Rickey Elliott, 52, is the city's 68th homicide victim of the year

A Jersey City man was shot and killed in Newark's South Ward Sunday morning, according to authorities. (Star-Ledger file photo)

NEWARK - Authorities have identified a man shot and killed in the city's South Ward Sunday morning.

Rickey Elliott, 52, whose last known address was in Jersey City, was pronounced dead at University Hospital around 11:16 a.m. Sunday, according to Thomas S. Fennelly, an assistant prosecutor with the Essex County Prosecutor's Office.

He had been rushed to the hospital earlier that morning after being shot on Cypress Street.

No arrests have been made in the slaying, and authorities have released no information on any potential motive or suspects.

An investigation by the prosecutor's office's Major Crimes and Homicide Task Force remains active.

Elliott was one of two men killed by shootings in Newark over the weekend, raising the city's homicide total for the year to 68.

Anyone with information on either incident is asked to contact task force detectives at (877) 847-7432 or 973-621-4586.  

Dan Ivers may be reached at divers@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @DanIversNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.         

 

Officers from more than 15 agencies were called in to help disperse the unruly crowd at the Fairfield Executive Inn

Two men were charged with assaulting a Fairfield police officer after a disturbance at a township hotel on Sept. 7. (File photo)

FAIRFIELD - Two men were charged with assaulting a township police officer after a large melee at a Route 46 hotel last week.

According to Fairfield Deputy Chief Anthony Manna, officers were called to the Fairfield Executive Inn at around 2:38 a.m. on Sept. 7, where they found around 50 people arguing and "creating a disturbance" on the hotel's third floor.

Officers from 15 law enforcement agencies around the area were called in to help control the crowd, but orders to disperse were ignored, and two men, 35-year-old Robert Cacciatore and 47-year-old Ronald Roselli, began to strike each other, Manna said.

Police began to intervene but the two persisted, and each allegedly struck Officer Thomas Myers during the struggle.

Both were arrested and charged with aggravated assault on a police officer and simple assault.

Cacciatore, of Franklin Square, N.Y., and Roselli, of Belleville, were later released on their own recognizance pending an upcoming appearance in Essex County Superior Court.

Manna said it was unclear what started the altercation between the two men.

Dan Ivers may be reached at divers@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @DanIversNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

 

Snag a pair of tickets to see CNN's medical correspondent Sanjay Gupta, former U.S. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta, documentarian Ken Burns and more

NEWARK -- As New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark gears up for its annual N.J. Speaker Series, here's your chance to snag a pair of tickets to see CNN's medical correspondent Sanjay Gupta, former U.S. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta, documentarian Ken Burns and more.

Visit the NJ.com contest page, or our entertainment Facebook 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. Ten winners will be drawn Sept. 30 at 9 a.m. and notified via phone call immediately afterward.

Tickets will be mailed to the winners. Each ticket is good for all seven installments of the Speaker Series, which begins with Panetta Oct. 14 and ends with physicist Michio Kaku April 14, 2016.

No purchase necessary. This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook.

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

 

A man who allegedly shot a woman at a Route 22 motel, then carjacked a car and crashed into the Union County prosecutor is also wanted for a shooting in Newark.

UNION -- A man accused of shooting a woman at a motel, then carjacking a car and crashing into vehicles, including one driven by the Union County prosecutor, was previously being sought for a shooting in Newark, authorities confirmed.

Newark police said they have a warrant charging Quadree Frazier, 35, with aggravated assault for a shooting in that city.

Police said Frazier is wanted for a shooting at 244 Chadwick Avenue. Nobody was wounded in that shooting, but the date of that incident and details surrounding the shooting were not immediately available.

Court records show that Frazier has prior criminal convictions. In 2009, he pleaded guilty in Superior Court in Essex County to a charge of third-degree possession of a prohibited weapon. He was incarcerated for 14 months.

In 2003, he pleaded guilty to a charge of sexual assault in Essex County and was placed on probation for three years.

Union Township police said that on Wednesday, shortly after 1 p.m., Frazier was  involved in a dispute with two women at a Route 22 motel, and that he fired a shot at one of the women.

Frazier then ran out of a hotel room, pistol-whipped the hotel manager to escape, and ran across Route 22 and into a parking lot of a Target store, where he carjacked a woman's car at gunpoint, police said.

He then allegedly drove east on the highway, struck a pickup truck, pulled into a parking lot and struck other vehicles, including one in which acting Union County Prosecutor Grace Park was sitting and talking on a phone, authorities said. Park was shaken up but uninjured, officials said.

The stolen car Frazier was driving then careened into the wall of a Halloween store and burst into flames, police said. Officers arrested him as he stepped out of the car, and firefighters extinguished the fire in the car.

First reports said a woman at the motel was grazed by the gunshot. However, police later said the woman was taken to Morristown Medical Center, where she remained as of Thursday, with a bullet in her shoulder. Police did not immediately return a request for information on her condition today.

As of Thursday, Frazier remained under police guard at University Hospital in Newark, where he was admitted for treatment of broken vertebra, a collapsed lung and other injuries. Police did not immediately return a request for information on his location and condition today.

He is being held on $600,000 bail charged with attempted murder, carjacking and weapons offenses.

MORE UNION COUNTY NEWS

Tom Haydon may be reached at thaydon@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @Tom_HaydonSL. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Israel Villegas-Suarez allegedly became enraged after the office closed on Saturday

Israel Villegas-Suarez (Essex County Correctional Facility)

EAST ORANGE - Authorities say a Newark man attacked a pair of police officers after becoming enraged by an unsuccessful trip to the Department of Motor Vehicles on Saturday.

Israel Villegas-Suarez, 33, began vandalizing the inside of the East Orange DMV branch after it closed at 1 p.m., apparently before he could complete the business that brought him there, according to Essex County Sheriff Armando Fontoura.

Two sheriff's officers were stationed outside the South 18^th building, and attempted to calm him down and return on Monday, Fontoura said, but to no avail.

"Villegas-Suarez would apparently have none of it as he pushed the officers away and assumed a combative fighting stance," the sheriff said.

A struggle ensued, and Villegas-Suarez allegedly punched each officer, and attempted to gouge out the eye of one.

Five East Orange officers arrived to help subdue him, and he was placed under arrest and taken to University Hospital for a physical and mental evaluation.

He was later released and taken to the Essex County Jail in Newark, where he remained held on $50,000 bail as of Monday afternoon.

Dan Ivers may be reached at divers@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @DanIversNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook. 

 

The mayor has been pushing the idea at public appearances during recent weeks, referencing the country's $13 billion payment to European countries devastated during World War II

NEWARK — As cities around the country search for a solution to persistent unemployment, violence and poverty, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka believes he may have found one in the history books.

In an interview with NJ Advance Media on Monday, Baraka expanded on his push for an "Urban Marshall Plan" - an updated version of the federal government's hefty contribution to boost the economies of European countries devastated during World War II.

"We need our cities rebuilt. The same way they rebuilt Europe after World War II, these cities need to be rebuilt — in America," he said.

Baraka cited the various infrastructure issues in Newark, from a centuries-old sewer system and crumbling roads to schools built in the late 19^th century, as obvious candidates for federal funding. However, he also said the city could benefit from investments in manufacturing and job training to ensure opportunities for residents long after public projects have been completed.

It is unclear how much money all of that might require, but the mayor noted that the original Marshall Plan allocation of $13 billion would be equal to about $130 billion today.

"When you talk to other urban mayors, you see that we all suffer from the same issues," he said. "I think that all of it ties in - increases in violent crime, issues with the school system - it always goes back to poverty and unemployment at the base of it. I think it's time for America to pay attention to the cities."

"I think a lot of it should be public works project," he said. "To boost the morale, to strengthen families, to inject money into this economy here that's been basically neglected for the last five decades."

The call also comes after nearly a century of massive federal initiatives that Baraka claims have either largely ignored or harmed urban and minority communities, including investments into urban housing projects and interstate highways that sent much of Newark's population to nearby suburbs, never to return.

The latest in that tradition came in 2009, in the form of a $831 billion stimulus plan aimed at jump-starting the nation's then-lagging economy. But Baraka said little of that money ever made its way to the neediest neighborhoods of Newark and other cities, and called for any new funds to be delivered directly to cities, rather than divvied out by state governments.

"It's not just the infusion of cash, what it is, is attention spent on these cities that have been neglected," he said.

Some eyebrows might be raised by such an arrangement, given that Newark is currently operating under state oversight of its finances after years of budget shortfalls and often-questionable spending habits. Baraka, however, said that the city's financial woes have more to do with its lack of tax base and other resources needed to meet its needs.

"I think a lot of the stuff is, we have more to do than we have money coming in," he said.

Baraka said he has received support for his plan from other urban mayors, though the idea has yet to gain much public traction. While any push for such a large share of political dollars would prove difficult, he believes improvements to the country's infrastructure would garner some bipartisan support.

Despite the obvious hurdles, however, the mayor said the push would also need to put an end to a lengthy history of inaction that he believes is far from circumstantial.

"Whenever you have five decades of double-digit unemployment...and nobody acts, it's negligence. And its purposeful negligence, because everybody knows what's going on," he said.

Dan Ivers may be reached at divers@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @DanIversNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Any recommendations the new College Affordability Study Commission makes to Gov. Chris Christie won't come in time to help students who arrived on campus this semester.

TRENTON -- At a public hearing at Union County College on Wednesday about college affordability, a panel of New Jersey college presidents and faculty and student representatives will solicit feedback on ideas both radical and pragmatic. 

From a "pay it forward" system that initially waives tuition, to a more seamless transition between community college and four-year universities, the goal is to find ways to reduce the financial burden of earning a college degree. 

But any recommendations the new College Affordability Study Commission makes to Gov. Chris Christie will come too late to help students who arrived on campus this semester.

Every traditional four-year public and private institution in the state has raised annual tuition and fees for 2015-16, according to an NJ Advance Media survey of two dozen four-year schools.

Monmouth University had the highest tuition and fee increase among private schools at 4.4 percent. New Jersey City University and Kean University each raised tuition and fees 3 percent, the most among four-year public schools.

Only William Paterson University in Wayne and the College of Saint Elizabeth, a private women's college in Morristown, raised tuition and fees lower than 2 percent.

"We know we are in a hot zone with regard to the idea of 'Can I send my son or daughter to college, and how are we going to pay for it?'" said Fred Keating, president of Rowan College at Gloucester County and chairman of the College Affordability Study Commission.

New Jersey residents are not alone; the rising cost of college in America and crippling student debt has sparked national debate and policy proposals. However, New Jersey has yet make significant progress in curbing costs and remains home to some of the most expensive public schools in the country. 

For tuition and fees alone, first-year students attending four-year public college and universities are being charged between $11,258 (New Jersey City University) and $16,108 (New Jersey Institute of Technology) this year. That doesn't include room, board, books, transportation and other fees that raise the total cost of attendance by another $10,000 or more.

At Rutgers University, the state's largest university, students on the main campus in New Brunswick-Piscataway will pay $14,231 in tuition and fees, $318 or 2.3 percent, more than last year. Once room and board are added in, the average student living on the New Brunswick campus will pay $26,185 this year to attend the school. 

At New Jersey private schools, the price for first-year students ranges from $27,800 at Bloomfield College to $47,190 at Stevens Institute of Technology, before adding room and board.

RELATED: These are the 10 best college majors for earning potential

Thomas Edison State College, for-profit colleges and online schools that charge varying rates or do not have traditional semester structures were not included in the survey because their tuition systems make it difficult to compare rates.

Despite the rising tuition rates, New Jersey colleges and universities maintain that they are still a good value.

At the College of New Jersey, where tuition and fees rose 2.9 percent to $15,446, more than 70 percent of students graduate in four years, one of the highest rates in the country, spokesman David Muha said. 

"The faster a student is able to earn their degree, the less they will pay in tuition and the sooner they will be able to embark on their career," Muha said. 

Some schools attributed tuition increases in part to contractual raises for faculty and said the rising costs are necessary to maintain academic standards.

They also pointed to increases in student aid that aren't reflected in the "sticker prices" for tuition and fees. 

As a "high-tuition, high-aid" state, New Jersey colleges charge above-average tuitions, but the state offers financial aid packages to low-income students. Those packages include state Tuition Aid Grants, known as TAG.

New Jersey's neediest students are well-provided for in terms of financial aid, Passaic County Community College President Steven Rose told the affordability commission in May.

But the high-tuition, high-aid model needs to be reviewed because it doesn't help students from middle-class or lower middle-class families, said Rose, also chairman of the New Jersey Presidents' Council, which represents the state's college and university presidents 

"There is a huge group of students, and I would argue a growing group of students, that is getting caught in the middle of this, that still cannot afford to go to college and are really being hurt by our high tuitions that we have at our institutions," Rose told the affordability commission. 

Addressing the problem is complicated, though, Rose said, and he didn't suggest a way to fix it. 

Keating, chairman of the commission, said he agrees that some students are being priced out of college.

"Those are the individuals that are not getting the scholarships, that are not getting the TAG grants and other assistance grants because of their income, and they are not of means where money is no object," he said. 

However, suggesting colleges and universities freeze or lower tuition, as some state lawmakers have done, likely isn't the solution, Keating said. He also doesn't believe that calling on the state government to spend another $1 billion on higher education is a realistic recommendation, he said. 

Instead, the commission will focus more on the structure of student debt and ways to get students through college more quickly, including taking college credits in their senior year of high school and improving the transfer of credits from community colleges to four-year universities, he said. 

"We really feel that we want to keep these committee recommendations to workable, pragmatic thoughts that we can deliver if the economy of New Jersey somewhat improves," Keating said. 

The commission's public hearing at Union County College is at 10:30 a.m Wednesday in the Cranford Campus' Roy Smith Theater. 

Hearings will also be held Nov. 18 at the College of New Jersey and Jan. 20 at Rowan University. 

The commission encourages students, parents, and other members of the public to  provide their thoughts and recommendations. 

Adam Clark may be reached at adam_clark@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on twitter at @realAdamClark. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

The Caldwell University Music Department will begin its concert series Sept. 19 with a "Faculty Favorites" concert featuring the university's faculty and recent alumni.

Musician Danny Presz will be one of the many performers in Caldwell University's concert series throughout the season. 

CALDWELL -- The Caldwell University Music Department will begin its concert series Sept. 19 with a "Faculty Favorites" concert featuring the university's faculty and recent alumni.

The show, which will start at 6:30 p.m., will include a range of styles including musical theater, jazz and classical selections.

Some of the other performances for the season will include the Garden State Opera, Danny Presz, Salsa and More, the Christmas Spectacular, The Eric Olsen ReVision Jazz Quartet, Warren Helms and Friends, Uncommon Women, Swingle Singers and New York Voices.

General admission for most concerts is $20 and tickets for students and seniors are $10. For more information, contact Laura Greenwald at 973-618-3520.

If you would like to submit news pertaining to your college, please send an email to essex@starledger.com.

Montclair hosted the free outdoor festival Saturday.

MONTCLAIR -- From tap to jazz, ballet to contemporary, they came to dance. About a dozen prominent dance schools from New York and New Jersey took part in the second annual "Dance on the Lawn" in Montclair Saturday, a free, outdoor event organizers say is designed to expose N.J. residents to different types of dance.

This year's ceremony, Dance on the Lawn founder Charmaine Warren said in a statement about the event, should pave the way for even bigger ones in the future.

"We hope this year's festival will continue to build momentum for our yearly presentation - more dancers, more dance companies, more excitement," she said. 

"We are proud to bring local and New York area dance to New Jersey in a free, outdoor public forum."

The event also named Robert Mark Burke its "Emerging New Jersey Choreographer."

Participating acts included:

New Jersey Dance Schools

• Nancy Turano's "New Jersey Dance Theatre Ensemble" (Summit)
• Sharron Miller's "Academy for the Performing Arts Performance Workshop Ensemble" (SMAPA/PWE- Montclair)
• Kathy Costa's "DanceWorks & Company" (Montclair)
• Andrea Kramer's "Ballet Forte" (Chester)

New Jersey Companies

• Maurice Chestnut's "Dance Therapy" (Newark)
• Donna Scro's "Freespace Dance" (Montclair)
• Randy James' "10 Hairy Legs" (Highland Park)

New York Companies

• "Janis Brenner & Dancers"
• A new work by Troy Powell (Ailey II - Artistic Director)
• Darrell Moultrie's "DanceGrandMoultrie"
• "BHdos: The Second Company of Ballet Hispanico"

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

Man was shot at around 9:30 p.m. Monday, authorities said.

Man was shot at around 9:30 p.m. Monday, authorities said. (File photo) 

ORANGE -- Authorities are investigating the fatal shooting of a 37-year-old man in the city Monday night, Acting Essex County Prosecutor Carolyn A. Murray announced in a release Tuesday.

Mazo F. Jones, of East Orange, was shot at around 9:30 p.m. in the area of Main and Park Streets, Murray said in the release. Responding officers found Jones unresponsive, she said. He was pronounced dead at the scene at 9:52 p.m., authorities said.

The Essex County Prosecutor's Major Crimes Task Force investigation into the homicide is ongoing, authorities said. Anyone with information is asked to call 877-847-7432 or 973-621-4586.

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

 

An Uber driver with three women passengers was about to pick up a fourth passenger when two gunmen robbed him and the women in his car.

Two gunmen, one wearing a mask, robbed and Uber driver and three passengers early today in Linden. (NJ Advance Media file photo) 

LINDEN -- Two gunmen held-up a Uber driver and his three passengers early today, stealing cellphones, cash and credit cards, police said.

About 3 a.m., the driver, 33, of Newark, was riding with three women passengers, when he stopped to pick-up another passenger on the 1100 block of East Blancke Street, police Capt. James Sarnicki said.

He said the driver pulled up to the house and saw a woman sitting on the porch and believed she was the fare.

However, two men, both armed with handguns, came out from a driveway, approached the car and told the driver to get out, Sarnicki said.

The driver turned over his cell phone to one gunman while the other stuck his head into the car and demanded the purses of the three passengers, Sarnicki said.

He said the three women, one a 29-year-old from the Bronx, N.Y., another, 21, from Guttenberg, and the third a 20-year-old from East Orange, turned over their purses containing cell phones, cash and credit cards.

The gunmen fled on foot, heading south on East Baltimore Avenue, police said. Officers checked the area but failed to locate any suspects.

The victims told police that one gunman wore Adidas sweatpants, and the other wore gloves and a white ski mask, authorities said.

Police are asking that anybody with information contact the Detective Bureau at (908) 474-8537.

MORE UNION COUNTY NEWS

Tom Haydon may be reached at thaydon@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @Tom_HaydonSL. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

 

Christopher Moccia's blood-alcohol level was 0.16, twice the legal limit, after the crash inside the Holland Tunnel, P.A. police spokesman Joe Pentangelo said.

Christopher Moccia, 36, of South Orange, has been charged with DWI after being involved in an accident in the Holland Tunnel on Sept. 15, 2015. (P.A. police photo)EJA 

A South Orange man was charged with driving while intoxicated and reckless driving early this morning after he sideswiped a car inside the New York-bound Holland Tunnel, Port Authority police said.

Christopher Moccia's blood-alcohol level was 0.16, twice the legal limit, P.A. police spokesman Joe Pentangelo said.

A Port Authority officer saw Moccia's 2014 Jeep strike a 2008 BMW in the south tube of the tunnel at 12:30 a.m. and pulled over both vehicles, Pentangelo said.

Moccia, 36, staggered after he got out of the Jeep and police saw that his eyes were bloodshot, police said. He also could not keep his balance while walking, police said.

The driver of the BMW refused medical attention.

New online process can help more businesses apply to be in Newark, officials said.

Antonio DaSilva and employees at Cinnamon Sugar Bakery in Newark. (Courtesy CEDC)
 

NEWARK -- Opening a new business in the city? Now, there's a website for that.

Newark officials announced earlier this month the creation of an online tool that they say could help increase the rate of new businesses opening in the city by as much as 50 percent.

"The process that we had previously was very broken," Otis Rolley III, the president and CEO of the Newark Economic Development Corporation, said in a phone interview.

In order to apply for a new business permit in the city, a potential business owner would need to do it in person. The application would need to go through several city departments and agencies, and applicants would often times need to visit each department office several times to get the necessary approvals, he said.

The system also did not contain a way to coordinate the actions and approvals of the different departments, so applications would often get lost in the shuffle, and applicants would need to wait months to find out the status of their business permits, he said.

The whole process could take as long as a year, city officials said.

"For a city that is looking to grow, and looking to prosper, it should not take that long," Rolley said.

Now, several months after Newark was named the worst city in the nation to do business in, that's all changing, Rolley said.

Bakery's grand opening in Newark. (Courtesy Newark CEDC) 

As part of a reevaluation and revamping of the business permitting process, city officials said they rolled out a beta version of a new system that allows business owners to apply for permits online, and city employees to electronically track the progress of applications. The entire process, Rolley said, should now take about 30 days.

The city is currently running test applicants through the beta online version, and it should be fully rolled out by December, officials said. The first business to run its application through the online system, the Cinnamon Sugar Bakery, opened on Market Street in Newark's downtown district this month.

"Being able to focus on opening the bakery and not getting stuck with piles of paperwork is a great relief," said Antonio DaSilva, a Portuguese immigrant who owns the bakery.

In addition to using the online system to apply for the permit, he also used it to help apply for a $9,400 small business loan.

DaSilva is a longtime area baker, who first gained local notoriety when he helped open the city's Pao De Milho Bakery. He headed several east coast divisions of Wakefern Bakery until opening his first shop, Canela Bakery, in 2013. He has become known for his "Newark Custard Cups."

After using the online process, DaSilva thanked a long line of city officials for what he said was a "wonderful opportunity."

Rolley said that the online process is one of several changes the CEDC is working to institute in order to make Newark a more business-friendly city. Last year, 3,166 new business applications were processed in the city, officials said. The online system, they said, should increase that number by at least 50 percent.

"We want to invite investment; we want to support those who want to come into our city," Rolley said.

"Once word of mouth spreads (that) it is easier to get things done here...people will know that Newark is the place to prosper."

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

 

Sixteen Newark Fire Department captains and five battalion chiefs were sworn in Tuesday.

NEWARK -- Sixteen Newark Fire Department captains and five battalion chiefs were sworn in Tuesday.

The officers received their badges and took their oaths of office in a morning ceremony at St. Lucy's Church attended by dozens of city officials, including Mayor Ras Baraka.

"This is a great fire department," Newark Fire Department Director James W. Stewart told the promoted officers. "We hope that you will continue the tradition of this department in providing the residents of Newark the services they rightly deserve."

The promoted officers replace several retiring fire department officials, Stewart said.

Vernal Coleman can be reached at vcoleman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @vernalcoleman. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

South Ward Councilman John Sharpe James said the project could have far-reaching economic implications for one of Newark's poorest and most isolated neighborhoods

NEWARK - Councilman John Sharpe James is coming out strongly in support of plans to extend the PATH system to Newark Liberty International Airport, which suddenly finds itself in jeopardy.

During a meeting at City Hall Tuesday afternoon, James called on his council colleagues, Mayor Ras Baraka and other officials to rally around the $1.5 billion plan, which he said was "under attack from other legislators in other counties."

In an interview following the meeting, James declined to identify which legislators he was referring to, though he clearly appeared to refer to Bergen County state senators Loretta Weinberg, Paul Sarlo and Robert Gordon.

During a hearing in Trenton last week, the trio called for all spending on the project to be frozen until investigators determine whether it had been influenced by United Airlines officials, who are suspected of trying to curry favor with ex-Port Authority Chairman David Samson by offering flights from Newark to a small airport close to the chairman's vacation home in South Carolina.

United, which accounts for 73 percent of flights at the Newark airport, would stand to benefit from the extension, which would provide a one-seat transit ride to the airport's monorail from the World Trade Center PATH Station in lower Manhattan. 

"The Port Authority should suspend any further spending on that project until United Airlines' internal investigation, the findings, become public, until the criminal investigation of that becomes public," Sarlo said at the Sept. 10 hearing.

James, however, said the project had been extensively studied by regional planning groups and the Newark Housing Authority, and was not being pushed through haphazardly.

"This expansion is not an overnight decision," he said. "It's sorely needed and its probably one of the most massive projects in this area."

The defense echoed that of Port Authority chairman John Degnan, who said last week that the project had been planned long before his or Samson's tenure overseeing the agency.

James, who represents the city's South Ward, said residents of the Frelinghuysen and Dayton Street area, where the extension and a new train station would be built, are counting on it to bring jobs and new fortunes to an area that has long been rife with crime and abject poverty.

John Sharpe James

Residents in the area have reported deteriorating conditions in the area since much of the Seth Boyden housing project was abandoned, leaving behind empty buildings that have attracted junkies, squatters and prostitutes that cater to the many truck drivers who travel through. The neighborhood is also fairly isolated, sandwiched between Weequahic Park and industrial areas closer to the airport.

"Its kind of like a forgotten part of the South Ward," James said.

Following news of the Port Authority's commitment to the extension, multiple hotels have begun plans for construction in the areas outside Weequahic Park, which officials have hoped might spur further development in one of the city's most economically depressed neighborhoods.

Fellow council members expressed their willingness to support the project at today's meeting, and James said he would also contact officials from communities such as Irvington and Elizabeth situated close to the proposed extension.

James said he was concerned that those calling for a halt to work on the PATH line might have reservations beyond any potential malfeasance by United. During last week's hearing, Weinberg said the nearly $2 billion the project might require might be better used on a new Port Authority Bus Terminal or the proposed Gateway trans-Hudson rail tunnel.

"I believe the folks who have been talking have their other pet projects they want to fund," James said.

Dan Ivers may be reached at divers@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @DanIversNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Eric Jernigan will share his latest collection — Beauteous Eruption — as part of the Art Institute's spring runway show Watch video

Eric Jernigan was introduced to pageantry as a young child when his cousin took home her first crown.

The ribbon bows, rose accents and intricate beading on the young woman's pink satin ball gown captivated Jernigan as he watched her confidently sashay on the pageant runway. He was 6 years old at the time.

"From that very moment, I wanted to explore more of what my love and connection was to this art form," Jernigan said.

In the summer of 1997, Jernigan took up his first sewing needle and thread to make a felted pillow at camp. When he returned home, he used his mother's old bedsheets to create costumes for his female cousins. By age 15, he presented his first collection at the Arts High School in Newark.

"The collection was inspired by dolls and I used a combination of crochet and tulle to make baby doll-cut dresses," Jernigan said. "At the end of my showing my collection, there was this feeling of finding my identity."

On Tuesday night, Jernigan will graduate to his largest stage to date when he shares his latest collection -- Beauteous Eruption -- at New York fashion week as part of the Art Institute of New York City's spring runway show at the Skylight at Moynihan Station.

Jernigan is one of 12 students from the Art Institute whose work will appear in the show. He was among 60 students who applied for a chance to debut their designs at fashion week.

Beauteous Eruption was inspired by a mythical story of a goddess trapped in a volcano. The designs in the collection -- which Jernigan describes as "electrically elegant; a mixture of fantasy, control and edge" -- feature silhouettes, fabrics and colors that allude to volcanic eruptions.

"I start with the story and characters and my collection evolves from there," Jernigan, 24, said of his unorthodox design process. "By creating a character, I can imagine her personality and the world she lives in."

The pieces include a high-waisted short, high low sun dress with adjustable straps and a floor-length jacket. The majority are charcoal gray and a handful are made of crepe chiffon. Some of the designs feature angular pink piping in the shape of a volcano.

Jernigan spent about two months preparing his collection. He hopes it will highlight his strength in evening wear design.

In one way or another, Jernigan has been preparing for his whole life. Since age 9, he was a habitual watcher of the series "Full Frontal Fashion," which offered a behind-the-scenes look into the fashion industry, designers' collections and the design process. 

With the encouragement of his parents, Jernigan taught himself about fashion design -- including how to sketch and sew. When it came time for high school, there was little question where he would enroll. Arts High School allows students to major in drama, music, dance or visual arts. Jernigan said he has gathered a little from each art form to create Beauteous Eruption.

"Everything I do has something to do with my theater background and dance, and if you look at my current collection, you can definitely tie it to a dancer's body -- the movement, the fabric I chose," Jernigan said.

Jernigan hopes that his theatrical background will become his signature as a designer. It is a trait he shares with his favorite designers -- Vivienne Westwood, Bob Mackie, Jean Paul Gaultier, John Galliano, Alexander McQueen, The Blondes and Eiko Ishioka -- who are known for their bold, dramatic pieces.

"My ultimate fashion goal is to continue to create clothing with my theatrical touch and to give my audience a musical of clothing," Jernigan said. "I'm a playwright and my garments are the characters in my musical."

Janelle Griffith may be reached at jgriffith@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @janellefiona. Find NJ.com/Entertainment on Facebook.

Authorities said they were investigating Patricia Blocker's disappearance when they found her body in her car's trunk.

William C. Logan. (Courtesy Essex County Corrections)                        

NEWARK -- Authorities have arrested an East Orange man on murder charges after allegedly finding his mother's dead body in the trunk of her car, Acting Essex County Prosecutor Carolyn A. Murray and East Orange Police Chief William Robinson announced in a release Tuesday.

Police investigating missing person Patricia A. Blocker, 62, of East Orange, found her car Monday in the area of 23 Hartford Street in Newark, authorities said in the release. Officials later found Blocker's remains in the trunk of the car, authorities said.

After an investigation into the remains, Blocker's son, William C. Logan, 37, was arrested on murder and weapons charges, Chief Assistant Prosecutor Thomas Fennelly said in the release. He is being held on $2 million bail, officials said.

Blocker's exact cause of death has not yet been determined, authorities said. She had been reported missing on Sept. 10, but may have disappeared several days before that, Fennelly said.

An investigation into her death is ongoing, officials said.  Anyone with information is asked to call 877-847-7432 or 973-621-4586.

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

 

At a hearing to prepare for a robbery trial next month, the attorney for Ali Muhammad Brown raised concerns on Tuesday about ensuring jurors do not have an anti-Muslim bias and are not familiar with the murder case

NEWARK -- As he prepares for a robbery trial next month, the attorney for the man accused of killing Livingston resident Brendan Tevlin raised concerns on Tuesday about ensuring jurors do not have an anti-Muslim bias and are not familiar with the murder case.

Albert Kapin, the attorney representing Ali Muhammad Brown, cited those issues during a discussion about the questions to be asked during jury selection at Brown's trial on charges of robbing a man in West Orange on July 10, 2014.

That robbery occurred about two weeks after Brown allegedly gunned down Tevlin, 19, on June 25, 2014 at a traffic light in West Orange. Brown also is accused of killing three men in Washington State.

During Tuesday's hearing, Kapin also indicated Brown, 30, of Seattle, has not been communicating with him about the robbery case.

"He is not communicating with me about the substance of my representation of him, including the discussion of any facts or defenses or anything to do with the case," Kapin told Superior Court Judge Michael Petrolle.

Kapin said he asked Brown about the clothing he would wear during the trial, but Brown indicated "he would take care of that." Kapin also made arrangements for an expert to interview Brown at the county jail, but Brown refused to meet with the expert, according to Kapin.

The judge told Brown that if he appears in a jail uniform during the trial, jurors may believe he is dangerous.

"That's not a good conclusion for a jury to have...you understand that?" Petrolle said to Brown.

Brown replied, "They shouldn't be judging me if they're going to base their decision on how I dress."

While Brown is scheduled to go on trial next month on robbery and weapons charges, he also is facing terrorism, murder and related charges in Tevlin's killing.

Brown is accused of killing Tevlin when he and at least three other men attempted to rob Tevlin on June 25, 2014 at a traffic light at Walker Road and Northfield Avenue in West Orange.

While the other men fled the scene, Brown moved Tevlin's body into the passenger seat of Tevlin's Jeep Liberty and drove it to a nearby apartment building, where he abandoned it, authorities said.

Brown has told investigators he killed Tevlin as an act of "vengeance" for innocent lives lost in Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria and Iran.

In the July 10, 2014 incident, Brown allegedly robbed a man in the parking lot of an apartment building at 200 Mount Pleasant Avenue in West Orange, authorities said. Brown approached the victim, robbed him of his wallet and fled the scene, authorities said.

Brown was arrested on July 18, 2014 when police found him living in a makeshift campsite in West Orange.

After the discussion on Tuesday turned to the jury questions, Kapin sought a question about whether jurors could be fair and impartial in light of Brown's Muslim faith. Kapin noted that, during the trial, Brown likely would be wearing a kufi, which is a cap worn by members of the Muslim faith.

"Given the tenor of the times...there are a number of people in our community who have a bias towards someone of the Muslim faith, particularly in association with a crime of violence," Kapin said.

But Petrolle said he didn't approve of the specific reference in the question to the Muslim faith, noting that people of the Muslim faith serve on juries in Essex County all the time.

Instead, the judge permitted a more general question about whether there is "anything" about Brown that would affect jurors' ability to be fair and impartial.

Kapin also raised concerns about making sure jurors are not familiar with Tevlin's killing, since the trial is only supposed to focus on the robbery case.

As part of addressing those concerns, Kapin and Essex County Assistant Jamel Semper, who is handling both cases, ultimately agreed to include language in one question that Brown was arrested in a wooded area.

With that reference, Kapin argued the parties may be able to identify jurors who are aware of the Tevlin case, because Brown's arrest "is really the intersection between the two cases."

Bill Wichert may be reached at bwichert@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @BillWichertNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

 

Haniyyah Barnes, 28, is charged with throwing her neighbor's two-year-old Shih Tzu into oncoming traffic during an August 2011 parking dispute

NEWARK -- Jury selection began on Tuesday in the trial of a Newark woman accused of killing her neighbor's two-year-old Shih Tzu by throwing the dog into oncoming traffic during an August 2011 parking dispute.

The trial comes after Superior Court Judge Richard Sules in February allowed Haniyyah Barnes to withdraw her guilty plea in connection with the Aug. 26, 2011 incident.

Barnes, 28, is facing burglary, theft, animal cruelty and criminal mischief charges. If convicted of all charges, Barnes could receive a maximum sentence of 10 years in state prison, of which she would have to serve eight and a half years before becoming eligible for parole, according to Sules.

Barnes had pleaded guilty on April 29, 2014 to burglary, animal cruelty and theft charges. Under a plea agreement, prosecutors had agreed to recommend a six-year prison sentence for Barnes.

As she prepares to go before a jury, Barnes may assert defenses that she was acting in self-defense and that she was intoxicated at the time of the incident, her attorney, Michelle Treiber, previously said. The intoxication defense alleges Barnes couldn't form the proper mental state to commit the crimes.

Essex County Assistant Prosecutor Michele Miller is representing the state in the case.

The altercation stems from a parking arrangement between Barnes and her neighbor, Nazirah Bey. The two women lived two doors down from one another on Fabyan Place in Newark, and Bey had allowed Barnes's mother to park in her driveway.

Honey Bey, a two-year-old Shih Tzu, was killed in August 2011 when Newark resident Haniyyah Barnes allegedly threw the dog into traffic in a dispute over a parking space.Patti Sapone/The Star-Ledger 

On the night of the incident, Bey's car was blocking the mother's car, which was parked in the driveway, authorities said.

Authorities said Barnes ultimately kicked in the front door to Bey's home and demanded that she move her car. As Bey went to get her car keys, the two-year-old Shih Tzu named Honey Bey rushed into the vestibule and began barking at Barnes, authorities said.

Barnes then allegedly grabbed the dog by the throat, went back outside and threw Honey Bey into oncoming traffic, where she was struck by a vehicle and killed.

A Newark police officer was sitting in a patrol vehicle nearby and witnessed Barnes throw the dog into the street, authorities said. Barnes then approached Bey, leading the officer to pull her of Bey and arrest her, authorities said.

Bill Wichert may be reached at bwichert@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @BillWichertNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

A 31-year-old East Orange man is being held on a $200,000 cash only bail after being charged with a July 24 gun-point robbery in Jersey City.

JERSEY CITY -- A 31-year-old East Orange man is being held on a $200,000 cash only bail after he was charged with a July 24 gun-point robbery in Jersey City.

Stebbin H. Drew allegedly used a handgun to commit robbery and steal a North Face backpack containing a Samsung Galaxy 3 cellphone, Nintendo 3DS and five games, one iPad keyboard, and an LG cellphone from the victim, the criminal complaint states.

He is also charged with robbing the victim's wallet, which contained personal papers, and "placing the victim in fear of his safety," according to the complaint, which adds that he is also charged with two weapons offenses related to a handgun.

Drew has 14 prior arrests and criminal convictions for attempting to elude police, a weapon offense, and two counts each of burglary and receiving stolen property, a court official said, adding that he has two prior arrests in Pennsylvania.

Drew made his first court appearance on the charges in Jersey City today via video link from Hudson County jail in Kearny. 

Hudson County Assistant Prosecutor noted Drew's record and the fact he has two cases pending presentation to the grand jury when he asked for the high bail during today's hearing in CJP.

Armed robbery is a first degree crime and carries a possible sentence of 10 to 20 years in prison upon conviction.