Bill Rodgers and Tom Fleming competed in marathons in the 1970s

BLOOMFIELD -- A legendary long-distance runner who helped propel marathoning into the mainstream will be lining up at a local 5-mile race.

Four-time Boston Marathon winner Bill Rodgers said he will be running on June 29 in the Tom Fleming Sunset Classic, recently renamed to honor the longtime Montclair Kimberly Academy track coach who died in April.

Rodgers and Fleming, the New York City Marathon winner in 1973 and 1975, were training partners and race competitors who remained close long after their racing heyday.

"Tom was just a good friend. He was a good friend for all of those years," Rodgers, 69, told NJ Advance Media.

They met in 1973, at a time when long-distance running had a much lower profile. It was two years before the first of Rodgers' four wins in Boston.

Running was not all they had in common. Rodgers was a special education teacher and Fleming, around the time the met, graduated from William Paterson University with a double major in special education and elementary education.

"We raced a lot. We trained together. I stayed at his place in New Jersey. He stayed at my place in Massachusetts," Rodgers said.

Rodgers said that Fleming finished ahead of him in Boston in 1973 and 1974, before Rodgers had his breakthrough win in 1975.

Here's a home video of Tom Fleming #running in the 1975 #BostonMarathon with me. https://t.co/MxyxBRhfQf

-- Bill Rodgers (@BillRodgersRACE) April 24, 2017

Rodgers went on to win the Boston Marathon three more times, from 1978 to 1980.

The 1976 New York City Marathon was among their memorable racing encounters. It was the first year that the marathon, previously four laps of Central Park, was transformed into a 26.2-mile course lined with spectators through the city's five boroughs.

Rodgers and Fleming were among the elite entries in a field of about 2,000.

"At one point, we passed each other. He gave me a yell. I gave him a yell," Rodgers said.

Rodgers won the inaugural five-borough race, which is credited with bringing marathoning to a wider audience, while Fleming finished sixth.

He won the New York City Marathon the next three years, cementing his reputation as the most prominent marathoner of his time. 

Rodgers and Fleming kept in touch over the decades.

Fleming was race director for the annual Sunset Classic, which helped raise money for special needs children in his hometown, and Rodgers occasionally showed up to support the 5-mile race.

In 2009, Rodgers -- wearing a racing bid with No. 1 -- was among 673 finishers, with a time of 37 minutes and 30 seconds.

Rodgers would return the invitation over the years, inviting Fleming to attend the Boston Marathon as a spectator. Fleming often declined, Rodgers said -- not because he didn't want to visit, but due to his coaching commitments.

"He wouldn't come up to the Boston Marathon, where he did so well, because he was doing a track meet for the school," Rodgers said.

Fleming became the head coach at Montclair Kimberly Academy, a private school for students from kindergarten through 12th grade, in 2000. He taught fourth grade and was the varsity track and field and cross country coach.

"I knew he loved his students," Rodgers said.

In 2014, Fleming accepted an invitation to the Boston Marathon, where four decades earlier he finished twice in second place. He posed for a photo with Rodgers near the finish line.

On April 19, Fleming was coaching at a track meet in Verona when he fell ill and was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Rodgers said he was "shocked" by Fleming's unexpected death.

He was in attendance June 6 when a portion of Brookdale Park was named the "Essex County Tom Fleming Athletics Complex." 

An organizer of the Tom Fleming Sunset Classic confirmed Rodgers' race entry.

Rodgers said he runs about 40 miles per week and regularly races, though no longer to win. On Saturday, he finished a 10-kilometer (6.2-mile) race at Shelter Island, N.Y., in 47:33.

Once the nation's top marathoner, Rodgers these days is content to compete for top honors in his age group.

Looking ahead to the race, Rodgers said, "I'll be in the back of the pack."

Rob Jennings may be reached at rjennings@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @RobJenningsNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook  

It's still unclear how the truck wound up on its side.

NUTLEY -- A firefighter remains hospitalized Sunday morning after a firetruck overturned Saturday night, an official said.

Two other firefighters who received injuries were treated at a local hospital and released, according to a spokeswoman for the Essex County Prosecutor's Office, Katherine Carter.

The fire truck overturned while responding to a call, Carter said. She did not have exact details on how it wound up on its side. 

Police on Saturday night shut down Chestnut Street at Passaic Avenue. The fire truck was on its side on a small bridge near Park Drive as of 10:45 p.m. 

Alex Napoliello may be reached at anapoliello@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @alexnapoNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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Police cordoned off the 100 block of North 7th Street on Sunday morning.

NEWARK -- Police and the Essex County Prosecutor's Office are investigating after a man was killed Sunday morning in the city's Lower Roseville neighborhood, an official said. 

Authorities are investigating the homicide of a man, said Katherine Carter, a spokeswoman for the prosecutor's office. No other information has been released.

Police cordoned off a portion of the 100 block of North 7th Street for more than two hours Sunday morning. At least 20 people, some of whom were crying, gathered near the crime scene tape to watch authorities investigate. 

Friends of the man, who declined to provide their names, described him as "an amazing person" who worked at a pizzeria and enjoyed playing soccer and volleyball.

After city firefighters hosed away blood from the pavement, mourners gathered to place flowers and candles at a nearby tree. 

This story will continue to be updated. 

Luke Nozicka can be reached at 732-428-6958, lnozicka@njadvancemedia.com or on Twitter @lukenozicka.

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The girl was visiting from Newark Saturday night, when she touched the electrified railing of a boat lift in a lagoon behind a house

TOMS RIVER -- An 11-year-old girl was fatally electrocuted in Toms River Saturday night, when police said she was playing with friends in a lagoon behind a house and touched the electrified metal rail of a boat lift. 

"It is with deep regret that we announce the death of an 11-year-old child," the Toms River Police Department said in a statement Sunday afternoon.

The girl was a Newark resident on a visit to Toms River, and she and two friends were swimming and playing with an inflatable raft, in the presence of adults, just after 8 p.m. on Saturday, police said.

"Two of the girls touched the rail to a metal boat lift and electric current appears to have energized the equipment causing the injury," the announcement stated. "The first responders utilized an Automated External Defibrillator, AED, and transported the child to Community Medical Center in Toms River where she passed away later in the evening."

Police said adults present at the Tobago Avenue house had tadministered CPR before the EMT's arrived and took over.

The other two girls she was playing with were not injured, police said.

The case is under investigation by detectives from the Toms River Police Department and the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office, as well as officers of the Ocean County Sheriff's Department.

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

Sgt. Jerome Ramsey, who was popular among fellow police and served a distinguished, 30-year career, was 'an icon,' the city's public safety director said

Sgt. Jerome Ramsey, leftNPD 

NEWARK -- A 30-year Newark Police veteran and father of four who received a departmental award last month died unexpectedly of pneumonia on Saturday, the department announced.

Sgt. Jerome Ramsey, 55, had been assigned to the Shooting Intelligence Unit of the NPD Major Crimes Division, and last month received the department's Chief's Award for outstanding police work.

"The Newark Police Division deeply mourns the loss of one of its finest officers," Newark Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose stated in an announcement of the sergeant's death.

RamseyNPD 

"Sgt. Ramsey embodied the characteristics we look for in every Officer -- honesty, bravery and compassion," Ambrose stated. "For thirty years, he served the City of Newark with integrity and with the utmost respect for our residents and visitors."

Ambrose said Ramsey died of pneumonia at his home on Saturday, after having been out sick last week battling the illness.

Ambrose said later in a brief interview that Newark's police community was shaken by the unexpected death of Ramsey. Ambrose said Ramsey had four children.

Ambrose said the sergeant was popular among fellow officers, and had enjoyed an extraordinarily long and distinguished career that spanned three decades.

"He was an icon," Ambrose said.

CORRECTION: Police initially reported that Ramsey was a father of two, but later said he had four children.

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

Animals need permanent homes all over the Garden State.

Here is this week's collection of some of the dogs and cats in need of adoption in New Jersey.

We are now accepting dogs and cats to appear in the gallery from nonprofit shelters and rescues throughout New Jersey. If a group wishes to participate in this weekly gallery on nj.com, please contact Greg Hatala at ghatala@starledger.com or call 973-836-4922.

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

Gerardo Gomez faces a 195-year sentence for his role in the execution-style killings of three people in 2007.

NEWARK -- A lawyer for the last man convicted in the murders of three friends in a Newark schoolyard asked a judge Friday to give killer Gerardo Gomez a new trial, arguing his original counsel was inadequate. 

The application for post-conviction relief before Judge Michael L. Ravin in Newark drags out a nearly decade-long quest to close the cases of six men and boys accused in the Aug. 4, 2007, execution-style killings on the Mount Vernon School playground. 

Gomez, a member of the violent international street gang MS-13, faces a 195-year sentence for his conviction on murder, attempted murder and related charges in 2012. A state appeals court last year declined to overturn the verdict.

Attorney Tim Moriarty, who is representing Gomez, hammered his client's original attorney for about an hour Friday on his defense strategies at trial. He particularly zoned in on trial attorney Michael Robbins' decision not to cross-examine Natasha Aeriel, who survived being shot in the head during the schoolyard rampage. 

Robbins said Aeriel's entrance into the courtroom was profoundly emotional and he thought cross-examining her would have turned jurors against his client. He said he had also watched Aeriel testify in the other defendants' trials and saw how much her presence affected those juries. 

"She was the most sympathetic victim in as long as I've been doing this," Robbins said. "I didn't want to squander for a moment any credibility that I would have at the end of the case to stand up and get the jury to listen to me." 

Prosecutors at trial said Gomez, who turned 15 the day of the killings, did not shoot Iofemi Hightower, 20, Dashon Harvey, 20, or Terrance Aeriel, 18, but participated in the slaughter. 

Aeriel did not identify Gomez, now 24, in her testimony but held that all six men and boys present "were part of the attack." 

Robbins said he relied on Aeriel's statement to first responders at the shooting scene that five -- not six -- Hispanic males were involved in the attack, and he said he told jurors Aeriel's memory of the event was unreliable. 

In the months leading up to the trial, Robbins testified, Gomez was offered several plea deals, including a final offer of 30 years in prison. Gomez turned down every deal because accepting one would have meant saying he participated in the attacks, instead of being just a bystander, Robbins said. 

Moriarty also asked why Robbins had not argued Gomez was under duress at the time of the killings, and Robbins again said that defense would have required Gomez to say he had actively participated in the crime. 

A lawyer for Alexander Alfaro, one of the other defendants, had pursued a duress defense at trial and failed to get him acquitted, Robbins noted. 

In March, Ravin denied a post-conviction relief petition from Alfaro, who faces a 212-year sentence, and last year denied a similar petition from Rodolfo Godinez, who was sentenced to 245 years in prison. 

Jose Carranza was also convicted at trial. Melvin Jovel and Shahid Baskerville each pleaded guilty. Collectively, the men received more than 1,000 years in prison.

Under cross-examination by Assistant Prosecutor Romesh Sukhdeo, Robbins said he worked harder on Gomez's case than on any case he has tried in almost 30 years as an attorney. 

Ravin told the lawyers he would decide whether Gomez deserved a new trial "within a reasonable amount of time." 

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

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NJ.com takes a look at the 37 best high school games from the 2016-17 school year.

Authorities say one man was arrested, but his two alleged accomplices got away.

NEWARK -- Authorities have arrested a man who they said robbed a 19-year-old, then crashed into a utility pole while trying to escape police.

Lamar Williams. (Courtesy Newark Police)

Lamar Williams, 21, of Newark, and two other people robbed the man of cash and other items shortly after midnight Monday, according to Newark Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose.

A sergeant in the area saw Williams and the two others getting into a car on Elizabeth Avenue after the alleged robbery, and attempted to pull them over, Ambrose said.

The officer chased the trio until the driver lost control of the car at the intersection of Sherman Avenue and Vanderpool Street, and crashed into the pole, police said.

Officers found a gun in the car, and arrested Williams on robbery, weapons, and other charges, Ambrose said. The other two escaped police.

Williams was treated for injuries from the rash, police said. No other injuries were reported.

Authorities say they are searching for the other two people involved. Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call 877-695-8477 or 877-695-4867, or make an anonymous tip through the department's website, www.newarkpdonline.org, or the Newark Police Division app.

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

Among its 16 key points, the order bars police and other municipal employees from investigating residents' citizenship status

NEWARK -- Mayor Ras Baraka signed what is the city's most sweeping declaration yet to protect undocumented residents against President Donald Trump's federal immigration policies.

Surrounded by municipal council members and advocacy groups, Baraka signed a detailed 10-page executive order on Monday that cements Newark's sanctuary city policy. 

The order pledges that the city will not spend local resources aiding federal immigration law unless required by a court order or directive, a promise Baraka made in November. 

Among its 16 key points, the order bars police and other municipal employees from investigating residents' citizenship status, coercing individuals to report family members and sharing personal information about a person's national origin. 

"This is an opportunity to make Newark a fair and welcoming city," Baraka said. "To make the community safer for citizens that documented and undocumented alike."

The city will also begin publishing quarterly reports on its website including the number of ICE detainer requests and raids that require local police assistance. By September, a Fair and Welcoming City Commission will be established to provide translation services and legal representation to Newark immigrants.  

Newark already does more than most cities to protect those residing in the country illegally. Since 2015, all residents are given municipal ID cards for access to state, city, financial and cultural services. 

Trump's Jan. 25 executive order, which aimed to strip federal funding from sanctuary cities, faced a blow in April when a judge partially blocked it. 

But Baraka said the administration's vow to pull funding from sanctuary cities is "really not a threat at all" with Trump's looming budget policy, which cuts a number of social programs. 

"(Trump's) budget policy seeks to cut the very things that he's threatening to take away anyway, so it's almost useless for us to take that as a threat," Baraka said. 

Anthony Ambrose, Newark's director of Public Safety, said the White House is already threatening the city's Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) grants totaling "a few million dollars."

"I don't know why we'd be punished and our money would be held up or taken away," he said. 

The White House's order has found fierce push-back from Baraka as well as other New Jersey mayors, who promise to only arrest undocumented immigrants who engage in criminal activities. 

Baraka's declaration comes a month after undocumented immigrant Arino Massie, of Metuchen, was deported to Indonesia after living in America for 16 years. Dozens rallied outside the Elizabeth Detention Center in support of Massie, who left behind his 13-year-old son and and wife. 

"We believe that we are right. And the fact that we believe we are right gives us the strength to continue forward regardless of any threat from the federal government," Baraka said. 

The order coincides with Immigrant Heritage Month, celebrated every June nationwide since 2014. Organizations involved in Newark's latest initiative include: NJ Alliance for Immigrant Justice, 32BJ SEIU, Make The Road, ACLU and NJ Working Families.

Police said she didn't recall crashing her car into a curb.

Dehabah Sylvester. (Port Authority Police Department)
 

NEWARK -- A woman was arrested Saturday on drunken driving charges after she rolled into Newark airport on a flat tire and was found eating cake in her car, Port Authority police said.

Dehabah R. Sylvester, 31, of Bloomfield, was arrested on charges of DWI and reckless driving after officers responded around 10:30 p.m. to a report of a wreck at Brewster Road and Aris Drive, police said.

Police said witness told officers they had seen the car swerve and strike a curb so hard it blew a tire, police said. The car ultimately came to a stop at the airport, driving on a rim.

When they approached the car, officers found Sylvester apparently eating in the driver's seat.

The woman told officers she had stopped to eat cake and didn't recall having a flat tire, according to police. Sylvester failed a sobriety test and a breath test, which recorded a blood-alcohol concentration twice the legal limit, police said.

Police said Sylvester's car was impounded after her arrest.

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

The student had black make-up on her face, a report said.

MILLBURN -- School officials are reportedly reacting to parent concerns over a white elementary school student who painted her face during an annual event in which she dressed up as Martin Luther King, Jr.

According to a VillageGreen report, parents reacted on social media to posts about the student, who was participating in the Millburn school's "Wax Museum" event, which highlights the accomplishments of influential historical figures. Parents on social media, the report said, found the make-up an offensive form of blackface.

Parents told the VillageGreen they were not upset with the child, but with the parents and teachers who let her participate in the event. "Blackface isn't something you can ignore and claim ignorance," one parent told the publication.

A spokeswoman for the district did not immediately respond to a request for comment Monday morning.

Student: Dance not offensive to white people

In a note to parents, the VillageGreen reported, Superintendent Christine Burton said the event is meant to honor influential people, but "the way in which one of these historical figures was represented has drawn some concern. While no offense was intended, we recognize that some may have taken it that way. Please be assured that across the district we will ensure that guidelines for programs such as these are culturally respectful."

She reportedly called the incident "a teachable moment."

It comes after the nearby South Orange Maplewood School District has dealt with several racially charged controversies, including those over a student-choreographed dance about the history of slavery and racism in America, and a school assignment in which elementary students created slave posters.

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

Police say he was arrested Monday by members of the Fugitive Apprehension Team.

Isaac Outen. (Newark Department of Public Safety)

NEWARK -- City police detectives on Monday arrested a 23-year-old man they say threatened a woman with a gun during a dispute just over a week ago.

Isaac Outen, of Newark, was arrested by members of the Newark Police Division's Fugitive Apprehension Team on charges of aggravated assault, unlawful possession of a weapon, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and making terroristic threats, Public Safety Director Anthony F. Ambrose said in a statement.

Police said that on June 9, a woman reported Outen had verbally threatened her while brandishing a gun during a dispute, which led investigators to obtain a warrant for his arrest.

The Essex County Correctional Facility did not list booking information for Outen as of Monday afternoon.

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

Essex County College suspended Lisa Durden, an adjunct professor and political commentator, after she appeared on the Tucker Carlson show on Fox News.

On June 8, Lisa Durden, a producer, filmmaker and media commentator, arrived at Essex County College in Newark to teach her speech class.

It was the closing days of the summer session and Durden was already set for the fall semester. She was listed as a returning adjunct professor to teach mass communication and popular culture and two effective speech courses.

Two days before, she had appeared as a political commentator on the Fox News show "Tucker Carlson Tonight," invited to give her opinion as to why Black Lives Matter organizers held a Memorial Day event in Brooklyn for black people only.

When she arrived on campus June 8, Durden was abruptly suspended. She was told she had to cancel classes and report to the Human Resources Department.

MORE: Recent Barry Carter columns  

Durden, without an explanation, informed her students, who were still waiting for her to arrive, that class was canceled.

That confused her students: Durden had always told them that she would never be absent unless "she had died.''

She didn't have a reason. She didn't know why, until she went to Human Resources

"They did this to humiliate me,'' Durden said. "Essex County College publicly lynched me in front of my students.''

Durden was given a letter, signed by Jeffrey Lee, vice president for academic affairs, informing her that she was suspended "until further notice." She had to turn over her grade book to Christopher Rivera, chairperson of the Humanities Division.

The letter does not mention the Tucker Carlson show, but Durden said administration officials made a point of bringing it up that day. In a meeting with Lee and Karen Bridgett, assistant director of Human Resources, Durden said Bridgett told her someone "complained'' that she associated herself to the college during the television show appearance.

Not true, and Durden proved it.

Look at the six-minute clip. It's on the internet. Google Lisa Durden and Tucker Carlson. Next to her name, it says political commentator. During the contentious discussion with Carlson, Durden never identified herself as a professor at the college. Durden said she was representing herself while arguing that Black Lives Matter had a right to have a Memorial Day celebration in a safe space for black people at a time when there's a rise in white nationalism and racism.

Considering her explanation, Durden, and many who support her, want to know what she did wrong. Durden said Bridgett told her the matter is being investigated.

"There's got to be some other agenda,'' said Leslie Farber, her attorney. "It seems to me they're going to make up some reason. We've got to figure out what that is and why. Is she too outspoken?"

When I called the college administration to ask, Lee would offer only a three-sentence statement that he read to me over the phone:

"The college promotes a community of unity that is inclusive of all. The general counsel has handled this matter in a way that complies with New Jersey state law. I am not at liberty to provide further details.''

Durden, who wants to be reinstated, is fuming, believing her right to free speech has been trampled.

Colleagues agree and have submitted letters expressing concern and outrage. They've started an online petition, with nearly 500 signatures, demanding she be reinstated.

"I find it shocking that an African-American woman would be so disrespected at her place of employment for merely exercising her First Amendment right to free speech,'' said Professor Jennifer Wager.

The union that represents adjunct professors is not happy, either, saying Durden is covered by the union but it did not know Durden was being suspended. As a result, there wasn't a union representative at the meeting when the administration handed her the suspension letter.

It is unclear, however, if the administration has a responsibility to advise Durden, who didn't know her rights at the time.

Students are fired up, too, about how a good semester ended up in a tailspin. They looked forward to her class, describing Durden as a dynamic professor who had shy students speaking with confidence. About five of them went to the Human Resources Department the day of the suspension seeking answers about their grades and to find out what was happening to Durden.

"I think she was done wrong,'' said Demond Hill, 45. "They treated this thing like she embezzled money.''

The senior member of the class, 68-year-old Paulette Jones, said Durden's treatment is not the way an institution of higher learning treats one of its own.

"This is a college,'' Jones said. "We're talking about critical thinking, the right to have different opinions.''

The past year has not been stellar for the two-year school. Last year, the college fired President Gale Gibson and general counsel Rashidah Hasan, and laid off 20 employees. Anthony Munroe was hired last month as the new president, and you now have this chaos to wind down the semester.

"For those of us who are involved in advocacy, politics, who may hold opinions which differ from those in different spaces, this kind of thing has a terrible chilling effect,'' Rebecca Williams, an assistant professor, wrote in her letter to the administration.

 "As this suspension will become public in the world of academia -- and especially in black public intellectual circles --  it will bring more negative publicity to our institution even as we are trying to move forward with our new president.''

MORE CARTER: Greater Newark Fresh Air Fund needs your help to send kids to camp

Wager, who recommended Durden for employment, said her colleague has been an asset to the college even before getting hired in January. For more than a decade, the Newark native has participated on panels at the school without getting paid, and landed New York media internships for communication students, some of which have led to full-time employment.

Since joining the faculty, Wager said, class feedback about Durden has been "effusively positive,'' and she has a "following of students that really liked the fact that she brought real- world media experience to the classroom.''

Durden has appeared on other Fox programs, including "Fox and Friends" and "The Kelly Files with Megyn Kelly."  If it wasn't a problem then when she was vocal on political and race issues, why now?

 The college certainly didn't mind in March, when Durden was a panelist on a school-sponsored program that gives you a good idea that she speaks her mind.

It was called "Radical Women in Media.''

Barry Carter: (973) 836-4925 or bcarter@starledger.com or

nj.com/carter or follow him on Twitter @BarryCarterSL

A judge released Dominick Richards on April 13, following bail guidelines adopted in January.

NEWARK -- As a Roselle man later accused of killing his ex-girlfriend in a murder-suicide faced charges he had assaulted her at gunpoint, a judge ruled there was not enough evidence to detain him without bail before trial. 

"I will also note defendant's cooperation with the police in the investigation, as well as no evidence of injuries to the victim indicated in the aforementioned report," Judge Alfonse J. Cifelli said April 13 as Dominick Richards appeared in court. 

Cifelli said his decision was also influenced by Anishalee Cortes' refusal to cooperate with police in getting a temporary restraining order.

Two months to the day later, authorities say Richards, 49, fatally shot Cortes, 22, on the driveway of his home before turning the gun on himself.

Audio of the detention hearing obtained by NJ Advance Media sheds light on why Richards was allowed to go free after he allegedly attacked the woman he later killed.

He had appeared in state Superior Court in Essex County on charges that he broke into Cortes' home on Summer Avenue in Newark on April 8 and assaulted her at gunpoint. Prosecutors argued Richards should be held in jail before trial, calling him a danger to Cortes.

But Cifelli ruled Richards should be released, citing a determination by Pre-Trial Services that he posed a low risk of new criminal activity and of failing to appear in court. Richards had no prior criminal record, the judge noted. 

Cifelli said he considered that Richards had lived in Roselle for many years and was financially supporting his children, who lived nearby. Richards had also held a job for 18 years and was likely to lose that position if he was detained, Cifelli said. 

"I find the State has clearly failed to rebut the aforementioned presumption of release in this case and, therefore, the State's application for detention will be denied," he said. 

Revisions to New Jersey's bail system, instituted in January, mostly eradicate cash bail and create a presumption that defendants will be released in most cases. Those same changes allow judges to hold people in jail in extraordinary circumstances based on a system that gauges the seriousness of the charges and how likely defendants are to reoffend or not show up to court.

The state Supreme Court in May imposed new rules that created a presumption of detention for people charged with certain gun offenses, although judges still have the final stay in whether they are held. 

Richards entered Cortes' apartment April 8 without her knowledge, pointed a gun at her chest and said he wanted to talk about their recent break-up, Assistant Prosecutor Chelsea Coleman told Cifelli. He grabbed her, leaving bruise marks on her arm, and held her hostage there for about two hours, Coleman said.

Police later got a search warrant for Richards' home and confiscated a Glock handgun and two magazines, Coleman told Cifelli. When the officers arrived at Richards' house, he said, "I know why the police are here. It's because I was at my ex-girlfriend's house," according to Coleman. 

"The State feels that this defendant is clearly a danger to the victim in this case, as he has no regard for her life, pointing a gun at her," Coleman said. "The victim indicates she's afraid for the life of her and her son, as well, because of this incident."

Coleman asked Cifelli to hold Richards in jail because the offense involved pointing a gun at the victim. If Cifelli did not want to detain him, Coleman said, she would request home detention with electronic monitoring. 

Richards worked as a communications technician and paid child support for his 13-year-old daughter, defense attorney Charles Nugent told the judge. Richards also had two sons. 

Nugent cast doubt on the prosecutor's version of events, saying Cortes had voluntarily let Richards into her home and he did not have a weapon on him. Richards wanted to talk to Cortes about continuing his relationship with her young son, Nugent said. 

"They had an argument, and he in anger said to her that he was going to report her to Section 8 Public Housing because she was working off the books at a local bar," Nugent said. "She told him, 'If you ruin my life, I'm going to ruin your life.'"

Nugent also said Cortes walked into the police station hours after the alleged assault, instead of calling the police, and that she initially refused their help in getting a temporary restraining order. Cortes got a temporary restraining order April 10 and a final restraining order May 2, authorities have said. 

The defense attorney said there is no evidence Cortes was injured and she refused medical assistance when she reported the alleged incident. 

Richards cooperated with police when they came to his home, Nugent said. He voluntarily surrendered his gun, which was unloaded and registered to him, and his purchaser ID card, the lawyer said. 

"She knew because of their relationship that he owned a gun," Nugent said. "So I think, judge, there's a very significant motive for her to say she had the knowledge, not because what she said (about the alleged assault) was true, but because of their dating relationship."

Alexander Shalom, the senior staff attorney at the ACLU-NJ, said Cortes' death was tragic but should not be taken as an indictment of New Jersey's post-reform bail system. 

"While no system of pre-trial release is perfect, the new system should not be compared to perfection, rather to a money bail system that was broken, unjust and even less safe," Shalom wrote in an email.

He said the new pre-trial release system is based on an assessment of the risk a defendant poses to public safety, and not on the defendant's wealth.

"While we must work to minimize errors in judgment related to pre-trial release, unfortunately, the result in this case very well may have been the same regardless of which system was in place," Shalom wrote.

A spokesman for the state Judiciary said the case was about domestic violence.

"The trial judge in this case made a release decision based on the information known at the time of the defendant's arrest," the spokesman, Pete McAleer, said in a statement. "What followed two months after the court proceeding was a horrible tragedy."

After Cifelli explained his decision to release Richards from jail, he asked Richards if he understood the conditions of his freedom. 

"Do you understand that if you violate any one of these conditions and you're brought back to court for a hearing on the violation, that if I find you guilty of the violation I will then remand you to the county jail, where you will remain until all the charges against you have been resolved?" Cifelli asked Richards.

Richards said he understood and confirmed he had no questions.

"All right," Cifelli told him. "Good luck to you." 

Nine weeks later, Richards and Cortes would both be dead. 

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

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In these 30 towns, homeowners pay at least 15 percent of their household income, on average, toward property taxes.

Columbia High School students attended their senior prom Monday night at Westmount Country Club in Woodland Park

WOODLAND PARK -- Students of Columbia High School in the South Orange and Maplewood School District paid little mind to rainy skies Monday night, and they dressed to impress for their senior prom at Westmount Country Club in Woodland Park.

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.

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

Mike and Rachel Brumfield said they slept on the floor at Newark Liberty International Airport Watch video

The passengers who reported that a United flight was gushing fuel from a wing at Newark airport didn't get much in the way of a thank you from the beleaguered airline.

Newlyweds Mike and Rachel Brumfield said United gave them only a food voucher but not a hotel room, forcing them to spend the night on the floor at Newark Liberty International Airport. 

The Chicago-area couple also accused United of losing their luggage.

United Airlines flight 170 was scheduled to depart Newark for Venice, Italy at 6:55 p.m. on June 13. Those plans were halted when the Brumfelds looked out a window of the 767 and saw gallons of fuel gushing from the plane's left wing onto the runway. 

After the couple informed the flight crew, the plane was emptied and the flight canceled. 

The next morning, another passenger put the couple in a limo to John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York to catch an evening Delta flight, NYPost.com said. The cruise the Brumfield's were taking from Venice departed Thursday afternoon. 

United described the incident as a "fuel leak," but didn't mention where the leak originated. 

The fuel spill was the latest in a series of embarrassing news for United. The most highly publicized took place in April when a doctor was forcibly removed from a plane in Chicago when he refused to give up his seat on an overbooked flight. He later settled his lawsuit against United for an undisclosed amount. 

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

NJ.com's 2017 boys lacrosse season in review.

COMING SOON: NJ.com ranks the Top 100 athletes of the 2016-17 school year on Monday, June 26

BOYS LACROSSE SEASON IN REVIEW, 2017

• Matt Douglas of Delbarton is the NJ.com Player of the Year

• Delbarton is the NJ.com Team of the Year

• Tom Albano of Ramapo is the NJ.com Coach of the Year

ALL-STATE TEAMS

• First Team All-State

• Second Team All-State

• Third Team All-State

• All-Group 4

• All-Group 3

• All-Group 2

• All-Group 1

• All-Non-Public

• All-Prep

• All-Junior

• All-Sophomore/Freshman

FINAL STAT LEADERS

• Goals

• Assists

• Points

• Saves

BEST GAMES OF 2017

• Top 50 boys lax games of the 2017 season

FINAL RANKINGS

• Top 50

• Group 4

• Group 3

• Group 2

• Group 1

• Non-Public

• Prep

CONFERENCE/DIVISION AWARDS AND ALL-STARS

• Burlington County Scholastic League

• Bianchi

• Cape-Atlantic League

• Colonial Valley Conference

• Cullen

• Curcio

• Fitch-Pitt

• Gibbs

• Greater Middlesex Conference

• Jacobson

• Kimber

• Kirst

• Klank

• Olympic

• Pooley

• Rizk

• Shore Conference

• Skyland Conference

• Waterman

Brian Deakyne may be reached at bdeakyne@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @BrianDeakyne. Brandon Gould may be reached at bgould@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @BrandonGouldHS. Like NJ.com High School Sports on Facebook.

From a record-setting performance in high jump to Sydney McLaughlin's record-setting split, New Jersey cleaned up in Greensboro, North Carolina.