Dawud Ward, 23, has been charged with burglary 10 times but was released from county jails twice this year.

ELIZABETH -- How many burglary charges does it take to be held in jail in New Jersey?

Dawud Ward, 23, of Plainfield is about to find out.

Dawud Ward, 23, of Plainfield (Essex County Department of Corrections)

Ward just racked up his 10th burglary charge in New Jersey since last fall. Eight of those charges came this year after the state's new bail reform law came into effect.

Ward's most recent arrest came in Maplewood, Feb. 22, his third arrest this year. In both of his previous arrests, which occurred just three days apart in January, Ward was released from jail by judges in Middlesex and Union counties.

Ward's releases have frustrated officers at several of the eight police departments that have worked to arrest him.

In South Plainfield, Det. Joe Indano called it ridiculous.

"When we saw he'd been released in Middlesex County and then again in Union County, the reaction was just, 'You've got to be kidding me,'" Indano says. "Here's a guy we caught in the act, and we figured let's see how it plays out with the new law. And sure enough, he's released. What does it take to keep this guy locked up?"

In Mountainside, Lt. Joseph Giannuzzi said he was one of the officers who caught Ward in the act and removed him from the bedroom of a home.

"It's crazy," Giannuzzi said about Ward's releases. "I guess burglars are not deemed a threat under the new law, but to me they are still a threat to the public. They have no idea if someone is home. How long will this go on before he encounters someone and becomes violent?"

Under the new bail reform system, instead of cash bail, judges use a rating system and other tools to determine the level of danger or flight risk of defendants when deciding whether to have them held in jail to await trial.

The Union County and Middlesex County prosecutor's offices declined to comment on Ward's arrests or releases.

Ward had another detention hearing in Union County Friday afternoon, where a judge will decide whether he should be held or released yet again.

Here is a timeline of Ward's alleged criminal activities and how his charges unfolded:

Virginia, 2014: Ward, then 21, is charged in four burglaries with receiving stolen goods, breaking and entering with the intent to commit a felony and five counts of grand larceny. He ultimately pleaded guilty to three counts of grand larceny and two counts of breaking and entering. Whether Ward served jail time in Virginia is unclear.

Mountainside, Sept. 2, 2016: Police say Ward committed two burglaries, and was caught by officers in the bedroom of the second house. Police say Ward was also seen casing a home on Aug. 24, when a resident called to say a man was looking in her windows. Ward was charged with two counts of burglary, two counts of theft and two counts of criminal mischief. He was held in the Union County Jail on $135,000 bail, but made bail and was released sometime in October, police said. The charges remain pending.

Scotch Plains, Dec. 14, 2016: Police respond to a burglary at a home on Raritan Road, where someone entered through an unlocked side door and took coins and jewelry. Police said they also had two calls that day in the same area of a suspicious person knocking on doors, soliciting money and inquiring about landscaping work. Police would later connect Ward to these incidents.

Cranford, Dec. 29, 2016: Police respond to a Riverside Drive home, where a rear door was pried open and the homeowner saw a man walk out from behind her house. When she encountered him, he asked if a certain person lived at the home before leaving, the police report said. The report says the homeowner, becoming concerned, was able to take a photo of Ward's car, which she turned over to police. Police would later connect Ward to this burglary.

Watchung, Jan. 5: Watchung police respond to a burglary on Hillcrest Road, that they would later connect to Ward.

Cranford, Jan. 10: According to a police report, Cranford Detective Spencer Durkin, believing Ward to be the suspect in the Dec. 29 Cranford incident, formed a task force with detectives from Scotch Plains, Cranford, Westfield, Mountainside, Watchung, Hillside, New Providence, Berkeley Heights and the Somerset County Prosecutor's Office. Durkin also receives approval to put a tracking device on Ward's car.

Morris Township, Jan. 11: Morris Township police respond to a burglary that they would later connect to Ward.

Scotch Plains, Jan. 12: Scotch Plains police respond to Sleepy Hollow Lane where they say the homeowner said he heard his doorbell ring, but he did not answer assuming it was a delivery person, according to a police report. The report said the homeowner heard someone coming up the stairs to the second floor of his home and saw a man in front of him. When asked what he was doing, the man, who would later be identified as Ward, replied "Sorry, [redacted] texted and said to just come inside." The homeowner told Ward to leave, which he did, and called the police.

South Plainfield, Jan. 13: South Plainfield police say Ward burglarized a home on May Avenue and was caught in the act by officers. Ward was in possession of burglar tools, gloves and a garbage bag, police said. He was charged with criminal attempt, burglary, possession of burglar tools, four counts of possession of a controlled dangerous substance and possession of drug paraphernalia. 

Middlesex County court, Jan. 17: A Middlesex County Superior Court judge denies the Middlesex Prosecutor's Office motion to keep Ward detained and he is released. At this time, Ward's criminal record only included the Virginia, Mountainside and South Plainfield burglaries, as he had yet to be charged in the Cranford and Watchung burglaries.

Scotch Plains, Jan. 19: While under surveillance by the task force of detectives, the tracking device on Ward's car showed him to be in the area of Clydesdale Road. Police responded and found a burglary has been committed after someone cut the screen to a porch and pried open a door. Ward would later confess to this burglary, police say.

Cranford, Jan. 20: Three days after his Middlesex release, Ward is arrested in Cranford after being caught in the act of another home invasion burglary, police said. Cranford police said an off-duty detective saw a suspicious person exiting a Locust Drive home with what later was determined to be proceeds from a burglary. At this point, Cranford police also charged Ward in the Dec. 29, 2016 burglary. Police said Ward confessed to the burglaries. While he was in custody in Cranford, multiple other departments interviewed Ward to connect him to burglaries in their towns but it took several days for some of those charges to be filed.

Union County court, Jan. 21: After his Cranford arrest, Ward has another detention hearing this time in Union County Superior Court. Several charges for burglaries in January were not yet filed. He is again released.

Middlesex County court, Jan. 26: After Ward's Union County charges, prosecutors in Middlesex County file motions to rescind his release in that county. The following day, a judge approved the motion and issued a bench warrant for Ward's arrest. Authorities and Ward's public defender said they were unable to reach Ward for that hearing. He did not appear in court.

Scotch Plains, Jan. 26: Scotch Plains police, after interviewing Ward while he was under arrest in Cranford on Jan. 20, connect him to the burglaries on Dec. 14 and Jan. 19 in their town and file charges.

Watchung, Jan. 27: Watchung police charge Ward with burglary, theft, criminal mischief and disorderly persons charges for the Jan. 5 burglary in their town.

Scotch Plains, Jan. 30: Scotch Plains police, after interviewing Ward while he was under arrest in Cranford on Jan. 20, connect him to the burglary on Jan. 12 in their town and file charges. 

Linden, Feb. 17: Linden police respond to a residential burglary on the 600 block of Ercama Street. A woman told police she awoke to find a man looking through her drawers. "The man then placed a pillow over her face and covered her head with a blanket as he pressed an object into her side and told her to remain quiet or he would kill her," the police report said. He stole a safe box containing passports and $8,000 in cash and jewelry. Police developed and released a forensic sketch seeking the public's help to identify the burglar. They would later connect Ward to this crime.

Maplewood, Feb. 22: Maplewood police respond to a call about two men - which they say turned out to be Ward and an accomplice - acting suspicious and ringing doorbells at homes in South Orange and Maplewood. The pair fled from police when they were spotted, but were both apprehended, Maplewood police said. Ward was charged with obstruction, hindering apprehension and possession of drugs. Maplewood police said he was found with crack cocaine and suspected heroin. Ward also was found with women's jewelry, cash and a cell phone, police said. They said detectives are attempting to identify if those items are proceeds from a burglary, but so far Ward has not been charged with burglary in Maplewood.

Also on this day, Morris Township police charge Ward with the Jan. 11 burglary in their town.

Linden, Feb. 28: Linden police charge Ward with robbery, burglary and terroristic threats in the Feb. 17 incident.

Union County court, March 3: Ward has another detention hearing, where a judge will decide whether he should be held or released yet again.

Jessica Remo may be reached at jremo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @JessicaRemoNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Luis Pacheco, of Paterson, was convicted of attempted murder and four other charges in the August 2014 incident.

NEWARK -- A Paterson man was convicted Friday of trying to kill a Newark pawn shop employee during a robbery while her 2-year-old grandson watched. 

Luis Pacheco (Courtesy of Essex County Corrections)

An Essex County jury found Luis Pacheco, 32, guilty of attempted murder, robbery, terroristic threats, endangering the welfare of a child and criminal restraint in the Aug. 22, 2014, incident that prosecutors said made the pawn shop employee beg for her life. 

"Don't kill me," Assistant Prosecutor Jason Alterbaum said the woman exclaimed. "Take whatever you want. Please don't kill me."

Alterbaum said during opening arguments of the trial in state Superior Court that Pacheco, of Newark and Paterson, attacked the woman when she and her grandson returned to the Broad Street shop after leaving to buy candy next door. 

When the woman opened the door to the store's office, Pacheco cornered her, choked her, tried to snap her neck, dragged her from room to room and repeatedly punched her in the face. He told her to "die" as she begged him not to kill her, prosecutors said.

The woman's grandson cried and screamed as he watched the attack, prosecutors said. Pacheco took about $500 and some other items, and he left the woman bloodied. Authorities brought her to University Hospital. 

Pacheco's DNA was found on a glass pipe that became a key piece of evidence at trial.  

"The victim in this case showed extraordinary courage and strength, both in the way she handled herself during the attack and her willingness to come forward and testify at trial," Alterbaum said in a press release announcing the guilty verdict. "Her strength and resolve is nothing short of remarkable in this case, in which the defendant displayed a callous disregard for her life and the well-being of her young grandson."

Alterbaum said Pacheco has eight prior felony convictions and could receive an extended prison term at his sentencing on May 8. 

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

Man suffered life-threatening injuries, according to prosecutor's office.

VERONA -- A Verona woman was killed and her brother was critically injured after they were hit by a car while they stood on a sidewalk in the township Friday, officials said.

Megan E. Villanella, 34, of Verona, and her 30-year-old brother were struck by a 2006 white Mitsubishi near Lakeside and Pease avenues around 7:45 a.m., acting Essex County Prosecutor Carolyn A. Murray and Verona Police Chief Mitchell Stern said in a statement.

Villanella was pronounced dead at the scene, authorities said. Her brother, who authorities did not identify, was listed in critical condition at University Hospital in Newark.

The driver, a 25-year-old Belleville man, stayed at the scene, according to authorities. He has not been charged as of Friday afternoon.

Officials said more information would released as it became available. Police referred questions to the prosecutor's office.

Lakeside Avenue was closed earlier on Friday from Bloomfield Avenue to Cunningham Drive in West Orange. Police said the roadway has since been reopened.

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

Newark Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose said it was too early to provide official information about the incident. Watch video

NEWARK -- One person is dead after a pickup truck caught fire on the Elizabeth-Newark border Friday afternoon.

Responders at the scene would only confirm that there was one fatality. The incident took place around 3 p.m. behind a warehouse at 1111 Jefferson Avenue.

A witness to the crash, Jose Monteiro, who lives nearby, said he heard a loud bang while outside his home smoking a cigarette and saw the pickup had struck a utility pole.

"I look to my left, and I see tires spinning," Monteiro said. "Then I start seeing smoke. Then I ran up the street to try to see if somebody was in the car, but by the time I got halfway up, the car was in big flames. ... Couldn't do nothing."

Monteiro said he wasn't sure how fast the car was going and said he didn't see it drive past his home.

A white sheet was hung over the driver's side window of the pickup truck. A car parked next to was also consumed by the flames.

Newark Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose said it was too early to provide official information about the incident and would not confirm the fatality.

Jessica Remo may be reached at jremo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @JessicaRemoNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

A Bergen County doctor is one of 31 physicians accused of taking bribes in exchange for referring patients to a blood lab.

NEWARK -- A doctor received more than $200,000 in bribes, was treated to lavish dinners and got his mistress a job in exchange for sending his patients blood samples to a specific laboratory for testing, a federal prosecutor told a jury Friday.

The doctor, Bernard Greenspan, "put the desire for money ahead of his patients," Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Minish told a jury is his summation at Greenspan's trial in U.S. District Court in Newark.

Defense attorney Eric Kanefsky, Greenspan's lawyer, countered that the doctor had run his Saddle Brook practice as a successful business, and said there was no evidence his client referred patients to the Parsippany-based Biodiagnostic Laboratory Services in exchange for any remuneration.

Greenspan, 78, is one of 31 physicians charged in a multi-million dollar kickback scheme involving patient referrals to Biodiagnostic Laboratory (BLS), which has since been ordered to forfeit its remaining assets. Federal officials said BLS collected millions in medicare payments and paid some of the money to the physicians who referred patients for blood tests.

During the three-week trial before U.S. District Court District Judge William H. Walls, two brothers, BLS president David Nicoll, and Scott Nicoll, testified against Greenspan, explaining how they entered into a conspiracy with the doctor to get the blood samples in exchange for kickbacks.

Both brothers have pleaded guilty to charges in the wide-ranging bribery and testified in the trial as cooperating federal witnesses.

Greenspan has been charged with three counts of violating the anti-kickback law, as well as three counts of wire fraud and other allegations.

In court Friday, Minish said David Nicoll first approached Greenspan in 2006 with a suggestion that BLS pay to rent space in the doctor's medical office building and provide a phlebotomist to collect blood tests.

Minish said BLS barely used any of the office space, but paid rent even as Greenspan kept increasing it, demanding more money. In 2010, when a new law prohibited laboratories from renting space in doctor's offices, BLS began paying Greenspan a monthly fee as a consultant, the federal prosecutor said.

He said BLS also paid for expensive Christmas parties for Greenspan and his office, and gave the doctor's mistress a job at the blood laboratory. The woman was later fired, in part for smoking marijuana while working, Minish said.

Kanefsky countered that Greenspan never hid his association with BLS and that before entering an into agreement with the laboratory, he had his lawyer approve a formal agreement.

Greenspan received payments for rent and consulting fees, not for referrals to the laboratory.

"He got payments. That's not a crime," the defense attorney said.

Minish, however, said the agreement approved by Greenspan's lawyer was an attempt to cover-up the scheme, and is proof of the conspiracy.

The jury is expect to begin deliberations in the case on Monday.

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

kickbacks 

Inmates screened for disease after one confirmed case, according to officials.

NEWARK -- Officials said Friday they are taking precautions and temporarily stopped visits at the Essex County Correctional Facility in Newark after an inmate tested positive for chickenpox this week.

Medical staff screened 250 inmates in four units at the Doremus Avenue facility with 98 of those deemed to be at-risk, according to county officials. A blood test confirmed one inmate had chickenpox Wednesday night and there were signs another could have the contagious disease.

"We are being very cautious," said Philip Alagia, chief of staff at the Essex County Executive's Office.

Alagia said the jail's design allows officials to keep inmates separated in different clusters of cells, called pods. Chickenpox is not uncommon at the correctional facility and the latest case did not meet state guidelines to be considered an outbreak, he added.

'Selfless' cop thanked by suspect after frigid river rescue

"We have a very detailed protocol that we follow...we test everyone," Alagia said. "We have had to initiate this protocol a handful of times over the past few years for chickenpox."

Staff were also able to provide the chickenpox vaccine and monitor inmates for 21 days before another dosage, officials said. No inmates were being kept in solitary confinement because of the illness.

Corrections officers and civilian staff who are at risk for chickenpox were assigned to other areas of the approximately 2,400-bed jail, according to officials.

Essex County Department of Corrections Director Director Alfaro Ortiz said he expected business to resume normal operations by Monday with visits going ahead as scheduled Wednesday.

Chickenpox is "very contagious" and causes tiredness, fever and itchy blisters, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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

In an effort to protect their American-born children, many undocumented immigrants are applying for U.S. passports to prove the legal status of their kids.

ELIZABETH--The line at the Union County Clerk's office sometimes stretches out the door and down the hallway.

Parents wait patiently, clutching identification papers and birth certificates with raised seals, while their kids fidget. Nearly all are there for one purpose--to get  a government document that can prove beyond question that their sons and daughters are Americans.

They line up to get U.S. passports. 

Across the state, hundreds of immigrant parents with American-born children--many with a growing fear of possible deportation because of President Donald  Trump's tough stance against anyone here illegally--have been applying for passports to prove their kids have a right to be in this country, officials say.

Union County Clerk Joanne Rajoppi said since January the passports applications she has seen have come "overwhelmingly" from parents without U.S. citizen status, on behalf of kids who were born here.

"In January 2016, I did 782 passports," she said. "In January 2017, I did 1,646--more than double."

Some see it as a golden ticket.

"If you look at a small child, how do you prove it's the child named on a birth certificate--there's no photo and no fingerprints," observed Joyce Phipps, an immigration lawyer from Bound Brook and head of Casa de Esperanza, a nonprofit group serving immigrants and refugees. "A passport is positive identification that they are U.S. citizens."

A floodgate

On Thursday morning, a steady stream of people came into the clerk's office on the first floor of the Union County Courthouse in Elizabeth, most with children in tow. Crayons and passport coloring books were laid out to keep the children entertained. Workers in Rajoppi's office said they processed 29 passport applications from 7:30 a.m. until just after noon.

A week earlier, they processed 81 passport applications and had to open the doors to make room for everyone waiting in line.

"It was a floodgate," Rajoppi said.

Among those waiting on Thursday morning was a 23-year-old undocumented woman from El Salvador who only identified herself by her initials, W.G., for fear of being targeted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

In an interview conducted in Spanish, she said she wanted her son to finally get his passport before he starts school because the document would serve as proof that the boy should be allowed to stay in the country should immigration agents come knocking.

"My country is not in the condition to give my son a good education," she said, adding that her son would stay in the U.S. if she is sent back. "I'm not going to take away his opportunities. I prefer he stay here."

As her 3-year-old son ran around the clerk's office tugging on other children's shoes, she filled out his U.S. passport form. She already has a family member who has agreed to care for her son if she gets deported. "If something happens to me, I can't do anything," she said. "It's not easy."

More want to become U.S. citizens

Patricio, 33, an undocumented immigrant from Ecuador who also declined to give his full name, said said many of his neighbors were trying to get their kids' paperwork in order as a precaution, in case they are deported.

"I'm worried with everything that is happening," he said. "We have a whole life here." He has two boys, ages 4 and 2, who are both U.S. citizens and sat sipping on Capri Sun juice boxes and munching on Skittles as they waited.

Patricio, who said he works in construction, said a lot of people are trying to get up to date with their passports, just in case. "That way the kids can travel if something happens--the parents won't be here to do the paperwork."

Another visitor to the office who came with her husband and two children, had only one word when asked why she was getting passports for her American-born girl and boy.

"Trump. It's because of what's happening with Trump," she said, also in Spanish. "We want everything to be in order."

Nationwide, U.S. State Department officials say passport applications have been surging for reasons in addition to the immigration crisis. They attribute those numbers to a wave of renewals for passports issued a decade ago, when the country mandated a need their use for travel to and from Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean.

Millions of people acquired 10-year passports and those now are all about to expire. Last year, the Department of State said it issued 18.6 million passport books and passport cards, and expects 21.1 million passport applications will be received in fiscal year 2017.

Questioned about immigrant parents applying for passports on behalf of their kids, an official said on background that the State Department does not track applications in such a manner, but "encourages all parents to document their children with a passport right after they are born and establish their citizenship and identity."

Rajoppi said the jump in passport renewals--which can be done by mail--are only a small part of the picture she is seeing.

"There is a 10-year cycle and we expected that this year. But these numbers don't represent that," she said. "I can see who is here. These people are frightened. They're confused. They are attempting to protect the status of their children."

While she doesn't ask questions beyond proving who they are, she sees the passports of the parents.

Workers in her office last Thursday saw parents with passports from Mexico, Guatemala, Peru, El Salvador and Honduras, all applying on behalf of their kids.

"Their fear is palpable..."

The story was similar in Essex County, where County Clerk Christopher Durkin said the number of passport applications for those 16 years of age and younger have soared by 34 percent in the first two months of 2017, compared to the same period last year.

"In meeting with people coming into our office seeking assistance, their fear is palpable. It is on their faces. It is in their words," declared Durkin.

In Middlesex County, officials said the total number of passport applications for January and February of this year totaled 1,356, nearly double the 748 applications processed by the county clerk's office during the same period a year ago.

It takes 4-6 weeks for the passports to be processed and sent back in the mail. (NJ Advance Media graphic)

The clerk's office said it could not comment on the reason for the increased volume.

Hudson County also said its numbers were up, with applications for minors increasing by 53 percent in the first two months of the year, compared with the same period of time in 2016. "A lot of families with children," noted Janet Larwa, the Hudson County Deputy Clerk.

But she said her office does not ask why they are seeking passports. "We're not here to judge them or police them," she said.

Durkin has noticed some people are coming into his office seeking any government document, whether that be a passport, marriage license, or to be sworn in as a Notary Public.

"The feeling is that this may have a safeguarding effect," he suggested.

Even legal residents apparently want the added backup of additional documentation.

Olmedes Ortiz, 59, of Elizabeth, a U.S. citizen who emigrated from Colombia, been in the U.S. for 25 years. While he already has a passport, he applied to get a wallet-sized passport card as well.

"It gives me more security," he explained, adding that if he's stopped by immigration, he can show them an ID that proves he's a citizen. A driver's license, he said out, doesn't note one's immigration status.

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

Jim Varga, a retired Elizabeth police officer, was killed in a car crash and fire on Friday afternoon.

Retired Elizabeth police officer Jim Varga. (Submitted photo)

ELIZABETH -- The man who was killed when his pickup truck crashed and caught fire Friday afternoon was a former police officer.

Jim Varga, a former Marine and Vietnam veteran, served on the Elizabeth police force before retiring two years ago, said retired Elizabeth Police Chief, Pat Shannon.

Elizabeth officers and firefighters responded to the scene of the car fire Friday afternoon, just over the Newark border behind Jefferson Avenue.

A witness said the pickup crashed into a utility pole and caught fire.

The Essex County Prosecutor's Office has not released an official statement about the incident.

Shannon said Varga was an outstanding police officer who loved his job and was highly respected by both the community and by other police officers. Varga retired two years ago, Shannon said, but remained active with the police department by running the Toys for Tots program each year at Christmas. 

"He will be greatly missed," Shannon said.

Condolence messages have also been posted  on social media.

John Fallon, who said he has known Varga for 15 years, said the two met while playing in a local amateur pool league.

"Jim was a kind man with a sharp sense of humor," Fallon said. "Since I began playing in the American Poolplayer Association, he always had a suggestion on how to improve my ability but not only for me but for anyone on both teams. He was always a strong supporter of a variety of fundraisers especially anything involving the Marine Corp. He was a good friend and will be missed. My heart goes out to his family, friends and all those who knew him."

Jessica Remo may be reached at jremo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @JessicaRemoNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

City officials, the police division's independent federal monitor and New Jersey Institute for Social Justice hosted the first of five community surveys on Saturday to understand the community's perception of police and use the feedback to measure progress.

NEWARK -- City residents aired their frustrations and highlighted their hopes for the Newark Police Department on Saturday, filling out surveys as part of an effort to launch a community conversation around reforming the police force. 

About 20 residents trickled into the Training, Recreation, and Education Center on Ludlow Street in the afternoon, quietly filling out a questionnaire about their perceptions and interactions with police and where they'd like to see change.

The surveys are part of reforms agreed to in the consent decree between the city and the Department of Justice after a 2014 federal probe uncovered civil rights abuses by police. The review found a "pattern or practice of unconstitutional policing," in the Newark police, including illegal stops and arrests, and excessive force. 

"The entire community could benefit from a sort of asset-based interaction between young people and officers, meaning it is not in reaction to something bad," Robert Clark, executive director of the nonprofit Youth Build Newark, said after he filled out his survey. "There needs to be more opportunities for police/community interactions that are not negative."

The surveys were organized by city officials, the police division's independent federal monitor and New Jersey Institute for Social Justice. Saturday was one of five opportunities residents will have to fill out the surveys. They will also be available online at www.newarkpdmonitor.com.  

Two neighbors who declined to give their names because they said feared for their safety, said their biggest concern was not enough policing in their South Ward neighborhood to curb drug deals on the streets. 

"It's getting worse, it's not getting better," said a 60-year-resident after filling out her survey. "Every time you don't clean up the drug dealers, it's ruining the quality of life for everybody. It's not right."

Naazir Jackson, 35, a firefighter who also runs the Rising Stars Youth Academy, said the city's push to hire police officers who live in Newark is a good step and helps establish an immediate link between the officer and the community. "(Neighbors) will say 'I remember him,' when he was little; they're proud," he said. "It helps a lot."

The city has 1,052 sworn police officers and 297 civilians.

Police officers were also surveyed late last year during their training on the consent decree and more than 600 other Newark residents, representing a sample size of the city, were surveyed by phone. Business owners, students, recent detainees and commuters will also be surveyed, according to the federal monitoring team. 

"There's no one community, there's groups of community. We wanted to capture the full spectrum," said Michael Buchanan, a member of the federal monitoring team .

He added the surveys were a way to capture a snapshot of the police department's relationship with the community and see how those perceptions change -- or don't change -- over the next five years of reform. 

The results of the surveys will be released throughout the year in the federal monitor's quarterly reports. 

"The police are making themselves open to feedback and we as residents have to take responsibility for giving it," said Khaatim Sherrer El, 35.

Community survey events will take place the next four Saturdays:

• March 11: Bethany Baptist Church, 275 West Market Street, Noon to 2 p.m.
• March 18: West Side Park Community Center, 600 South 17th Street, Noon to 2 p.m.
• March 25: Ironbound Community Corporation, 25 Cortland Street, 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.
• April 1: La Casa de Don Pedro, 23 Broadway, 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.

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

Police say 61-year-old man robbed by two men in the West Ward.

(Photos: Dept of Public Safety) 

NEWARK -- Two Newark men were charged in the gunpoint robbery of a 61-year-old man in the city's West Ward, authorities said Friday.

City police witnessed Farrod R. Baker and Bernard Bogar fleeing from the scene of the robbery around 5:30 a.m. Wednesday near South 16th Street and 15th Avenue, Newark Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose said in a statement.

Officers found Baker had a loaded .40 caliber handgun when he was arrested, according to Ambrose.

The men, both 24, were charged with robbery and conspiracy. Baker faces added weapons-related charges.

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

Former Port Authority chairman David Samson faces sentencing Monday in the shakedown of the largest airline at Newark Airport over a flight that made it easier to get to his estate home in South Carolina. In court filings, prosecutors offered new details on how he wielded his influence.

Khalil Wheeler-Weaver has been indicted on charges of killing three women and attempting to murder a fourth.

ORANGE -- The trip from Philadelphia to an abandoned home in Orange last year was probably the hardest one Lee West said he will ever have to make.

The father, who said he works as a police officer and assistant pastor, made the 90-minute drive to see the burned, vacant home on Lakeside Avenue where his 19-year-old daughter Robin's remains had been found.

"We had to just be close to that place," said West, who came to Orange with Robin's brothers. "It was just important for us to be there and to see it."

Lee's daughter, who lived in Philadelphia but often traveled to Essex County, was reported missing on Aug. 31, 2016. Authorities say they discovered human remains in the empty Orange home when firefighters responded to a blaze at the property on Sept. 1. It took several weeks to identify those remains as West's, they said.

"Our hearts are broken," Lee West said. "She loved her family. She was just a caring and giving person. She had a smile that could light up a room."

After months of suspicion that West's death might be linked to those of two other women killed in Essex County late last year, authorities Monday announced charges against 20-year-old Khalil Wheeler-Weaver, of Orange, in her murder. Wheeler-Weaver has been indicted on charges alleging he killed three women - West, 32-year-old Joanne Browne of Newark, and 20-year-old Sarah Butler, a college student from Montclair - and attempted murder of a fourth woman.

"It was just hard," West said of finding out that his daughter might have been only one of the victims of an alleged serial killer. "It's hard to even know what to say."

What we know about the 3 slayings

Authorities have released only a few details about the killings. All three women were reported missing. Browne's body was found on Dec. 5 inside a vacant house on Highland Avenue in Orange. Butler's was found on Dec. 1, buried under leaves and debris at the Eagle Rock Reservation in West Orange.

The indictment against Wheeler-Weaver also indicates he has been accused of taking a woman from Elizabeth to an undisclosed location on Nov. 15, torturing and sexually assaulting her. The 34-year-old woman survived the attack, authorities said.

Wheeler-Weaver has pleaded not guilty to the killings of Browne and Butler, and is scheduled to be arraigned on the additional charges against him on March 13.

Lee West said his family has never met Wheeler-Weaver, and he still does not know many of the details surrounding his daughter's death.

"Our biggest question is why," he said. "And, also...why was my daughter set on fire? Why did he go that far with her?" West pointed out that his daughter was the only one of Wheeler-Weaver's alleged victims whose remains were destroyed.

Robin West's other family members, including her mother, two step parents, five brothers and one sister, could not immediately be reached for comment. They are all still trying to recover from her tragic end, Lee West said.

"It's just so senseless."

Lee West said his family is now preparing for another tough trip back to Essex County, this time to see the man accused of killing his daughter.

"We are just trying to get our minds set for March 13," West said of Wheeler-Weaver's anticipated arraignment.

"I don't know what I would say to him. ... I'm not quite there yet, at that forgiving stage."

Staff reporter Noah Cohen contributed to this report.

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

Unofficially, it's New Jersey's state meat.

In some parts of New Jersey, it's referred to as pork roll, but in other areas it's known as Taylor Ham. And, those who hail from areas outside of the New York metro or Delaware Valley regions likely don't have a name for it at all.

If you're from New Jersey and you eat meat, it's a safe bet that you've tried pork roll, or, if you prefer, Taylor Ham. And whether you enjoy it on a roll or a bagel with egg and cheese or on a plate as a "side," you've probably gotten funny looks if you've tried to order it anywhere else in the country.

Pork roll on a breakfast sandwich with egg and cheese has long been a standard portable breakfast in New Jersey. Star-Ledger archive photo 

Unofficially, it's New Jersey's state meat.

John Taylor, a Hamilton Township native, is said to have invented it in 1856, but an old pamphlet from Taylor Provisions, the Trenton-based company that makes the meat, traces packed minced ham to the Revolutionary War.

George Washington Case of Belle Mead came up with his own recipe in 1870 and that eventually became the Case Pork Roll Co.

Three companies in Mercer County produce the bulk of the product sold - Taylor, Case and Loeffler's Gourmet. A handful of smaller companies make a similar product, but none are located farther west or south than eastern Pennsylvania.

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

 

Livingston High School student named a Distinguished Finalist.

LIVINGSTON -- Livingston Senior High School sophomore Avika Bansal was named a Distinguished Finalist for New Jersey in the 2017 Prudential Spirit of Community Awards.

The award was created in 1995 by Prudential and the National Association of Secondary School Principals to honor middle- and high school students for their outstanding community service.

Bansal was recognized for organizing drives that have collected 5,000 pairs of shoes, 1,000 pounds of food and toiletries for those in need since 2009.

Bansal was among six students from New Jersey to be named Distinguished Finalists. Also honored were, Kate Atschinow of Highland Park, Sharwani Kota of Edison, Renita Zaparde of Plainsboro, Nastassja Kuznetsova of Basking Ridge and Jordyn Cascone of Hamilton Square. Each received an engraved bronze medallion. Two students, Bradley Ferguson of Northfield and Kierstyn Kuehnle of Ocean City, were named State Honorees and received a $1,000 award, an engraved silver medallion, and a trip to Washington, D.C., for the national recognition events.

To submit school news send an email to essex@starledger.com.

Adam Pally, best known for 'Happy Endings' and 'The Mindy Project,' stars in Fox's new time travel comedy 'Making History'

Actor and comedian Adam Pally is talking earnestly to a fellow reporter as I elbow my way to his side at a cocktail party at the Television Press Association's winter press tour in Pasadena in January. 

His eyes wander to my chest, but this is purely professional: He's checking out my badge, and when he sees The Star-Ledger, he breaks into a huge grin. This usually only ever happens to me at press events populated by former "Sopranos" stars and/or Joe Piscopo.

"You guys wrote about me getting arrested!," he says, with more delight than seems warranted by such an admission.

But that, apparently, is pure Pally, who has specialized in shaggy lovable frat dudes on "Happy Endings" (he played a gay bro) and "The Mindy Project" (a gynecologist bro), and who he has described himself as being so laid back that he's "the closest you can get to Matthew McConaughey while still being Jewish."

The New York-born but Livingston-raised Pally is starring in Fox's new time travel sitcom "Making History," which debuts Sunday. He plays Dan, the slacker facilities manager at a small Massachusetts college who discovers a duffel bag that can transport him to Colonial times -- stay with me here -- and where, with the help of some Celine Dion lyrics and many hams, he comes into his own and woos Paul Revere's daughter (Leighton Meester). 

But their relationship threatens American history as we know it, so he enlists the aid of history professor Chris (Yassir Lester) to help navigate the era. It's goofy, absurdist comedy from Phil Lord and Chris Miller, the team behind Fox's "The Last Man on Earth" and "Son of Zorn," and "The Lego Movie."

"Making History" is one of three time travel shows new to broadcast TV this season, along with NBC's  "Timeless," which recently wrapped, and ABC's "Time After Time," a light thriller based on the 1979 book and movie, and which also premieres Sunday.

The suddenly crowded genre didn't give Pally any pause. "I don't think that stuff matters," he said. "There's a billion cop shows. There are five different shows about different government jobs in Chicago. Who cares? It's funny." 

But Pally does get serious for a moment when he's asked about what era he'd like to time travel to. "I can't stress this enough," he said. "Me, Yassir and Leighton Meester -- a woman, a Jew and a black person. I don't want to go anywhere. The only place I want to travel to is America, 2008 to 2016. Anywhere else is a horribly dangerous time for women and minorities, and we're about to enter into another one. For me, why would a Jew want to go anywhere in history? I'm only going to have to run."

Pally's father is an osteopathic internist in Florham Park and his late mother managed his practice, although his parents started off in show biz, touring the Borscht Belt as the singing duo Pally and Pal before turning to more conventional careers. His father is, of course, a big fan, but also an honest critic who often visits his son on set, "and he does not keep his opinions to himself."

Pally recalled: "I remember one scene, I came off the set and I sat down and I thought I was doing a good job, but he turned to me and he said, 'Tone it down.' It's so hard to hear that from your dad, but he was right. He was 100 percent right."

Was that just for that particular scene or in general?

"I think he means in my life," Pally cracked, "but I used his advice for that scene."

Pally graduated from Livingston High School (he married his former high school sweetheart, with whom he has two young children), and attended the University of Arizona before transferring to New York's New School.

He went on to perform and teach at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater, wrote, directed and starred in a series of shorts and landed small acting roles (Young Hollywood Douchebag in "Californication" is one) before joining "Happy Endings." The show developed a cult following -- and particularly Pally's Max, as unstereotypically gay as can be without actually being a cast member of "Duck Dynasty" -- but was canceled in 2013 after three seasons.  

He credits Mindy Kaling, the creator of "The Mindy Project," for "breathing a second life into my career" with the role of Peter Prentice, a fellow obstetrician and initially Mindy Lahiri's antagonist who later becomes her supportive wingman. He also appeared in 2016's "Dirty Grandpa," with Robert DeNiro and Zac Efron and the indie comedy "Joshy," and co-starred in Zoe Lister-Jones' "Band Aid," about a married couple who forms a band in lieu of therapy. it debuted earlier this year at the Sundance Film Festival, and IFC Films picked up distribution rights. 

In 2014, he also formed Clone Wolf Productions, whose projects include the offbeat ABC digital talk show "A Little of Your Time with Quinn Marcus." He met Marcus when she interviewed him on "Happy Endings" and "Mindy" for MTV-U and he thought she deserved a shot at her own show.

"Adam has a real talent, a genuine talent for assembling his friends in configurations that they might not have even thought of, that are greater than the sums of their parts," said Neil Casey, a longtime friend and fellow performer at the Upright Citizens Brigade who now plays Sam Adams on "Making History." "He is really great at shepherding them into existence, which is sort of an unsung talent."

I never did get to the bottom of Pally's criminal past -- our archives turned up nothing except a photo of a floppy-haired Pally in a Chandler Bing-esque bowling shirt hitting up three young ladies at the Heritage Middle School dance at the East Hanover Ramada in 1996.

I tweeted that photo to the actor, and he responded within minutes, and without a trace of embarrassment: "hell yeah what a young king"

"Making History" premieres Sunday at 8:30 p.m. on Fox. 

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. 68: 'When We Rise' is worth watching, but are you?

Newark police said a total of four fire sprinklers -- which cost $1,000 apiece -- have been vandalized at the Municipal Arrests Processing Section since it opened in January.

NEWARK -- Prisoners being held at the city's new municipal jail caused roughly $2,000 in damages to fire sprinklers in the building this week alone, according to police.

Felipe Soares (left) and Kensly Simeon. (Newark Department of Public Safety)

Officers responding to a reported sprinkler activation Saturday at the Municipal Arrest Processing Section found Felipe Soares, 18, of Kearny, had vandalized the sprinkler in his cell, according to a statement from Newark Public Safety Director Anthony F. Ambrose.

Police said Soares, who was being held in connection with a burglary arrest early Saturday morning, has been charged with criminal mischief in the vandalism incident.

A second sprinkler was also damaged this week, and police said that a total of four have been vandalized since the jail opened in January. The sprinklers cost about $1,000 a piece, police said.

Another 18-year-old man, Kensly Simeon of Newark, previously was charged with criminal mischief Feb. 24, following a similar sprinkler vandalism incident, according with police.

Authorities said the two sprinklers damaged this week alone cost the city $2,000 in repairs.

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

A 35-year-old man was fatally struck by a NJ Transit train early Sunday morning, officials said.

SECAUCUS -- A 35-year-old man was fatally struck by a NJ Transit train early Sunday morning, officials said. 

A Long Branch bound North Jersey Coast line train that departed from New York at 1:01 a.m. struck the man east of the Secaucus station, spokeswoman Penelope Bassett said. 

The victim, a Newark resident, was seriously injured and brought to Jersey City Medical Center where he died a short time later, she said. 

The crash remains under investigation. The victim's name has not been released pending notification of his family, Bassett said. 

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

Jack Brandon and Sam Joslyn earn the Boy Scouts' highest honor.

Troop 12 Boy Scouts Jack Brandon, left, and Sam Joslyn at their Eagle Court of Honor.Bob Beinish 

MONTCLAIR -- Jack Brandon and Sam Joslyn, members of Boy Scout Troop 12, were honored last month at an Eagle Court of Honor for earning the Eagle Award, the Boy Scouts' highest honor.

To earn the Eagle Award, a Scout must be active with a troop, earn a minimum of 21 merit badges, assume a position of leadership within a troop and complete a service project that benefits the community.

For his project, Brandon made improvements to the Bellevue Avenue entrance to Brookdale Park. Brandon's project included planting a garden in front of the park's sign and removing low hanging brush and invasive species from around the sign.

"I planted variety of flowers and plants," said Brandon. "We then mulched and separated the garden with stones. What made the largest impact of the project was clearing the back area of the sign where invasive plants species grew. We didn't just beautify the garden but we also ensured healthy growth and a better view from the street into the park." Brandon is a junior at St. Peter's Preparatory High School in Jersey City.

Joslyn designed and built four wooden, mobile bookcases for Toni's Kitchen, a food ministry of St. Luke's Episcopal Church in Montclair. The project included sanding and painting the shelves, and stacking the shelves with the more than 200 books he collected through a book drive.

"Many guests like to read but aside from a book cart the kitchen did not have many books or means to store books," said Joslyn. "There were flooding conditions in the facility so the bookcases need to be mobile." Joslyn is a junior at Montclair High School.

The Scouts were honored at a ceremony held Feb. 10 at St. James Episcopal Church in Montclair.

To submit scout news send an email to essex@starledger.com.

23-year-old Omar Clowers is charged with aggravated assault and weapons charges, after authorities said University Hospital officials alerted police to the shooting

Omar ClowersNPD 

NEWARK -- A 23-year-old Newark man was arrested in connection with a shooting on Saturday, after authorities said hospital officials contacted police when the victim sought treatment.

It was about 3:40 p.m. on Saturday, when police responded to University Hospital in Newark on a call about a 20-year-old male who had sought treatment for a gunshot wound, Newark Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose announced.

Ambrose said the man received treated and remained in stable condition on Sunday.

An investigation by detectives from the Newark Police Major Crimes Shooting Response Team pointed to Omar Clowers, who was tracked down and arrested on West Market Street, Ambrose said. Ambrose said Clowers was found in possession of a .380 caliber handgun.

Clowers was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, unlawful possession of a weapon, and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, Ambrose said.

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

Traffic is backed up into Hillside

NEWARK -- An overturned dump truck on Interstate 78 in Newark is backing up traffic in the area.

A dump truck overturned on Interstate 78 in Newark on Monday morning. 511nj.org 

The truck flipped over in the eastbound local lanes near exit 56 (Elizabeth Avenue) in Newark, according to 511nj.org, the state Department of Transportation's traffic website. 

Delays have reached 10 to 15 minutes as of 6:20 a.m as the right lane is closed.

Traffic is backed up to exit 54, Winans Avenue in Hillside, as of 6:20 a.m., Sigalert.com said. 

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