The man was arrested by Newark police in March 2016 while they were patrolling housing projects on Dayton Place.

Lucas Sumler. (Essex County Correctional Facility)

NEWARK -- A city man convicted at trial of possessing a handgun as a previously convicted felon was sentenced Tuesday to more than eight years in federal prison, prosecutors announced.

U.S. District Judge Esther Salas sentenced Lucas Sumer, 42, to 108 months in federal prison, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Sumler was arrested by officers from the Newark Police Division's Special Enforcement Bureau on March 25, 2016 near public housing on Dayton Place, after police said officers saw him toss a gun to the ground as they approached.

In court filings, prosecutors said the housing developments were targeted for observation because of "pervasive narcotics distribution" in the area.

Sumler, who has a prior felony conviction, was found to be in possession of a .357 Magnum revolver and six rounds of ammunition, according to prosecutors.

Sumler was later indicted on the gun charge in May 2016, and charged under a second superseding indictment that September, court records show. A jury found him guilty that October.

Details on his previous criminal convictions were not immediately available.

In addition to the prison term, Salas sentenced Sumler to three years of supervised release, according to prosecutors.

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

Bhadreshkumar Patel is charged with murder in the 2015 slaying of 21-year-old Palak Patel.

HANOVER, Md. -- The FBI is adding a man wanted in his wife's stabbing death at the Dunkin' Donuts shop where they worked to its "Most Wanted" list.

The FBI announced Tuesday that 26-year-old Bhadreshkumar Patel is now one of its "Ten Most Wanted Fugitives," with a reward of up to $100,000 for information leading to his arrest.

This poster released by the FBI shows Bhadreshkumar Patel. (FBI via AP)AP 

Patel is charged with murder in the 2015 slaying of 21-year-old Palak Patel, in a back room of the shop in Hanover, Maryland. He was last seen in New Jersey, taking a hotel shuttle to Newark Penn Station.

Investigators theorize that Palak Patel wanted to return to India, but her husband didn't. They believe he could be with relatives in the United States or that he fled to Canada or India.

Catalino Guerrero, 59, who was facing deportation will be allowed to stay in the U.S. for at least another year.

A Union City grandfather who was facing deportation will be allowed to stay in the U.S. for at least another year.

Catalino Guerrero, an undocumented immigrant from Mexico, was granted a stay of a removal by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, a spokesman for the agency said. 

"I am very relieved to see Catalino has been granted an opportunity to pursue every legal avenue to stay where he belongs: In his adoptive country, in his home and with his family here in New Jersey," said Sen. Robert Menendez, D-NJ, who said he called Guerrero with the news. 

Menendez joined Cardinal Joseph Tobin, Archbishop of Newark and hundreds of supporters last month outside the federal immigration building in Newark to fight for Guerrero's stay. 

Guerrero has lived in the U.S. for more than 25 years and owns his home in Union County. He has four children and four grandchildren.

"Everything that I've earned, everything that I've worked for, I've invested here," he told reporters last month. 

Jennie Medina, who helped file Guerrero's stay of removal said everybody was celebrating the news, which came last Monday. 

"He's so excited and he's very happy, he doesn't have as much stress," Medina said of Guerrero. 

Medina said ICE called her office with the news ahead of Guerrero's planned check-in with ICE. She said the agency approved a one-year stay of removal even though the attorneys had requested six months. 

"They know there is movement happening," Medina said, referring to Guerrero's plan to apply for a U-Visa that allows undocumented immigrants who have been victims of crimes and who have helped authorities investigate receive permanent residency.

Guerrero was a victim of a home invasion in 2007, he said.

ICE told Guerrero to bring his wife, Margarita Guerrero, for his meeting Thursday morning but Medina said that's likely because his wife is also listed on the U-Visa application.

"The ICE officer has said there's nothing to worry about," Medina said. "We'll see how that goes."

Under what advocates have said was bad legal advice, Guerreo filed for asylum in 1992. His case was denied and in 2009 he was ordered deported. He was arrested by ICE in 2011 and granted a stay of removal and an order of supervision due to his poor health.

Guerrero said he has no criminal record and works as a delivery man and Uber driver.

"Catalino's case reinforces the urgent need for us to stand united in seeking common sense solutions to our broken immigration system that are consistent with our core American principles," Sen. Cory Booker, D-NJ, said in a statement. 

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

A city police officer witnessed the gunfire that killed a 19-year-old man and wounded a 10-year-old girl.

JERSEY CITY -- A city police officer witnessed the gunfire that killed a 19-year-old man and wounded a 10-year-old girl on Sunday, leading to the arrest of two men on murder charges. 

The Street Crimes Unit officer spotted Corey Pickett and Jonathan Ferrera, both 21, approach the victim, Jimmy Gregory, and saw them both take out handguns and fire at him, according to the criminal complaint.

The 10-year-old was shot as she was waiting in a car with her younger sister and another adult while her mother was picking up french fries inside a takeout joint. An employee said the bulletproof glass at the store counter may have saved the lives of employees. 

Gregory was pronounced dead at the scene of the shooting, which occurred on Ocean Avenue near Van Nostrand Avenue at about 10 p.m. The girl, who lives in East Orange, was shot in the torso and she remained at the Jersey City Medical Center today in stable condition.

The girl's mother told TV news crews Monday that doctors had to remove her colon during surgery and that she was in a lot of pain. 

The criminal complaint says the officer approached the gunmen after the shooting but they ran away and were captured by additional police officers. A handgun was found along each of the paths of their attempted escape, the court document states.

Ferrera and Picket made their first court appearance this afternoon on charges they murdered Gregory, attempted to murder the girl, resisted arrest and hindered apprehension, as well as weapons offenses related to a revolver and a semi-automatic handgun, the complaint says.

When the pair appeared in Criminal Justice Reform Court in Jersey City via video link from Hudson County jail in Kearny, the state moved to detain them pending prosecution. A detention hearing will be held Friday before Hudson County Superior Court Judge Paul DePascale.

Gregory's mother and daughter were in Criminal Justice Reform Court for the hearing today and the mother said she did not want to comment, but added: "I'm just here because I want justice for my son."

Gregory's sister said she wanted to comment after the hearing but when the hearing concluded, the mother sister and handful of others rushed out of court.

Prosecutors say he admitted to robbing banks in Hudson, Bergen and Passaic counties last summer.

Prosecutors say this man, captured on surveillance footage robbing the M&T Bank in Lyndhurst on Aug. 16, is James Lockwood, of Newark, who pleaded guilty Tuesday to federal bank robbery charges. (Lyndhurst police photo)

NEWARK -- A city man admitted in federal court Tuesday to robbing four banks throughout North Jersey in just over a month last summer, prosecutors announced.

James Lockwood, 39, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Esther Salas in Newark to four counts of bank robbery in connection with heists at banks in Kearny, Lyndhurst and Clifton, according to a statement from the office of Acting U.S. Attorney William E. Fitzpatrick.

Lockwood was originally arrested by Kearny police on Sept. 23 in connection with the Aug. 25 and Sept. 8 robberies of Schuyler Savings Bank on Davis Avenue.

Prosecutors say Lockwood on Tuesday also admitted to robbing M&T Bank in Lyndhurst on Aug. 16 and Capital One Bank in Clifton on Sept. 16.

Authorities say he faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for each robbery, and a $250,000 fine.

His sentencing has been scheduled for Aug. 2.

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

Valerie Faulk faces weapons and assault charges

NEWARK-- A woman was arrested Tuesday afternoon after she allegedly shot at another woman during a quarrel, Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose said.

Valerie Faulk (Newark police)  

The dispute broke out around 4:20 p.m. at an apartment building on Columbia Avenue near Plymouth Street. Responding police arrested Valerie E. Faulk, 55, and charged her with aggravated assault and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose. Police recovered the gun, Ambrose said.

The 48-year-old victim was unhurt, Ambrose also said. 

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

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The man had already been arrested on aggravated assault charges when he was traced to an April shooting in Newark, authorities said.

NEWARK -- A city man already wearing an ankle monitoring bracelet was caught with a loaded handgun, authorities said.

Jermel Medley. (Newark police) 

Jermel Medley, 31, was wearing the device after a Feb. 27 aggravated assault arrest, police said.

On April 10, police say Medley was involved in the 12:50 a.m. shooting of a man in a car on Cutler Street and 6th Avenue.

The man was taken to University Hospital for treatment and released, police said.

Medley was arrested Tuesday on unlawful possession of a weapon and receiving stolen property charges in connection with the shooting, police said. It is unclear exactly what role he played in the shooting.

Authorities did not immediately have information on the past aggravated assault charges against Medley that prompted his wearing the ankle bracelet.

Medley was also arrested by the Essex County Sheriff's Office in 2016 on various gun charges. At the time, Sheriff Armando Fontoura described Medley as a member of the Bloods street gang.

Police say they are still investigating the April 10 shooting. Anyone with information is asked to call 877-695-8477 or 877-695-4867.

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

Police release sketch of driver, worry he may commit "more dangerous crimes."

TRENTON -- Authorities are turning to the public for help after they say a man driving a stolen car twice outran police looking to pull him over on New Jersey highways.

State Police on Wednesday released a sketch of the driver of a silver Ford Focus who first led troopers on a 22-mile chase on April 7 after they attempted a traffic stop on Interstate 78 in Newark.

A State Police spokesman said at the time the troopers called off the chase due to safety concerns after the man got off at exit 9 in New Brunswick.

They later learned the car, which has the license plate Y64GNE, had been reported stolen out of Perth Amboy.

Days later, on April 12, officers from the Clark Police Department in Union County were out on a shoplifting call when they saw the car and tried to pull the driver over.

S.P. Sullivan | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com 

"The suspect once again refused to stop and officers followed the vehicle before stopping for safety reasons as it entered the Garden State Parkway," a State Police spokesman said in a public announcement on the division's Facebook page.

The sketch shows a young man with a baseball hat and a small amount of facial hair on his chin.

"Detectives are concerned that the suspect may pose a greater risk to the community by resorting to more dangerous crimes," State Police said.

Authorities are asking anyone with information to contact Trooper Brian McNally at the State Police Somerville station at 908-725-0107 or lpp7664@gw.njsp.org or Clark Police Detective Sgt. George Marmarou at 732-388-3434.

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

Experts offered competing views about whether Monique Smith struck John Sharpe James' SUV after he broke up with her by email.

NEWARK -- Experts for the prosecution and defense in the trial of an Irvington police officer accused of hitting a Newark councilman's SUV three times after he broke up with her by email offered competing conclusions this week about whether the cars ever came into contact. 

An investigator from the Essex County Prosecutor's Office told a jury Tuesday that the car driven by the police officer, Monique Smith, definitely struck South Ward Councilman John Sharpe James' SUV on Jan. 5, 2015. 

A forensic expert for the defense, meanwhile, said Wednesday that the crash data recorder in Smith's Honda Accord did not show any signs the car had struck her ex-boyfriend's Nissan Xterra.

The trial before Superior Court Judge Michael L. Ravin has hinged on whether Smith's car actually made contact with James' SUV after the breakup on the day that Smith was to be promoted to captain in a police department ceremony. 

Sgt. Daniel Cokelet, of the Prosecutor's Office crash and fire investigations unit, testified that there was enough evidence to say the front bumper of Smith's Honda hit the back bumper of James' Nissan Xterra at least once.

He said he could not determine whether the bumpers had definitely come into contact multiple times and no video collected from nearby homes shows the cars colliding. 

Nicholas Bellizzi, a forensic engineer, testified Wednesday as the sole defense witness that he had examined the Honda's crash data recorder after the incident. Those recorders measure changes in a vehicle's velocity that would be indicative of a collision and can also be linked to whether air bags deployed, he said. 

Bellizzi said the Honda's event data recorder showed there had been no contact between the Honda and another car. 

"There was nothing recorded -- there was no event," he said. "It was all zeros." 

During cross-examination of Cokelet, the Prosecutor's Office investigator, on Tuesday, defense attorney Steven Altman asked whether there was any report stating that the towing process had not caused damage to the Honda. 

Cokelet said there was no such report, but that one would have been generated had damage been caused. 

Bellizzi said he examined photos of the damage the Honda had allegedly caused to the Nissan's back bumper and that type of damage would only be caused by an impact to the inside of the bumper, like might be caused by a tow truck hook.

He said that based on the measurements provided by investigators, the front of Smith's Accord was high enough that it wouldn't normally fit underneath the rear bumper of the Nissan.

On cross examination, Assistant Prosecutor Carlo Fioranelli pointed out that Bellizzi had noted in his report that it was "possible" for the sedan to drive beneath the SUV's bumper, causing the damage to the Nissan's bumper.

But even if Smith had, Bellizzi said, the act would have caused significant damage to the plastic front of her Accord, which was not visible in evidence photos.

"My opinion is after looking at all the different information ... that there is no evidence that these two vehicles ever came into contact with each other," he said.

Smith faces charges on two indictable offenses: unlawful possession of a weapon and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose. An aggravated assault charge was dismissed before trial.

She is also charged with disorderly person offenses, including criminal mischief resulting in damage of $500 or less to James' SUV, that the judge will decide. 

Smith was suspended from the Irvington police department after she was arrested in the case. She rejected a plea deal that likely would have given her probation as a sentence on a charge of fourth-degree criminal mischief, and she would have had to give up her police job. 

In testimony last week, James described where Smith's Honda allegedly hit his SUV twice in the rear and once on the side, causing about $1,500 worth of damage. 

He said he decided after an argument on Jan. 2 to end the relationship and that he "did not want anything further to do with" Smith. 

The defense rested after Bellizzi's testimony. With the jury out of the courtroom, Smith told Ravin that after conferring with her attorneys, she had made the decision not to testify in her own defense. 

Ravin said he would issue instructions to the jury explaining Smith's right not to testify.

Summations are expected to begin at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday.

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

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

Two of the four men arrested along West Kinney and Nevada streets were drug dealers, officers said.

NEWARK -- Four men were arrested in downtown Newark on Tuesday after sheriff's detectives witnessed a drug sale along an intersection neighbors frequently complained was a drug trafficking hub. 

Essex County Sheriff Armando Fontoura said officers set up surveillance near West Kinney and Nevada streets and saw Daniel Sokolowski, 32 of Livingston, approach three men loitering in the area and exchange cash for what was later found to be crack cocaine with William Durrette, 25 of Newark. 

The two other men involved were identified as Dominique Horne, 26 of Irvington, and Jaleel Carter, 25 of Newark. 

Durrette had eight jugs of crack cocaine, two zip-lock bags of marijuana and $141, authorities said. Horne ran from detectives and tossed a plastic bag into an alleyway containing 135 envelopes of heroin and 55 jugs of crack cocaine, officers said. 

Durette and Horne were arrested on drug charges and Horne was also charged with resisting arrest, officers said. Carter has two open warrants and was also arrested.

Sokolowski was found with one plastic jug of crack cocaine and charged with drug possession. He was issued a summons and released, officers said. 

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

Steven M. Benevento, 49, of Summit, went into cardiac arrest and was taken to a New York City hospital, where he died a few hours later.

Louis S. Pine is charged with aggravated manslaughter for allegedly causing a 2014 crash inside in the Lincoln Tunnel. 

JERSEY CITY -- Jury selection will begin Tuesday for a Montclair man charged with aggravated manslaughter after police say he slammed into a vehicle in the Lincoln Tunnel while traveling as fast as 91 miles per hour.

Luis S. Pine, 41, was driving about 55 mph over the Lincoln Tunnel's 35 mph speed limit when he his Mercedes slammed into the minivan and propelled it into another vehicle at about 8:30 a.m. on Sept. 2, 2014, authorities said at the time.

A passenger in the minivan, Steven M. Benevento, 49, of Summit, went into cardiac arrest and was taken to a New York City hospital, where he died a few hours later, Port Authority officials said that day.

When Pine made his first court appearance on the charges in Jersey City in July 2014, Hudson County Assistant Prosecutor Leo Hernandez said he was traveling as fast as 91 miles per hour at the time of impact. He also said the entire incident was captured by Port Authority security cameras.

At the hearing, Pine's lawyer said that his client was on his normal morning commute to New York and suggested he may have fainted due to a medical condition, precipitating the crash.   

A half dozen other people were injured in the Weehawken crash and many of them were taken to area hospitals, officials said.  

Aggravated manslaughter carries a possible sentence of 10 to 30 years upon conviction. Pine's bail was set at $250,000. An employee at the Hudson County jail in Kearny said this afternoon that there was no record of Pine ever being housed at the facility.

The trial is before Hudson County Superior Court Judge Martha Royster in the Hudson County Administration Building on Newark Avenue in Jersey City. 

Thomas Edison's laboratory is the first of 100 National Park Service historic sites to get electric vehicle chargers donated by BMW.

The first electric vehicle charging station to be installed by BMW at 100 National Park Service sites was unveiled Wednesday at the West Orange laboratory where Thomas Edison worked on an electric car battery 100 years ago.

Four charging stations were shown in the visitors parking area of the Thomas Edison National Historic Park oby officials from BMW of North America, the National Park Service, the U.S. Department of Energy and the National Park Foundation.

"This is the right location, being that it's Edison's electrical lab," said Richard Steinberg, BMW of North America manager of product planning and strategy. "It's for any EV, it isn't just for us."

The four stations offer level two chargers, which fit any electric car and offer high-power fast recharging. BMW also is paying for the first six months of energy.

Thomas Edison's 1914 Detroit Electric car and behind it, a charging station the inventor built. Larry Higgs | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com 

The level two charger can power up an electric vehicle in about two to three hours, which is about the time it takes most people to go through the Edison Museum's three floors, said Tom Ross, superintendent of the Edison National Historic Park.

BMW officials approached the park service with the charging station idea, which builds on other charging stations the company has installed across the nation, said Robert Healey, Manager of EV Infrastructure for BMW of North America. 

Under a 2015 partnership with Nissan, charging stations were installed along the I-95 corridor between Boston and Washington D.C., and from Portland, Oregon to San Francisco. A similar effort installed charging stations in various locations east of the Mississippi River.

Another partnership with Nissan and ChargeNow announced last November includes building public charging stations in central locations, Healey said.

"You can't just make the car and walk away from the infrastructure," he said. "We support an infrastructure build up, which we've been involved with since 2008."

The next National Park System charging station will installed at Gettysburg National Military Park. BMW is working with the park service to determine where to locate future charging stations, Steinberg said.

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A top request of electric vehicle users is the need for more public charging stations, he said.    

That raises the visibility of electric cars and makes them a viable choice for commuters, said Chuck Feinberg, chairman of the NJ Clean Cities Coalition.

"People need to see these vehicles are real and in use," he said. "There have not been a lot of incentives in New Jersey. Hopefully, that will evolve."

He estimated there are about 4,000 all-electric vehicles in the state. 

BMW and park officials unplugged four electric BMWs in the visitors parking lot and drove them to Glenmont, Edison's home in West Orange, to see his 1914 Detroit Electric and the charging station he used. Edison let his neighbors charge their electric cars there at a rate of 5 cents a kilowatt, Ross said.

"Once again we'll be able to provide a charge to our West Orange neighbors as Thomas Edison once did," Ross said. "We are grateful for the charging stations donated." 

Larry Higgs may be reached at lhiggs@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @commutinglarry. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Fleming was a two-time winner of the New York City Marathon.

MONTCLAIR - Hall of Fame marathon runner and veteran Montclair Kimberley Academy track and field coach Tom Fleming died Wednesday afternoon from a heart attack while coaching at a three-team meet in Verona, school officials announced. 

"Due to the loss of a beloved member of our faculty" the Middle School will not hold classes, activities or events Thursday for students, MKA said on its web site. Classes for the Primary and Upper schools will be in session, and the middle school will be open for staff. 

"Coach Fleming may be gone, but he will never be forgotten" a tweet from the school's athletic account said with the hashtags #RIP, #CHAMPION and #LEGEND.  

Fleming, 65, was a two-time winner of the New York City Marathon, three-time champion of the Jersey Shore Marathon and earned two second-place finishes at the Boston Marathon. He also won the 26.2-mile race in Cleveland, Washington D.C., Toronto and Los Angeles during a storied professional career.

In 2000, he became the head coach at Montclair Kimberley. 

It is with an incredibly heavy heart that I share the news that MKA Cross Country/Track Coach Tom Fleming (65) passed away this afternoon. pic.twitter.com/nglWrY22C4

-- MKA Athletics (@MKAAthletics) April 20, 2017

A beloved and highly respected member of the track and field community, Fleming was remembered as "a real special person to many people," said former Vailsburg coach John Tonero, who is also the treasurer of the Essex County Track Coaches Association. 

"He's someone that will be missed in Essex County track and field," Tonero said. "Tom was very passionate about the sport. He'll just be surely missed. We're all in shock." 

"Tom was a beloved teacher, coach, mentor and friend to many and this will be gut wrenching news for the MKA community and for the running and track community as a whole throughout Essex County, New Jersey and the country<' said Todd C. Smith, MKA's director of athletics. 

"Tom's love for his sport, love for his athletes and love for teaching the next generation of runners was truly remarkable.  Most importantly, Tom loved the 4th graders he got to spend every day with and truly was an inspiration to all."  

MKA's dual meet Wednesday was against Newark Central and North 13th Street Tech. 

According to Newark Central coach Bruce Berry, Fleming was given CPR for more than 20 minutes and shocked several times before being taken in an ambulance to Mountainside Hospital with a pulse.  

Berry said that Fleming returned to his car to avoid the chilly weather conditions while the teams waited for the conclusion of the javelin throw. At Verona High School, track events can not be contested at the same time as the javelin. 

When it was time to report, Fleming opened his car door, took a step and collapsed. 

Before collapsing, Berry said Fleming noted he felt ill but that he was "the same old Tom". 

"We were chomping it up, laughing and joking," Berry said. 

Pat Lanni may be reached at planni@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @PatLanniHS. Like NJ.com High School Sports on Facebook.

NJIT has unveiled its Central King Building, renovated from the historic building that housed Newark's Central High School for generations.

NEWARK -- For students at the New Jersey Institute of Technology and residents of Newark, a $750 million referendum vote from 2012 has finally paid off.

School officials gathered with students, alumni, and faculty last Thursday to officially unveil NJIT's new Central King Building.

The 106-year-old former city high school renovation was the largest project funded by the state's 2012 Building Our Future Bond Act, a college improvement referendum passed by more than 60 percent of voters in 2012.

State and local officials, including Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno, state Secretary of Higher Education Rochelle Hendricks, Congressman Donald M. Payne, Jr. and Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr., joined NJIT President Joel Bloom to officially open the new building. (Courtesy NJIT)
 

After more than three years of construction to renovate the former Central High School, the building now houses the school's Center for Innovation and Discovery, Biological Sciences Education and Research Center, and teaching and learning labs. School officials have said the school is for the building to be a "hub for education and research in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics."

"We are indebted to you," Rochelle Hendricks, New Jersey's secretary of higher education, told NJIT President Joel Bloom, students, and staff at the school. She called the new building "cutting-edge in the State of New Jersey. NJIT bears witness to a place that is beating the odds."

After buying the building from the Newark Public School District for $8.3 million, NJIT started its $99 million renovation of the historic building in 2013.

More than $86 million of that was funded by the state's 2013 Higher Education Capital Facilities Program, which included a $30 million Building Our Future bond, school officials said.

NJIT, a public technology university with 11,600 students, contributed about $12.8 million to the renovation, they said.

The gargoyles on the historic building were preserved. (Courtesy NJIT)
 

Along with the upgraded facilities, the construction also preserved many historic elements of the building like the "teacher" gargoyles that line its roof.

"NJIT was founded in 1881 by industrialists for the purpose of educating a skilled workforce for Newark's businesses, and we never have lost sight of our symbiotic relationship with this great city," Bloom said in a statement.

"Newark has given much to NJIT, and NJIT has given much in return. So, it is especially gratifying to know the historic structure ... which was home to thousands and thousands of Newark Central High School students over the years, will serve as an important resource to NJIT, the City of Newark, the State of New Jersey and our entire region for many years to come."

The renovation was one of several construction projects happening simultaneously at the school, all part of a $300 million building campaign that will also see a 24,500-square-foot Life Sciences and Engineering Building, and a 200,000-square-foot Wellness and Events Center that will house a 3,500-seat arena.

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

Authorities are asking for help locating the 19-year-old.

Jerry Bond. (Courtesy Newark Police)
 

NEWARK -- Authorities are looking for a 19-year-old Newark man who they allegedly saw trying to break into a parked 2007 Chevy Trail Blazer Tuesday night.

Officers patrolling near Osborne Terrace and Tillinghast Street at 10 p.m. Tuesday saw Jerry Bond trying to break into the SUV, police said.

Bond ran once he saw the officers, and was not caught, police said.

Authorities are asking for the public's help in locating Bond. Anyone with information on where he is, or on Tuesday night's burglary, is asked to call 877-695-8477 or 877-695-4867.

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The 22-year-old Newark woman has been arrested on drug charges.

Amanda Cruz. (Courtesy Essex County Prosecutor's Office)
 

NEWARK -- A former postal worker has been charged with smuggling cocaine by coordinating shipments by U.S. mail to homes in New Jersey while the residents were away, authorities said.

Amanda Cruz, 22, of Newark, allegedly struck a deal in June 2016 to have kilograms of cocaine mailed to the U.S. from Puerto Rico, acting Essex County Prosecutor Carolyn Murray said in a release Thursday.

The drugs were delivered via the U.S. postal service to homes in Short Hills where Cruz believed the owners were away on vacation, authorities said.

Cruz, who was employed by the postal service, was charged with two counts of first-degree possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, and related conspiracy charges, Murray said.

Murray credited the "outstanding" work by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and Millburn Police Department in investigating the allegations.

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