The officer, the councilman's ex-girlfriend, is accused of rear-ending his Nissan Xterra twice and side-swiping it once after he dumped her by email on the day of her promotion.

NEWARK -- South Ward Councilman John Sharpe James described for an Essex County jury Thursday how his ex-girlfriend, an Irvington police officer, chased him down the streets of Newark and struck his SUV three times after he dumped her by email in January 2015.

Wearing a tan suit and bright blue tie, James, 48, told the jury that Monique Smith -- who had been promoted that day to the rank of captain -- rear-ended his Nissan Xterra twice and side-swiped it once with her Honda Accord as she raced from his Pomona Avenue apartment building to his father's home on Wilbur Avenue to confront him over the breakup.

"I called my parents' house because it was six blocks away -- because I knew I couldn't make it to the police precinct," he said.

Once he made it to the house, he went inside as his father, former longtime Newark mayor Sharpe James, intervened with Smith, he said.

"My father put up his arms to block her from getting close to me," the younger James said. He said that inside the house, he could still hear Smith saying, "'I loved your son ... mayor James, I want to be with your son."

In opening arguments before Superior Court Judge Michael L. Ravin, Assistant Prosecutor Cheryl Cucinello told the jury that the public jobs held by Smith, John Sharpe James and his father weren't relevant to their decision.

Attorneys said the elder James will testify at trial as a prosecution witness.

"Ladies and gentlemen: titles, positions -- that's not what this case is about," said Cucinello, representing the state along with Assistant Prosecutor Carlo Fioranelli. "This case is about the defendant using her car as a weapon."

Smith is charged with two indictable offenses: unlawful possession of a weapon and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose. A charge of aggravated assault was dismissed prior to trial.

She also faces disorderly persons offenses to be decided by the judge, including criminal mischief resulting in damage of $500 or less to James' SUV.

Smith, who at one time headed the Irvington Police Department's internal affairs division, was suspended following her arrest in the case.

She has since turned down a plea agreement that would likely have seen her sentenced to probation on a charge of fourth-degree criminal mischief, and would have required her to give up her police job.

James told the court that three days before the Jan. 5 breakup, he and Smith -- who had been staying with him -- had an argument that led to his decision to end the relationship, which had begun in late October 2014.

Having experienced too many arguments in too short a period of time, he said, "it was a relationship I did not want to continue."

After sleeping on the couch that night, he left his condominium that weekend and asked the landlord to change the locks, he said. He later placed her belongings in an unlocked shed at her home, and after sending her an email ending the relationship, sent her a text telling her to check her email.

When James returned to his condominium to pick up the new keys, he stopped to talk to a friend outside his building. That friend, Owen Benson, testified Thursday that James suddenly told him he had to go, before driving off toward Lyons Avenue with a woman following in another car close behind.

Cucinello framed James' actions as "an attempt to avoid all confrontation," which she said Smith nonetheless brought to the situation when she drove to his building that day.

Documents: Email breakup prompted incident

Defense attorney Steven Altman, joined by his son Joshua Altman in representing Smith, told the jury it was rare for him to stand up in opening arguments and say he agrees with what the prosecution just said.

"But I do," he said. "Most of what (Cucinello) said is true."

What her arguments didn't cover, Altman said, is the significance of that day in the life of Smith, who he said had been planning to celebrate her promotion with James.

On the day of the promotion, he told the jury, "Monique doesn't hear from John, except for a text message that says: 'read my email.'"

Whether Smith's attempts to get an answer from James and to profess her love for him constitute harassment will have to be decided by the court, he said.

While surveillance footage from city streets does show her following James in her vehicle that day, Altman said, it doesn't show contact between the vehicles.

"What we intend to show is that nothing happened -- that there was no contact (consistent with damage)," he said, telling jurors the prosecution won't be able to satisfy 12 of them at the end of the trial.

The trial is expected to resume Wednesday.

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

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

Veterans demanded immigration authorities release an Afghan man who helped the U.S. military abroad from detention.

NEWARK -- A group of veterans, attorneys and immigrant rights advocates on Thursday demanded immigration authorities release an Afghan man who helped American troops abroad, and came to the U.S. fearing for his life. 

The man, who is only being identified by his first name Abdul, was detained at Newark Liberty International Airport last month when he arrived with a special immigrant visa reserved for those who risk their lives for the military.

Advocates held a vigil outside the Peter Rodino federal building in Newark, hours before the 25-year-old's Friday morning immigration hearing when his attorney will request his release. 

"We will fight for Abdul, we will fight for anyone who has sacrificed so much alongside of us so that we could achieve our dreams," Troy Mack, a former army chaplain and a professor at Fairleigh Dickinson University said before a crowd of about 40 people holding "Free Abdul" signs. 

Abdul's attorney, Jason Scott Camilo, said he plans to ask immigration officials for a "humanitarian parole request" that would allow Abdul to leave the Elizabeth Detention Center while a judge hears his asylum case. 

Camilo said parole requests were normally granted under the Obama Administration but a February memo by Department of Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly outlined changes that could make it harder for such requests to be granted. 

Camilo said he doesn't expect immigration officials to decide whether to release Abdul on Friday. 

Abdul worked at a dining facility on a military base in Kabul since 2012 and was targeted by the Taliban for his work, his attorneys said.

He was on his way to Ohio on his special immigrant visa when his attorneys say U.S. Customs and Border Protection held him for 28 hours in Newark airport and coerced into signing a voluntary removal order that waived his right to enter the country.

A federal appeals court stopped his imminent deportation hours before he was scheduled to board a plane back to Afghanistan.  

Camilo said he's now working to restore Abdul's special immigrant visa while also seeking asylum -- a case that could take years to resolve. 

"What happened to Abdul is wrong. Customs and Border Protection is overstepping their bounds," said Jeanne LoCicero, deputy legal director with ACLU-NJ, which is helping Abdul.

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

After a rocky year, Essex County College hopes to move forward with a new leader.

NEWARK -- Essex County College may soon have a new leader. 

The college's nine-member search committee on Thursday named three finalists to succeed A. Zachary Yamba, acting president and president emeritus. Yamba replaced President Gale Gibson, who was fired last April by the Board of Trustees. 

The three finalists are Utpal Goswami, of Missouri; Tony Munroe of Illinois and Paula Pando of New Jersey. 

Calvin Souder, chair of the search committee and vice-chair of the Board of Trustees, said people from across the country applied for the position. The committee picked three finalists and will recommend a final candidate. It'll be up to the Board of Trustees to make the final decision in May and negotiate a salary.

"At the end of the day, we were looking for a dynamic leader who could deal with the various facets of running a community college," Souder said. 

The college is emerging from a rocky spring semester when 22 of its employees, including Gibson, were let go. It has since pushed to increase enrollment and re-establish morale in the institution. 

"Within a year, we've managed to stabilize," Yamba said, adding that picking a new president would help the college rebuild. "Morale has come back up but not where I think it should be. We're still facing challenges and it's going to take more than a year to rebuild everything that needed to be rebuilt. The institution is hopeful, optimistic."

The presidential search comes as the Middle States Commission on Higher Education -- the group that accredits area colleges -- has requested additional documents from Essex County College regarding enrollment, resources and leadership. 

Yamba said the college had until September to submit additional information but the college remained accredited.

State investigators also subpoenaed the school for financial and procurement records mostly pertaining to its athletic program. Yamba said he had not heard from the investigators since. The status of the investigation is unclear.

The finalists include:

• Utpal Goswami is the president of Metropolitan Community College - Maple Woods in Kansas City, Missouri. During his time there, he's implemented initiatives around dual enrollment and prioritized diversity and student outcomes. He previously worked as the vice president of instruction and the interim president at the College of the Redwoods in California. He has a phD in economics from Southern Methodist University
• Tony Munroe heads his own consulting company which helps higher education and health care institutions. He is a visiting assistant professor in the Department of Sociology at DePaul University in Chicago. Previously he worked at the City Colleges of Chicago where he helped construct a new campus and led efforts to boost enrollment. Munroe holds a doctorate in education from Teachers College at Columbia University. 
• Paula Pando works at Hudson County Community College as the senior vice president, North Hudson campus. She oversees enrollment, student services, online education and campus safety. During her time there she has overseen enrollment growth and promoted inclusiveness and transparency among faculty leadership. She holds a doctorate in education from Rowan University. 

The finalists will interview on campus from April 10 to 12. The public is invited to attend three public forums on April 10, 11, and 12 at 3:30 p.m. to hear from each of the candidates. 

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

The children were treated at a hospital after the accident and released, police said.

NEWARK -- Police say stepped-up patrols have improved safety conditions at a busy city intersection where three children were hit by a car while walking to school last month.

The kids were walking near the intersection of West Kinney and Howard streets at 7:50 a.m. on March 22 when they were struck by a car, according to Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose.

The three brothers ages 3, 4, and 8 were treated for injuries at University Hospital and released, police said. At the time, authorities said the driver of the car remained at the scene and was given a summons for failure to yield to the pedestrians.

A crossing guard was on duty at the time of the crash, but Ambrose said city police have upped traffic patrols in the area.

The city has put two signs up at the intersection, one warning drivers of the 25 mph speed limit, and the other saying "Watch for Pedestrians," police said.

The department has also stationed an officer and radar car at the intersection on school days, Ambrose said.

Since March 23, police have issued 165 tickets at the spot, including 84 for speeding, three for failure to yield to a crossing guard's paddle, and 78 other moving violations, Ambrose said.

The department is also working to get the intersection studied to see if the city could add speed bumps or a traffic signal there, authorities said.

Driver was on heroin in strike that killed pregnant pedestrian, authorities say

"There has been a noticeable decrease, both in the number of speeding summonses issued and in the severity of the speeding and other moving violations since implementing these additional enforcement tools," Ambrose said.

"We will continue taking steps to ensure traffic safety and will expand these efforts throughout the city as needed."

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

Authorities are looking for a person who allegedly stole a woman's wallet on Ferry Street.

NEWARK -- Police are searching for a suspect who stole a woman's wallet inside a restaurant on Ferry Street. 

Newark Police say the person swiped a wallet from a woman's purse on April 4 around 2 p.m.

No further details on the incident were released. The alleged theft remains under investigation. 

Newark Public Safety Director Anthony F. Ambrose asks anyone with information on the person pictured in the surveillance video to call Crime Stoppers at 1-877-NWK-TIPS (1-877-695-8477). 

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

NEWARK -- Patrons hang out at Barone's Bar on Market Street in Newark in this photo from the 1940s. If you would like to share a photo that provides a glimpse of history in your community, please call 973-836-4922 or send an email to essex@starledger.com. And, check out more glimpses of history in our online galleries Thursdays on nj.com. Greg...

NEWARK -- Patrons hang out at Barone's Bar on Market Street in Newark in this photo from the 1940s.

If you would like to share a photo that provides a glimpse of history in your community, please call 973-836-4922 or send an email to essex@starledger.com. And, check out more glimpses of history in our online galleries Thursdays on nj.com.

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

 

The confidential information was related to the company's advances in flexographic printing plate technology, officials said.

NEWARK -- An East Brunswick man was arrested Friday on charges he stole about 20,000 confidential files from his employer to open a consulting business after his retirement, federal authorities said.

This file photo from February 2015 shows the entrance to the DuPont Co.'s Chambers Works in the Deepwater section of Pennsville Township. (Bill Gallo Jr. | For NJ.com)

Anchi Hou, 61, a retired employee of DuPont, was charged was theft of trade secrets after allegedly copying and stealing the files from the company's Parlin manufacturing facility, acting U.S. Attorney William E. Fitzpatrick said.

Hou is accused of stealing the proprietary information during the fall and summer of 2016, in advance of his December retirement, authorities said.

The files included formulas, data, and customer information related to developments in flexographic printing plate technology, an advanced form of printing, authorities said.

He allegedly took pictures in restricted areas of DuPont's plant, and transferred stolen files from his work computer to his personal computer, officials said.

Mob associates get prison time after selling cocaine to FBI agent

Hou admitted to DuPont executives he stole the data to help bolster a consulting business he formed in 2016 and planned to run after retiring, authorities said. The alleged theft was investigated by the FBI.

"Some of the stolen files include information that DuPont considers trade secrets developed by its employees over the course of the past 40 years and which are critical to its technical, economic, and business operations," authorities said in the release.

Hou, who is scheduled to make an initial appearance in federal court Friday, faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine if convicted of the theft of trade secrets charge, officials said.

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

State Police tried to stop the person driving a gray Ford Focus just before 8 a.m. as they got off Interstate 78 westbound in Newark

MIDDLESEX COUNTY -- A driver eluded State Police Friday morning after taking authorities on a 22-mile chase on the New Jersey Turnpike from Essex County into Middlesex, according to officials. 

The chase began when State Police tried to pull over the person driving a gray Ford Focus just before 8 a.m. as they both got off Interstate 78 onto the New Jersey Turnpike in Newark, Trooper Alejandro Goez said.

Troopers chased the car at various speeds as the driver refused to pull over while heading southbound in the truck lanes on the Turnpike, Goez said. 

The driver pulled off at Exit 9, and State Police called off the pursuit concerned about safety chasing the car in East Brunswick, according to Goez. 

State Police will continue to investigate the incident. It was not known why troopers tried to originally stop the driver on Interstate 78. 

Craig McCarthy may be reached at CMcCarthy@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @createcraig and on Facebook here. Find NJ.com on Facebook. 

Anthony P. Boffa, 48, of Hillsborough, was indicted on Thursday by a Hunterdon County grand jury for third-degree official misconduct and fourth-degree theft, Hunterdon County Prosecutor Anthony P. Kearns, III, said on April 7, 2017.

FLEMINGTON - A Hillsborough man employed as a public works supervisor in Hunterdon County has been indicted on charges stemming from the theft of gasoline, Hunterdon County Prosecutor Anthony P. Kearns, III, said on Friday.

Anthony P. Boffa, 48, of Hillsborough, was indicted on Thursday by a Hunterdon County grand jury for third-degree official misconduct and fourth-degree theft, Kearns said. Boffa has a prior conviction for theft from a municipality, according to court records and media reports.

An investigation by detectives from the New Jersey State Police Perryville Barracks revealed Boffa, a Bloomsbury public works supervisor, was stealing gasoline from the Bloomsbury Borough-owned gasoline pumps, Kearns said.

Ex-firefighter indicted in fire that destroyed barn

Boffa, arrested and charged on Jan. 22, is scheduled for a post indictment arraignment in Hunterdon County Superior Court on April 17.

Boffa was sentenced to one year of probation after being arrested in 2013 on charges of third-degree theft by deception while working for the Millburn Township Public Works Department, according to reports.

He gave landscaping products to a private landscaper that he had purchased through the township, according to the Essex County Prosecutor's Office.

A 25-year employee of the Millburn department, Boffa had purchased 85 bags of fertilizer and 112 bags of limestone worth $1,800, giving them to a landscaper in order to repay a personal debt, it was reported.

A 33-year-old man will serve three years in prison for trafficking two kilograms of cocaine by mail from Puerto Rico, acting U.S. Attorney William E. Fitzpatrick said

NEWARK -- A 33-year-old man will serve three years in prison for importing two kilograms of cocaine by mail from Puerto Rico, acting U.S. Attorney William E. Fitzpatrick said. 

Ramis Esteves, of New York, previously pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute cocaine before U.S. District Judge Claire C. Cecchi. He was sentenced to three years in prison and three years of supervised release on Thursday, Fitzpatrick said. 

Esteves accepted a mailed package containing cocaine and was arrested in Bergen County in March 2015, authorities said. He admitted working with Sasha Melendez, 38, of Bergenfield, to distribute the drugs. 

Melendez was sentenced to more than three years in prison in January on a charge of conspiring to distribute cocaine, authorities said. 

A request for comment from Esteves' attorney was not immediately returned. 

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

The East Orange man was charged with soliciting without a permit

TENAFLY -- A man allegedly talked his way into a Tenafly home by pretending to be a PSE&G worker Wednesday night, police said. 

Donald Hill, 37, of East Orange, rang the door bells of several homes, telling people who answered he could help lower their utility bills if they switched providers, Tenafly police said in a news release.

Man posed as utility workers in scam, cops say

One Hemlock Lane resident became suspicious and called police just before 7 p.m.

Hill, who didn't have PSE&G identification, was charged with soliciting without a permit and possession of marijuana. Additional charges might be filed, according to Capt. Michael deMoncada

All door-to-door for-profit solicitors in the borough are required to register with police and carry photo identification and a permit. 

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

One of the stars of "The Jersey Shore," Mike "The Situation," and his brother, were indicted Friday on additional tax offenses, authorities said.

NEWARK -- Reality TV star Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino and his brother, Marc Sorrentino, were slammed with new charges on Friday including tax evasion and falsifying records, authorities said. 

Michael Sorrentino, a breakout star of the MTV hit series "Jersey Shore," is charged with tax evasion and making multiple cash deposits to evade reporting requirements. His brother, Marc Sorrentino, is charged with falsifying records to obstruct a grand jury investigation, U.S. Attorney William E. Fitzpatrick and Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Goldberg said. 

The charges are in addition to a September 2014 indictment, in which the Sorrentino brothers were charged for tax offenses and conspiring to defraud the U.S. They both previously pleaded not guilty. 

In a statement, Michael Sorrentino's attorney, Henry E. Klingeman, said his client would plead not guilty to the additional charges "and will vigorously contest the allegations in court."

A call to Marc Sorrentino's attorney was not immediately returned Friday. 

Authorities said the brothers created businesses to cash in on Michael Sorrentino's overnight fame from the reality TV show which ran from 2009 to 2012. 

The duo, however, did not pay federal income tax owed on $8.9 million earned by Michael Sorrentino between 2010-12 and filed false tax returns, authorities said. The tax returns allegedly underreported net income and disguised payments made to the each of the brothers, the indictment says.

The companies named MPS Entertainment, LLC and Situation Nation Inc. made money off of celebrity appearances and product endorsements by Michael Sorrentino. Money from the business bank accounts were co-mingled with personal bank accounts, according to the indictment, and used to pay for personal items like high-end luxury cars and clothing.

Authorities additionally alleged Michael Sorrentino evaded his 2011 income taxes by not filing a personal return, filing a false return for Situation Nation and concealing his income. 

When his brother, Marc, was asked for records of the two companies in a grand jury subpoena, he allegedly falsified documents, changing taxable payments to himself into non-taxable payments, the indictment said. 

The brothers could face a maximum of five years in prison for conspiracy and three years in prison for aiding in the preparation of false tax returns. Michael Sorrentino faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison for each count of evading reporting requirements and five years in prison for the tax evasion count. Marc Sorrentino faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for obstruction. 

An arraignment is scheduled for April 17 before U.S. District Court Judge Susan D. Wigenton. 

Michael Sorrentino has had his share of legal woes. 

In July, 2014 he agreed to attend a 12-week anger management program as part of a plea deal to resolve a simple assault charge he faced following a dispute with his brother, Frank, at their family's Middletown tanning salon. 

One of his former attorneys also sued Sorrentino for nearly $30,000 in unpaid legal fees.

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

The 26-year-old was shot on Lenox Avenue, authorities said.

EAST ORANGE -- Authorities have identified the 26-year-old man shot and killed in the city Wednesday night.

Gregory McPherson, of East Orange, was shot in the 100 block of Lenox Avenue at 9:35 p.m. Wednesday, Acting Essex County Prosecutor Carolyn A. Murray and East Orange Public Safety Director Sheilah Coley announced in a joint release Friday. He was pronounced dead at 9:55 p.m., authorities said.

Investigators have not identified any suspects or motives in the killing.

The killing marks the second shooting homicide in East Orange this week. A 35-year-old man was shot and killed near Ashland Avenue and Prospect Terrace Monday.

The investigation into Wednesday night's slaying is ongoing, officials said. Anyone with information on the shooting is asked to call the Essex County Prosecutor's Office Homicide/Major Crimes Task Force tips line at 877-847-7432.

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

As much s $250,000 cannot be accounted for in CWA Local 1039 account, according to a published report.

CWA Local 1039 President Lionel Leach stepped down Thursday union officials pursue an internal investigation into possible missing funds. (CWA 1039) 

TRENTON -- The president of a local chapter of the Communications Workers of America has stepped aside amid an investigation into the disappearance of money from the local's coffers, a union representative confirmed Friday.

CWA spokesman Joshua Henne confirmed the local's President Lionel Leach has stepped aside while the investigation continues.

"Recently, Executive Board members of CWA Local 1039 -- one of CWA's 30 local unions in New Jersey -- notified the national union of allegations regarding the mismanagement of that local. CWA takes any allegation made by members very seriously," Henne said in a statement.  

"Based upon information provided, the National Executive Board has voted to place Local 1039 under the supervision of a temporary administrator and relieve the president of Local 1039 and the members of the local's executive board of their responsibilities," the statement said.

Local 1039 represents about 4,000 state employees in the central and south Jersey area who work for the departments of Community Affairs, Children and Families and Human Services and Health, the Juvenile Justice Commission and the State Parole Board. The union also represents private day care workers, and in 2015, he unionized about 400 taxi drivers in the Newark area.

While the internal investigation continues, the temporary administrator "will ensure that members are fully represented ... until such time as the union determines Local 1039 can or should supervise itself," according to the statement. "This fair process is regulated by both the CWA constitution and federal law. And we will follow it to the letter." 

Henne declined to answer questions regarding the probe.

Leach, 47, of Irvington, did not return a telephone call seeking comment.

Leach worked on U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez's and Gov. Jon Corzine's campaigns, according to his bio page.

Susan K. Livio may be reached at slivio@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @SusanKLivio. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.

The incident is being investigated by the Essex County Prosecutor's Office Professional Standards Bureau

NEWARK -- Authorities have identified the man shot and killed by police Thursday as 37-year-old Kenneth Francis, of Newark. 

Francis was shot by two Newark police officers in the 900 block of Hunterdon Street after 5 p.m., the Essex County Prosecutor's Office said. He was later pronounced dead at University Hospital. 

Officers arrived at the building on Hunterdon Street and Custer Avenue after someone reported a man with a shotgun, Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose previously told NJ Advance Media.

According to Ambrose, the officers saw the suspect entering a home with the weapon that he then raised and pointed it at them. Police ordered him to drop it, and when he refused, two officers fired, Ambrose said. The suspect also opened fire, the director said. 

No officers were shot in the incident, the prosecutor's office said. A loaded shotgun was recovered at the scene, Ambrose said.

"Thanks to a call from the community the officers involved were able to respond in time and find the suspect armed with a shotgun in the building, probably saving the lives of others," said James Stewart Jr., president of the Newark Fraternal Order of Police. "They acted as the professionals. They are under an extremely stressful, life threatening situation. I tip my cap to them and I'm happy to report they are all OK."

Residents in the area declined to comment on the shooting Friday. Employees in a nearby shop said they did not see the shootout.

Amirah Carden, 27, who lives near where the shooting occurred and was prevented from getting home as police blocked the streets Thursday, said violence is rare in the neighborhood. 

"It's sad it happened on this block because there's a school on this block. All you see is little kids walking up and down," she said. "This is a pretty decent area. It's quiet." 

The incident is being investigated by the Essex County Prosecutor's Office Professional Standards Bureau. Anyone with information may contact the bureau at (862) 520-3700.

Marisa Iati and Paul Milo contributed to this report. 

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

Wilson DeJesus Puerta-Ledezma was found dead in an apartment March 27

PATERSON-- An East Orange man was arrested Friday in connection with a stabbing that took the life of a city resident last month, Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes said in a statement.

Jose Soto (Passaic County Prosecutor's Office)  

Police were called to a basement apartment in the 200 block of 20th Avenue around 11 p.m. March 27. There they found the blood-soaked body of Wilson DeJesus Puerta-Ledezma, 52, who had been stabbed multiple times, authorities said.

On Thursday night, Jose Soto, 19, was arrested on unrelated charges in Woodland Park. Soto was charged in the fatal stabbing after Woodland Park police called law enforcement in Paterson, who conducted an investigation with the prosecutor's office.

Soto has been charged with aggravated manslaughter, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and unlawful possession of a weapon. If convicted, he faces up to 30 years in prison on the manslaughter charge alone.

The Passaic County Prosecutor's Office asks anyone with additional information about this incident to call the tips line at 1-877-370-PCPO or email tips@passaiccountynj.org. 

Soto is scheduled for an initial court appearance Saturday.

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

Jhamar Youngblood won a $50,000 grant from the city to develop an app that can protect women from sexual harassment and violence. Watch video

NEWARK -- It was a rainy day in March and Jhamar Youngblood was torn between wearing a red hat with a white letter B or no hat for his upcoming interview with a reporter.

He needed a poll -- quick.

Using his new app called Blastchat, he sent a push notification alert to his friends seeking advice. He instantly received 10 responses. The consensus? Hat on. 

There was no need to create a group text or have his friends filter through a feed of social media posts to see his message. It was direct and instant. 

"We're living in an information age so there's so much content out there," Youngblood, 29, said. He said his app allows users to "filter all of this content that's out there in the world" and focus on what you want to see and from whom. 

"We're giving everyone their own access to their own push notification," he said. "When you sign up, you know that you're going to be receiving the most important (ones)."

Youngblood, who grew up in Newark, launched the app in 2016 as a way to revolutionize how people communicate.

This year he's harnessed that idea to keep women safe. Youngblood won a $50,000 prize in Newark's largest city-sponsored hackathon focused on women's safety.  

Seth Wainer, chief information officer for the city, said there were seven finalists who were given months to design an innovative way to keep women safe. A panel of judges selected Youngblood's app idea, Blastchat Safety, as the winner. He will receive an initial $15,000 prize to launch his idea by June and $35,000 to maintain the product throughout the year. 

"We're creating ways for neighbors and residents to connect with each other," Wainer said.

Blastchat Safety, will be an additional feature on Youngblood's Blastchat app and allow women to send an instant alert to their friends or strangers in the area (who opt in for such alerts) when they're in trouble with information on their location.

The feature will also begin recording video if there's a need to provide any evidence to police. 

With the push of a button, women can notify others if they feel unsafe walking down the street or at home with an abusive partner, Youngblood said.

"My mother was a victim of physical abuse and if she had a product like this, just these alerts so I know she's in danger, maybe things could have ended differently," Youngblood said. "You have the ability to create your own family network, create a custom list of people that you want to send an alert to."

The new feature will be available in June. 

Changing the way we communicate

Youngblood graduated from Monmouth University and received his master's from Dartmouth University. He said he's had his share of failures that eventually led him back home to work to improve his city. 

He created his first company when he was an undergrad, but that fizzled. He later interned at a tech company in Boston, but was turned off by the lack of diversity. He eventually returned to Newark.

"After all the failures I had over the past decade ... me coming back to Newark and they're trying to grown the city as a tech hub, it just felt like perfect timing," said Youngblood. 

Blastchat has about 5,000 users -- including NBA Cleveland Cavaliers player Kyrie Irving -- and is available on iOS. 

Users can send a public or private "blast" and select which blasts they want to receive from others, whether that's friends, city government or companies.

Users can send pictures, videos, messages or share stories. Once you blast, your network will receive the blast in a push notification -- no sifting through Facebook feeds or continuous Tweets. 

Youngblood said posts made on more popular social media platforms are often only seen by a small percentage of followers. He said Blastchat cuts through unwanted content.

"Platforms that can filter the content for people, those are the platforms that are going to be really effective," Youngblood said. "There's no algorithms, it's you saying, 'I want this content as soon as it's available.'"

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

Soggy weather pattern has led to big improvements in New Jersey's drinking water capacity and drought conditions, but officials say the state is not yet out of the woods.

Just a few months ago, New Jersey was struggling with its worst drought conditions in more than a decade.

Now, thanks to a persistent weather pattern that brought more snow than usual in March and a series of drenching rain storms the past two weeks, the Garden State's drought woes are steadily washing away.

Large rivers like the Passaic, the Ramapo and the Raritan are building. Environmental officials say many of the state's biggest reservoirs are near capacity. And Mother Nature has been spitting out a steady dose of rain. 

"The situation has improved markedly over the winter and early spring as a result of soaking rainfall and snow melt," said Lawrence Hajna, a spokesman for the state Department of Environmental Protection.

"The reservoir systems are in very good shape, with some nearing 100 percent capacity," he added. "Most of the other indicators throughout the state are trending upward."

New Jersey's drought situation has made dramatic improvements during the past few months, as seen in these maps from the National Drought Mitigation Center. (Len Melisurgo | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com) 

Despite all the positive developments, the DEP still has a drought warning in place in 14 counties in northern and central New Jersey and a drought watch active in four counties.

Will those warnings and watches be lifted anytime soon?

Hajna said the DEP has not yet decided, but will weigh all the options next week. 

"We evaluate the drought indicators at the beginning of each week, so when we look at the indicators on Monday it will include all the rain" that New Jersey received during the past week, he said.

Some trouble spots

Although most reservoirs in North Jersey are faring well, ranging from 93 to 100 percent of their capacity, two large reservoirs in Central Jersey remain below average for this time of year, according to Assistant New Jersey State Climatologist Mathieu Gerbush at Rutgers University.

The Spruce Run Reservoir is currently at 65.6 percent capacity and the Round Valley Reservoir is at 71.8 percent capacity, Gerbush said.

Both of these reservoirs, located in Hunterdon County, are operated by the New Jersey Water Supply Authority and deliver about 241 million gallons of water each day to water utilities in Central New Jersey.

Photos: Awesome rainbow after big rain storm

Gerbush said stream flow is "well above normal" throughout the state, and groundwater conditions vary greatly by location but some sites remain well below normal. That, he noted, is not surprising because groundwater can take a while to respond after heavy rains.

State Climatologist David Robinson said New Jersey isn't completely out of the woods yet with its drought concerns, especially if the state goes through a long stretch of dry weather.

"The key in my estimation will be stream flow after a week or so of dry weather. If flows are near average, then we know groundwater has responded well and that last lingering drought indicator will be diminished or in many spots gone," Robinson said.

"Overall, however, the news is good," he added. "The rainfall of late, and earlier snow, has proved to be liquid gold."

Status of other reservoirs 

As of April 3, the overall water storage level of 12 of North Jersey's biggest reservoirs was at about 94 percent capacity, which is slightly above average for early April, according to state DEP data. 

Back in November 2016, the overall reservoir storage level was only at about 52 percent.

Here's a breakdown of the latest levels reported at each of the four major water suppliers in North Jersey:

• The Suez-NJ System, which has three reservoirs in Bergen County, is now at 100 percent of its capacity, after being down to about 60 percent in January and February, then up to 90 percent on March 31.
• The Newark Water Department's five reservoirs are now at about 95 percent of their capacity, after being down as low as 52 percent on Nov. 30, 2016. 
• The North Jersey District Water Supply Commission's two reservoirs are at about 93 percent of their capacity, after dropping to less than 50 percent in September, October and November last year.  
• The Jersey City Water Department's two reservoirs are at about 93 percent of their capacity, after dropping to less than 60 percent in November 2016.

Len Melisurgo may be reached at LMelisurgo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @LensReality or like him on Facebook. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

BOONTON - The rains may have stopped but if you take just a short walk off of  Main Street you can hear a roaring sound coming from the Boonton Gorge as runoff from recent storms crashes onto the rocks in the Rockaway River A mist fills the air at the base of the gorge where water swirls and foams...

BOONTON - The rains may have stopped but if you take just a short walk off of  Main Street you can hear a roaring sound coming from the Boonton Gorge as runoff from recent storms crashes onto the rocks in the Rockaway River

A mist fills the air at the base of the gorge where water swirls and foams in an oval shaped pool that at one time was a swimming hole. The town has banned swimming at the gorge since several people have lost their lives in the swirling pool.

The gorge is located just east of a six-foot dam at Grace Lord Park.

As the rushing water continues it's journey, it flows under a railroad bridge then passes under Route 287 before ending at the Jersey City Reservoir.

Robert Sciarrino may be reached at bsciarrino@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @SciarrinoRobert. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

St. Vincent and Arts had a slug-fest

St. Vincent scored 15 runs in the second inning and was trailing an inning later.

Arts had a 14-run third and scored 25 runs in the first four innings and it was not enough.

The teams played what could be the highest-scoring game in state history when St. Vincent walked away with a 37-28 victory in six innings Friday at Weequahic Park in Newark.

The National Federation of State High School Association's record book lists numerous games from around the country with 67 or more runs, but none of those involved New Jersey schools. The 65 runs scored by the two Newark schools might just be the state record. The national record for combined runs in a game is 95, according to the NFHSA.

Robert Nazaruk has been the coach at St. Vincent for 14 seasons and he said he has never seen a game quite like this.

"That was the craziest game I've ever been a part of in my life," Nazaruk said. "It was beyond wild. I've been here a while and never experienced something like this before. Never blown a 15-run lead and then come back after that. I've never had a team score that many or give up that many. Not even close."

The teams could have scored many more runs if they had played the seventh inning, but the coaches agreed the sixth inning would be the last because of darkness.

The teams combined for 39 hits, 21 by St. Vincent, with 36 walks.

"Both teams have some kids who can hit," Nazaruk said. "If you put some kids on base (with walks) too, you're going to score some runs. There was some good fielding too. It might not seem it with all the runs and hits, but there was."

The offensive display featured St. Vincent's Shenyd Umana, who had four hits, drove in five runs and scored three times, and A'Tanaya Lora, who went 4-for-7 with four RBI and five runs.

Katelyn Amaral added three hits with four RBI and five runs, Samantha Marte posted three singles with three RBI and five runs and Ashley Figueroa added two singles with three RBI and five runs scored for St. Vincent, which led, 17-2, after the top of the second inning. 

Arts responded with 22 runs over the next three innings, highlighted by a 14-run third inning, to take a 22-17 lead.

St. Vincent trailed, 26-24, after five innings but came through with a 13-run sixth inning to pull away for the victory.