The Education Law Center is seeking to reverse the state's decision allowing seven charters schools to expand their enrollment.

NEWARK -- The planned expansion of seven charter schools in Newark will only deepen budget woes in the already cash-strapped school district and further saddle traditional public schools with the neediest children, an education advocacy group said in a legal brief filed this month. 

The Education Law Center is asking the courts to reverse decisions by former state Commissioner of Education David C. Hespe that allowed seven charter schools to boost enrollment by about 8,500 student in the next five years. 

"The threats are twofold: loss of funding and resources for students in district schools and segregation of students by disability, ELL status and race," said David Sciarra, executive director of the Education Law Center, a public interest law firm.

If the expansions continue as planned, 38 percent of the school district's budget would be redirected to charter schools by 2018-19, according to the ELC. This year 33 percent of the budget goes to charter schools, the group states in its brief.

The state Department of Education declined to comment. As a matter of policy, the DOE does not comment on pending litigation.

"The ELC is trotting out the same arguments the New Jersey Supreme Court rejected years ago," said Thomas Johnston, legal counsel for TEAM Academy Charter, NorthStar Academy, Robert Treat Academy, University Heights Charter, Great Oaks Charter and New Horizons Community Charter School. 

Newark charter school officials say thousands of parents are on waiting lists to get into the schools. They also say their students tend to outperform those in traditional public schools. A 2015 Stanford University study that looked 41 largest cities with charter schools found Newark's charter schools significantly outperformed district schools in math and language arts. 

Sciarra said the issue was not the quality of the schools but one of equity.

"This appeal is not about the merits of charter schools or district schools, but rather about the state's overarching obligation to ensure a thorough and efficient education for all public school students in Newark," Sciarra said in an earlier statement on the appeal.

In its initial brief filed Feb. 14., the ELC said the commissioner's decision to grant the expansions were "arbitrary, capricious and unreasonable." The Education Law Center appealed the school expansion decisions last spring but due to procedural delays did not file the initial brief until this month. 

The group also said that by allowing these schools to expand, the commissioner was "erroneously" authorizing the creation of new charter facilities in unidentified locations. The ELC says the charter schools did not seek permission to open satellite facilities to accommodate student growth. 

According to the brief, 10 new schools would be needed to absorb the proposed growth. The pending appeal does not stop charter schools from enrolling additional students. 

Charter schools are operated independently of the Newark school district but are taxpayer funded. Charter schools in Newark enroll about 15,000 students; the district enrolls about 36,000, according to Districts are supposed to pass along 90 percent of their per-pupil costs for the students being served by charter schools, according to state law.

"The expansions will continue to siphon-off crucial funds from the NPS budget," the brief read in part. "With no regard for the depleted resources left behind." 

The school district is likely to have a budget hole this year but it's not clear how large it will be.

The charter schools slated to expand include: 

• Great Oaks Charter School: additional 477 students by 2019-20
• Maria L. Varisco Rogers Charter: additional 25 students by 2017-18
• New Horizons: additional 168 students by 2017-18
• North Star Academy: additional 2,552 students by 2020-21
• TEAM Academy: 4,668 students by 2020-21
• Robert Treat Academy: 209 students by 20-21
• University Heights: 400 students by 2019-20

Karen Yi may be reached at kyi@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter at @karen_yi or on Facebook. 

The Newark School Advisory Board approved a resolution to support its immigrant students in light of spreading fears among the immigrant community.

NEWARK -- The School Advisory Board declared Newark schools to be "sanctuaries" for its immigrant students Tuesday night, responding to widespread fears that the new White House will drastically crack down on illegal immigration. 

The resolution, which was unanimously approved, underscores the board's commitment to protect immigrant students and ensure every child receives a quality education regardless of legal status.

"I'm a Latina in this city, I come from a family that has ties to the immigrant community so it was something very personal for me," said board vice chair Crystal Fonseca, who pushed the resolution. "Knowing the changes in the political climate right now and how our people specifically are being targeted ... I didn't want to wait on it anymore."

The resolution clarifies that schools cannot share information that could disclose a student's immigration status with federal immigration officials under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, or FERPA. It also states schools are considered "sensitive locations" by immigration officials meaning enforcement actions should not take place on campuses. 

The measure largely reiterates existing policy while expressing support for Newark's immigrant and refugee students.

"Our kids should have a place to go. Kids should feel free to express what their concerns are," Fonseca said. "I wanted to take that stand."

Some students and teachers, however, urged the board to strengthen the resolution and clarify how schools and employees should act if approached by immigration officials. 

"A strong statement of support is simply not enough, we require clear legal actions on paper," said Vitor Dos Anjos, a student at East Side High School, who is undocumented but received temporary protection from deportation under President Obama known as deferred action. 

Yari Pares, a guidance counselor at East Side High, said President Trump's aggressive immigration policies could ramp up enforcement. He said the district needed to be ready with concrete policies and procedures for its teachers.  

"We are at times their first line of defense," Pares said. "Every day I hear how parents are afraid just to walk out of their homes, they're scared when their kids don't arrive at the time they say they're going to arrive. For them there is a fear and uncertainty in the air."

Fonseca said the resolution was the first step the district was taking but would consider new policies to strengthen student protections. 

Schools Superintendent Christopher Cerf said he would develop a plan to keep parents and students informed of their rights. 

"We are very committed to taking this as far as we can," he said. Cerf sent a letter to parents on Feb. 4 to clarify what information schools ask when enrolling students. Immigration status is not one of them. 

Other immigrant-heavy school districts like West New York and New York City have passed similar sanctuary resolutions. 

Newark is a sanctuary city, meaning it limits the extent to which local police cooperate with federal immigration agents.

"I do want you to believe that you have support," board member Kim Gaddy told the community on Tuesday night. "It just might not be in the language you want to see."

Karen Yi may be reached at kyi@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter at @karen_yi or on Facebook. 

Autumn Turner, a figure skating-coach from Montclair, wowed the judges during the second night of blind auditions for the 'The Voice' Watch video

The Jersey girls are turning up the heat on "The Voice," with the second night of blind auditions bringing Montclair's Autumn Turner a four-chair turnaround.

The figure skating coach almost immediately earned Adam Levine's vote with her sultry opening notes to Donna Summer's "Last Dance," and by the time she hit her disco stride and ended with an eardrum-piercing (in the best way possible) high note, she had also prompted Gwen Stefani, Alicia Keys and Blake Shelton to turn around. 

Keys, who lives in Englewood, worked the "East Coast connection" and told Turner she loved the way the song grew and her determination to show different styles. Her wooing paid off; Turner picked Keys to be her mentor. 

Turner is a 2009 graduate of Upper Montclair's Lacordaire Academy.

Monday night, another New Jersey woman impressed judges: Felicia Temple, a 28-year-old Teaneck nurses who works at Holy Name Medical Center performing Etta James' ballad "All I Could Do Was Cry." She also picked Alicia Keys as her mentor. 

"The Voice" blind auditions continue Thursday with an hour-long episode beginning at 8 p.m.

Vicki Hyman may be reached at vhyman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @vickihy or like her on Facebook. Find NJ.com/Entertainment on Facebook, and check out Remote Possibilities, the TV podcast from Vicki Hyman and co-host Erin Medley on iTunes, Stitcher or Spreaker, or listen below or here.

Ep. 66: Is 'This Is Us' just too much?

Police say heroin and cocaine were seized.

NEWARK -- Eleven days after a Newark man was arrested on drug distribution offenses, he was charged again with allegedly peddling heroin near a housing complex in the city's Central Ward, authorities said Tuesday.

Furad Fleming (Photo: Dept. of Public Safety) 

City police were called Thursday to the New Community Corporation complex after complaints about a man selling drugs in the area, according to Newark Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose.

Police arrested Furad Fleming, 18, near Hayes Street and 15th Avenue, and found he had 95 glassine envelopes of heroin along with $154, according to the public safety director. Fleming was charged with various drug-related offenses, including possession with the intent to distribute drugs within 1,000 feet of a school.

In a statement, Ambrose said police pulled over a car Fleming was in Feb. 12, also in the city's Central Ward, where they found him with 548 glassine envelopes, 18 vials of cocaine, a plastic bag of marijuana and $380. Fleming was also charged with drug distribution offenses in that arrest.

The status of both cases was not immediately clear. Fleming was released from the Essex County jail Saturday, according to county corrections department records.

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

No serious injuries reported after daytime gunfire in Newark.

NEWARK -- A shooting Wednesday morning in Newark's South Ward left two people injured, authorities said.

One of the injured suffered a graze wound in the shooting on Frelinghuysen Avenue, near Van Vetchen Street, according to city Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose. None of the injuries were considered serious.

The gunfire was reported around 9 a.m.

Additional details were not immediately available.

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

Khalil Wheeler-Weaver has been indicted on charges in three killings and one attempted murder

NEWARK -- Ted Bundy. John Wayne Gacy. Jeffrey Dahmer. 'Son of Sam' David Burkowitz.

Criminologists say if the charges against 20-year-old Khalil Wheeler-Weaver turn out to be true, New Jersey will have a name to add to the list of America's serial killers.

Authorities allege Wheeler-Weaver, an Orange resident who worked as a security guard, killed at least three women, and tried to kill a fourth before he was arrested last year.

Though prosecutors have not used the term "serial killer" when levying charges against Wheeler-Weaver, experts said the allegations against him fit the definition of the term.

What we know about the killings

"I think this qualifies," Lawrence Kobilinsky, John Jay College's science department chairperson and a forensics expert, said of the case against Wheeler-Weaver.

The FBI's definition of "serial murder" has fluctuated, leading to a disagreement among experts about the minimum number of convicted murders needed to identify someone as a "serial killer." Many say three, while others argue two may be enough, especially in the case where a person was arrested before being able to carry out additional killings.

The definition has also often included components about time, saying that serial killers' murders are separate incidents that occur with time in between, distinguishing them from mass or spree killers who take multiple lives in a short span of time.

A person who shoots and kills four people during a robbery, for example, would not be considered a "serial killer," experts said. Though, official definitions have also backed off strict timing requirements, experts said.

An FBI report on serial murder defines it as the "unlawful killing of two or more victims by the same offender(s), in separate events."

The report also identifies common misconceptions about serial killers - that they are all white males, are all insane, and are all motivated by sex. Those generalizations about serial killers are often not true, according to the FBI.

Katherine Ramsland, a professor of forensic psychology at DeSales University in Pennsylvania, and an author of 46 books on the topic, said one of the most common myths about serial killers is that they focus on one type of victim.

"There are not always similarities," she said. Many serial killers "go for opportunities, or have a preferred type, but deviate from it."

The term "serial killer" had been used in Europe and in books before it was picked up by law enforcement officials in the United States, she said. The late FBI Agent Robert Ressler is most often credited with coining the term in law enforcement when investigating the Son of Sam murders in the 1970s.

Wheeler-Weaver is accused of killing three women in a three month span -- 19-year-old Robin West, of Philadelphia, in Orange on Sept. 1; Joanne Brown, 33, in Orange on Oct. 22; and Sarah Butler, 20, of Montclair, on Nov. 22. He is also accused of attacking and sexually assaulting a fourth woman in Elizabeth in November.

When announcing an 11-count indictment against him Monday, prosecutors alleged "Wheeler-Weaver's interactions with the victims were of a sexual nature."

Serial killings many times "have to do with some type of sexual motivation," Kobilinsky said. The allegations suggest "there is some sexual overlay here," he said.

If convicted, Wheeler-Weaver would not be the first New Jerseyan to be called a "serial killer." 

The most notable include Charles Cullen, a nurse who admitted to killing up to 40 patients, the "Torso Killer" Richard Cottingham, who dismembered his victims' bodies, leaving only their torsos behind, and the never-identified "Eastbound Strangler," who is suspected in the killings of four women in Atlantic City.

Wheeler-Weaver has pleaded not guilty to the killings of Brown and Butler. Though she has not returned calls for comment since his indictment, his attorney has told reporters he should be "presumed innocent."

Wheeler-Weaver is scheduled to be arraigned on the new charges against him on March 13. He remains in jail on $5 million bail.

Which players and teams had big nights on Opening Day of the state tournament?

Be sure to keep an eye on these 11 girls basketball sectional quarterfinals.

Gun recovered at the scene, according to police spokesman.

UPDATE: Fugitive arrested, gun recovered after pursuit, N.J. cops say

BLOOMFIELD -- Two people were arrested and a gun was recovered after a chase started in Newark, passed through several Essex County towns and ended in Bloomfield Wednesday afternoon, authorities said.

Police earlier on Wednesday chased a Mercedes-Benz SUV in Newark, Belleville, Irvington and East Orange, according to authorities. The vehicle eventually stopped along the Garden State Parkway, near Montgomery Street and John F. Kennedy Drive, in Bloomfield.

Officers from the State Police, Essex County Sheriff's Office, Bloomfield and Newark police converged on the blocks around Montgomery and Walnut streets.

'Selfless' cop thanked by suspect after frigid river rescue (VIDEO)

Bloomfield police spokesman Ralph Marotti confirmed officers made two arrests and turned the suspects over to Newark police.

A Bloomfield officer was seen leading a handcuffed man to a police cruiser. A police dog from the sheriff's office was also working at the scene. The damaged Mercedes-Benz was later loaded onto a flatbed truck.

The activity briefly snarled traffic on some local streets and along the northbound Garden State Parkway in the area.

Additional details were not immediately available.

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

Police released a sketch of the assailant Wednesday.

SOUTH ORANGE -- Police on Wednesday released a sketch of a man who reportedly attacked a Ward Place resident during a burglary at her South Orange home.

The resident was on the third floor of the house around 10:15 a.m. Feb. 22 when she heard noises on the second floor and went to investigate, South Orange police Chief Kyle M. Kroll said.

According to authorities, the resident said she discovered the assailant before he punched her in a "brief assault" and fled on foot.

Police learned the attacker got inside the house through a rear sliding door and was preparing to remove unspecified property, Kroll said in a statement on the department's Facebook page.

2 arrested after chase ends in Bloomfield, police say

The State Police Forensic Artist Unit developed a sketch of the man. Police described him as a black man, in his 30s, about 5-foot-9, unshaven and last seen wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and blue jeans.

Anyone with information was urged to call South Orange police Detective Lt. Brian McGuire at 973-763-3000, ext 7788.

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

Broadridge Financial Solutions, a spinoff of ADP, provides technical support services to financial institutions and investors, included electronic proxy voting

1,000 employees of Broadridge Financial Solutions will move to 2 Gateway Center in Newark, from 2 Journal Square Plaza in Jersey City, company officials said2 Gateway Center 

NEWARK -- A global company that provides technical support for financial firms is moving 1,000 employees into Newark's Gateway Center complex from its current location in Jersey City, company officials said.

Broadridge Financial Solutions signed a 15-year lease on a 160,000-square-foot space at the 2 Gateway Center office tower, according to Broadridge's new landlord, C&K Properties, which operates 2 Gateway.

According to its website, Broadridge provides technical services for financial institutions and investors, including electronic proxy voting, with a workforce of 10,000 employees in 16 countries worldwide. Its services also include "communications, technology, managed services, data and analytics solutions to financial firms in capital markets, wealth management, asset management and corporate issuers across multiple industries," Broadridge states.

Other than the 15-year period, the terms of the lease were not disclosed.

A spokeswoman for C&K, Ashlee Blum, said Broadridge would be occupying space vacated mainly by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey about a year ago, following the agency's re-consolidation at the World Trade Center site of offices scattered by 9/11. 

Broadridge is a 2007 spinoff of Automatic Data Processing, or ADP, the payroll and business services firm that had been led by the late U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg before he became a senator. Until now, Broadridge has occupied space at 2 Journal Square Plaza, also known as the ADP Building, in Jersey City. 

While Newark has remained New Jersey's largest city by population, in recent decades, Jersey City has led its slight larger neighbor to the west in terms of job growth, particularly in the financial industry, with its close proximity to Manhattan just across the Hudson River. And while the Journal Square neighborhood is well off the waterfront, it also offers mass transit access to Manhattan via the Journal Square PATH station.

But the Gateway complex also has access to PATH trains, as well as NJ Transit and Amtrak service, via the nearby Newark Penn Station.

And in this case, Jersey City's loss appears to be Newark's gain.

Broadridge's move was applauded by Newark Mayor Ras Baraka.

"The fact that Broadridge Financial Services has chosen to put down roots in Newark and bring 1,000 jobs here is yet more evidence of Newark's growing attraction as an exciting and affordable place for business," Baraka said in a statement on Wednesday. "The Broadridge move to Newark underscores our resurgence and transformation."

A spokeswoman for Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop had no immediate comment on the move.

It was unclear what would become of Broadridge's old space at 2 Journal Square Plaza.

According to a 2011 story in Real Estate Weekly, the property was sold by Hartz Mountain Industries for $78 million to a pair of Israel-based companies, Phoenix Insurance and Menora Mivtachim Insurance. Officials at Hartz and the two insurance firms did not respond to requests for comment.

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

Three charter schools in Newark and one in Camden will close at the end of the school year. Watch video

TRENTON -- The state has ordered three low-performing charter schools in Newark and one in Camden to close at the end of this school year, bringing the total number of failed charter schools to 20 under the Christie administration. 

The three Newark schools -- Newark Prep Charter School, Paulo Freire Charter School and Merit Prep Charter School -- had all been on probation for academic problems. Upon further review, the state Department of Education decided to close the schools, it announced Wednesday. 

The fourth school, Camden Community Charter School, was slated to have its charter renewed this year. It was the only one of 22 renewal applications that got rejected and was denied because of poor academic performance, according to the state. 

"All New Jersey public schools, which include charter schools, must be held to a high standard in order to ensure that all of our children receive the quality educational experiences they deserve," Acting Education Commissioner Kimberley Harrington said. "These decisions reflect this Administration's continued commitment to hold low-performing charter schools accountable." 

Feds investigating N.J. charter school

Jeff Kwitowski, a spokesman for K12 Inc., which provides curriculum and school programs for Newark Prep, said the school had already fixed some problems highlighted by the state and was working to correct others. 

"School officials had multiple conversations and several site visits with department officials over the past couple months, and no indication was given that the department was planning to close the school," Kwitowski said. "This has come as quite a shock."

Amanda Vega-Malinowski, communications director for the New Jersey Charter Schools Association, said the group would support the schools slated for closure. 

"While it is disheartening to see any child's education be disrupted, charter schools are opened to provide a high-quality, performance-based education to every student," Vega-Malinowski said. "Closure is the ultimate test of accountability."

The closures were announced along with the rejection of all four applications for new charter schools that had made it to the final round of consideration. However, the Christie administration also approved the expansion of 22 existing charter schools, adding hundreds of new charter school seats across the state. 

A school choice advocate, Christie has described charter schools, which are public but operate separately from traditional school districts, as "salvation for families," especially those in urban districts. He's set goals for expanding charter school enrollment and proposed a charter school deregulation plan currently pending before the state Board of Education. 

Though Christie often praises charter schools for outperforming public schools, his administration had already closed 16 charter schools prior to Wednesday. New Jersey began this school year with 88 charter schools. 

The expansions approved Wednesday came after many charter schools made a push to win approval before Christie leaves office. 

Karen Yi contributed to this report. 

Adam Clark may be reached at adam_clark@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on twitter at @realAdamClark. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Basim Henry is the first of four men to stand trial on murder charges in the 2013 slaying of Dustin Friedland during a carjacking at The Mall at Short Hills.

NEWARK -- Jury selection has begun for the first of four men to stand trial in the 2013 slaying of a 30-year-old Hoboken attorney during a carjacking at an upscale Essex County mall.

Basim Henry, 36, faces murder, felony murder, carjacking, conspiracy and weapons offenses in the death of Dustin Friedland, who was fatally shot on Dec. 15, 2013 during the theft of his Range Rover at The Mall at Short Hills.

Essex County sheriff's officers on Tuesday ushered roughly 100 jurors into Superior Court Judge Michael L. Ravin's Newark courtroom for attorneys to begin selecting the group that will ultimately decide Henry's guilt or innocence.

Friedland, 30, was rushed to Morristown Memorial Hospital following the shooting but died of his injuries.

Authorities have said Henry, who has a previous federal conviction for bank robbery, was linked to the carjacking via the getaway vehicle, a Chevy Suburban court documents said was registered to his mother's significant other.

What you need to know about the trial

Friedland's widow is currently pursuing a lawsuit against the mall's owners, who her lawyer has alleged were negligent in their security practices.

Three other suspects -- Hanif Thompson, Karif Ford and Kevin Roberts -- will be tried separately, according to the county Prosecutor's Office.

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

The delays were reported up to 20 minutes

8:10 a.m. UPDATE: Trains are running with 30 minute delays

NJ Transit trains on the Morris and Essex line are running with delays in both directions Thursday morning due to a downed tree on overhead wires.

Debris on overhead wires delays 3 lines

Trains are about 20 minutes behind schedule between Millburn and Hoboken/New York, the transit agency said. The downed wire was reported west of the Mountain Avenue Station.

Tree has been removed from wires on #MorrisEssex, service remains up to 20 min delayed btwn Millburn-NY/HOB as crews finish repairs to wires pic.twitter.com/bL7UbzyJnd

-- NJ TRANSIT (@NJTRANSIT) March 2, 2017

March into March for the latest installment of 'This Month in N.J. History.'

Time marches on - in fact it marches right into March for the latest installment of 'This Month in N.J. History."

Once again, we take a look at events, anniversaries and people who helped shape the Garden State and, in many cases, the country and the world.

MORE: Vintage photos around New Jersey

If there are dates you don't see on our timeline but believe should be remembered, let us know in the comments section.

And, be sure to enable captions for the gallery so you can read all the information associated with each day in New Jersey history.

Here are links to previous "This month in N.J. history" galleries:

February     January     December

November     October     September

August     July

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

Our list of the top NJSIAA wrestlers, compiled with the help of NJ.com readers

Its first opened this week in Newark.

NEWARK -- New Jerseyans may be unfamiliar with Wok to Walk. Most of the Asian fast casual dining chain's 70 locations are in Europe, Asia, Africa, and South America.

But, the eatery is expanding in the U.S., first with three locations in Manhattan, and now with one in the Garden State.

"We're excited to be opening in Newark," Wok to Walk's President Elliott Ramos said. "And, looking forward to sharing our food with the community."

The location at 695 Broad Street - part of the Shoppes on Broad, which also includes Starbucks, Blaze Pizza, Grabbagreen, and Qdoba - is one of at least a dozen the company plans to open throughout New Jersey over the next three years.

7 trendy eateries a sign of success in Newark

The state's second Wok to Walk, on Washington Street in Hoboken, is slated for a May opening.

The company has not released information about where other future locations might be, but representatives of Ripco Real Estate, the firm that brokered the Newark deal, said the eatery is in the midst of "strategic site selection for its New Jersey expansion and is actively seeking sites between 900 to 1700 square feet throughout the state."

Wok to Walk, which opened its doors in Newark Tuesday, offers a mix of freshly-prepared Asian foods that customers mix and match as they choose (think the Chipotle model, but with a different cuisine).

Minus the lines that have crowded the new place this week, the take-out process is quick, with food going from being prepared in the wok to walking away with customers in only a few minutes.

"We see Wok to Walk as a terrific solution for getting tasty healthy food, cooked quickly and fresh to order, in a comfortable setting," said Alison Horbach, the Ripco agent who brokered the Newark deal.

"New Jersey being the most densely populated state with very strong office markets should be an ideal place for them to expand."

Wok to Walk opened during an busy week for downtown Newark, with the long-awaited Whole Foods supermarket opening on Broad Street Wednesday.

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

The girls basketball Top 20 got a makeover as the county tournaments give way to states.

Two men face charges.

NEWARK -- A Newark man, who escaped from state authorities and is suspected in multiple violent crimes in the city, was arrested after a pursuit that spanned five Essex County towns, police said Thursday.

Authorities last week issued an alert for Rajahn Smith, 22, and identified him as a suspect in shootings and robberies in Newark.

Police caught up with Smith Wednesday afternoon after they learned he was seen driving a stolen Mercedes-Benz SUV near South Orange Avenue and 9th Street, according Newark Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose.

Detectives saw Smith inside, but the SUV took off near the Bradley Court housing complex, police said. A chase ensued in Newark, East Orange, Belleville, Bloomfield and Irvington, according to authorities.

In Bloomfield, police said Smith and a teen abandoned the SUV on the northbound Garden State Parkway, near Exit 150.

Essex County Sheriff's officers, State Police and Newark officers swarmed the blocks near Montgomery and Walnut streets in Bloomfield Wednesday afternoon.

'Selfless' cop thanked by suspect after frigid river rescue (VIDEO)

As backup converged on the area, Bloomfield police officers arrested Smith and the teen in the SUV, police said. The teen was identified as Kenyon Esannason, 19, of Newark, authorities said. Officers were seen leading a handcuffed man away on Montgomery Street.

Bloomfield officers recovered a handgun at the scene, a police spokesman said. There were no reported injuries from the chase.

Esannason faces charges of receiving stolen property and unlawful possession of a weapon for having the handgun, Ambrose said. Smith was charged with escape.

Authorities previously said Smith escaped while being transported by state Human Services police between facilities in Trenton. Details on the alleged escape were not immediately available.

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

Residents gathered in the East Ward Wednesday night to discuss Newark's sanctuary city policy.

NEWARK -- Hoping to allay fears in the community, Newark officials met with residents Wednesday night to assure them the city would support its immigrant population amid tougher enforcement policies promised by President Trump. 

"We in Newark are never going to stand by the President and the things he's trying to do with immigration," Mayor Ras Baraka told a packed room at the Mediterranean Manor in the East Ward. "We are not going to stand by it."

Baraka said Newark was committed to remaining a sanctuary city despite Trump's executive order threatening to cut federal funding for jurisdictions that limit communication with federal immigration officials. 

There's no legal definition for sanctuary cities but they are generally considered jurisdictions that limit their cooperation with immigration agents. Newark does not to comply with federal requests to hold undocumented inmates in jail, unless the detainer request is accompanied by a judge's order. 

4th N.J. county reportedly seeks to join feds on immigration enforcement

"Our job is not to go after undocumented immigration, our job is not to enforce federal law, our job is to enforce city ordinances and state law," said Newark Police Capt. Adolph Perez Jr. "Nothing more, nothing less."

More than 100 residents packed the roughly two-hour meeting, expressing fears of being torn from their children or being returned to countries they no longer know. 

One young undocumented immigrant who received a work permit and temporary protection from deportation under President Obama, said she wasn't sure whether she should renew her permit under Trump.

"I'm scared," said told the standing-room-only crowd. 

Others asked what they should do if U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) came to their door. 

"They have no right to enter your house unless they have a warrant signed by a judge," said Anibal Romero, a Newark lawyer. "If immigration gives you a piece of paper, you don't have to sign it, tell them you want a judge to hear your case."

Perez was clear that Newark police was not working with ICE and rumors of checkpoints around the city were false. He urged residents to use the department as a resource if ICE agents come knocking. 

"If someone knocks on the door and they are claiming that they're ICE, you can call us. That's why we're there," Perez said. 

But the city acknowledged ICE could enforce federal immigration laws with or without the help of local officials. While local police can decline to participate, they cannot stop any actions. 

"If ICE comes to the city of Newark and decides to do a raid, we don't have the right to stop them," East Ward Councilman Augusto Amador said.

Police and city leaders reiterated that local law enforcement officers do not and cannot ask residents walking down the street for their immigration status. However, those who commit a crime will be arrested and are processed according to the law.  

"If somebody commits a crime, they're going to be arrested for that crime," Baraka said.

The city also encouraged residents to sign up for the municipal ID program which allows all residents -- regardless of immigration status -- access to the library, public pool and other city amenities. Since the program launched in 2015, 11,700 have signed up. 

Rosa Pizarro, an undocumented immigrant, said the meeting helped quell residents' fears and rumors spreading around the community.

"We need more opportunities to ask questions," she said. "We need to stay in communication."

Another community meeting is planned next month but the date has not been finalized. 

Karen Yi may be reached at kyi@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter at @karen_yi or on Facebook.