The first major shakeup in the boys lacrosse Top 20 comes this week after a loss at the top.

There's plenty to talk about in New Jersey softball.

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Breaking down the best baseball games in the state this coming week.

Brothers Mike and Marc Sorrentino were arraigned on various tax-related charges.

NEWARK -- Reality television star Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino is not guilty of the "complicated" tax fraud crimes of which he is accused, his attorney said Monday.

"This is a complicated case - Michael is not a complicated person," Sorrentino's attorney, Henry E. Klingeman, told reporters outside the federal courthouse in Newark Monday.

During a brief arraignment both Sorrentino, who gained fame as "The Situation" on MTV's "The Jersey Shore," and his brother, Marc Sorrentino, pleaded not guilty to nine counts each in indictments alleging the two schemed to hide the proceeds of Sorrentino's fame from the Internal Revenue Service.

The arraignment comes two years after the brothers answered initial charges alleging tax evasion in 2014. Klingeman said the new charges levied against Sorrentino on April 7 deal with allegations that he made cash deposits of less than $10,000 in an attempt to avoid government scrutiny.

'The Situation' facing new tax charges

"The new indictment adds some charges against Michael for what's called, 'structuring,'" he said, noting that Sorrentino relied on other people to do his taxes for him.

If found guilty of tax evasion and the other charges against them, Sorrentino and his brother could face up to 10 and 20 years in prison, respectively.

Authorities said the two set up MPS Entertainment, LLC and Situation Nation Inc. as ways to cash in on Mike Sorrentino's fame, but mixed the companies' business funds with their personal accounts.

Prosecutors allege Mike Sorrentino didn't pay federal income tax owed on the $8.9 million he earned between 2010 and 2012, didn't file a personal tax return for 2011 and filed false return for the Situation Nation. The indictment also alleges Marc Sorrentino later falsified business records subpoenaed by a federal grand jury investigating the brothers.

Marc Sorrentino's attorney declined to comment to reporters Monday. 

U.S. District Judge Susan D. Wigenton said a trial date will be set for February 2018.

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

The East Orange was arrested Wednesday for allegedly stealing a car and returned Sunday afternoon

NEWARK -- Four days after being arrested for stealing a car from a rental lot at Newark International Airport, an East Orange man made a return visit and was arrested again, authorities said.

Keith GermanyPort Authority police 

Port Authority police arrested Keith Germany, 29, in the National/Enterprise lot at 2:05 p.m. Sunday after witnesses saw him sitting in a 2017 Ford Expedition, officials said. He was charged with defiant trespass and possession of marijuana. 

On 8:20 a.m. Tuesday, cops had taken Germany into custody for allegedly stealing a 2014 Honda Accord from the same lot. That morning he was charged with unlawful taking and theft of moveable property.  

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

Authorities have stalled a search for the man, who has been missing since April 11.

PORT ANGELES, Wash. -- A New Jersey man who recently moved to Washington to enroll in college has been missing for nearly a week after disappearing while hiking in Olympic National Park, authorities said.

Zach Krull, 20, of Livingston, was reported lost on April 11 and rescuers have encountered challenges trying to track his location. Avalanches, storms, and other weather events have interfered with the search, authorities said.

Zach Krull. (Mason County Sheriff's Office) 

"We don't know where exactly he went," said Lt. Jason Dracobly of the Mason County Sheriff's Department.

During the search, Dracobly said, "we are battling Mother Nature up in those hills."

According to the sheriff's office, Krull had been hiking near Mt. Cruiser and the Staircase camping grounds in the national park. He had planned for an overnight hike near Lake Cushman, but was reported missing by family members after not returning from the mountain when expected.

Authorities said they located a set of footprints Friday that led to an avalanche site, but are unsure if the prints belonged to Krull.

Rescue teams in the area have conducted land and air searches, Dracobly said. After checking along an area river Tuesday, the office will suspend the search for Krull, he said, though the National Park Service will post missing person photos throughout the area, and periodic checks will continue.

Officials said Krull was a recent transfer to Evergreen State College.

His father, Stewart Krull, told the Peninsula Daily News his son was going to the college in the hopes of becoming a park ranger. "I think his enthusiasm just got the better of him and he didn't know how treacherous Olympic National Park and Olympic National Forest can be," his father told the paper.

Krull's family has set up a Facebook page with information about the search. On the page, the family provided information about what Zach was carrying with him during the hike, and thanked those looking for him.

"A long day for us, but an even longer day and night for the amazing people searching for Zach," family members wrote on the page Saturday. "Here's to the selfless heroes who continue to put themselves in danger to help us find our son."

Zach's most recent posts on Facebook reflect his excitement for his move to Washington and hiking trip.

Two men have been arrested in connection with a shooting that killed one teen and injured a 10-year-old girl.

JERSEY CITY - Joey Khan was working at Eat and Take Food Sunday night when deadly gunfire erupted in front of the Ocean Avenue business. He had just finished packing up french fries for a woman when the shots rang out, he said.

"I heard about three or four shots," the cook said. He then he ran to the back of the storefront and ducked behind the counter after he heard the gunfire. 

The gunfire claimed the life of 19-year-old Jimmy Gregory and injured a 10-year-old girl, who was waiting in the car with her younger sister and another adult while her mother was picking up the french fries

Outside Jersey City Medical Center Monday morning, the girl's mother told TV news stations her daughter was shot in the lower back and had to have her colon removed. 

"She's OK, but right now, she's in and out," the mother told reporters. "She's in a lot of pain. She got shot in the lower back, like where it's close to her spine and her kidney. They had to cut her colon out. She's waking up in pain."

Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez only identified the child as an East Orange resident and said she is in stable condition at the hospital.

Meanwhile, Corey Picket and Jonathan Ferrera, both 21-year-old Jersey City residents, have each been charged with murder, attempted murder, multiple weapons offenses, hindering apprehension, and resisting arrest in connection with the shooting, Suarez said. 

Plain clothes officers were in the neighborhood at the time of the shooting and arrested the two men shortly after 10:10 p.m.

Khan said people were frantic after the shooting, screaming for help and looking to see what happened.

A bullet hole outside Eat and Take Food left from an Easter Sunday shooting. (Caitlin Mota | The Jersey Journal) 

"The police were here, left and right," Khan said. "And it was scary, you know what I mean? Really scary. We shut off the light, sat down, and waited for police. They said to stay inside, don't go outside." 

Bullet holes damaged the front windows of the store and shattered a mirror that covered the side wall. Khan said he normally leaves work at about 11 p.m., but because of the investigation he and at least one other worker were stuck hiding in the back until about 2 a.m.

The front counter around the inside of the store is lined with bullet proof glass, which Khan believes saved some of the employees from being injured in the gunfire. 

Police sources told The Jersey Journal a woman who in lives in the area helped apprehend at least one of the suspects.

A local neighborhood watch group said the woman saw one of the suspects cutting through her property while fleeing police. She went outside and with help from her husband tackled one of the suspects until police handcuffed him.

One of the neighborhood watch members, who asked not to be identified, said he hopes the work watch groups do can encourage others to work together to help curb crime.

"At the end of the day it proves if you do it the right way, you can get results," he said.

Police were stationed at the intersection where the shooting happened throughout the day on Monday. At about 3:30 p.m., a patrol tower with security cameras was brought to Ocean Avenue and set up directly across the street from where Gregory died. 

One resident said people hang out in front of the local business at all hours of the day. 

"Everybody is tired of it," he said standing near his home. "Nobody cares about life, it's all young people (dying.)"

Emotions were running high in the neighborhood in the hours after the 19-year-old was killed. A man, who identified himself as the victim's brother declined to speak, saying to "read the articles" about what happened to Gregory. 

Gregory's death is the sixth homicide in Jersey City and eighth in Hudson County this year. Picket and Ferrera, who are both being held at Hudson County jail, are expected to make their first court appearances Tuesday afternoon. 

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

The 21-year-old was convicted on charges stemming from the Feb. 17, 2012 killing of a 16-year-old in Irvington

NEWARK -- More than five years after his co-conspirator says he gunned down a 16-year-old during a street-corner robbery in Irvington, Azim Brogsdale was sentenced to 55 years in state prison Monday for a crime an assistant prosecutor described as "calculated and cold."

Imposing the sentence Monday, Superior Court Judge Alfonse J. Cifelli said that although Brogsdale, 21, of Newark, was only 16 at the time he killed Khalil Williams, his substantial criminal history as a juvenile -- which included weapons offenses -- indicated it was "highly unlikely" that anything could be done to rehabilitate him.

"Mr. Brogsdale certainly had no reason to shoot anyone," Cifelli said.

A jury in January found Brogsdale guilty at trial of murder, felony murder, robbery, conspiracy and weapons offenses in the Feb. 17, 2012 shooting of Williams during a robbery near the intersection of Orange Place and Orange Avenue.

Haroon Perry, who has since pleaded guilty to aggravated manslaughter and other charges under a deal with prosecutors, testified at trial to having watched Brogsdale shoot Khalil in the back as he and three of his friends ran from Brogsdale and another man, identified as "Cheese."

Calling Williams' killing "cowardly," Assistant Prosecutor Justin Edwab on Monday argued Brogsdale was the one who made the decision to escalate the situation from a robbery by using the gun he was carrying.

Another co-conspirator, Marquise Hawkins, previously received the same 55-year sentence after being convicted at trial before Cifelli of issuing the command that led Brogsdale to open fire.

Cifelli said the pre-sentencing investigation indicated Brogsdale had admitted involvement in the Crips street gang, although Brogsdale claimed to have been inactive for some time.

Edwab asked the court for the sentences on each robbery to run consecutively, explaining that the state was seeking at least 65 years in prison.

Brogsdale's attorney, Raymond Beam Jr., argued that Brogsdale has no prior criminal history as an adult, having been jailed awaiting trial since he was 16, and asked for sentences on the robbery and weapons charges to run concurrently to a mandatory minimum 30-year sentence on the murder charge.

He also pointed to State v. Zuber, a recent state Supreme Court decision that requires judges to consider factors including a defendant's immaturity, family history and likelihood of rehabilitation when sentencing them for serious violent crimes committed as juvenile.

"I'm very sorry for the victim's family, but I'm innocent," Brogsdale told the court, apologizing to his own family for "putting them through this."

Cifelli denied a motion for a new trial submitted by Beam, who argued the judge had violated his client's constitutional rights by restricting certain lines of questioning during the cross examination of two witnesses: Perry and Davon Arrington, one of the three surviving victims of the robbery.

In Perry's case, the questioning concerned drug-dealing activities earlier the day of the killing, which Edwab said weren't admitted at trial because they might have prejudiced the jury against Brogsdale. 

Beam also said he had wanted to more directly challenge apparent conflicts between Arrington's testimony and his previous statements to investigators. Arrington and another victim, Naeem White, both picked out Brogsdale as the shooter in photo displays presented to them by Prosecutor's Office detectives.

"I think it was an incorrect and unjust verdict," Beam said.

In denying the motion, Cifelli said there was no evidence that his rulings at trial resulted in a "manifest denial of justice" to Brogsdale. He also said it appeared Beam has submitted the motion outside of the timeframe required by law.

Man found guilty of murder in teen's shooting

In a statement to the court before Brogsdale was sentenced, Williams' mother, Robin Williams, told the court that Khalil's death had shaken their family.

"His sisters were the world to him," she said. "His older brother has not been the same since."

But, she said, "as a child of God I want you to know I never look to hate."

God had helped her family through the ordeal, she said, and she hoped he would help Brogsdale and his family through their ordeal, too.

A Prosecutor's Office detective testified at Brogsdale's trial that investigators haven't been able to develop enough evidence to charge "Cheese" with the Williams' killing, but noted there's no statute of limitations on murder if they do in the future.

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

Firefighters responded to the blaze in the five-story, mixed-use building on Garside Street at 7:30 p.m.

NEWARK -- Thirty-two people were displaced Monday night after a two-alarm fire in the city, authorities said. 

Firefighters responded to the blaze in the five-story, mixed-use building on Garside Street at 7:30 p.m., Newark Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose said in a release.

The fire was put out about two hours later, and one firefighter suffered minor injuries, Ambrose said.

The Newark Fire Department's arson unit is investigating the cause of the fire, which was located in the building's top floor cockloft, according to the release.

The displaced residents were taken to nearby shelters by the American Red Cross, according to Ambrose. 

Craig McCarthy may be reached at CMcCarthy@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @createcraig and on Facebook here. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Email us at tips@njadvancemedia.com, or call or text 848-666-0164.

The Essex County Prosecutor's Office is investigating an incident where an officer fired his gun in the city.

EAST ORANGE -- The Essex County Prosecutor's Office is investigating a Monday afternoon incident where an officer fired his gun in the city. 

The incident happened just before 3 p.m. in the 300 block of Park Avenue, Acting Essex County Prosecutor Carolyn Murray said in a release. 

No one and injured and no arrests have been made, according to the release. 

The details of the shooting are under investigation by the prosecutor's office professional standards bureau, Murray said. The prosecutor's office is required to look into any incident where an officer fires a weapon under state Attorney General guidelines. 

No further information about the incident was made available Monday night. 

Craig McCarthy may be reached at CMcCarthy@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @createcraig and on Facebook here. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Email us at tips@njadvancemedia.com, or call or text 848-666-0164.

Jose Carranza is one of six men convicted in the 2007 execution-style slayings of three people in a Newark schoolyard.

NEWARK -- One of the six convicted Newark schoolyard killers had his latest appeal challenging the guilty verdict against him denied.

Jose Carranza, one of the six men convicted in the 2007 execution-style slayings of three friends in a Newark schoolyard, had appealed a 2014 decision denying his bid to overturn his conviction in the killings.

The appeals court ruling released Monday, however, found no errors that warranted revisiting the case.

Carranza had petitioned the court for post-conviction relief, saying he received ineffective legal counsel during his trial.

Carranza argued his former attoreny coerced him not to testify at his own trial, and used family members to pressure him to change his initial decision to testify, the document states. Carranza also said his attorney failed to properly prepare for trial because he did not use an interpreter when meeting with Carranza, who is an undocumented immigrant from Peru.

Judge denies new trial for schoolyard killer

The appellate judges wrote they agreed with Superior Court Judge Michael Ravin, who ruled in 2014 to deny Carranza's petition and found the latest arguments were without merit.

Carranza has admitted he was at the schoolyard on the day of the killings, but has maintained his innocence in the murders of Iofemi Hightower, 20, Dashon Harvey, 20, and Terrance Aeriel, 18, behind the Mount Vernon School in Newark. 

He was convicted in February 2012 of felony murder and armed robbery charges, but acquitted of murder, sexual assault and lesser offenses.

Carranza is serving a 155-year sentence.

Last month, Ravin also denied a petition for post-conviction relief from Alexander Alfaro, another of the six men convicted in the schoolyard slayings.

Alfaro also argued his lawyers failed him at trial. In 2016, another of the defendants, Rodolfo Godinez, was denied a bid for a new trial.

Authorities have said the killings were gang related.

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

The Penn Relays are April 27-29 at Franklin Field in Philadelphia

Authorities have arrested two men in the incident, and are looking for a third.

BLOOMFIELD -- Authorities have arrested two men who they say beat up a 41-year-old in a Wendy's parking lot and stole his $500 sneakers. A third man wanted in the alleged attack is at large, police said.

The third man wanted in the attack. (Bloomfield Police)
 

According to Bloomfield authorities, witnesses saw the three men attacking the man in the parking lot of the Bloomfield Avenue fast food restaurant at 4:13 p.m. Monday.

The trio allegedly punched and kicked the man while he laid on the floor, and stole his Nike sneakers.

After getting descriptions of the alleged attackers from nearby witnesses, police said they found two men walking near Watessing Avenue carrying one of the shoes.

Police arrested Ahmari Gilmore, 21, and Bobby Reed, 23, both of Newark, on robbery and conspiracy charges, officials said.

The 41-year-old suffered cuts and facial bruises in the attack, authorities said.

Police said a witness took a photo of the third man as he was running from the scene. Anyone with information about his identity or the alleged attack is asked to call 973-680-4100.

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

U.S. Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen has been dodging calls for an in-person town hall meeting for more than three months

MORRISTOWN -- A breakfast dialogue between paying constituents and U.S. Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-11 Dist.) is now only open to members of the Morris County Chamber of Commerce.

A screenshot of U.S. Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen's planned breakfast for members of the Morris County Chamber of Commerce on May 12.
 

Initially, the Morris County Chamber of Commerce breakfast on May 12 was open to both members and non-members -- for $55 and $75, respectively -- but the chamber has canceled reservations for non-members.

Paul Boudreau, president of the Morris County chamber, said there was so much interest from members, the chamber decided to close the event to non-members.

"If we take a lot of space for non-members, then we're not going to have space for our members," he said. 

Boudreau said about 200 people whose companies are members of the chamber had already registered and only five non-members had their registrations canceled Tuesday morning.

The capacity of the room is 350, and the chamber may open up registration to non-members if there is still space available a week before the event, he said. 

"I just think it's cleaner to say we'll treat members first," he said. "We'll keep that list (of non-members) and they'll get first dibs (if there's space available). We're a private organization and there are benefits of being a member."

The organization previously said the congressman would be willing to meet for "an informative and interactive dialogue" over breakfast at the Wyndham Hamilton Park hotel in Florham Park.

Members of NJ 11th for Change reported on Facebook Tuesday morning several non-member registrations for the breakfast had been canceled. 

"Rep. Frelinghuysen has evaded constituent requests for a town hall meeting but is apparently willing to prioritize those who pay to play," the group said in a statement. "His upcoming Q and A with the Morris Chamber of Commerce is a paid ticket-only event, initially advertised to both members and to non-members (for a higher price)."

The statement continued: "Mysteriously, several non-members who had already purchased tickets were contacted this morning by event organizers, revoking and refunding their paid tickets, with no explanation. The event's origins appear tied to Rep. Frelinghuysen's big donors, including defense contractors and Tea Party organizations."

The group has criticized Frelinghuysen over his support of the repeal of the Affordable Care Act, his votes in line with President Donald Trump's agenda and his refusal to attend a town hall meeting in his district, which he hasn't done since 2013.

In February, NJ 11th for Change members hand delivered more than 2,300 petitions to the congressman's office.

They've also repeatedly brought Frelinghuysen and his office staff baked goods during their weekly protests.

Frelinhuysen has been dodging their requests for an in-person town hall for months. Instead he's held town halls over the phone, and, most recently, agreed to meet with about three dozen constituents so long as they traveled 200 miles to his Washington D.C. office.

Meanwhile, U.S. Rep. Leonard Lance (R-7th Dist.) has weathered two contentious in-person town hall meetings, and held a third last week.

The group, however, did praise Frelinghuysen last month when he rejected the Republican-backed Affordable Health Care Act.

Frelinghuysen previously said in a statement he would continue to "listen to constituents at community events, civic get-togethers, social gatherings, business meetings, veterans engagements, a wide array of breakfasts, lunches and dinners and formal and informal meetings in my offices."

Justin Zaremba may be reached at jzaremba@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JustinZarembaNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Newark police want any information on four men and a woman captured on surveillance video in relation to a shooting in March. Watch video

NEWARK -- City police are asking for the public's help to identify a group of people in a surveillance video who are wanted for questioning in a shooting last month. 

The video shows four men and a woman on a street corner. Police say they want to identify and question those individuals regarding a shooting on Renner Avenue. 

Newark Public Safety Director Anthony F. Ambrose said officers responded to a call of shots fired on March 21 around 10:20 p.m. in the 100-block of Renner Avenue. No one was injured in the incident.

The investigation remains open. Anyone with information can call the Crime Stopper tip line 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. 

The 10-year-old girl injured in Sunday night's shooting that claimed the life of another teen on Ocean Avenue continues to recover at a local hospital.

JERSEY CITY -- The 10-year-old girl injured in the Sunday night shooting that claimed the life of a teenager on Ocean Avenue remains hospitalized. 

At about 10 p.m. on Easter, gunfire broke out near the Van Nostrand Avenue intersection killing 19-year-old Jimmy Gregory and injuring the East Orange girl while she sat in her mother's car, authorities said.

The girl was brought to Jersey City Medical Center where she underwent surgery Sunday night. As of Tuesday afternoon, the 10-year-old remains hospitalized in stable condition, a spokeswoman for the hospital said.

The girl's mother told TV reporters Monday that her daughter was doing "OK," but that her colon needed to be removed.

Corey Pickett and Jonathan Ferrera, both 21, have been charged with murder, attempted murder, weapons offenses, resisting arrest, and hindering apprehension. They are expected to make their first court appearances Tuesday afternoon. 

Joey Khan was working at a local fast food restaurant when the gunfire broke out. He said the girl's mother was inside the store ordering french fries for her children before her daughter was shot. The 10-year-old was waiting in the car for her mother with another adult when she was hit.

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

"Operation Dead End" netted guns, cash and drugs in Newark, State Police say.

TRENTON -- Seven people were arrested and two remain at large after law enforcement sweeps in Essex County targeting alleged drug traffickers, authorities said.

State Police claim the nine defendants were all part of a Newark drug ring they had been investigating for six months. On April 3, detectives along with local and county police conducted raids in Newark and Plainfield, seizing money, guns and drugs, authorities said.

All told, police seized nearly $19,000 worth of heroin, nearly $36,000 worth of crack cocaine and smaller quantities of prescription drugs and marijuana, according to a State Police statement. They also seized three guns, more than $31,000 in cash and an Infiniti SUV.

Two Newark men -- Andre Banks, 48, and Tuasan Wise, 26 -- eluded capture and are wanted fugitives, police said.

Arrested on Monday were:

* Maurice Stokes, 30, of Plainfield
* Jarell Martin, 26, of Irvington
* Anthony Jones, 40, of Newark
* Jessica Acevedo, 25, of Newark
* James Middleton, 45, of Newark
* Yazeem Lovett, 20, of Elizabeth
* Tyquan Price, 21 of Newark

They face varying degrees of drug possession and distribution charges. Stokes and Martin also face charges of dealing drugs from a "fortified structure" and, along with Acevedo, weapons charges.

"By dismantling this drug trafficking network, more than 2,000 doses of heroin and crack cocaine never made it to the street, which almost certainly saved a life," said Col. Rick Fuentes, the superintendent of the State Police. 

All seven of the people in custody were ordered held at Essex County Jail on no bail warrants, according to State Police. It was not immediately clear whether they had retained or been assigned attorneys.

S.P. Sullivan may be reached at ssullivan@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Newark police officers saved a woman's life after she overdosed in front of her 7-year-old child Monday night.

NEWARK -- Police officers saved a woman's life after she overdosed in front of her 7-year-old child, Newark Public Safety Director Anthony F. Ambrose said.

Ambrose said the woman was given Narcan, an overdose antidote, after she was found on the 800-block of Broadway around 8 p.m. on Monday. The woman, who was not identified, was treated at a hospital but her condition is unknown.

The child was not injured and was taken to her father, authorities said. The investigation is ongoing.

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

Andean condor, giant anteater, and maned wolf have all moved in.

WEST ORANGE -- The Essex County Turtle Back Zoo officially welcomed three new animals to New Jersey Monday. The Andean condor, giant anteater, and maned wolf are the zoo's newest residents.

Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo cutting the ceremonial ribbon Monday in front of the Condor Exhibit with members of the Zoological Society and zookeepers. (Photo by Paul Brown)
 

"Whenever we open new exhibits and welcome animals to Turtle Back Zoo it is a great day," County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo said in a release about the animals, who are living in two new exhibits at the West Orange zoo.

"It provides our visitors with an opportunity to see and learn about animals from distant places that they may not ordinarily see, and helps in our conservation efforts to protect species and raise awareness about the importance of animals."

The new animals are:

• Andean Condor: This species of vulture is the largest flying bird in the Western Hemisphere. The new female condor at the zoo, who is living in a newly-constructed exhibit, comes from the Taronga Zoo in Australia. In the wild, the birds live in the western coast of South America.
• Giant Anteater: This Central American animal can grow to be 7 feet long and 90 pounds. The new male at the zoo is from the Potawatomi Zoo in Indiana, and is now living in a rehabilitated exhibit of the zoo that formerly housed a Scottish Highland Cow. The cow has been relocated to PAWS Discovery farm in South Jersey. The anteater and maned wolf are living together in the same exhibit.
• Maned Wolf: The female maned wolf now living at the zoo came from the Denver Zoo in Colorado. Originally from grasslands areas in South America, this animal can grow to be 35 inches tall and 50 pounds. Though they look similar, maned wolves are not wolves or foxes, but members of their own genus.

The Essex County Improvement Authority's Pooled Government Loan Program and a grant from the Zoological Society of New Jersey funded the $1.6 million design and construction of the new exhibits, county officials said.

Sea turtle rehabbed in NJ returned to wild

Acting Zoo Director Michael Kerr said the animals were moved to the zoo as part of a "species survival program."

"Bringing these animals to Turtle Back Zoo will help further diversify the genetics of the species and help strengthen their population over the next generation," he said.

The animals come on the heels of other new additions to the zoo, including a sea turtle rehabilitation center that opened last year, and giraffes who moved in the year before. 

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