the Constitution, so offensive to us as a nation."

"Donald Trump is making us less safe," he added.

Booker and Menendez held the news conference after meeting in Newark with advocates, civil rights leaders, and the mayors of New Jersey's two most populous municipalities, Newark and Jersey City -- both of which are "sanctuary cities."

Newark Mayor Ras Baraka and Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop, both Democrats, said they will fight Trump's order on "sanctuary cities." On Monday, Baraka called it "Trump's fugitive slave law."

"We are going to protect our undocumented students that are there every day, that are there making sure they can get a decent education," Baraka said. "We are going to resist in Newark as much as we possibly can."

Fulop noted that he comes from a family of Holocaust survivors and that he became a Marine because he felt it was his duty to repay the U.S. for allowing his family to be here.

"This is a moment in time when peoples' voices matter," Fulop said.

Brent Johnson may be reached at bjohnson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @johnsb01. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.

Charles E. Miller is charged with aggravated assault in connection with Saturday's attack at Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart.

NEWARK -- Prosecutors on Monday moved for pre-trial detention of a man allegedly caught on camera punching an auxiliary bishop in the mouth Saturday during a Mass at Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart, court records show.

Charles E. Miller. (Essex County Correctional Facility)
 

Charles E. Miller, 48, is charged with aggravated assault in connection with the attack on the Rev. Manuel A. Cruz, auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Newark. 

Video of Saturday's attack, obtained by TapIntoNewark and published Sunday, allegedly depicts Miller, followed closely by a security guard, approaching the front of the church and striking Cruz, who falls backwards.

The motion to keep Miller detained is a result of the recently enacted state Bail Reform and Speed Trial Act, under which a judge can order a defendant held without bail if they believe the defendant poses a risk to the community or is unlikely to keep his next court date.

Court records show Miller previously was charged in December 2012 with threatening a law enforcement officer while resisting arrest, an indictable offense that was later downgraded to a disorderly persons offense.

The circumstances of Miller's 2012 arrest were not immediately available Monday.

Miller remains in the Essex County Correctional Facility Monday afternoon. A date and time for his detention hearing had not yet been set, according to court records.

Cruz, who was taken to the hospital for treatment of non-serious injuries, addressed a congregation Sunday to assure them of his fair health, according to a spokesperson for the archdiocese.

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

More than 200 Newark Police officers joined friends and family Monday for the funeral of Deputy Chief Robert Sbaraglio, a 33-year department veteran who died after a 10-year battle with cancer. He was 55

Deputy Chief Robert Sbaraglio (Photo: Dept. of Public Safety)

NEWARK -- Deputy Chief Robert Sbaraglio, a 33-year veteran of the Newark Police Department who died last week after a 10-year battle with cancer, was laid to rest Monday following a funeral Mass attended by family, friends and more than 200 fellow officers.

Sbaraglio, a Newark native who lived in Nutley, was 55 when he died on Jan. 22.

The first 25 rows of the oak pews on the right-hand side of the sanctuary at St. Mary's Church in Nutley were filled with 200 men and women of the Newark Police Department, a widely diverse group but for the dress blue uniforms and white gloves they all wore.

Police bagpipers played "Amazing Grace" beneath the wooden rafters and stained glass windows of the church, and some of the mourners in uniform and civilian clothes alike could not hold back tears.

"He had the heart of a lion," Steven Sbaraglio, the deputy chief's brother, said during an emotional eulogy. "He was a man's man. A wonderful husband and father who cared for his family."

Prior to the Mass, under sunny skies in the brisk morning air, six mounted Newark police officers sat atop their horses across Monsignor Owens Place from the church, as two columns of Newark Police officers filed in past a police color guard. Officers from other departments were on hand as well.

Sbaraglio was promoted on Jan. 24, two days after his death, by Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose and Police Chief Darnell Henry.

Ambrose said Sbaraglio had taken the deputy chief's test recently and passed it. The promotion, he said, was a show of respect and recognition for a widely admired officer who had spent most of his life with the Newark Police Department.

"A great guy," Ambrose said after the service.

The promotion from captain to deputy chief has no practical effect on Sbaraglio's estate or his beneficiaries, including the pension that his widow, Dina Sbaraglio, will receive, Ambrose said.

Dina Sbaraglio cried as she and the couple's two grown children, Melanie and Robert Jr., filed out of the church with other mourners and the Rev. Tom Nicastro, who led the Mass. Ahead of them, Sbaraglio's steel casket was wheeled out, an American flag draped over it, with somber precision by four Newark officers. He was buried at Gates of Heaven Cemetery in East Hanover.

Sbaraglio was a 1984 graduate of the Newark Police Academy, who then worked as a patrolman before making sergeant in 1993, and lieutenant in 2000. He became commander of the Auto Crimes Unit in 2005, and later worked in the communications, criminal investigations, general crimes, professional standards, and consent decree units.

His last assignment was commanding the Special Enforcement Bureau, a group of detectives who specialized in taking guns and drug dealers off the streets.

When Mother Theresa visited Newark, Sbaraglio was proud to be assigned as an escort, his brother said. In addition to being a devoted family man, Sbaraglio was a Civil War buff and a football fanatic.

"He loved the Dallas Cowboys, and too many other things to mention. And most of all, he loved all of us," his brother said.

"Bobby, we had fun," he continued. "It was not only a pleasure to have you as my brother, it was an honor."

Steve Strunsky may be reached at sstrunsky@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @SteveStrunsky. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

The Newark man is suspected of carjacking the SUV, officials said.

NEWARK -- Authorities have arrested a man who they say climbed out of a carjacked Range Rover's sunroof in an attempt to run from the police.

Essex County Sheriff Armando Fontoura said Monday officers attempted to pull the SUV over while it was driving down South Orange Avenue at noon when the driver, 22-year-old Robert Lilly of Newark, sped up and crashed into two other cars. When the car stopped, he hopped out of the sunroof, and ran, officials said.

Officers caught up with Lilly a short distance away and arrested him, the sheriff said.

A man who lives in the Society Hill apartments had reported the Range Rover stolen during an armed carjacking at 7 a.m. Monday, officials said. Officers allegedly found a semi-automatic handgun and marijuana on Lilly, Fontoura said.

Lilly was charged with weapons offenses and various charges related to the police chase, authorities said. Additional charges, including carjacking, are pending, they said.

Lilly was transported to East Orange General Hospital where he is being treated for minor injuries he sustained in the crash, after which he will be transported to the Essex County jail, police said.

A sheriff's officer also received minor injuries during the arrest, Fontoura said. He was treated and received stitches at University Hospital and released, officials said.

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

Court papers show the men were part of a human-trafficking scheme interrupted by an undercover investigation by the Department of Homeland Security.

NEWARK -- Two men from India on Monday admitted to plotting to smuggle foreign nationals to the United States via commercial airline flights to Newark Liberty International Airport.

Prosecutors say Nileshkumar Patel and Harsad Mehta admitted in federal court Monday to plotting to smuggle foreign nationals to the U.S. through Newark Liberty International Airport. (Star-Ledger file photo)

Nileshkumar Patel, 42, and Harsad Mehta, 68, pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court in Newark to one count each of conspiracy to smuggle foreign nationals into the country for personal advantage and financial gain, according to the office of U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman.

Court records show Patel and Mehta both were first charged in August 2015 under a complaint filed by an agent from Homeland Security Investigations, which had been investigating their smuggling operation as far back as June 2013, according to the complaint.

Prosecutors say the men admitted to paying an undercover investigator to transport two people they brought to Thailand, in June 2014, on the final leg of the journey to Newark.

Authorities say the conspiracy, which court papers alleged involved the smuggling of four other Indian nationals on two different occasions, continued through October 2015, when Patel and Mehta were arrested after landing at the Newark airport.

They were later indicted by a federal grand jury in March 2016.

The conspiracy charge to which the pair ultimately pleaded guilty carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, according to prosecutors.

Both men are scheduled to be sentenced on May 16.

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

Get your nominations in for the winter edition of our statewide contest

UPDATE, Jan. 30, 11:45 a.m.: We're down to the last hours to nominate your school to be part of this contest to determine the best winter-sport student section in New Jersey. If you were waiting till the last minute, it's here!

Is your school nominated? Check the photo gallery above, which now includes all nominations submitted as of Sunday night. If your school isn't there, what are you waiting for?

The good news is that it takes just minutes to do a nomination, especially if you're at a game. The bad news is that opportunities to take a fresh pic are running out - so don't wait. If your school is out of games before tonight's 11:59 p.m. deadline, reach out to others in the school community, including your athletic director - someone is bound to have a pic.

Nominating your school couldn't be easier. Just take a pic, use the form below to submit it, and BOOM - nomination complete. You can do it all from your phone during a timeout or between wrestling bouts.

Get it done to lock in your school's participation in the fun that follows.

Can you feel the gym shake? Are you looking at a sea of red, white and blue, or have the bleachers become a balmy beach scene in the middle of January? Is that organized cheer still rattling in your head?

Student section at work.

Whether it's themes, cheers, chants or banners, we know there are some student sections that help the team catch fire - home or away. We want to know which N.J. school has the best student section this winter, and we're relying on those student sections - and the rest of the school community - to show us - with pictures, with testimonials and in the end, with votes.

We're launching the winter version of our best student section contest (Oakcrest won the football version this fall). It's journey that will last until the end of February, and it starts with an critical first step - a nomination.

To be a part of all that follows, your school has to get a nomination by Monday, Jan. 30. That's not a ton of time, but nominating a school is super easy.  Someone just needs to take at least one picture of the student section and use the form below to submit it.  That's it. Done deal.

Our photographers will also be around the state looking for student sections, and we'll use some of our photos to make nominations too, but don't count on us - we can't be everywhere. Make it a sure thing, and nominate your school with a pic.

Contest format:
Nominations will be open through Monday, Jan. 30. We will then split the nominations into regions and launch a one-week qualifying poll for each region. Your voting in the regional qualifying polls will determine the schools that move on to an elimination bracket, with week-long head-to-head voting matchups to determine regional finalists. We will skip the regional finals and have one big statewide final for all the would-be regional finalists.  The whole thing is targeted to wrap up Monday, Feb. 27.

Nomination and photo submission notes:
• The form below will work with your cell phone - you can nominate your school from the game!
• NJ.com staff will also make nominations with our own photography.
• Only upload photos you have shot or that you personally received permission to use. We can't use photos from other media outlets. Please don't grab and submit photos from other websites.
• Multiple nominations for a school are welcome, but we may not use every photo.
• Submitted photos will be added to the gallery after some processing time; nominations will be compiled and listed on top of this post after the weekend's play.

So start talking and sharing - rally the troops to nominate, vote and make your student section officially the best in N.J.

SUBMIT YOUR NOMINATION PHOTOS

Police conducted an undercover investigation into local massage parlors

BLOOMFIELD-- Police raided massage parlors in the township following an undercover investigation into prostitution, leading to six arrests, Police Director Samuel DeMaio said in a statement Monday. 

The businesses -- Health Spa, 599 Bloomfield Ave.; Bloomfield Therapy, 669 Bloomfield Ave.; and an establishment with no business name at 34 Cross St. -- were advertised on Facebook and Backpage.com, police said.

The suspects are Enji Piao, 53 of New York;  Xianji Li, 53, of New York; Chong Lee, 68, of Lodi; Hayeon Kim, 58, of New York; Athena Reid-Azam, 44 of Montclair; and 51-year-old Meisha Jin of Little Ferry. Each were issued summons and released with pending court dates.

The women face charges of solicitation of prostitution, operating without a license and misrepresenting themselves as licensed massage therapists.

"This type of activity will not be overlooked, tolerated or condoned within our local communities where we live and raise our children." said DeMaio. "This activity will not be allowed to take place and diminish the quality of life for our residents."

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

Kaleena Berryman has been on a mission to empower and mentor mothers of premature babies.

When Kaleena Berryman's baby was born premature, she felt like she had to make her son's life, and their journey together, mean something.

Jharid Smith Jr. came into the world weighing just 1 pound, 5 ounces and had a slim chance at survival. Jharid had difficulty breathing, a bowel infection and blood on his brain. Vision in his right eye was impaired, and he had no sight in the left. But most devastating was the diagnosis of cerebal palsy.

Four years later, Jharid doesn't walk or talk yet, but Berryman has become her son's voice, as well as a mentor for other parents like her.

"I'm trying to eliminate the stigma that you had to do something wrong to have a preemie,'' said Berryman, who lives in Jersey City . "It took me a long time to get over that feeling.''

MORE: Recent Barry Carter columns  

With 13,000 followers plugged into her Facebook page - Praying 4 My Preemie - Berryman has brought her advocacy to Newark, her hometown.

She recently started the Preemie Parent's Club at University Hospital, and it has given new life to a similar support program the hospital has had for many years.

"I've seen mothers come more frequently to talk to her,'' said Dr. Onajovwe Fofah, a neonatologist, which is a subspecialty of pediatrics. "Their eyes light up. Coming from her it's more impactful.''

Berryman said she didn't know any mothers of preemies when Jharid was born, and she didn't have a support group to lean on when she was in the hospital.  But after she was discharged, Berryman said she began to search the internet and found preemie organizations.

She started blogging about prematurity and writing poetry on the subject. Her poem about Jharid, "On the day you were born," went viral.

She turned sadness into action, and has become a sounding board for mothers whose tiny children, those born in less than 37 weeks, are cared for in the neonatal intensive care unit.

Twice a month, Berryman meets with the mothers of the club through a grant that is designed to start support groups at University Hospital and Newark Beth Israel Medical Center and reduce racial disparities in preterm births. The $3,000 in funding comes from the March of Dimes, a national nonprofit organization that has a campaign to reduce preterm births across the United States.

The group, which works with University Hospital, says America's preterm birth rates have worsened for the first time in eight years.  In its 2016 premature report card, the March of Dimes gave the U.S. a "C" rating because the country's preterm birth rate of 9.6 percent is higher than the 8.1 percent the organization wants to achieve by 2020.

Statewide, New Jersey also received a C, but locally Essex and Passaic counties were rated "D," with preterm birth rates of 11.2 percent and 10.5 percent, respectively. Hudson and Bergen counties were rated "C," with preterm birth rates of 10.1 and 9.8, respectively.  

The picture, unfortunately, is particularly bleak for African-American women in New Jersey. According to the March of Dimes, their preterm birth rate is 44 percent higher than that of all other women in the state.

"The average African-American woman has a higher rate of having a premature birth than any other racial group,'' Fofah said. "We don't know why.'' 

His colleague, Lynda Arnold, director of Family Health Services at University Hospital, said mothers can do everything right during their pregnancy and still deliver early.

"It happens to people who went to the doctor, didn't smoke, didn't drink, didn't do anything,'' Arnold said.

And that's where Berryman takes over.

She's encouraging, telling mothers they should not feel shame or guilt.

At the meetings, she tells them, "You did nothing wrong.'' And she prepares them for situations that may arise, explaining in layman's terms medical conditions their children could face: necrotizing entercolitis, a bowel infection; patent ductus ateriosus, a hole in the heart or heart murmur; decreased oxygen levels that can make a baby turn blue and require a blood transfusion.

Raviane Dailey Porter of East Orange said she was "freaking out,'' when her 1 pound, 9 ounce daughter struggled to breathe and had an irregular heartbeat.

Since December, Dailey Porter said, Berryman has been reassuring her. "She'll send you a text to see how you are doing. Sometimes you really need that."

The women in the group meet twice a month and open up about their concerns and fears. Sometimes they laugh, sometimes they cry, but they always leave feeling empowered by the information they receive about what to do and what questions to ask.

Now, they check on one another.

Olga Cordero, of Newark, said having a premature daughter weighing 4 pounds, 5 ounces made her nervous, especially when the child had surgery on her back and another to remove fluid on her brain.

Last Friday was Cordero's first meeting at the Preemie Parent's Club, and she says she plans to attend the next one after listening to Berryman and Roxanne Shante, an inspirational guest speaker.

Shante, a Newark resident and hip hop artist, gave the women an emotional lift when she told them that her daughter, who was born prematurely 21 years ago, is now a college graduate.

MORE CARTER:  Terrell Homes residents are divided over closing of the complex

"Preemies are very special people,'' Shante said. "God doesn't give them to everyone. He gives them to those who he knows can take care of them.''

Berryman said she has been compelled to tell Jharid's story because too often, people forget about children with challenges.

She calls Jharid her "Sonshine,'' a play on words. His father, Jharid Smith Sr, who is her fiance, has been there every step of the way. With help from friends and family, Berryman said, Jharid is a healthy child. He loves to be jostled around playfully. He likes watching basketball and football. And the "Harry the Bunny" cartoon and "Family Feud" are his favorite television programs.

People follow Berryman and Jharid's progress on Facebook, leaving supportive posts that spur Berryman on.

"He (Jharid) couldn't just be born and I not talk about it and not try to make a change,'' Berryman said.

Berryman said she doesn't worry about the future anymore. She just lives in the present, leaving tomorrow to take care of itself.

Barry Carter: (973) 836-4925 or bcarter@starledger.com or nj.com barry carter or follow him on Twitter @BarryCarterSL