Troy Ruff, 22, of Newark, entered the plea through his attorney when he was arraigned before Superior Court Judge Ronald Wigler on charges related to the death of Rahmere Tullis

NEWARK -- A Newark man pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to charges of striking and killing a three-year-old boy on Friday morning during a chase with Newark police.

Troy Ruff, 22, entered the plea through his attorney when he was arraigned before Superior Court Judge Ronald Wigler on charges related to the death of Rahmere Tullis.

Wigler said the matter would be referred to the grand jury and maintained Ruff's bail at $500,000. Ruff remains in custody at the Essex County Correctional Facility.

Family members of Tullis grew emotional after the brief court hearing.

"He run over a three-year-old baby, but he ain't guilty?" one woman said aloud outside the courtroom. "A three-year-old baby died and he's not guilty?"

The fatal crash occurred around 7:40 a.m. when officers from the Newark Police Department's Fugitive Apprehension Team were attempting to apprehend Ruff, who was wanted on aggravated assault and weapons charges stemming from an incident in May, authorities said.

After the officers spotted Ruff driving a 2002 Hyundai Sonata, they attempted to pull him over, but Ruff continued driving, authorities said.

Ruff struck a car that was driving on 15^th Avenue and then mounted a curb near the intersection with 7^th Street, striking the 3-year-old as he was standing on the sidewalk with his mother, authorities said.

Tullis was pronounced dead at the scene, authorities said.

Ruff was immediately arrested and charged with aggravated manslaughter, vehicular homicide and eluding police, authorities said.

Tullis' death and the police chase that proceeded it are now being investigated by the Essex County Prosecutor's Office Major Crimes Task Force and Professional Standards Bureau, which routinely reviews all police pursuits.

Dozens gathered on Sunday, Sept. 13, to mourn the death of Rahmere Tullis, 3, who was killed Friday, Sept. 11, 2015 in Newark (Paul Milo | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com) Paul Milo | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com 

Newark Mayor Ras Baraka has called the incident "a crime against humanity."

"This tragedy touches us on so many levels and the loss of young Rahmere is felt in our homes, our neighborhoods, our communities and throughout Newark," Baraka said on Friday in a statement. "The way in which his life was taken is not just a crime against the laws of the land but a crime against humanity.

"The fact that this young child will never have the chance to sit in a high school assembly touches me as a father, an educator, and a member of this community. This child belonged to all of us and the City mourns with his family. All of Newark joins in grieving with and caring for the Tullis family in their hour of pain, now and in the future."

At a vigil held on Sunday for Tullis, attendees called for traffic-calming measures, such as a stop sign at the intersection or speed bumps on 15^th Avenue, as well as greater caution on the part of the police during high-speed pursuits.

"We need the police," Minister Thomas Ellis, president of the Enough of the Violence Project and the organizer of Sunday's vigil, "but we don't need over-aggressive policing."

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. 

 

The judge said he is hopeful the parties will reach a plea agreement in time for the next court date on Sept. 29

                                  (Brendan Kuty |NJ Advance Media for NJ.com) 

MORRISTOWN --Plea agreements may be coming soon in the cases against two men accused of impersonating police officers and robbing several people in Dover in May 2013.

Vincenzo Viola, 39, of Orange, and Robert Capriglione, 37, of Clifton, targeted immigrants as their victims, according to Morris County Prosecutor Fredric Knapp.

On May 20, 2013, two people sitting in a car reported being robbed by two men who identified themselves as Randolph police officers, Knapp said at the time of their arrests. About 20 minutes later, police received another report of a robbery by two men impersonating police officers.

On May 22, the pair, dressed as police officers, allegedly robbed a man at gunpoint in his apartment, Knapp said.

Viola and Capriglione were arrested on May 26, 2013 in a vacant home in Mendham Township by a police officer who believed it was being burglarized.

The pair were allegedly using the home on Roxiticus Road as a base for their operation. Police found two police jackets and other police items that matched the descriptions of the attire worn by the pair, Knapp said.

The two defendants, who have been held in lieu of bail since their arrests, appeared separately during the morning and afternoon on Tuesday for trial conferences before Superior Court Judge Stephen Taylor in Morristown.

Taylor scheduled another trial conference for both men for Sept. 29 and he encouraged all parties to negotiate plea agreements by that date.

Taylor said it is "anticipated that Mr. Viola may resolve his case by way of a plea on Sept. 29." For Capriglione, he said later, "The court is hopeful that the matter can be resolved on that date."

If negotiations fail to reach an agreement, Taylor said, a trial would start on Nov. 2.

Defense attorneys for both Capriglione and Viola indicated the present plea offers, which were made by Brian DiGiacomo, a former assistant prosecutor who had been handling the case, need to be shortened significantly.

Following private discussions Tuesday morning with Morris County Assistant Prosecutor Christopher Schellhorn, who is now handling the case, Viola's attorney, Edward Bilinkas, said the parties remain far apart on a possible agreement.

The prosecutor's office has been seeking a plea deal that would require an 18-year prison sentence for Viola, Bilinkas said, calling that an excessive punishment.

"We brought new evidence to the attention of the prosecutor's office and we're hoping they will reconsider their position," Bilinkas said.

Capriglione's attorney, public defender Elizabeth Martin, said the prosecutor's office has been seeking a 15-year sentence for her client, and that, too, would need to be significantly shortened to be acceptable. She and her client appeared before the judge during the afternoon.

Viola and Capriglione were both indicted by a Morris County grand jury on four counts of robbery, three counts of impersonating a police officer, six counts of theft by extortion, three counts of criminal coercion, three counts of burglary and one count each of criminal restraint and conspiracy to commit robbery. Capriglione was also indicted on one count of drug possession after allegedly being found with Buprenorphine in the home in Mendham Township.

Ben Horowitz may be reached at bhorowitz@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @HorowitzBen. Find NJ.com on Facebook. 

 

Little information was immediately available on the incident, which occurred on Irvine Turner Boulevard

NEWARK -- Four people were shot in Newark Tuesday night, police confirmed.

 

Police responded to the 30 block of Irvine Turner Boulevard shortly before 9 p.m. on a report of shots fired, quickly locating ballistic evidence, a department spokesman, Sgt. Ron Glover, said.

No victims were located at the scene but police soon learned that the four had arrived at University Hospital in private vehicles. The wounds they suffered were all non-life-threatening, Glover said. At least one vehicle was also struck by gunfire, he also said.

Police declined to release the identities of the victims in order to protect them, Glover also said.

An investigation into the incident was underway Tuesday night. Anyone with information is being asked to call the city's anonymous tip line at 877 NWK-TIPS (877 695-8477) or NWK-GUNS (877 695-4867). 

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

 

The state Department of Education has created an online survey and scheduled three listening tours for New Jersey residents to offer their thoughts on Common Core.

TRENTON -- Should second graders be able to solve word problems involving dollar bills, quarters, nickels and dimes?

Is eighth grade the time for students to understand and apply the Pythagorean Theorem?

New Jersey is looking for the answers to questions including these as it reviews the Common Core standards, and it's giving the public the opportunity to weigh in on the debate. 

The state Department of Education has created an online survey and scheduled three listening tours for New Jersey residents to offer their thoughts on Common Core, which outline what skills students should master in English and math by the end of each grade level. 

The first hearing is from 6-9 p.m. Thursday at Public Safety Academy in Parsippany. Individuals interested in speaking must register online. 

New Jersey was one of the first states to adopt and implement Common Core, but Gov. Chris Christie in May declared that the standards are "simply not working" in New Jersey. Christie called for the state to conduct a point-by-point review of Common Core and recommend new standards with the help of New Jersey educators.

One of the problems with Common Core was that educators never bought into the standards, Christie said. 

As the state looks for stronger support for the revised standards, the listening tour and survey are important parts of the review process, said Michael Yaple, spokesman for the Department of Education.

"It's a chance for parents, members of the business community, educators and other citizens to provide some perspective and insight," Yaple said. 

The survey lists every standard for English and math from kindergarten through 12th grade. For example, under Common Core fifth graders should be able to "interpret figurative language, including similes and metaphors, in context."

Those who participate in the survey can indicate that they agree with the standard or respond that they think it should be revised, moved to a different grade level or discarded. Respondents can also provide written feedback about each standard. 

While the survey is an opportunity to provide specific feedback about the standards, the listening tour offers a chance for parents to give more general thoughts, Yaple said. 

"It's designed for citizens to share whatever their thoughts are when it comes to these standards," Yaple said. 

Though Christie said the standards aren't working, New Jersey Department of Education officials have said the review process is more likely to result in tweaks of the standards than a major overhaul. 

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

 

Mark Wiesner had a long and varied career that included time as an award-winning Staten Island Advance reporter.

Mark Wiesner had a long and varied career that included time as an award-winning Staten Island Advance reporter. 

MONTCLAIR -- A clinical psychologist, noted Hitler scholar, and former award-winning reporter has died.

Marcus "Mark" Wiesner, a former Staten Island Advance reporter, died at his home in Montclair on Sept. 13. He was 82 years old.

In his youth, Wiesner was a celebrated football player, winning the All-City honors as a senior at New Dorp High School in Staten Island, New York. He went on to play tackle for the Wagner College team, and was inducted into the school's Athletic Hall of Fame in 2006.

Professionally, Wiesner had a vast and varied career.

As a reporter for the Staten Island Advance, Wiesner and his colleague, Michael Azzara, won the Citizens Budget Commission award for outstanding journalism. He left the paper to serve in several different roles in the administration of NYC Mayor John Lindsay. After that, he worked as a speech writer for the Prot Authority of New York and New Jersey, and is credited with initiating a school sound-proofing program near area airports.

Wiesner then went back to school to study psychology. He earned a Master's Degree from New York University and a doctorate from Saybrook Graduate School in San Francisco. He worked as a clinical psychologist at Northern State Prison in New Jersey for more than a decade, and maintained a private practice in Montclair.

The relative of victims of the Holocaust, Wiesner also dedicated much of his time to studying Adolf Hitler and the Nazi party. He has published several scholarly works on the Holocaust, and an in-depth psychological study on Albert Speer, Hitler's chief architect during World War II. 

He also published two novels, "The Murder Artist," which was given a Writer's Digest Magazine Honorary Mention in 2010, and "The Heifer Chronicles," which was published under the pen name Marc Joseph.

Wiesner's wife, Lorraine Murphy, died in 1995. He is survived by a daughter, Annabel Tirado, of West Orange; son, Neal, of St. George, Staten Island; his life partner the Reverend Terry Troia; and godson Chakthip Phongdapki, of St. George.

Visitation will be held at Harmon Funeral Home in Staten Island on Thursday from 2 to 5 and 7 to 9 p.m. Contributions in Wiesner's memory may be made to the Dr. Marcus J. Wiesner Memorial Fund at Project Hospitality.

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

 

N.J. woman has been named CEO -- Chief Egg Officer -- of Eggland's Best.

CALDWELL -- After an egg-stensive national search for the most egg-straordinary egg-xample of an egg enthusiast, a New Jersey woman has come out on top. And she is being rewarded for it with, of course, a lot of eggs.

According to an Eggland's Best spokeswoman, the company received thousands of entries in its second-ever "CEO Search" contest (CEO standing for Chief Egg Officer). The online contest asked applicants to prove that they were the most passionate about Eggland's Best, and to explain why they deserved the title of CEO.

After the company narrowed the applicants down to three finalists, a public vote on the company's website crowned Kim VanDunk, of Caldwell, its new CEO, the company announced this week.

"I am so grateful to Eggland's Best for selecting me as their new 'CEO,'" VanDunk said in a statement about her win. The New Jersey woman said she has been a "long-time loyal customer" of the brand, which she described as "simply superior," in the statement.

For her enthusiasm, VanDunk won a year's supply of eggs, $5,000, free nutrition consultation from registered dieticians, and the honorary CEO title. She will take over for Karen Petersen of Huntsville, Alabama, who won the company's first CEO contest, held in 2013.

"The title of Chief Egg Officer holds great importance to us at Eggland's Best as the individual receiving the title will become a member of the Eggland's Best family," Charlie Lanktree, the company's President and Chief Executive Officer, said in a statement.

"(We) welcome Kim Van Dunk to the Eggland's Best team."

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

 

The meeting, scheduled for Sept. 23, comes three months after the formation of the Newark Educational Success Board

NEWARK - Nearly three months after Gov. Chris Christie announced that more than two decades of state oversight of Newark's schools would come to an end, the board charged with charting its course will hold its first meeting with the public.

The nine-member Newark Educational Success Board will convene at Abyssinian Baptist Church in Newark on Sept. 23 at 6 p.m. to discuss its work and seek input from the community, city officials announced today.

Much of the discussion will be focused on the state-administered Quality Single Accountability Continuum (QSAC) assessment, and the role it will play in the plan for the return of local control.

The assessment, which is used to monitor local school districts and is viewed as a key benchmark for those seeking to prove they are capable of independent oversight.

QSAC scores have proven a contentious subject over recent years, with critics saying the state appears to apply them arbitrarily when deciding whether or not to assume or retain control over low-performing districts.

In 2011, Newark schools received scores in all five categories that put it alongside so-called "high-performing" districts, as classified by the state. Local officials heralded the numbers as a sign that it was ready to reassume local control over the district, but the state thought otherwise, saying in court documents that it still had additional work to do to deliver a "high-quality education" to students.

The scores dipped once again the following year, and a court later that control over the schools was at the discretion of the education commissioner, regardless of any measurements of progress.

Last month, the city's School Advisory Board unanimously passed a resolution asking the state to speed up the assessment process, saying the current wait of approximately a year leaves the district little time to implement strategies for improvement.

Abyssinian Baptist Church's pastor, the Rev. Perry Simmons, a former Newark Board of Education member and one of the nine members of the NESB, will host the meeting next week.

He is one of four members appointed to the board by Baraka, joining former Malcolm X Shabazz High School principal Mary Bennett, parent-activist Grace Sergio and Jose Leonardo, a student Science Park High School and president of the Newark Students Union.

The five members appointed by Christie are former Newark Trust for Education President and CEO Ross Danis, Audible Inc. founder and CEO Donald Katz, former head of Verizon and PSE&G Al Koeppe, state Higher Education Secretary Rochelle Hendricks and Christopher Cerf, the former state education commissioner and recently appointed superintendent of Newark schools.

The event is free and open to the public, and officials said additional meetings will be announced once they have been scheduled.

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

 

The Unified Vailsburg Services Organization (UVSO) will open a new, state-of-the-art infant and toddler preschoo in Newark with Randall Pinkett, an entrepreneur and season four winner of NBC's The Apprentice with Donald Trump.

The Unified Vailsburg Services Organization (UVSO) will open a new, state-of-the-art infant and toddler preschool center tomorrow in Newark with Wells Fargo Bank and Randal Pinkett, an entrepreneur and season four winner of NBC's The Apprentice with Donald Trump.

UVSO officials said the preschool, which is called the Vailsburg Child Development Center at Palm Street, serves children up to three-years-old and offers a much-needed program in the community.

"This new building gives us the opportunity not only to provide a scarce and important service, but to also continue to realize the organization's goal of stabilizing the South Orange Avenue commercial corridor,'' said UVSO Executive Director Mike Farley.

Pinkett, who is chairman and chief executive officer of BCT Partners, a Newark based management consulting and information technology solutions firm, will be the keynote speaker for the 3 p.m. ribbon cutting ceremony on Palm Street.

At the ceremony, UVSO will recognize funders who made contributions for the school through the state Department of Community Affairs. They include Wells Fargo Bank include JP Morgan Chase, Public Service Electric & Gas, TD Bank, RTC Properties, PNC Bank, Healthcare Foundation of New Jersey, Victoria Foundation, Valley National Bank, and the Hyde and Watson Foundation.

Barry Carter: (973) 836-4925 or bcarter@starledger.com or nj.com/carter or follow him on Twitter @Barry CarterSL

Grossman was a Newark native and 1953 graduate of Weequahic High School

NEWARK - The family of pioneering sports television director Sandy Grossman joined city officials earlier this month to honor his life by dedicating an intersection and a scholarship in his honor.

Mayor Ras Baraka and South Ward Councilman John Sharpe James were among those in attendance on Sept. 5 as Grossman's wife Faithe and son Dean donated $8,000 to establish the Sandy Grossman Scholarship Fund for students at his alma mater, Weequahic High School.

City officials also renamed the area around the intersection of Scheerer Avenue and Bergen Street "Sandy Grossman Way."

Grossman, a Newark native and 1953 Weequahic graduate, worked in TV production for the sports divisions of CBS and FOX from the 1960s to 2012. Over that time, he directed broadcasts of 10 Super Bowls, 18 NBA Finals and 5 Stanley Cup Finals.

He died in Florida after a battle with cancer last year.

Weequahic High School Alumni Association Executive Director Mayra Lawson said the scholarship is expected to be given on an annual basis, and may increase in value over the years.

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

Elisabeth Egan's "A Window Opens" is an autobiographical tale of a mother-of-three who goes to work at an Amazon-like corporation.

Like a lot of former employees of Amazon, Montclair writer Elisbath Egan was aware that The New York Times was working on an investigative piece about the business practices of the tech giant.

What she never expected was that the Times' blockbuster report -- which quickly generated more online comments than any story in Times' history -- would be published exactly ten days before Egan's debut novel, "A Window Opens." 

A highly autobiographical novel, it turns out, about a New Jersey mother of three who goes to work for an Amazon-like corporation where brutal hours are the norm, bosses play mind games with their underlings, and a biometric system tracks worker's every minute in the office. The good timing has helped turned Egan's novel into one of the buzzier books of the moment with a feature about Egan in The New York Times, and reviews praising the writer for having  "tapped into the zeitgeist."

"This novel is not an exact account of my time at Amazon," says Egan. But the Montclair-based author also acknowledges that what she found so compelling about the Times' article -- and what her book also explores -- is whether the digital age has made work-life balance impossible.

"The family piece of it, the way parents are expected to never be away from their cell phones or emails -- that's what I think about," she says. Is this what the future looks like for work?"

"A Window Opens" tells the story of a New Jersey mother-of-three and part-time magazine editor named Alice Pearse, who takes a job at a company called Scroll. She is supposed to be helping Scroll launch its ambition plan of "retail lounges" -- digital bookstores where people can browse books for free on their devices and then order the ones they want.

Instead she found herself in a world of corporate jargon, passive-aggressive leadership and constant stress. (Comparisons have been made to both Allison Pearson's "I Don't Know How She Does It" and Dave Eggers "The Circle.") 

In real life, Egan left her job as books editor at Self magazine to become an editor at Amazon Publishing, the online giant's attempt to circumvent traditional publishing houses and launch its own line of books. Much as with Alice in the novel, the new job proved to be an uneasy fit Egan. (Also like Alice, Egan is married to a lawyer and has two daughters and a son.)

"There was a point in time where it felt very exciting to be a part of what Amazon was doing," says Egan. "The books that I edited I thought were quite good. For me, the issue was really that I didn't like the work culture."

RELATED: Judy Blume's final novel for adults revisits Elizabeth air tragedies

Egan -- who was born in Staten Island, but moved with her family to South Orange when she was 6 -- left the job at Amazon in 2013, after about thirteen months. (After an ambitious launch, Amazon Publishing has lost much of its early luster; in 2014, the New York Times wrote that "its publishing operations remain a negligible part of Amazon's overall business.")

But the writer's post-employment proved fruitful. She wrote the first draft of "A Window Opens" at the Verona Community Pool in the summer of 2013.  She finished the novel on New Jersey Transit "quiet car" trains, while commuting to Glamour magazine in New York, where she was named books editor in fall 2013. She worked on the manuscript in forty minute blocks in each morning and evening.

"I used to do most of the high school homework on New Jersey Transit, so it wasn't the first time I had buckled down on the train," she says.

In the acknowledgments for "A Window Opens," Egan even thanks "the commuters and conductors on the Montclair-Boonton line" -- surely some kind of literary first.

She says, "Like most people, I have a love-hate relationship with New Jersey Transit, but it's mostly love for me."

At present, Egan is juggling her work at Glamour -- her favorites book this year include Hanya Yanagihara's "A Little Life," "The Admissions" by Meg Mitchell Moore, and Tracy Daugherty's new biography of Joan Didion, "The Last Love Song" -- and also working on a new novel, which she expects to come out in summer 2017. It will take same town as "A Window Opens," Filament, a thinly-veiled stand-in for Montclair.

As for her relationship with Amazon, Egan isn't especially worried that she will be seen as having written some sort of scabrous attack against the company -- or that the powerful bookseller will in any way punish or sabotage her. "It's not The Devil Wears Prada," she emphasizes.

That said, she has no intention of antagonizing other powerful literary tastemakers in future published works.

"I would never mock Oprah in a book," she says, laughing.

Christopher Kelly may be reached at ckelly@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @chriskelly74. Find NJ.com/Entertainment on Facebook.

 

The 58-year-old father of three en route back to New Jersey after accepting a job in Toronto

Amy DellOnandaga County Sheriff's Office

A 32-year-old upstate New York woman accused of driving drunk and causing a wrong-way crash that killed a West Orange man outside Syracuse pleaded not guilty to vehicular manslaughter, according to CNYCentral.com.

Amy Dell was in a Ford Escape headed north in the southbound lanes of Interstate 81 when she collided head-on with a vehicle driven by 58-year-old Bruce Ham, Syracuse.com reported.

Ham was driving back to New Jersey on May 8 after accepting a job in Toronto when Dell hit his Lexus around 3:17 a.m. in LaFayette, N.Y.

Dell is charged with aggravated vehicular homicide, driving while intoxicated and aggravated unlicensed operation. She remains held on $1 million bail and is due back in court on Oct. 1

She spent the hours before the crash bar-hopping around Armory Square in downtown Syracuse, according to a lawsuit filed by Hamm's family last month.

Ham, the father of three adult children, planned to move to Canada in the fall with his wife, Syracuse.com reported.

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

Marcus Williams gave pointers to city Pop Warner players at Nat Turner Park

NEWARK - New York Jets cornerback Marcus Williams led a clinic for local Pop Warner football players on Tuesday.

Dozens of children took part in the event at Nat Turner Park in the city's Central Ward - the largest in Newark.

The clinic was the latest show of kindness from the Jets to Newark's youth football league. The team provided them with helmets and shoulder pads two years ago, city officials said.

The brother of the alleged victim testified on Wednesday at Rutgers-Newark professor Anna Stubblefield's trial on aggravated sexual assault charges

NEWARK -- After Rutgers-Newark professor Anna Stubblefield in May 2011 disclosed her sexual relationship with a severely mentally disabled man, his brother said the family told her to leave them alone.

But the brother said Stubblefield repeatedly called his mother and even showed up unannounced at their home. Without the family's permission, Stubblefield also contacted the day program the disabled man was attending, the brother said.

In an effort to have Stubblefield keep her distance, the brother ultimately reported the matter to a Rutgers official and the university later contacted Essex County prosecutors.

"Go home to your family. You did us wrong. You committed a sin. You violated our trust," the brother said. "We're giving you an opportunity to go home and take care of your family, and she refused.

"We didn't want it to get to this point," the brother said, adding "we didn't want it to get to the point where we're in the courtroom and having to go through this."

The brother recounted those details on Wednesday in a Newark courtroom during Stubblefield's trial on two counts of aggravated sexual assault. She is accused of abusing the 34-year-old man, known as D.J., in her Newark office in 2011.

Stubblefield has claimed she and D.J. had fallen in love and that their relationship was consensual.

Rutgers has placed Stubblefield on administrative leave without pay.

Stubblefield met D.J. in 2009 through his brother, then a Rutgers student, who was taking a course of Stubblefield's and asked the professor about ways to help D.J. with his communication.

Stubblefield spent about two years working with D.J. before revealing their sexual relationship to his mother and his brother on May 28, 2011.

On the witness stand on Wednesday, D.J.'s brother said that when he learned about the relationship, he felt angry and betrayed.

"I felt duped, because she was supposed to be helping my brother learn how to talk and communicate, and she was having some sick, twisted fantasy," the brother told Essex County Assistant Prosecutor Eric Plant during his testimony.

D.J., who suffers from cerebral palsy and other ailments, wears diapers and requires assistance with walking, bathing, dressing and eating, his mother has testified. Other than making noises, D.J. does not speak, his brother said.

D.J.'s mother and brother, who are his legal guardians, also have been pursuing a lawsuit against Stubblefield over the alleged abuse.

The case hinges in large part on whether D.J. consented to the sexual activity. Prosecutors argue D.J. was unable to consent, but Stubblefield, 45, of West Orange, claims he consented through a controversial technique, known as "facilitated communication."

Advocates claim the method allows a disabled person to communicate by typing on a keyboard while a facilitator provides physical support. Critics argue the technique is ineffective, saying studies have shown the facilitators are controlling the users' movements.

Several scientific organizations have declared the technique is invalid.

On Wednesday, Howard Shane, a speech pathologist at Boston Children's Hospital, testified about his communication assessment of D.J., which he conducted in 2012 on behalf of the prosecutors.

Shane said D.J. can communicate physically - such as moving himself towards a refrigerator when he's hungry - and his communication depends on the interpretation of those who know him.

Anna Stubblefield, 45, a Rutgers-Newark professor of West Orange, who is facing two counts of aggravated sexual assault for allegedly abusing a severely mentally disabled man in 2011. The trial is being heard before Superior Court Judge Siobhan Teare at the Essex County Courthouse in Newark. 9/9/15 (Ed Murray | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com) Ed Murray 

But D.J. has no understanding of any symbols, such as pictures and written words, Shane said.

When Shane asked D.J. to grab specific items, he wasn't able to do so, according to Shane. D.J. was not able to identify letters and he could not spell, Shane said.

Shane also indicated D.J. does not have the intellectual capacity to utilize a communication device.

"I found that he was extraordinarily communication-impaired," Shane testified.

On cross-examination, Stubblefield's attorney, James Patton, questioned Shane about D.J.'s positioning during the three-hour evaluation. Shane said D.J. was sitting in a chair and occasionally leaned against his brother for support.

Patton asked whether D.J. did not have enough support in the chair and whether any efforts were made to stabilize him. Shane said such efforts were not necessary and that D.J. was able to use his hands while sitting in the chair.

Patton also questioned Shane about whether he knew, at the time of the evaluation, that Stubblefield had written an article that was critical of a position he had taken. Shane said he wasn't sure if he was aware of the article at that time.

Shane has been a longtime critic of facilitated communication and has conducted tests that purportedly show the facilitators were controlling the users' messages. He did not address those studies during his testimony.

Patton's question referred to an article Stubblefield published in 2011 in a journal called Disability Studies Quarterly. In that article, Stubblefield mentioned Shane specifically and wrote that those who criticized facilitated communication were practicing "hate speech."

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

An Edison-based developer is seeking a 20-year tax abatement to build a Homewood Suites by Hilton hotel at the former Catholic Charities building on Raymond Boulevard

NEWARK - The city's downtown may soon be home to another new hotel.

Hari Newark Urban Renewal LLC has filed plans with the city to convert the former Catholic Charities building at 1136-1166 Raymond Boulevard into a Homewood Suites Hotel by Hilton extended-stay hotel.

The Edison-based developer is also seeking a 20-year tax abatement from the city, which the Municipal Council could approve at its regular meeting Wednesday night.

The 12-story building across from Military Park is currently vacant. It is bordered by a parking garage to the east, and Commerce Court to the west.

Hilton spokeswoman Tiffany Wilson said she had no information on when the hotel might open or any agreement with Hari Newark Urban Renewal.

Public records indicate that the Edison-based development company is owned by Mehendra Patel, who could not be reached for comment.

The building is owned by AES 1160 Partners LLC of Rutherford, which purchased it for $3.75 million from the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark in July 2013.

The new hotel would be one of several planned to open around Newark in the coming years, after the city went nearly four decades without a single new one.

That streak ended in 2012, when the Courtyard Marriott opened near the Prudential Center arena downtown, and others have followed, including the boutique Hotel Indigo on Broad Street.

Last year, officials approved plans for a Carvi Hotel at the intersection of Lafayette and Monroe streets - the first to be built in the city's Ironbound section.

Hilton also has plans for a 108-room Home2 Suites hotel on Haynes Avenue in the South Ward, close to the site of a proposed new train station along a new leg of the PATH rail line to Newark Liberty International Airport.

Wilson said that hotel is projected to open in December 2017.

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

 

East Orange man was shot and killed in the city Monday night, authorities said.

East Orange man was shot and killed in the city Monday night, authorities said. (File photo) 

ORANGE -- Officials in the city are reacting to a homicide earlier this week that they say has prompted a "high alert."

"As a husband, a father and a neighbor, I share your concerns -- and your anger -- about the small group of criminals that have passed through our community," Mayor Dwayne Warren wrote in an email blast to residents Wednesday afternoon.

"We can not and will not surrender our streets to criminals."

In the note, Warren said the Monday night shooting death of 37-year-old Mazo F. Jones, of East Orange, was "gang violence."

"This week there was a fatal shooting in our city as a result of a gang dispute which started in another municipality," Warren wrote in the note.

"I have ordered our Acting Police Director to be on high alert against gang violence and deploy all uniformed police personnel on the street until further notice."

Essex County Prosecutor's Office Spokeswoman Katherine Carter declined to confirm that the homicide was tied to gang activity.

"It is too early to tell," Carter said.

Still, in his note, Warren said the city would be instituting immediate changes in reaction to the shooting, including a 10 p.m. curfew for unaccompanied minors and increased police traffic stops, check points, and camera surveillance.

City officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the note.

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

 

Loaded gun was found inside car with the youths, 17 and 18, police said

NEWARK -- Two brothers were arrested Tuesday night on weapons charges in the West Ward, department spokesman Sgt. Ron Glover said.

 

Members of the Firearms Interdiction Team approached a group standing near a Mustang parked at S.17th Street and South Orange Avenue around midnight. Two people inside the car were seen moving inside the car, Glover said, and an open container of beer was spotted in the center console. Someone sitting in the back also attempted to kick an item under the seat, Glover added.

That person, a 17-year-old, as well as 18-year-old Isa Rollins were removed from the car after police found a loaded 40-caliber handgun at the younger man's feet, Glover said. Both were charged with unlawful possession of a handgun and other offenses.  

Police ask that anyone with information on this or any other crime call the department's 24-hour Crime Stoppers anonymous tip line 877-NWK-TIPS.  

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

 

SOUTH ORANGE — Louis Bamberger's palatial home at 602 Center St. in South Orange is shown in this undated photo. The 33-acre property was home to the founder of the Bamberger's department stores. A philanthropist, Bamberger personally funded the buildings for Newark's YMHA, the Newark Museum and the New Jersey Historical Society. When he sold his retail business to R.H....

SOUTH ORANGE -- Louis Bamberger's palatial home at 602 Center St. in South Orange is shown in this undated photo.

The 33-acre property was home to the founder of the Bamberger's department stores. A philanthropist, Bamberger personally funded the buildings for Newark's YMHA, the Newark Museum and the New Jersey Historical Society.

When he sold his retail business to R.H. Macy and Co. in 1929, he split $1 million among 240 store employees.

Bamberger, who never married, lived on the estate with his sister, Caroline, for more than 30 years; he died at age 88 in 1941.

If you would like to share a photo that provides a glimpse of history in your community, please call 973-836-4922 or send an email to essex@starledger.com. And check out more glimpses of history in our online galleries Thursdays on nj.com.

About 75 people marched on the township municipal complex Wednesday to mark the first anniversary of the death Kashad Ashford, 23, of Newark

LYNDHURST -- About 75 people marched on the township municipal complex Wednesday to mark the first anniversary of the death Kashad Ashford, 23, of Newark, The Record reported.

Police shot Ashford in Lyndhurst on Sept. 16, 2014, after chasing the SUV he was driving through several towns, Acting Attorney General John Hoffman said at the time. Ashford crashed and backed into a police SUV before police shot him, Hoffman said.

Protesters on Wednesday called for justice for Ashford and other black men shot by police in northern New Jersey.

They arrived on a bus from Newark and marched down Valley Brook Avenue to the the Township Police Department. Ashford's grandmother, 65-year-old Cecille Hepburn, said, "Somebody has to be held accountable for taking my baby."

The People's Organization for Progress, the group that led the march Wednesday, held a rally against police brutality the prior week in Newark. The gathering's aim was to seek justice for Ashford and other men shot by police in New Jersey.

Myles Ma may be reached at mma@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MylesMaNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

New Census data shows that poverty rate is around 11 percent and significantly higher than it was 10 years ago.

Nearly one million people live in poverty in New Jersey, an increase of just short of 250,000 people in the past 10 years, according to 2014 Census data released today.

The rate of state residents living in poverty dropped slightly between 2013 and 2014, from 11.4 percent to 11.1 percent, though an estimated 973,000 people live below the federal poverty line. 

In the past decade, the poverty rate in New Jersey has jumped from 8.7 percent to 11.1 percent, according to the Census data. There were about 739,000 New Jersey residents living in poverty in 2005. 

Still, experts say they are relieved that the poverty rate did not go up in 2014, as it had in previous years.

Melville D. Miller, president of Legal Services of New Jersey, called the .3 percent drop between 2013 and 2014 "not statistically significant," but said it does signal a leveling-off that is good news, despite the fact that the poverty rates in New Jersey are still at record highs.

Brandon McKoy, policy analyst for New Jersey Policy Perspective, said New Jersey experienced a slight rise in the poverty rate among the elderly population. The population over age 65 in New Jersey has seen a slight increase, so a rise in the poverty rate is troubling, according to McKoy.  

"If the poverty rate is going up among this population, they're not getting the help and services they need," he said.

Not all counties have seen their poverty rate go up over the last 10 years, though no counties that have recovered from the recession to their 2005 poverty levels, the data shows.

"It's the latest in a long line of things that show how slow and painful the recovery has been for people living and working in New Jersey," said Jon Whiten, president of New Jersey Policy Perspective.

Whiten said that New Jersey, one of the wealthiest states in the nation, has been in a "pseudo-recovery" for years, where it just hasn't kept pace with the recovery in the rest of the country.

Atlantic County, for example, jumped from a poverty rate of 8.9 percent in 2005 to see more than 14 percent of residents living in poverty in 2014. Cumberland County had the highest poverty rate in the state at 20 percent; just 12.6 of residents there lived in poverty in 2005.

A decade ago, Hudson County had the highest poverty rate in the state at 16.5 percent. It now ranks third, behind Cumberland and Passaic counties. Somerset, Hunterdon and Morris had the lowest poverty rates in both 2005 and 2014.

Carla Astudillo may be reached at castudillo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @carla_astudi. Find NJ.com on Facebook.