Darphon Corprew fled from a car stopped for traffic violations into the Pennington Court complex in the city's East Ward

Darphon Corprew (Essex County Correctional Facility)

NEWARK - A city man was caught with an illegal handgun after leading officers on a chase through a public housing project Monday afternoon, authorities said.

According to Acting Newark Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose, 23-year-old Darphon Corprew was riding in a car stopped for traffic violations on the 200 block of South Street around 5 p.m.

Officers looked on as Corprew opened the passenger side door and took off, catching a glimpse of the gun tucked into his waistband as he ran, Ambrose said.

They followed as he fled into the Pennington Court housing complex in the city's East Ward, where he was found allegedly still carrying the gun.

Corprew was charged with unlawful possession of a weapon and various other weapons offenses. He was also found to have an open warrant for unspecified previous crimes.

MORE: Essex County News

In a statement, Ambrose commended the officers for showing "absolute restraint" during the pursuit.

"They confronted the armed suspect who posed a potential threat to themselves and citizens yet they apprehended him with the minimum use of force," said Acting Public Safety Director Ambrose.

An investigation into the incident remains active. Anyone with information about this or any other crime is asked to contact the Department's 24-hour Crime Stoppers' tip line at (877) NWK-TIPS (877-695-8477) or NWK-GUNS (877-695-4867).

Subpar conditions at a Jersey City motel caused officials to move 29 displaced families to the Newark YMCA in December Watch video

NEWARK - Members of the Municipal Council on Tuesday questioned a Hudson County plan to move dozens of displaced families to Newark, despite the city's ongoing struggles to handle its own issues with the homeless.

Since December, 29 displaced families that had been housed through a Hudson County program have spent time at the Newark YMCA shelter. The move was spurred by conditions at Jersey City's Starlite Motel, which officials described as a filthy and dangerous "hellhole."

The families' proposed transfer sparked outcry from local pastors and questions from Newark officials about whether rapidly developing Jersey City was attempting to rid itself of dozens of homeless in one fell swoop.

"The perception that exists by us being together here and talking about this problem, is that the county of Hudson is dumping the problem because Newark has a facility here," said East Ward Councilman Augusto Amador.

Others, such as Council President Mildred Crump, expressed concerns about whether the YMCA's generosity might be coming at the expense of Newark's own homeless.

"Everybody thinks that Newark can fix everything and in many instances they're right, but we also need to fix what's going on at home," she said.

Pastors, Hudson County at odds over plan to move homeless to Newark

Officials from the YMCA and Hudson County's Department of Family Services attended Tuesday's meeting to assure the council that the move was part of an ongoing collaboration between the two that dates back to 2012, and that the influx of families from across the Passaic River was not forcing any Newark homeless onto the street.

"We haven't turned anyone away," said YMCA Director Michael Bright. "We have vacancies, at no point have we been bombarded with cases. If they come down referred to us, we take them."

Lopez offered assurances that his department was only leaning on Newark temporarily, and had formed a "rapid re-housing unit" aimed at finding displaced families permanent or transitional housing, rather than space at shelters or motels.

Four of the families who spent time at the YMCA recently have already been placed in new homes through the program, he added.

The latter assertion prompted a lengthy response from Central Ward Councilman Gayle Chaneyfield Jenkins, who sharply criticized Newark's health and economic development officials for failing to develop similar initiatives in the city.

"That's why (the homeless) are down in Peter Francisco Park, that's why they're in Penn Station....because we are not providing the housing," she said. "We have to turn around and clean our own issues up."

Other council members also questioned whether Jersey City - the state's largest second urban center - was taking adequate steps to provide a roof for some of its most needy residents.

"You do have an obligation beyond the high-rise apartment buildings that are developed in downtown. You can't just export (the problem) out of your town," said North Ward Councilman Anibal Ramos Jr.

"Everybody's proud to see the development in Jersey City, but you can't take away from your responsibility to provide housing and services for residents that need it."

'For us to be here 25 years means that we have true-live, ride-or-die fans,' says Treach

Naughty by Nature is keeping the celebration of its 25th anniversary going strong through a mini documentary released on the group's YouTube page.

The video includes concert footage marking 25 years since the release of the group's first album in 1991 that produced the hit single "O.P.P." The video also features archival footage of group members talking about East Orange -- Naughty's "Illtown" hometown. The group had previously released an album called "Independent Leaders" in 1989 under a different name -- The New Style. 

Naughty's 25th anniversary tour, which began on Jan. 27, includes 28 shows in 30 days, including a Feb. 28 show at the Theatre of Living Arts and a March 26 engagement at the Prudential Center. 

Vincent "Vin Rock" Brown, Anthony "Treach" Criss and Keir "DJ Kay Gee" Gist also recently announced a Kickstarter campaign with a goal of generating $100,000 to record a new album to mark the milestone. 

With 19 days to go, the group has raised $27,869 from 290 backers. 

"Instead of people going to Best Buy or Amazon or what have you, they can deal directly with us," Brown, 45, told NJ Advance Media last week. 

In the video, group members thank fans for sending messages of support during times when Naughty temporarily splintered -- like in 2013, when Criss tweeted that Brown had been kicked out of the group (a statement that a group representative later said was false, though definitely a result of some internal strife). 

"This is the first time in a while domestically we've loaded up on the tour bus and just went national," Brown says in the video, speaking about the 25th anniversary tour.   

Brown, Gist and Criss came together in the '80s as students at East Orange High School. 

"Seems like I was just in high school yesterday," Gist adds, reminiscing. "You know, and it's 25 years in the game now. And truly I really oughta say, you know, we really owe that. And I personally want to say thank you to the fans. They're the ones that pushed us. Even before we started, locally." 

Criss said the group could have become a one-hit wonder without fan support, which began with a swell of local fans in East Orange.

"For us to be here 25 years means that we have true-live, ride-or-die fans," Criss says. 

Amy Kuperinsky may be reached at akuperinsky@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @AmyKup. Find NJ.com Entertainment on Facebook.

President Barack Obama's proposed 2017 budget includes a new round of military base closures.

WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama is trying one last time to begin a new round of military base closings, a move that could threaten Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, and would act even if Congress didn't.

In his $4 trillion budget proposal, the president's spending plan for the fiscal year beginning Oct. 1 resurrects his call for a new round of base realignment and closure, known by its acronym BRAC, which the document calls "critically important to realign resources" now going for unneeded facilities.

"The need to reduce excess facilities is so critical that, in the absence of authorization of a new round of BRAC, the administration will pursue new options to reduce wasteful spending on surplus infrastructure within existing authorities," the budget said.

New Jersey's military facilities pump $6.5 billion into the local economy, and support more than 73,000 jobs, according to the state's New Jersey Military Installation Growth and Development Task Force.

"Base closures destroy local communities and diminish our ability to project strength abroad at a critical time in our nation's history," said U.S. Rep. Tom MacArthur (R-3rd Dist.), a member of the House Armed Services Committee. "We cannot put this burden on taxpayers while simultaneously compromising our military's readiness with an irresponsible round of base closures."

Another member of the Armed Services panel, Rep. Donald Norcross (D-1st Dist.) said he, too, would oppose additional base closings that "historically done little to save the Department of Defense money and instead devastated local economies and left a trail of abandoned military facilities requiring extensive environmental cleanup."

Congress rejected Obama's call last year for a new round of base closings. Lawmakers also acted separately to protect the joint base by voting to prevent the Pentagon from moving or retiring any of the KC-10 refueling tanker planes at the base. MacArthur and Norcross helped author both provisions, which were included in the defense policy bill and in legislation funding the government through Sept. 30.

Obama visited the joint base in December 2014.

In 2005, the last round of BRAC consolidation led to the creation of the joint base in Wrightstown, the only tri-service military facility in the U.S. In 1993, the Pentagon proposed reducing operations at McGuire Air Force Base, now part of the joint facility, in favor of Plattsburgh AFB in New York. The base closing commission, led by former New Jersey Rep, Jim Courter, instead voted to expand McGuire and close Plattsburgh.

A task force, chaired by Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno, recommended in July that the state encourage defense-related development around its bases, educate well-trained employees to work at those facilities, and regularly lobby the federal government to prevent them from being shut down or scaled back. 

In January, the Pentagon selected McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst as one of 11 military bases under consideration to house the Air Force's new KC-46 tankers.

The president's budget also includes $5 billion over 10 years for changes to the criminal justice system, including developing alternatives to incarceration for some nonviolent offenders, something Obama discussed in November on a visit to Newark.

There's also $97 million to improve relations between police officers and the communities they serve, including training, oversight and the increased use of body cameras. Obama talked about community policing in Camden in May.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency's disaster relief fund would get $7.3 billion, down $26 million from current levels. The agency said the money will cover ongoing expenses for Hurricane Sandy and other presidentially declared disasters. 

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

One enviromental group estimates that there are millions of plastic pieces are floating in area waterways. Watch video

An environmental group is urging New York, New Jersey residents to think twice about their plastic predilection in the wake of the group's recent finding, which says there's likely 165 million pieces of synthetic material floating in area waterways.

NY/NJ Baykeeper set out last March with a small crew of researchers and volunteers as part of a pilot project to measure the plastic contents in the East River, the Hudson River, New York Harbor and Newark Bay.

Map showing the 18 sampling sites of NY/NJ Baykeeper in the Harbor Estuary (Photo courtesy of NY/NJ Baykeeper) 

Through 18 samples, the group estimates there are 256,322 plastic particles per square kilometer in the Harbor Estuary area that stretches from the Tappan Zee Bridge to Sandy Hook, according to a report released Tuesday. 

Although these findings are nearly impossible to put in any historical context, it gives the group a decent baseline of the amount of plastic pollution in the area moving forward.

"It's hard to compare because we're really the first one who have done anything like this in the area," said Sandra Meola, an outreach associate with the group.

The world's oceans contain roughly 5.25 trillion plastic particles, weighing more than 250,000 tons, according to a study released in 2014 by the California-based 5 Gyres Institute. That number increases by 8.8 million tons each year claims another study published in the Science Magazine.

"This gives a great snapshot but it's not complete," Meola said, noting that although the research shows New York waters have more than twice New Jersey's plastic pollution per kilometer, this is only a small dataset.

"We need more samples," she said. NY/NJ Baykeeper plans to continue collecting samples over the next few months. 

The project utilized a trawler on loan from Clearwater, a New York environmental group, that pulls in a narrow net of floating debris allowing researchers to estimated the total pollution through a water-surface formula, according to Meola.

In the report, the group offers a number of suggestions to limit plastic pollution, such as reusable grocery bags, asking for foil instead of foam to-go boxes, and a product guide for personal care products that do not include microbeads. 

Microplastics -- tiny pieces, smaller than 5 mm, that fish often mistakenly eat as food, which can end up in our meals -- made up more than 85 percent of the particles found in the samples, according to the study.

These smaller pieces come from larger chunks of plastic, such as coffee cup lids, or the recently banned microbeads. The plastic particles can be found in a number of exfoliants and toothpaste, and are small enough to pass through filtration systems into the waterways. 

The Microbead-Free Waters Act of 2015 outlaws the tiny particles in products starting July of 2017. 

Meola considered the national law prohibiting microbeads a win over plastic pollution in the area since it supersedes the state law that allowed for "bioplastics," which although were considered less harmful are still harmful.

A report by the the New York State Attorney General's office estimated 19 tons of microbeads made their way into New York waterways annually. 

Craig McCarthy may be reached at CMcCarthy@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @createcraig. Find NJ.com on Facebook. 

Michael Cohen, 48, is also accused of carrying nearly 100 grams of marijuana and $1,900 in cash in his vehicle

Michael Cohen (Fairfield Police)

FAIRFIELD - A New York City man was arrested last week after being caught transporting a bag full of marijuana-laced cookies, police said.

According to Fairfield Police Chief Anthony Manna, 48-year-old Michael Cohen of Manhattan was pulled over for failing to keep right while driving west on Route 80 Thursday afternoon.

Officers noticed a strong smell of marijuana coming from his 1999 Mercury, Manna said, and Cohen handed over a small amount of the drug along with a pipe.

A search of his vehicle, however, turned up nearly 100 grams of pot, along with $1,900 in cash. They also uncovered the bag of about a dozen cookies, which Manna says Cohen bakes himself and sells to customers.

He was charged with various drug and traffic offenses, and was released on a promise to appear in Essex County Superior Court on Feb. 18.

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

Krisla Rezireksyon, 34, of Irvington, is accused of killing her 8-year-old daughter, Christiana Glenn, and abusing and neglecting her two younger children Watch video

NEWARK — Standing before an Essex County jury on Tuesday, Essex County Assistant Prosecutor Dawn Simonetti offered a glimpse into the lives of 8-year-old Christiana Glenn and her younger brother and sister.

Inside the family's Irvington apartment, the children were tied to radiators, Simonetti said. They suffered broken bones and malnutrition without receiving medical attention, Simonetti said.

Those living conditions led to the death of Glenn, whose lifeless body was discovered in the Chancellor Avenue apartment on May 22, 2011 as her siblings cowered in the corner of another room, Simonetti said.

The woman allegedly responsible for killing Glenn and abusing the other children is their mother, Krisla Rezireksyon Kris, who went on trial Tuesday on murder and related charges for her treatment of the children, according to Simonetti.

"She was responsible for what they endured," Simonetti told jurors in her opening statement, referring to Rezireksyon Kris. "She was responsible for the ultimate death of her oldest child."

Simonetti said the evidence will show Rezireksyon Kris "knowingly caused the serious bodily injury that resulted in this child's death."

"That, in this state, is murder," Simonetti said.

But Rezireksyon Kris's attorney, Adrien Moncur, pointed to his client's mental health conditions and argued she "does not have the required state of mind to be guilty of these offenses."

Moncur said a defense expert, a clinical neuropsychologist who examined Rezireksyon Kris, has determined she has a personality disorder, major depression and other ailments, and that she suffers from "diminished capacity."

"The law will tell you, you can't ignore her obvious diminished capacity at the end of this case," Moncur said in his opening statement, later adding: "We're not talking about someone of sound mind. We're talking about someone of diminished capacity."

Rezireksyon Kris, 34, and her roommate, Myriam Janvier, 27, have been charged in the case, but Janvier is expected to be tried separately at a later date. Rezireksyon Kris has legally changed her name from Venette Ovilde.

In her opening statement, Simonetti said the evidence demonstrates Rezireksyon Kris starved the children and "inflicted injury that resulted in broken bones." When the children were too weak to walk and sustained injuries, Rezireksyon Kris did not seek medical attention, Simonetti said.

Copy of a 2006 photo of Christiana Glenn, looking at her reflection in a mirror before attending a family wedding as a flower girl. Eight-years-old, Christiana Glenn, (now called Kristina Kris Rezireksyon Kris.) was found dead from malnutrition and a broken leg. Her mother,Venette Ovilde (Krisla Rezireksyon Kris), has been charged with the death of her daughter. Saddle Brook, NJ 6/3/11 McCoy Family Photo Courtesy photo

The trial also will feature Rezireksyon Kris's video-taped statement to police in the hours after Glenn was found dead. In that statement, Rezireksyon Kris said Glenn had fallen while taking a bath two days beforehand, and her leg later became swollen. Rezireksyon Kris said she later applied "sea salt" and "cornmeal and salt" to the girl's leg.

When she found her daughter not breathing, Rezireksyon Kris said she, her two younger children and Janvier prayed over the girl's body for an hour to 90 minutes before she called 911.

A medical examiner later determined Glenn died from severe malnutrition and complications from a broken femur that went untreated, Simonetti said.

Simonetti also stressed how Rezireksyon Kris initially told detectives her two younger children were at a friend's house in Elizabeth, but police later found the children in the apartment. Those children — Christina and Solomon Glenn — were seven and six years old at the time, Simonetti said.

But while Simonetti did not mention Rezireksyon Kris's religious practices in her opening statement, Moncur repeatedly cited Rezireksyon Kris's Christian faith and the alleged role of her pastor.

Moncur suggested the pastor had cast a spell over Rezireksyon Kris and influenced her actions, and that he should be held responsible in the case.

Referring to the pastor, Moncur said Rezireksyon Kris's apartment — where he claimed religious services were held — had been "turned into a sanctuary operated and controlled by a prophet preaching a false message."

The defense, however, is faced with rulings issued by Superior Court Judge Michael L. Ravin that limited what evidence could be admitted at the trial regarding religious elements in the case.

In September, Ravin ruled the defense expert could not testify Rezireksyon Kris belonged to a religious cult and had been brainwashed by her pastor, because those findings are not supported by factual evidence.

Last month, the judge said the expert will be barred from testifying in regard to an alleged link between Rezireksyon Kris's diminished capacity" and her religious devotion, Ravin said. The judge found that such a link was speculative.

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

Religious leader of accused woman ignores defense subpoenas

Rezireksyon.                     

It's the jumble of letters that forms part of the name of the woman charged in the murder of her daughter, who died five years ago of starvation and complications from an untreated broken femur.

"Rezireksyon" is a bastardized form of the word resurrection, just as bogus as the twisted form of Christianity the former Venette Ovilde practiced when she allegedly starved and imprisoned her children.

Ovilde legally changed her name to Krisla Rezireksyon Kris after joining a small cult of mostly women following a self-proclaimed Haitian prophet who called himself Emanyel Rezireksyon Kris.

His band of zealots covered themselves in white robes. Their apartments were draped in white sheets, covering the walls, ceilings and floors. The group clung together, often piling into a white Grand Jeep Cherokee to travel between Krisla's Chancellor Avenue apartment in Irvington and Emanyel's apartment on Elmora Avenue in Elizabeth.

MORE: Recent Mark Di Ionno columns

But behind that weirdness was something so ugly and unfathomable, it's hard to believe it happened in a civilized country.

According to the indictment, Krisla Rezireksyon Kris' three children were starved and beaten for a period of 10 months, beginning as early as August 2010 and ending on May 22, 2011. That's when Christiana Glenn, 8, was found dead in the Irvington apartment by paramedics, called there by the mother.

Her sister, Christina, a year younger, and brother, Solomon, two years younger, were so malnourished, they, too, had untreated broken bones and were too weak to walk.

During the opening of Krisla Rezireksyon Kris's murder and child abuse trial yesterday in Superior Court in Essex County, Judge Michael L. Ravin read the 35-count indictment to the jury, which included murder by starvation and endangerment by tying the children to a radiator. According to the indictment, they were assaulted with "various weapons," denied medical treatment for broken legs, arms and feet, and forced to kneel in salt with heavy objects on their heads. This was apparently done while the children had open wounds.

Krisla Rezireksyon Kris' former roommate, Myriam Janivier, will face multiple child endangerment charges in a separate trial.

Emanyel Rezireksyon Kris faces nothing. No charges. Not even in the court of public opinion. If he is still around the Elmora and North Avenue area where he once lived and ran a bakery, he is no longer as visible in his starched white robe. 

He was questioned at length by police, but never charged, and is now failing to answer defense subpoenas.

In his opening statement, it didn't take long for defense attorney Adrien Moncur to take notice of the prophet's absence in court, insinuating he had abandoned Krisla, and make note of the absence of charges against him.

"It's easier for the state to prosecute Miss Krisla than to prosecute the prophet," he said, citing the defendant's low IQ and lack of social capacity.

There was also the absence of Emanyel Rezireksyon Kris' name in the opening statement of Assistant Essex County Prosecutor Dawn Simonetti. 

"She was in charge. She made the decisions about when those children were fed, and how those children were fed," Simonetti said.

Simonetti portrayed Krisla Rezireksyon Kris not as a blind follower, but "the biological mother" whose abject neglect and physical abuse of her children caused one death and nearly resulted in the death of two others.

At the time of Christiana's death, Emanyel Rezireksyon Kris was opening a bakery called Boulanje Restoran Rezireksyon on North Avenue in Union, two blocks from his Elizabeth apartment. The windows were covered in newsprint or other white paper. Today, a thriving Colombian bakery called La Casa del Pan operates in that space.

"He didn't make a go of it," said John DaSilva, the landlord, whose accounting offices are above the strip of stores he rents. "He left a nephew or somebody in charge but it didn't last long. He left with some time on the lease."

DaSilva said he hasn't seen him since.

At the Elmora Avenue apartment, superintendent Jose Rodriguez also said Emanyel Rezireksyon Kris left in a hurry, leaving two teenagers in No. 28, his white-draped apartment.

"They made a lot of noise, so we kicked them out," Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez's wife, Sonia Aquilar, knew Emanyel was trying to rent nearby on North Broad Street in Elizabeth.

"She told them, 'Don't rent to him,' " Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez said he heard Emanyel Rezireksyon Kris, whose real name is Andre Wilkins, fled to Canada.

At the time of the Christiana's death, Tom Piotrowcz, who lived below Emanyel Rezireksyon Kris on Elmora Avenue, said that each night starting at about 9:30, there was incessant chanting in Creole and the "sounds of bodies dropping."

He said he saw children too weak to walk, who had to be carried in.

Maybe Emanyel Rezireksyon Kris didn't force or order Krisla Rezireksyon Kris to starve and abuse her children, but he certainly knew it was going on. He was a daily visitor to the Chancellor Avenue apartment and was there three times on the day Christiana died, but not when paramedics arrived, according to reports in The Star-Ledger from 2011.

Everyone who knew Venette Ovilde before she became Krisla Rezireksyon Kris said she was an excellent mother, even her ex-husband, Shakyieal Glenn of Jersey City. 

Pictures from before she knew Emanyel Rezireksyon Kris show her and the children smiling and appearing healthy. These were a stark and alarming contrast to autopsy pictures of the girl and those of her mother when she was arraigned in connection with her daughter's death.

Defense attorney Moncur said as much in his opening.

"She (Krisla Rezireksyon Kris) was thin, gaunt and fragile, too, when she was arrested," he said.

He wants the jury to hear from the prophet, too, about the turn in her life, but "he isn't cooperating with the subpoena," Moncur said.

It's being delivered to an address where Emanyel Rezireksyon Kris once lived in Elizabeth. Moncur had contact with him as recently as December, but nothing since then, leaving his namesake and follower to fend for herself.

Mark Di Ionno may be reached at mdiionno@starledger.com. Follow The Star-Ledger on Twitter @StarLedger and find us on Facebook. 

Andy Soto, 28, of Newark, was driving a vehicle on Jan. 18, 2015 that struck and killed 29-year-old East Orange resident Khendrai Williams

NEWARK — Before he was sentenced on Tuesday to four years in state prison for causing a hit-and-run crash last year that killed a pedestrian, Khendrai Williams, Andy Soto broke down in tears as he expressed his sorrow.

"I want to say I'm sorry for the situation that occurred," Soto said in the Newark courtroom. "It was never in my heart for something like that to happen."

But when Williams's uncle was addressing the court about the impact on his family — saying the incident "ruined the family" — two of Soto's family members began yelling in separate outbursts and had to be escorted out of the courtroom by Essex County sheriff's officers.

During the first outburst, one family member yelled about losing a loved one in an unrelated killing in Newark.

About five minutes later, another family member had an outburst and shouted about how Soto is "spending all those years in jail."

After she had been removed from the courtroom, Williams's uncle, Ray Williams, said the Soto family would still be able to spend time with Soto, whereas the Williams family "lost a brother, a nephew, a child."

"We're never gonna get that back," Ray Williams said before referring to Soto: "This kid took another life and he get an opportunity to still spend time with his family once he do his time."

Williams's mother, Matosha Williams, later added during the hearing: "I am so broken-hearted right now."

Soto, 28, of Newark, pleaded guilty on Dec. 7 to charges of leaving the scene of an accident involving death, and causing a death while violating a public policy in connection with the Jan. 18, 2015 crash in Newark.

Under a plea agreement, prosecutors recommended the four-year prison sentence for Soto.

Authorities have said the crash occurred at about 12:30 a.m. near the intersection of McCarter Highway and Market Street in Newark, where Soto was driving the vehicle that struck Williams, a 29-year-old East Orange resident.

When he pleaded guilty, Soto admitted he was driving a vehicle while his license was suspended when he crashed into Williams and then didn't stop at the scene of the accident. Soto said he continued driving for a couple of blocks before pulling over and walking home.

Soto had been charged with vehicular homicide, but as part of a plea agreement, that charge was downgraded to the charge of causing a death while violating a public policy. With his guilty plea, Soto admitted that by driving a vehicle while his license was suspended, he violated a law that is intended to protect the public health and safety.

In handing down the sentence on Tuesday, Superior Court Judge Ronald Wigler said he does not think Soto intended to kill Williams, but that he used "horrific judgment" by driving while his license was suspended and by fleeing the scene of the accident.

"I don't believe that you intentionally tried to hurt anybody, but your conduct, your actions on that day, were ultimately criminal," the judge told Soto.

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

Teacher called police after overhearing conversation among students Watch video

 GLEN RIDGE -- Acting on a tip from a concerned school staff member, local police and the Essex County Sheriff's bomb squad and K-9 unit investigated a possible threat against Glen Ridge High School, Chief of Police Sheila Byron-Lagattuta said Tuesday night. Nothing threatening was found.

 

Law enforcement were contacted by a teacher who overheard a conversation among students, Byron-Lagattuta said. The teacher was not sure if a threat was actually being made but called police to be "better safe than sorry," Byron-Lagattuta also said.

As the investigation continued Tuesday night it was still unclear whether a crime had been committed, she added. 

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

The average tax bill in New Jersey has gone up 41.78 percent from 2000 to 2015.

Given the Garden State's reputation as one of the most taxed states in the country, few residents will be surprised to learn that the tax bills New Jerseyans have been paying over the past 15 years have been going up. How high, and by how much the bills are increasing, however, are matters of geography.

The state Department of Community Affairs released data Thursday indicating the average tax bills for every municipality in the state, and how those rates have changed over the years.

Statewide, the average residential tax bill jumped 2.4 percent from 2014 to 2015. On average, New Jersey residents shelled out $8,353 in taxes last year.

With rates adjusted for inflation, the average tax bill in New Jersey has gone up 41.78 percent from 2000 to 2015.

Which counties have the highest, lowest property taxes?

A small town in Camden County recorded the highest average tax bill last year, at $30,723. See the average tax bill, and average increase over the past 15 years, in your town via the links below:

• Atlantic County
• Bergen County
• Burlington County
• Camden County
• Cape May County
• Cumberland County
• Essex County
• Gloucester County
• Hudson County
• Hunterdon County
• Mercer County
• Middlesex County
• Monmouth County
• Morris County
• Ocean County
• Passaic County
• Salem County
• Somerset County
• Sussex County
• Union County
• Warren County

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

Brazilian-Americans in Newark's Ironbound neighborhood are watching the news about the spread of the Zika virus, and weighing risk of the illness against the desire to go back to visit. Watch video

(U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) 

They face a dilemma: The pull of the homeland, versus worry about a new health risk. 

The Brazilian-Americans who live in Newark's Ironbound neighborhood are paying very close attention to the Zika virus now endemic in the South and Central America.

They know that pregnant women should not travel to the region out of concern the mosquito-borne illness may cause birth defects. They know travelers should guard against mosquito bites, and they know the virus may be sexually transmitted.

Still, the draw of one's homeland is powerful, and the travel agencies that line Ferry Street report almost no cancellations or changes in travel plans.

"How can you tell someone in the Ironbound not to go to Brazil for Carnival?," wonders Pamela Clarke, the president of Newark Community Health Centers, which operates a medical facility in the Ironbound. Many of its patients are from South or Central America - where Zika is now a concern.

Carnival, the Brazilian equivalent of Mardi Gras, is marked by annual family gatherings that draw relatives back to visit, she said.

 "It's a cultural thing. They're going to go. They're going to say, 'This is the time of year I go home to see my family," Clarke said.

Adrienne Headley, the center's obstetrician, checks the latest state and federal health advice daily so she's prepared to answer her patients' Zika questions.

"They're interested in getting more information. There's a healthy amount of concern," she said of her patients. "I definitely don't feel it's a panic-mode situation. They're in the United States and they feel the resources here will help them protect themselves and their unborn child."

Clinic workers are now told to ask about recent travel history of any patient who is pregnant. Of the ones who have traveled to the two-dozen affected countries, only those who had symptoms or a bout of Zika should get a blood test for the virus.

But since 80 percent of those who are infected with Zika display no symptoms, the other pregnant patients with a risky travel history should get a series of ultrasounds throughout the remainder of their pregnancies to check for birth defects. They should also be offered the option of having amniocentesis to check for the virus, Headley said.

"We don't want our patients to be alarmed," Clarke said. "We're asking people to exercise caution."

Maria Melo, four months' pregnant, had already learned about the CDC's travel warnings and knows she can't travel to Brazil for the remainder of her pregnancy.

"I'm glad I'm here," she said of the United States.

That was a common sentiment expressed, as even the most loyal Brazilian-Americans put much greater faith in American medicine and American disease-fighting know-how.

"In South America, the people are poor and the government doesn't cover health for everybody," said Ivon Laete, who said he was certain the United States would be more aggressive about mosquito suppression than the Brazilians had been. He was catching a cup of coffee in a Brazilian bakery on Adams Street. 

Next door, at a beauty salon, Lucilia Vargas said she was in Brazil last July and will probably visit again in 2017. She said she isn't concerned about Zika for herself, but is worried for other women. "There is not treatment " she said through a friend who served as her interpreter. 

"People can't cancel visits," said Dinomendes Santos, who feels the U.S. will be able to keep the virus under control if Zika cases turn up in this country.

Still, some of Headley's patients of child-bearing age have canceled trips to Brazil indefinitely.

People not in that specific category continue to travel, say travel agents in the neighborhood.

"A lot of people are worried - but it hasn't stopped the clients from going," said Julietta Correia, of Brazilian Travel Service. "I would think I would be getting more calls with people trying to cancel. They're going - and they're not scared."

Many of those interviewed pointed out Brazil has cases of dengue fever - a serious illness transmitted by the same species of mosquito implicated in the Zika virus. By comparison, a Zika infection is relatively mild, lasting only a few days. The real problem is its suspected effect on fetal development. 

Many airlines and cruise companies have offered refunds or free rescheduling in light of the CDC's travel advisory to women who are pregnant or contemplating pregnancy.

However, Correia warned the policies different from airline to airline, and many apply only to the woman herself - not to any of her travel companions.

And the refund policies don't apply to travelers who simply don't want to be exposed to the virus, even if pregnancy isn't a factor in their decision.

Correia herself found this out the hard way, as she tried to cancel her own upcoming vacation to Costa Rica because the country now had active Zika virus transmission. She was told that isn't enough to qualify for a refund.

"I have to go or I'll lose my money," she said.

Kathleen O'Brien may be reached at kobrien@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @OBrienLedger. Find NJ.com on Facebook. 

OSHA inspectors uncovered the violations during a visit to Elan Chemical Company's Doremus Avenue plant in August

Elan Chemical Co.'s facility on Doremus Avenue in Newark. (Google Maps)

NEWARK - A city-based chemical manufacturer has been fined more than $70,000 for what what federal authorities are calling serious safety violations."

Investigators with the Occupational Safety and Health Adminisration issued 17 citations after a visit to Elan Chemical Company's headquarters on Doremus Avenue in August, the agency said in a news release.

Among the hazards they found were deficiencies in its equipment process safety information, written operating procedures, contractor safety and its inspection and testing of equipment.

Kris Hoffman, director of OSHA's Parsippany Area Office, said in a statement that Elan's haphazard use of ethyl chloride, a highly flammable liquefied gas, creates "a hazardous environment" for workers.

OSHA investigating deceased elevator worker's 7-story fall

"The company's failure to comply with OSHA's Process Safety Management standard could result in a chemical release, as well as a serious fire or explosion," she said.

Elan has been fined a total of $72,100 for the violations, and will have until later this month to either comply, contest the penalties or request a meeting with a New Jersey-based OSHA director.

Company representatives did not immediately return a request for comment Wednesday.

The woman's exact cause of death has yet to be determined, authorities say.

NEWARK -- Officials have identified a body found Monday evening in Newark as a 25-year-old Manhattan woman.

Francine Vincent was found unresponsive in the driveway of a South 20th Street residence shortly after 9 p.m., said Essex County Prosecutor's Office spokeswoman, Katherine Carter.

Vincent was later pronounced dead at the scene, Carter said. An investigation into the exact cause of Vincent's death by the county Homicide Task Force is ongoing, Carter said.

http://www.nj.com/essex/index.ssf/2016/02/man_pleads_not_guilty_in_killing_spree_that_left_3.html

Vincent's death has not been ruled a homicide at this time, Carter added.

On the night of the incident, police were seen entering and exiting the yard of a burnt-out, red-and-white house during the course of the investigation Monday night.

Neighborhood residents told NJ Advance Media the residence where Vincent was found is frequently used as a shelter by the homeless.

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

Paterson's school system, under state control since 1991, is the latest urban school district to regain some control of its finances. Watch video

TRENTON -- In the latest move to empower school districts under state takeover, New Jersey's Board of Education voted Wednesday to return control over finances and personnel to Paterson Public Schools.

The district has demonstrated substantial and sustained progress in improving performance in those areas, the board's resolution said.

"We look for many good things to come," state Education Commissioner David Hespe said.

The state, which took over Paterson's schools in 1991, will retain control over Paterson's instruction. Gaining control over finances and personnel will help Paterson's Board of Education improve the district's instruction, Superintendent Donnie Evans said.

"It will give the board and the superintendent more flexibility to perhaps explore some options that we haven't," Evans said. "We have some very smart people on our board who know a lot about instruction, who know a lot about how kids learn."

The decision Wednesday was the latest in the Christie administration's recent loosening of the state's grip on four urban districts under state intervention.

The state in June formed a committee to create a road map for returning control to Newark Public Schools, under state control for two decades.

In October, the state board voted to give Jersey City control over its personnel and operation departments, leaving only its instruction under the state's control.

Camden Public Schools also remain under state intervention. 

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

Krisla Rezireksyon Kris, 34, of Irvington, is accused of killing her 8-year-old daughter and abusing her two younger children Watch video

NEWARK — At the trial of Krisla Rezireksyon Kris on charges of killing her 8-year-old daughter and abusing her two younger children, her attorney on Wednesday attempted to shift the focus to the alleged influence of a pastor in her life.

Facing charges that Rezireksyon Kris starved and abused her children and did not seek medical attention for them, attorney Adrien Moncur noted how the pastor led a Christian ministry in which Rezireksyon Kris and other followers kept to a strict diet, fasted several times per week and did not believe in traditional medicine.

Moncur raised those points while questioning Sgt. Michael Davidson of the Essex County Prosecutor's Office about his investigation in the case.

"They expressed to me that they didn't believe in going to the doctor," Davidson said, referring to his interviews with members of the ministry.

Rezireksyon Kris, 34, is facing murder and related charges in the death of Christiana Glenn, who was found dead on May 22, 2011 in the family's Irvington apartment. A medical examiner later determined the girl died from severe malnutrition and an untreated broken femur.

Her younger siblings — Christina and Solomon Glenn — were discovered in another room at the Chancellor Avenue apartment. Authorities have said they were starved and sustained fractures that went untreated. The three children also were tied to radiators, authorities said.

Rezireksyon Kris's co-defendant, Myriam Janvier, 27, who also lived in the apartment, has been charged in the case, but she is expected to be tried separately at a later date.

But Moncur has claimed Rezireksyon Kris suffers from "diminished capacity" and did not have the requisite state of mind to be found guilty of the charges. Moncur also has stressed the role of the pastor, Emanyel Rezireksyon Kris, and suggested that he had cast a spell over the two women.

Rezireksyon Kris legally changed her name from Venette Ovilde in order to match the pastor's name, according to Moncur.

While answering questions from Moncur on Wednesday, Davidson said there were no beds, couch or electricity in the apartment, where white sheets covered parts of the residence. Rezireksyon Kris and Janvier also were dressed in white, Davidson said.

Inside the apartment, Davidson said authorities found folding chairs, a Bible, videotapes and notebooks with passages written in Creole. Davidson also said the pastor visited the apartment often— including the night before Glenn was found dead — and that he assigned certain chores to the two women.

One of Moncur's questions, however, about the pastor also led to a tense exchange in the courtroom between him and Essex County Assistant Prosecutor Dawn Simonetti.

Moncur had asked Davidoson whether he received information that the pastor was visiting the apartment on a daily basis.

After Simonetti objected to the question, she, Moncur and two other attorneys met with Superior Court Judge Michael L. Ravin for a private discussion in the corner of the courtroom. When that "sidebar" discussion became increasingly loud, Ravin directed the jury and Davidson to leave the courtroom.

Without the jurors and Davidson in the courtroom, Simonetti claimed Moncur had yelled "in my face" and said his behavior was "unacceptable in a court of law."

Moncur countered that he was not screaming at Simonetti and "was not getting in anyone's face." Moncur argued Simonetti "cannot and will not dictate to me how I'm going to try my case."

"We're going to get up and we're going to defend the case," Moncur said.

But when Moncur said tempers might flare at times, the judge interjected.

"My courtroom is run with a certain decorum," Ravin said. "There's a certain protocol that will be observed."

The judge instructed both attorneys to not interrupt each other when they are making arguments, and said that if he finds an attorney's behavior to be improper, "the court will stop it." Ravin also sustained Simonetti's objection, saying the question called for a "hearsay response."

When the jury and Davidson returned to the courtroom, Ravin told the jurors not to consider what happens during sidebar discussions.

"Whatever goes on at sidebar has to do with legal matters and that's not part of your function," the judge told them. The trial then proceeded.

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

The victim appeared to have died of "compression of the throat," authorities say.

(File photo)

EAST ORANGE -- County officials are investigating the death of a 90-year old city man as a homicide, authorities said Wednesday.

Henry Boyd was found unresponsive inside his South Harrison Avenue apartment by a family member on Tuesday, said Essex County Prosecutor's Office spokeswoman Katherine Carter.

Emergency medical personnel called to the residence later pronounced Boyd dead at the scene, Carter said. The results of a subsequent autopsy showed that Boyd died of compression of the throat and a fracture of the larynx, she added.

Boyd's death has now been declared a homicide, and is currently being investigated by the prosecutor's office Major Crime Task Force, Carter said.

Additional details of the investigation were not immediately made available.

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

Uber said it plans to reimburse all drivers for any towing fees and penalties for violating the city's taxicab ordinance Watch video

NEWARK — There's a war on wheels brewing outside the city's two largest transit hubs.

Newark Chief Municipal Prosecutor Evans C. Anyanwu sent a letter to Uber last month, informing the company that all of its drivers operating at and around Newark Penn Station and Newark Liberty International Airport were violating the city's taxicab ordinance.

"After Feb. 22, the continued violation of the city's laws will result in civil and criminal penalties for Uber and its drivers," the letter read.

The move marks the latest strike against California-based Uber, which has been operating largely unregulated in New Jersey since rising to national prominence in recent years.

Newark officials have debated how to regulate the influx of cars now picking up passengers at the airport and downtown, pushed largely by unions and other taxicab organization who say their profits have been cut by as much as 80 percent.

N.J. Uber drivers could strike soon over fare cuts, some say

Last month, a group of drivers staged a protest outside Newark Liberty International Airport to call for the state to regulate their new rivals.

Anyanwu could not immediately be reached to clarify how the city's ordinance was being violated, but Mayor Ras Baraka issued a statement saying all commercial vehicles must obtain a license to operate at the train station or airport.

"The State of New Jersey needs to step in to create legislation and policy to regulate this matter," he said.

Police officials said they had yet to be apprised of the order, and a woman who answered the phone at the Newark Taxicab Commission said they were not authorized to speak on the matter.

The Port Authority, which patrols the airport, has publicly stated that it is up to the city to enforce taxi cab regulations there.

Uber, however, appears undeterred.

In a statement, the company said it would encourage its drivers to continue taking passengers to and from either location, and promised to reimburse them for any towing fees or other penalties they may incur.

"Instead of trying to restrict competition and consumer choice, Newark should be welcoming the thousands of drivers who use Uber to earn income and support their families," it said.

Three men, one a confirmed street gang member, were indicted for the murder of a

From left, Quincy Oliver, 22, of Rahway, Tyrell Dekle, 22, of Woodbridge, and James C. Sears, 23, of East Orange were indicted for the fatal shooting of 21-year-old Rahway man last June. (Union County Prosecutor's Office) 

ELIZABETH -- On an early June night last spring, 21-year-old Nigel Morton answered a knock on the door of his Rahway home and faced a gunman who shot him once in the chest.

Morton was rushed to University Hospital in Newark where he was pronounced dead hours later, authorities said.

On Wednesday, a Union County grand jury indicted three men, one of them a known street gang member, on charges stemming from the fatal shooting, acting Union County Prosecutor Grace Park said in a statement.

Quincy Oliver, 22, of Rahway, Tyrell Dekle, 22, of Woodbridge, and James Sears, 23, of East Orange, are each charged with murder, a first-degree crime. All three men are also charged with first-degree conspiracy to commit murder, and two second-degree weapons offenses, Park said.

She said Sears is a confirmed member of the Piru set of the Bloods street gang.

Union County Assistant Prosecutor Michael Henn said that shortly after 10 p.m. on June 8, 2015, Morton opened the door of his home on the 1200 block of Westfield Avenue in Rahway and was wounded by a single gunshot.

Police responding to calls of a shooting arrived at the home about 10:10 p.m. and found Morton inside the house on the first floor, authorities said.

They said Morton was taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead at 8:45 a.m. the next morning.

A joint investigation involving the Union County Homicide Task Force, Rahway police, and Union County Sheriff's Office Identification Unit led to the arrest of Oliver about a month after the shooting, Park said.

She said Dekle and Sears were arrested last October.

No details were released about the motive for the shooting, or which of the suspects fired the fatal shot.

Murder charges carry a maximum penalty of 30 years to life in prison upon conviction.

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

DeAndre Weathers, 19, and Justin Smith, 26, admitted their roles in the July 5, 2013 carjacking of a Camaro in the area of Lehigh Avenue and Clinton Place in Newark

DeAndre Weathers, 19, and Justin Smith, 26, both of Newark, have pleaded guilty to their roles in the July 5, 2013 carjacking of a vehicle at gunpoint outside a convenience store in the city.File photo 

NEWARK -- Two Newark men have pleaded guilty to their roles in the carjacking of a vehicle at gunpoint in 2013 outside a convenience store in the city.

DeAndre Weathers, 19, and Justin Smith, 26, entered the guilty pleas in recent weeks in connection with the July 5, 2013 incident. Charges are still pending against their co-defendant, Anthony Smith, 21, also of Newark, who is Justin Smith's brother.

Weathers - who turned 17 years old three days before the incident - pleaded guilty on Friday to a carjacking charge.

Under a plea deal, prosecutors have agreed to recommend a 17-year state prison sentence for Weathers. He would have to serve nearly 15 years before becoming eligible for parole.

Justin Smith pleaded guilty on Jan. 29 to the charge of conspiracy to commit carjacking in exchange for a recommended sentence of three years in state prison. He would have to serve more than two and a half years before becoming eligible for parole.

Smith and Weathers are scheduled to be sentenced by Superior Court Judge Michael L. Ravin on March 21 and 28, respectively.

Essex County Assistant Prosecutor Jamel Semper has been handling the case. Kevin Barry is representing Weathers and Laura Bilotta is representing Justin Smith.

When Weathers pleaded guilty, he admitted being with the other two men in the area of Lehigh Avenue and Clinton Place in Newark when they agreed to rob the driver of a Camaro, according to an audio recording of the hearing.

After the victim parked his vehicle and walked into the convenience store, Weathers said he and Anthony Smith followed the man inside.

When the victim left the store, Weathers said he and Anthony Smith approached the man with handguns and placed them against the victim. At that point, Justin Smith was down the street, Weathers said.

Weathers said they stole the man's wallet and car keys, and then Weathers signaled to Justin Smith to come to the vehicle. Justin Smith entered the vehicle and drove off with Weathers in the front passenger seat, Weathers said.

Anthony Smith allegedly left the scene on foot, authorities said.

During his plea hearing, Justin Smith admitted he was across the street at the time of the carjacking and acting as a lookout, according to an audio recording of the hearing. After the other two men carjacked the vehicle, Smith said he got behind the wheel of the car and drove off.

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