NEWARK-- Police are asking for tips leading to the capture of a man who stole a part from a parked car last week. The theft occurred sometime between 11 p.m. Friday and 8 a.m. Saturday, when the exhaust system from a Honda in the 400 block of Third Avenue West was taken. A suspect was seen on surveillance video.  Anyone...

NEWARK-- Police are asking for tips leading to the capture of a man who stole a part from a parked car last week.

(Newark police)  

The theft occurred sometime between 11 p.m. Friday and 8 a.m. Saturday, when the exhaust system from a Honda in the 400 block of Third Avenue West was taken.

A suspect was seen on surveillance video. 

Anyone with information is being asked to call the 24-hour Crime Stopper tip line at 1-877- NWK-TIPS (1-877- 695-8477) or 1-877- NWK-GUNS (1-877- 695-4867).  All anonymous Crime Stopper tips are kept confidential and could result in a reward.

Anonymous tips may also be made using the Police Division's website at: www.newarkpdonline.org or through our new Smartphone App available at iTunes and Google Play.

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

The class of 2017 celebrated its prom Tuesday night at The Manor in West Orange.

WEST ORANGE -- Dressed in glittered gowns and sharp tuxes, seniors at American History High School celebrated their prom Tuesday night at The Manor. 

Check back at nj.com/essex for other local high school prom coverage from schools in Essex County. And be sure to check out our complete prom coverage at nj.com/prom.

SHARE YOUR PROM PHOTOS ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Let's see your prom photos. Post your pictures on Twitter and Instragram with #njprom. We'll retweet and repost our favorites on Twitter @njdotcom and Instagram @njdotcompix.

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

Highs will be about 15 degrees less than Tuesday's highs, which set a record at 99 degrees in Newark

The heat wave that broke records in New Jersey for the past three days ends Wednesday with a big drop in high temperatures. 

There's a chance of showers and thunderstorms Wednesday morning before the sun breaks through later. Temperatures will range from the mid-70s along the Shore to the low-80s inland, the National Weather Service says. 

The stifling temperatures of the last three days are gone with Wednesday's highs expected to climb only to the low 80s, according to AccuWeather.com.AccuWeather.com 

That's about normal for mid-June. 

Forecasters are calling for highs of 81 in Morristown, 75 in Wildwood and 81 in New Brunswick. Beachgoers should note there's a risk of rip currents forming in the ocean, the NWS says. 

Air conditioners can get a break Wednesday night as temps dip into the upper 50s and low 60s under clear skies. 

Thursday is shaping up as a delightful late-spring day with mostly sunny skies and temperatures in the upper 70s. There's a chance of rain Thursday night and Friday. Early indications are that the weekend could also see some rain at times. 

On Tuesday, temperatures approached or eclipsed record highs for June 13. Newark reached a record-breaking 99 degrees just before 1:30 p.m. The temperature at Atlantic City International Airport peaked at 95, falling a degree shy of top mark last established in 1984. Trenton's high of 94 also was one degree less than its record set in 1892.

Philadelphia broke its record high for June 13 by one degree, reaching 96 degrees late in the day, according to the National Weather Service. And LaGuardia Airport in Queens, N.Y., smashed its old June 13 record of 97 degrees when the mercury soared to 101 degrees on Tuesday. 

The temperature in New York City's Central Park reached 94 degrees on Tuesday, two degrees shy of the park's record high of 96, set on June 13, 1961.

Both Allentown and Reading in eastern Pennsylvania tied their record highs for June 13, the weather service reported. Allentown reached 95 and Reading hit 96.

Hottest places in New Jersey 

These were among the spots with the hottest temperature readings across the state on Tuesday, June 13, according to data from the National Weather Service and the New Jersey Weather & Climate Network at Rutgers University:

• Newark Liberty Airport: 99 degrees 
• Berkeley Twp. (Miller Air Park):  97 degrees
• Hawthorne: 97 degrees
• Wayne: 97 degrees 
• Caldwell: 96 degrees
• Pequest: 96 degrees
• Toms River: 96 degrees
• Atlantic City Airport: 95 degrees
• Cherry Hill: 95 degrees
• Hamilton: 95 degrees
• Haworth: 95 degrees
• Hillsborough: 95 degrees
• Holmdel: 95 degrees
• Logan Twp.: 95 degrees
• Lyndhurst: 95 degrees
• New Brunswick: 95 degrees
• Oceanport: 95 degrees
• Pennsauken: 95 degrees
• Point Pleasant: 95 degrees
• Red Lion: 95 degrees 
• Sicklerville: 95 degrees
• Teterboro: 95 degrees
• Upper Deerfield: 95 degrees

NJ Advance Media staff writer Len Melisurgo contributed to this report. Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

New York isn't the only state offering ways to go college tuition-free.

From a teenage Olympian to an alleged human trafficking ring and the closing of one of the state's most legendary high schools, New Jersey was filled with incredible stories this year.

Where did your favorite team land in the season's final ranking?

Who do you think will be the next Miss New Jersey?

Victim robbed at knifepoint, according to authorities.

NEWARK -- A 22-year-old Belleville woman was charged in the knifepoint robbery of another woman in Newark's North Ward, authorities said Wednesday.

Desiree K. DaSilva (Dept. of Public Safety)

Desiree K. DaSilva was arrested shortly after a group of concerned citizens intervened to thwart the robbery around 5:45 a.m. Tuesday on the 100 block of 4th Avenue, according to police.

DaSilva fled on foot and was located by Newark officers nearby on Stone Street, Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose said in a statement. She was charged with robbery, weapons offenses and kidnapping for allegedly leading the victim along the street during the holdup.

Records show she remained held at the Essex County jail Wednesday afternoon.

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

Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips

Essex County officials opened a new exhibit at the zoo.

WEST ORANGE -- There's a new king of the Essex County Turtle Back Zoo.

Officials gathered at the zoo Monday to open the Ronald J. Mount Lion and Hyena Exhibit. In a statement about the new exhibit, Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo called lions "one of the most recognizable and popular animals."

"They will complement our Masai Giraffes and make the African Adventure exhibit an even more dynamic attraction," he said.

The new $4 million, half-acre exhibit, which includes a two-foot pool and exposed rock formation, is named for Mount, a longtime zoo supporter who died in 2015. It was partially funded by a donation from Mount's son, Ian, as well as money from the Pooled Government Loan Program and the Essex County Improvement Authority.

The county built out the new exhibit for about seven months starting in October 2016. Zoo officials said the new animals should help draw visitors to the zoo, which saw nearly 800,000 spectators last year.

Zoo giraffe dies after medical procedure

The exhibit features male and female lions and hyenas.

"Most people don't have the opportunity to see exotic animals such as lions and hyenas, or realize the dangers these animals and their habitats are in," Acting Zoo Director Michael Kerr said in a statement.

"Creating exhibits such as this one assists with our mission to promote conservation and educate the public about nature and the importance of animals."

Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo cuts the ceremonial ribbon on the lion and hyena exhibit with members of the Turtle Back Zoo staff. (Courtesy Essex County)
 

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

Negotiators talked the man into releasing the boy and eventually convinced the man to come out peacefully just before 8 p.m.

NEWARK -- Police say negotiators convinced a man who barricaded himself in a 10th-floor apartment  Wednesday evening to release a young boy he allegedly took hostage and come out of the Newark high-rise peacefully, according to officials. 

The man, who was holed up in the apartment at the New Community Douglas Homes on Hill Street for nearly three hours, allegedly robbed one of the building residents in the elevator earlier that evening, Newark Public Saftey Director Anthony Ambrose said. Police have not released the man's name.

Sometime after police responded to the reported robbery just after 5 p.m., Ambrose said building security spotted a man who matched the robber's description entering the high-rise with a 7- or 8-year-old boy.

The man then allegedly barricaded himself in the apartment with the boy, according to Ambrose. 

Negotiators talked the man into releasing the boy in just under an hour and eventually convinced the man to come out peacefully just before 8 p.m., according to police.

"We have adequate coverage here to ensure everyone's safety," Ambrose said in a press briefing he held along with Mayor Ras Baraka at the scene, located almost directly across the street from City Hall in downtown Newark.  

The residents in the building were told to shelter in place during the incident. 

As the SWAT officers walked out of the building, a woman could be heard saying "Thank you, officer, thank you, officers, no shooting."

Retired Newark police officer and building resident, Darrel Armstrong, told NJ Advance Media he saw the ordeal unfold from his apartment and heard some of the negotiations.

"I saw [the child] looking out the window," Armstrong said, who said he recognized the man police took out in handcuffs.

Armstrong said negotiators were speaking in conversational tones, trying to ease him out of the apartment safely.  

"They were very patient, they did a wonderful job," he said. "It finished, they got him talked down and talked out [of the buidling]."

NJ Advance Media reporter Craig McCarthy contributed to this report. 

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

Dominick Richards, 49, was arrested in April for allegedly assaulting the woman he later shot

NEWARK -- The Roselle man who shot and killed a woman on his driveway before turning the gun on himself Tuesday was arrested in April for assaulting the same woman at gunpoint, Newark police confirmed Wednesday. 

Anishalee Cortes, 22, went to a Newark police station at 3 a.m. on April 8 to report Dominick Richards, 49, had broken into her home on Summer Avenue in Newark and assaulted her at gunpoint, police said.

Officers went to the house but did not find Richards, police said. Detectives got a warrant for Richards' arrest and arrested him at about 8 p.m. that day at his home on Chestnut Street in Roselle, police said. 

Detectives seized a Glock handgun from Richards' home, according to police.

He was charged with aggravated assault with a firearm, unlawful possession of a weapon, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and criminal restraint risking seriously bodily injury to the victim, court records show. 

Richards was also charged with criminal trespass, a disorderly persons offense.

Court records show the Essex County Prosecutor's Office on April 10 filed a motion for pre-trial detention of Richards. Judge Alfonse Cifelli denied that motion April 13, and Richards was released from jail the same day, according to jail records. 

Richards killed Cortes on his driveway Tuesday and then killed himself, authorities said Wednesday. Police found their bodies at about 2:30 p.m. and pronounced them dead at the home. 

Under a policy adopted by the state Supreme Court in May, prosecutors now automatically request pre-trial detention for defendants facing a range of gun and weapons charges, although a judge makes the final decision. 

The change came after New Jersey's new bail system, which started in January, faced criticism for allowing some people accused of gun crimes to be released before trial. The system mostly eradicates cash bail and enables judges to order defendants be held without bail based partly on their criminal history and the charges against them.

Staff reporter Jessica Remo contributed to this report.

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.

Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips

Not responsible for sudden, uncontrollable cravings.

Last summer, I took my family to the Rosenhayn Volunteer Fire Department's annual chicken barbecue.

Barbecues such as the one in Rosenhayn are not only meccas for foodies but also events that prove that while most things change, some things stay the same. And, staying the same is what makes them so special.

For 10 bucks, you get half a roasted chicken, an ear of corn, a huge pile of tomato salad and chips. As I understand, the department roasts and serves 2,400 chickens in six hours.

I was standing near the roasting pit and realized that while some things change, others don't have to. The method of cooking - chickens held in open metal frames over the fire - was just as they did when I was half a century younger.

MORE: Vintage photos around New Jersey

For that matter, so is the way cotton candy is made and served. As well as funnel cake. Custard stands are almost exactly the same, right down to the cones. Stewarts Root Beer stands are the same; crabbing down the shore is the same.

Ice cream trucks still tour the neighborhoods and children still get excited when they hear the music. And admit it - the aroma of a charcoal barbecue can transport you back in time, can't it?

Heck, the recipe for Italian ice/water ice has remained virtually unchanged since the Ice Age.

Summer eats and treats aren't only sensory delights for the eyes, nose and mouth - they can also take us back in time. Here's a gallery of classic summer eats around New Jersey.

Here are links to some other galleries you might like:

Vintage photos of ice cream and candy stores in N.J.

Vintage photos of ice cream parlors in N.J.

Vintage photos of eclectic eats in N.J.

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

Andre Higgs is on trial for murder in the death of Latrena May, 27, in East Orange.

NEWARK -- A state Superior Court judge on Wednesday appeared to open the door to letting a jury hear evidence Andre Higgs choked Latrena May two months before prosecutors say he fatally shot her on the steps of her East Orange apartment building.

"It does go toward state of mind," Judge Ronald D. Wigler told the man's attorneys after the jury had been dismissed for the day.

Whether evidence regarding the alleged March 25, 2015 incident will be introduced remains to be seen, as does whether Higgs will take the stand in his own defense after the prosecution rested Wednesday, after more than three weeks of testimony by the state's witnesses.

Higgs, 45, of Watchung, is on trial before Wigler on charges of murder and other offenses in the death of May, the 27-year-old mother of Higgs' daughter and a teacher at Pride Academy Charter School.

Assistant Prosecutor Justin Edwab has argued Higgs shot May three times on the top steps of her building, where he was the landlord, after she flagged down a passing police officer, who subsequently shot Higgs.

Defense attorneys Remi Spencer and Joseph P. Rem Jr. have argued that the officer, Detective Kemon Lee of the East Orange Police Department, shot Higgs first and caused him to inadvertently shoot May.

"We're saying Officer Lee's bullets hit Andre before any bullets hit Ms. May," Spencer told Wigler Wednesday as she summarized the defense theory.

Lee's use of force was later determined by the state Attorney General's Office to have been justified.

The couple's then 4-year-old daughter was inside May's home at the time of the shootings, but was unharmed.

Detective details grisly scene of teacher's killing

Prosecutor's office Detective Kevin Lalicon testified Wednesday about collecting two .45-caliber bullets from May's body while observing her autopsy by an assistant state medical examiner.

A Newark Police ballistics expert, Sgt. Luke Laterza, said the bullets matched a .45-caliber Astra semi-automatic pistol recovered from foyer of May's building.

Laterza also testified the gun could require about 10 pounds of deliberate trigger pressure to fire its first shot, although it could take less than half that amount to fire subsequent shots.

Evidence of prior alleged crimes is not normally admissible at trial, but Higgs' previous attorney had planned to pursue a defense that Higgs was intoxicated at the time of May's killing, leading Wigler to rule in April 2016 that Edwab could introduce evidence of the dispute to establish Higgs' criminal intent in her death.

In the March 2015 incident, police said May called 911 to report Higgs had choked her in front of their daughter. Officers said the incident left marks around her neck.

After Spencer began representing Higgs and pursuing a different defense strategy, that evidence was determined to no longer be applicable. Wigler said, however, it could come into play if the defense opened the door at trial.

Edwab argued the theory that Higgs' shooting of May was inadvertent fell under a category of "accidental" defense strategies that would allow him to introduce the evidence after all, again in order to establish intent.

The trial is expected to resume Thursday.

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

JERSEY CITY - Arts High School held their 2017 prom at the Liberty House with the students dancing to the music played by Random Access Entertainment. A red carpet walk off was held earlier at the school in Newark.   Be sure to check out our complete prom coverage at nj.com/prom. Arts High School 2016 Prom (PHOTOS) Arts High School 2015 Prom...

JERSEY CITY - Arts High School held their 2017 prom at the Liberty House with the students dancing to the music played by Random Access Entertainment. A red carpet walk off was held earlier at the school in Newark.  

Be sure to check out our complete prom coverage at nj.com/prom.

Arts High School 2016 Prom (PHOTOS)

Arts High School 2015 Prom (PHOTOS)

Arts High School 2015 Prom Gallery 2 (PHOTOS)

Arts High School 2014 Prom (PHOTOS)

SHARE YOUR PROM PHOTOS ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @njdotcom and on Instagram @njdotcom. Then tag your photos #njprom. We'll retweet and repost the best pics! 

Aristide Economopoulos can be reached at aeconomopoulos@njadvancemedia.com and you can follow him on Twitter at @AristideNJAM and Instagram at @aeconomopoulos  Find NJ.com on Facebook

The 28 Miss New Jersey contestants show their shoes during the annual parade.

OCEAN CITY -- The traditional Miss New Jersey Parade kicked off pageant week in Ocean City as the 28 contestants vying for the crown showed their shoes and smiles to a supportive crowd lining the Boardwalk Wednesday evening. 

The parade, which began at 6th street, featured the contestants dressed for this year's theme, "Television Comes Alive on the Boardwalk."

Riding on the back of a red convertible, Miss Bergen County, Celinda Ortega of Fair Lawn, donned a red wig and polka dotted dress playing the part of Lucy in the "I Love Lucy" show. Olivia Suarez of Mullica Hill, Miss Ocean County, portrayed Morticia from the 1960s show "The Addams Family." 

Miss New Jersey 2017: Meet the 28 contestants (PHOTOS)

Television shows from many eras, such as "Baywatch," "Gilligan's Island" and "The Walking Dead," were also represented. 

Preliminary competitions will be held inside the Music Pier Thursday and Friday, with the final night of competition on Saturday at 7 p.m.

Contestants will be judged in swimsuit, evening wear, talent and face an interview question. 

During Saturday night's final competition, reigning Miss New Jersey Brenna Weick will crown the winner who will then go on to represent the state in the Miss America Competition September 10 in Atlantic City. 

Tim Hawk may be reached at thawk@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @photogthawk. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Which cheer squads have the highest kicks, coolest stunts and loudest cheers?

Weequahic High School's graduating class celebrated its prom Wednesday night at Richfield Regency in Verona.

VERONA -- Weequahic High School's graduating class pulled up in style to the Richfield Regency Wednesday night for their senior prom. 

Check back at nj.com/essex for other local high school prom coverage from schools in Essex County. And be sure to check out our complete prom coverage at nj.com/prom.

SHARE YOUR PROM PHOTOS ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Let's see your prom photos. Post your pictures on Twitter and Instragram with #njprom. We'll retweet and repost our favorites on Twitter @njdotcom and Instagram @njdotcompix.

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

A death threat claim leads to defamation lawsuit for Christie ally.

TRENTON -- The head of the Bergen County GOP organization is suing a fellow Republican for defamation after being accused of making death threats, according to Politico New Jersey.

The feud between former assemblyman Paul DiGaetano and outgoing state Sen. Kevin O'Toole boiled over last year when O'Toole made the death threat claim in a series of interviews with the press. 

O'Toole (R-Essex) told The Star-Ledger's Tom Moran that the threat came in 2005 when DiGaetano was looking to mount a bid for governor and sought the "line" in Essex County -- a party endorsement that would give him prominent placement on the ballot and an advantage in the primary. O'Toole declined.

"You know me," DiGaetano told him, according to O'Toole's account. "I will f---ing kill you if I don't get this."

DiGaetano denied the claim at the time and in October demanded a retraction from O'Toole, which he declined, according to the lawsuit, which was filed in December in state Superior Court. 

'I'll f---ing kill you!' Senator's chilling account of threat

O'Toole, whose district includes parts of Bergen County, had gone public with the comments at a time DiGaetano was seeking the county's party chairmanship. The former assemblyman claims in the lawsuit that O'Toole circulated the story "to lower (DiGaetano's) reputation in the community."

O'Toole, an ally of Gov. Chris Christie, announced last year he was retiring after two decades in the Legislature. Christie then gave him a spot on the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey's board of commissioners. 

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

Which teams were the best throughout the 2016-17 school year?

The food products were produced between March and June.

NEWARK -- Golden Platter Foods Inc., a family-run, Newark-based supplier of meat and poultry products, is recalling more than 31,600 pounds of beef and poultry because the products contain milk, a known allergen, which was not declared on the labels.

The recall includes the company's ready-to-eat turkey, chicken, veal and beef products, which were produced between March 16 and June 7, according to a statement by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS).

To view the labels of the products, click here.

Here is a breakdown of the products with identifying codes:

• 24-lbs. bulk cases containing 3-lbs. plastic liner retail bags of Western Beef Fully Cooked Chicken Tenders with case code 04952.
• 24-lbs. bulk cases containing 3-lbs. plastic liner retail bags of Western Beef Fully Cooked Chicken Patties with case code 04951.
• 10-lbs. bulk cases of Golden Platter Fully Cooked Chicken Patties Breaded Nugget Shaped Patties with case code 21017.
• 24-lbs. bulk cases containing 3-lbs. retail bags of Western Beef Fully Cooked Chicken Nuggets with case code 04950.
• 20-lbs. bulk cases of Golden Platter Halal Fully Cooked Beef Meat Balls with case code 12012.
• 10-lbs. bulk cases of Golden Platter Halal Fully Cooked Chicken Nuggets Breaded Nugget Shaped Patties with case code 21020H.
• 10-lbs. bulk cases of Golden Platter Fully Cooked Breakfast Style Turkey Patties with case code 18610.
• 10-lbs. bulk cases of Golden Platter Halal Fully Cooked Breaded Beef Patties with case code 11001.

Products marked with an asterisk have an additional exterior label.

The products subject to recall bear establishment number "Est. 8813" inside the USDA mark of inspection. These items were shipped to retail and institutional locations in Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania, according to the statement.

The problem was discovered on June 6 when an ingredient supplier notified the company that the "batter and cracker meal the company received and used in the recalled products potentially contained undeclared milk."

There have been no confirmed reports of anyone becoming ill from the products to date.

Consumers who have purchased these products are urged to thrown them away or return them to where they were purchased.

Consumers with food safety questions can call the FSIS virtual representative available 24 hours a day at AskKaren.gov. If using a cellphone, visit m.AskKaren.gov.

The toll-free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline is 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854) -- which is available in English and Spanish -- can be reached from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Recorded food safety messages are available 24 hours a day.

The online electronic consumer complaint monitoring system can be accessed 24 hours a day at fsis.usda.gov.

Spencer Kent may be reached at skent@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @SpencerMKent. Find the Find NJ.com on Facebook.