The person made off with an unknown amount of cash, lottery tickets and other items

NEWARK -- City police are asking for the public's help in finding a suspect in a gas station burglary. 

The person broke into the Delta Gas Station Mini-Markert on Clinton Avenue sometime between 1 a.m. and 3:30 a.m. Saturday and made off with an unknown amount of cash, lottery tickets and other items, Newark Public Safety Director Anthony F. Ambrose said in a release. 

Anyone with information is asked for call at 1-877-NWK-TIPS (1-877-695-8477). 

Craig McCarthy may be reached at 732-372-2078 or at CMcCarthy@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @createcraig and on Facebook here. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips

Undra A. Crosby, 33, was arrested after a brief chase from the shooting scene

Undra Crosby 

NEWARK -- Police have charged a 33-year-old in a Friday shooting that happened during an argument, according to authorities.

Undra A. Crosby, 33, of Newark, was arrested after a brief chase from the shooting scene at around 5:30 p.m. near Dewey and Hobson streets, Newark Public Safety Director Anthony F. Ambrose said. 

Shortly after the shooting, a 30-year-old checked himself into Beth Israel Hospital with a gunshot wound, Ambrose said in a release.

A neighbor told police Crosby was arguing with the victim, who he knew, pulled a gun, shot the man and ran away. 

Crosby's charged with aggravated assault and weapons charges, according to the release. 

Craig McCarthy may be reached at 732-372-2078 or at CMcCarthy@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @createcraig and on Facebook here. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips

Teams of 20 attempted to pull a 93,000 pound United Boeing 737 Watch video

NEWARK -- More than 50 teams of 20 people from police and fire departments, and private companies, displayed their brawn Saturday in attempting to pull a United Airlines Boeing 737 by hand.

The airliner weighs 93,000 pounds.

"It's a lot of fun and people practice for this year round," said Robert Belfiore, a retired police chief retired and current director of the New Jersey Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics.

"We appreciate they are here raising money and awareness to help special athletes throughout New Jersey," he said.

More than a thousand people gathered attended the event at Newark Liberty International Airport , sponsored by the Torch Run, which specifically benefits the Special Olympics of New Jersey (SONJ).

The first pull is for the fastest time a team of 20 can move the plane 10 feet, the second pull is the lowest aggregate weight to pull the plane 10 feet.

The strength competition hosted by United Airlines and Port Authority of New York and New Jersey was open to the public, with free food and family activities for both adults and children. 

SONJ, the nonprofit in Lawrence, provides year-round sports training and athletic competition in 24 Olympic-style sports for more than 25,000 children and adults with intellectual disabilities. 

The organization says it offers the training free of charge, offering athletes continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy and participate in a sharing of gifts, skills and friendship with their families, other Special Olympics athletes and the community.

Patti Sapone may be reached at psapone@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Instagram @psapo,  Twitter @psapone.  Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Officials identified 21-year-old killed in early morning attack.

UPDATE: Mother charged in deadly stabbing of son

EAST ORANGE -- A 21-year-old East Orange man was fatally stabbed in the city early Saturday, according to the Essex County Prosecutor's Office.

The stabbing occurred around 1 a.m. in the 100 block of Park Avenue, authorities said.

Prosecutor's office spokeswoman Katherine Carter said the victim was identified as Marcel Scott.

Additional details were not immediately available Saturday afternoon.

The killing came weeks after a 29-year-old man was stabbed to death in the city on Central Avenue early Sept. 10.

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

Authorities say assault being investigated as alleged bias incident

NEWARK -- A 14-year-old transgender student was beaten by several fellow students at East Side High School in an assault that authorities said they are investigating as an alleged bias crime.

Kylie Perez told PIX11 she was punched and kicked Tuesday in a school hallway after a girl shouted "there's the tranny." Perez told the station she has been targeted by bullies who called her anti-gay slurs. She transitioned in 6th grade, according to the report.

The city's mayor, Ras Baraka, said he was "appalled" by the assault and planned to contact Perez and her family.

"I join the LGBTQI community as well as the parents, students, and citizens of Newark who are appalled by the recent bullying and vicious attack on fourteen-year-old Kylie Perez, a transgender student, at East Side High School," the mayor said in a statement.

"We must remain vigilant as a community and continue to denounce and to prosecute the hate crimes that are perpetrated upon members of the LGBTQI community," Baraka added. "This act was particularly egregious because the victim is a young teen whose attackers assailed her without warning."

School officials immediately alerted authorities, said Newark Public Schools spokeswoman Tracy Munford, who said she could not comment further. 

"We were notified immediately and we immediately notified the Newark Police Department," the school spokeswoman said.

Essex County Prosecutor's Office spokeswoman Katherine Carter confirmed the agency and city police were investigating the incident as an alleged bias crime.

Authorities said no charges have been filed in the case as the investigation continued.

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

21-year-old man died early Saturday.

EAST ORANGE -- A woman was accused of fatally stabbing her 21-year-old son after an argument between the duo turned violent in East Orange early Saturday, authorities said.

Asya Dawkins, 37 (Photo: Essex County Dept. of Corrections) 

Asya Dawkins, 37, of East Orange, was charged with reckless manslaughter and unlawful possession of a weapon in the death of her son, Marcel Scott, Acting Essex County Prosecutor Robert D. Laurino announced.

"The preliminary investigation indicates that the mother and son got into an argument that resulted in a physical altercation that led to the fatal stabbing early this morning," the prosecutor said in a statement.

Scott, also of East Orange, was pronounced dead shortly before 1 a.m. after the attack in the 100 block of Park Avenue, according to authorities.

Dawkins was being held at the Essex County Correctional Facility Saturday night, according to jail records.

More information was not immediately released.

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

Head of School signs Carbon Neutral Pledge.

Lacordaire Academy students, front, Jonathan Mankin; back row, Zelah Booker, Sianna Rosario and Victoria Gaillard, watch as head of school William Hambleton signs the Carbon Neutral Pledge.Lacordaire Academy 

MONTCLAIR -- Last month, William Hambleton, Lacordaire Academy head of school, signed a Carbon Neutral Pledge, making the commitment to reduce the school's carbon footprint.

For its part, the Lacordaire has adopted a paperless school directory and is exploring use of energy-efficient light bulbs, sensors that automatically shut of lights and ways to enhance recycling efforts to help reduce the school's carbon footprint.

Hambleton signed the pledge prior to attending the Zero Emissions Summit in New York City, where government and business leaders discussed climate change.

To submit school news send an email to essex@starledger.com.

NJSO begins its second season under maestra Xian Zhang at NJPAC Oct. 7. This year' offers up a mini-Beethoven symphony cycle.

Even casual fans of classical music undoubtedly know the "Big Three:" Bach, Mozart and Beethoven. That may lead them to the conclusion that classical is an Old World construct.

But the United States not only has its own homegrown composing masters but has also influenced the works of others. The New Jersey Symphony Orchestra will highlight that impact during its 2017-18 season's Winter Festival theme, "America, Inspiring."

"Any time composers go places it's going to give them new inspirations. Rachmaninoff toured all over America ... Prokofiev came here. Being in America in many ways shaped their lives and their work," said NJSO maestra Xian Zhang. "There were so many pieces to choose from. I couldn't fit everyone in. It makes me think in two or three years from now we'll have to have a sequel."   

NJSO's new season, a mini-Beethoven symphony cycle, begins Oct. 7 with "Denk plays 'Emperor" at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center. The program, which features pianist/MacArthur "Genius" Fellow Jeremy Denk, will move to Mayo Performing Arts Center for a second performance on Oct. 8.

Other notable visiting musicians this season include pianists Conrad Tao, Stephen Hough and Terrence Wilson; violinists Chloe Hanslip and Ning Feng: and mezzo soprano Marianne Beate Kielland.

The schedule also includes more family-friendly concerts featuring movie music. Music from the John Williams' score of "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" will be played at NJPAC Oct. 28. A "Sci-Fi Spectacular" featuring music from the "Star Wars" and "Star Trek" franchises is scheduled for Jan. 6 at NJPAC and Jan. 7 at State Theatre New Jersey. Actress Marina Sirtis, best known as Deanna Troi on "Star Trek: The Next Generation," will host the events.

Conductor Zhang, who is embarking on her second season with the orchestra, won critical acclaim during her first season with the orchestra. Writing for NJ Advance Media, James C. Taylor noted that after the final 2017 concert, Zhang had "left her audiences wanting more."

Zhang said she watched audiences grow throughout the 2016-17 season. 

"We got more and more people as the season went on," she said. "The smaller halls were totally packed."

She's hoping the same is true for this season, particularly with the expanded Winter Festival offerings, which includes nine concerts as well as post-concert conversations, wine tastings, poetry readings and even an event that features an artist painting as he's inspired by NJSO.

Zhang, a native of China, said the Winter Festival's theme is particularly relevant with immigration so prominent in the news worldwide. One message is that music transcends differences.

"Particularly sonic music, you don't need to understand any words to get it which is why it goes above and beyond words," Zhang said. "The beautiful thing about music is that it touches you as a human being, directly, through your emotions and  your brain and sometimes it's even physical. We should be united behind it."

The theme has personal relevance to Zhang as well. 

"It doesn't matter where you are born. The fact that I am in New Jersey leading the symphony is an example of that," she said. "In a way, my personal story shows that music can lead anywhere. I only follow where the music takes me and it goes beyond regions."     

DENK PLAYS "EMPEROR" WITH THE NEW JERSEY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

NJPAC

1 Center St., Newark. 

Tickets: $20-75, available onlike at www.njpac.org. Oct. 7, 7:30 p.m.

Mayo Performing Arts Center

100 South St., Morristown

Tickets: $20-90, available online at www.mayopac.org. Oct. 8, 3 p.m.

Natalie Pompilio is a freelance writer based in Philadelphia. She can be reached at nataliepompilio@yahoo.com. Find her on Twitter @nataliepompilio. Find NJ.com/Entertainment on Facebook. 

PATH trains are being added and officials are urging commuters to use mass transit

UPDATE: What to know about 'gridlock-like' commute near Holland Tunnel this week

JERSEY CITY - Officials urged commuters to avoid the Holland Tunnel this week and take mass transit due to ongoing repairs from a fire Friday night on a ramp leading to the tunnel.

Rush hour PATH trains will be added this week to assist in the increased traffic, Port Authority officials announced Sunday morning.

The three Route 139 westbound lanes will be shut down until further notice. A fire broke out under the Route 139 ramp that commuters use to travel west from the tunnels.

Three westbound lanes have been closed to make emergency repairs and the closures have already caused backups in the tunnel and in Manhattan.

The agency encouraged commuters to consider other ways to get to work, including the bus, ferry and rail.

NJ Transit will add capacity to buses and the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail. Additional capacity on the rail will be available between the West Side Ave. park-and-ride and Hoboken Terminal between 6:00-9:30 a.m. and 3:30-7:00 p.m.

Additional capacity will also be added to bus routes on the Route 9 corridor in and out of the Port Authority bus terminal in Manhattan.

Sara Jerde may be reached at sjerde@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @SaraJerde.

Have information about this story or something else we should be covering? Tell us: nj.com/tips.

The pedestrian was struck on McCarter Highway just after 1 a.m.

NEWARK - A 43-year-old city man was fatally struck by a vehicle in a hit-and-run early Sunday, officials said. 

Garcia de Souza was crossing McCarter Highway just before 1 a.m. when he was hit by a vehicle, which didn't stop, a spokeswoman for the Essex County Prosecutor's Office, Katherine Carter, said in an email.

De Souza was at a concert held at the Newark Waterfront Center on McCarter Highway to see a Brazilian musician before the fatal crash, Carter said. 

He was taken to University Hospital in Newark where he was pronounced dead at 1:48 a.m., Carter said. A description of the vehicle was not provided.

The crash remains under investigation by the Essex County Prosecutor's Office's Homicide/Major Crimes Task Force, which includes detectives from the Newark Police Department. 

Authorities asked anyone with information to call the prosecutor's office's tip line at 1-877-TIPS -4EC.

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

Kylie Perez, a freshman at East Side High School, was assaulted on Tuesday at her high school and the attack was captured on video

NEWARK -- The bruises are beginning to fade on the 14-year-old transgender student who was beaten last week in the hallway of her high school and she's eager to get back to class, her mom said Sunday night.

Kylie Perez, a freshman at East Side High School, was assaulted on Tuesday. She was kicked and punched in the hallway, after someone shouted at her, "there's the tranny," Perez's mom, Lillian Richards said.

Kylie, a "busy bee" who enjoys spending time with friends, has been frustrated by the disruption. She and her mom spent the day Sunday shopping.

"She wants to be back in school," Richards said.

The altercation, caught on video, makes Richards sick to watch, she said. In it, a student approaches Perez and begins assaulting her.

Kylie, is no stranger to inappropriate comments, her mom said.

"Thank God she has a thick coat of skin. She kind of just brushes it off," Richards said.

Newark Gay Pride is scheduled to rally outside of the high school on Monday afternoon to show Perez, and other students, that there's a support network for the LGBTQ community, the organization's president, Sharronda "Love" Wheeler said.

"For me, I'm a parent and the one thing I hope that happens tomorrow is that Kylie Perez knows we exist. That she knows, for lack of a better term, that she has big brothers and sisters that support her through her transition," Wheeler said.

Newark Mayor Ras Baraka said he was "appalled" over the incident and that the community needed to continue to denounce and prosecute hate crimes.

Richards is meeting with the mayor on Monday.

"This act was particularly egregious because the victim is a young teen whose attackers assailed her without warning," Baraka said in the statement. "This incident reinforces the importance of the role of our schools in educating students about the need to respect each other's rights regardless of race, gender, or sexual orientation."

A spokeswoman for the school said authorities were immediately notified. The incident is being investigated as an alleged bias crime. No charges have been filed, Essex County Prosecutor's Office spokeswoman Katherine Carter said Sunday.

"Last week, every day was bad," Richards said. "I'm hoping tomorrow will be brighter."

Sara Jerde may be reached at sjerde@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @SaraJerde.

Have information about this story or something else we should be covering? Tell us: nj.com/tips

Dogs and cats throughout New Jersey need permanent homes.

This information on dog safety was compiled by members of the Dog Bite Prevention Coalition -- the U.S. Postal Service, American Veterinary Medical Association, American Humane Society, Insurance Information Institute and State Farm Insurance.

If a carrier delivers mail or packages to your front door, place your dog into a separate room and close the door before opening the front door. Parents should also remind their children not to take mail directly from letter carriers in the presence of the family pet as the dog may see handing mail to a child as a threatening gesture.

People often assume that a dog with a wagging tail is a friendly dog, but this is far from the truth. Dogs wag their tails for numerous reasons, including when they're feeling aggressive. A tail that is held high and moves stiffly is a sign that the dog is feeling dominant, aggressive, or angry.

Dogs, even ones you know have good days and bad days. You should never pet a dog without asking the owner first and especially if it is through a window or fence. For a dog, this makes them feel like you are intruding on their space and could result in the dog biting you.

ALL DOGS are capable of biting. There's no one breed or type of dog that's more likely to bite than others. Biting has more to do with circumstances, behavior, and training.

Dogs have a language that allows them to communicate their emotional state and their intentions to others around them. Although dogs do use sounds and signals, much of the information that they send is through their body language, specifically their facial expressions and body postures. You can tell how a dog is feeling (sad, tired, happy, angry, scared) by looking at the position of a dogs' ears, mouth, eyes, and tail.

Dogs are social animals who crave human companionship. That's why they thrive and behave better when living indoors with their pack -- their human family members. Dogs that are tied up or chained outside are frustrated and can become aggressive because they are unhappy. They can also become very afraid because when they are tied or chained up, they can't escape from things that scare them.

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

The number of foreign and out-of-state students admitted to Rutgers University is on the rise.

A former assistant U.S. secretary of state is the fourth Democrat entering the congressional race in the 7th District.

WASHINGTON -- A veteran of the last two Democratic administrations is the newest entrant in the race against Rep. Leonard Lance.

Tom Malinowski, a former assistant secretary of state under President Barack Obama and a former senior director on the National Security Council under President Bill Clinton, announced his candidacy Monday for the Democratic nomination in the 7th Congressional District.

The district is one of only 23 Republican-held districts that were carried by Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton in 2016.

N.J. races key in 2018

 "I've stood up to dictators on behalf of America; I'll stand up to Donald Trump and Leonard Lance for the people of our state," Malinowski said. 

"I've defended human rights, equality, and the rule of law," he said. "Now, those values are threatened by a president governing far outside of American norms along with a congressman who can't be counted on.  I've always fought for what is right -- that's why we're going to win."

Tom Malinowski is seeking the Democratic nomination against Rep. Leonard Lance.

Former U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry called Malinowski "an advocate to his very core, with a fierce sense of right and wrong, and a moral compass always pointed due north."

Lance is rated as a slight favorite to win re-election by the Cook Political Report, a Washington-based publication that tracks congressional races.

He has bucked his fellow House Republicans and President Donald Trump on several issues this year, most notably his no vote on the Affordable Care Act repeal legislation that the Congressional Budget Office said would increase the number of uninsured Americans by 23 million.

The other Democratic candidates in the race are Linda Weber, a bank executive from Berkeley Heights; Lisa Mandelblatt, a teacher in Westfield; Scott Salmon, a lawyer from Scotch Plains; and Goutam Jois, a lawyer from Summit. 

Peter Jacob, the only New Jersey congressional candidate backed by U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) in 2016, is raising money for another run as well.

Lance is one of four Republicans in the state targeted by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee next year.

Another former national security aide in the Obama administration, Andy Kim, is one of the Democrats seeking the nomination against Rep. Tom MacArthur, R-3rd Dist.

Jonathan D. Salant may be reached at jsalant@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JDSalant or on Facebook. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.

There is new No. 1 team in the NJ.com football Top 20 on Oct. 1.

Winners will get to see Bill Clinton, David Cameron and more

NEWARK -- As New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark prepares to embark on its annual N.J. Speaker Series, here's your chance to snag a pair of tickets to see President Bill Clinton, U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron, Supreme Court expert and legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin, and more. 

Visit the NJ.com contest page and fill out the form to enter for a chance to win a pair of tickets to the Speaker Series. Only one entry per person/per email address. Five winners will be chosen Oct. 9 at 9 a.m. and notified via phone call immediately afterward.

Tickets will be mailed to the winners. This prize is good for all seven remaining installments of the Speaker Series, which begins with Cameron Oct. 12 and ends with Clinton April 12, 2018. 

No purchase necessary. 

Bobby Olivier may be reached at bolivier@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @BobbyOlivier. Find NJ.com on Facebook. 

These teams and players had noteworthy performances in Week 4

A look at the biggest boys soccer games for the week ahead.

Buses to and from the Port Authority are delayed by about 45 mintues

An tractor-trailer that overturned on the New Jersey Turnpike early Monday  backed up traffic for several hours, officials said.

Although all lanes re-opened around 11 a.m, northbound traffic is crawling from exit 12 to near exit 15E, where the truck flipped, State Police said. 

NJ Transit buses heading to and from the Port Authority in New York are subject to delays of about 45 minutes as of 11:20 a.m., NJ Transit said.

The truck struck a concrete barrier around at milepost 107.4 on the western spur at 6:49 a.m., trooper Gene Hong said. The driver was not injured and no other vehicles were involved. 

Bus service to/from New York PABT is subject to delays of up to 45 minutes due to an overturned tractor trailer on NJ Turnpike, Exit 15E.

-- NJ TRANSIT - NBUS (@NJTRANSIT_NBUS) October 2, 2017

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

The quintet were in a Mercedes stolen in Cedar Grove when Cranford police gave chase

CRANFORD -- Five New Jersey men were arrested after leading police on a two-mile chase that ended when the stolen car they were riding in crashed early Friday, authorities said.

Cranford police began pursuing a 2008 Mercedes around 12:30 a.m. after the driver refused to pull over for a lane violation, according to Sgt. Ryan J. Greco.

The driver sped west on Raritan Road, finally striking a median and rolling over near the intersection with Centennial Avenue, police said.

The five occupants of the vehicle were caught after a foot chase with the help of State Police, Union County police and Linden police.

Police charged the driver, Aaron Scarborough, 24, of Irvington, with eluding, receiving stolen property and resisting arrest.

The passengers were charged with receiving stolen property and resisting arrest.

They are:

• Juan Leandry, 18,  of Newark
• DeQuelle Nelson, 21,  of Newark
• Amahad Denton, 25, of Newark
• Patrick Roberts, 19, Irvington

The car was reported stolen in Cedar Grove. All five were given summonses and released. 

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