Remains Recovered From Hudson River In Hoboken ID'd As Murder Victim: Prosecutor Remains Recovered From Hudson River In Hoboken ID'd As Murder Victim: Prosecutor
Remains Recovered From Hudson River In Hoboken ID'd As Murder Victim: Prosecutor The body of a man who authorities say was shot dead by a Bergen County tattoo artist and then dumped into the Hudson River was identified as the remains recovered from the water last month. Julio Torres' body was discovered in the Hudson River near Pier C Park in Hoboken on Sunday, March 23, Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez said. On Wednesday, April 2, a DNA report positively identified Torres, 23, of Passaic, as the victim. Erick Fernandez, a 26-year-old Lodi resident and tattoo artist was arrested and charged on Thursday, Feb. 6, after he shot Torres and then fled the scene wit…
‘Justice for Daniella’: Friends Rally Around Mother After Daughter’s Passaic Murder ‘Justice for Daniella’: Friends Rally Around Mother After Daughter’s Passaic Murder
‘Justice for Daniella’: Friends Rally Around Mother After Daughter’s Passaic Murder A heartbroken Passaic mother is receiving an outpouring of support after launching a GoFundMe campaign to help bury her 31-year-old daughter who was fatally stabbed inside a Passaic home on Sunday, March 16, authorities said. The fundraiser, started by Francesca Cwynar, has raised more than $2,800 as of press time to support Daniella Davis' grieving mother, Rose Mele. Mele's LinkedIn page shows she works as a secretary for the Clifton Board of Education. “I am writing on behalf of a dear friend, Rose Mele, a resilient and selfless woman,” Cwynar wrote on the fundraiser. “On March 16, Rose’s…
Woman, 31, Stabbed Dead In Passaic Home: Prosecutor Woman, 31, Stabbed Dead In Passaic Home: Prosecutor
Woman, 31, Stabbed Dead In Passaic Home: Prosecutor A 31-year-old woman was stabbed dead inside a Passaic home Sunday morning, March 16, and authorities are actively investigating, officials said. Passaic police responded to a residence near 4th Street and Bergen Street at 9:40 a.m. on March 16, after receiving a 911 call about a stabbing, according to Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes and Passaic Police Chief Luis A. Guzman. When officers arrived, they found the victim suffering from stab wounds inside the home, authorities said. She was taken to St. Mary’s Hospital, where she was pronounced dead. Her identity was not released. T…
Rutherford Security Guard Guilty Of Hitting Homeless Shoplifter With Cop Car: Prosecutor Rutherford Security Guard Guilty Of Hitting Homeless Shoplifter With Cop Car: Prosecutor
Rutherford Security Guard Guilty Of Hitting Homeless Shoplifter With Cop Car: Prosecutor A 57-year-old Rutherford Family Dollar security guard was convicted on Wednesday, Feb. 26 of hitting a shoplifter with a police car, authorities said. Frederic Parisi was convicted of aggravated assault, endangering an injured victim and impersonating police officer for the 2020 incident which left the victim, Hector Rodriguez with life-threatening injuries, Essex County Prosecutor Theodore Stephens II said. On Friday, March 13, 2020, Parisi, a security guard at the Family Dollar store at 131 Clinton Ave. chased Rodriguez in a police car, struck him with the vehicle and then sprayed him in …
SNL's Joe Piscopo, Passaic Native, Returns To North Jersey For Book Signing SNL's Joe Piscopo, Passaic Native, Returns To North Jersey For Book Signing
SNL's Joe Piscopo, Passaic Native, Returns To North Jersey For Book Signing As "Saturday Night Live" celebrates its 50th anniversary, former cast member Joe Piscopo, a North Jersey native, is ready to tell his story. Piscopo, who was born in Passaic and grew up in North Caldwell, is signing copies of his new book, "Average Joe: The Memoirs of a Blue-Collar Entertainer" at Bookends in Ridgewood on Wednesday, Feb. 19 at 6 p.m. In the book, Piscopo talks about getting started in the New York standup scene where he befriended Jerry Seinfeld, Larry David and Gilbert Gottfried, according to a synopsis.  On SNL, he made millions laugh with his skits with Eddie Murph…
Lodi Tattoo Artist Tosses Shooting Victim's Body In Hudson River: Prosecutor Lodi Tattoo Artist Tosses Shooting Victim's Body In Hudson River: Prosecutor
Lodi Tattoo Artist Tosses Shooting Victim's Body In Hudson River: Prosecutor A 26-year-old Lodi resident was arrested and charged on Thursday, Feb. 6, after he fatally shot a man and tossed his body in the Hudson River in Hoboken, authorities said. Hoboken police received a tip from Lodi police that a man had been fatally shot in a restricted area of the Hoboken waterfront near Castle Point Skate Park on Saturday, Feb. 1, Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez said. An investigation revealed Erick Fernandez shot Julio Flores, a 23-year-old Passaic resident, and then fled the scene with his personal belongings including his vehicle, Suarez said. Fernandez returned to…
Surge In ICE Arrests In NJ Prompts Massive Immigrant Rights Rally In Passaic Surge In ICE Arrests In NJ Prompts Massive Immigrant Rights Rally In Passaic
Surge In ICE Arrests In NJ Prompts Massive Immigrant Rights Rally In Passaic Hundreds of immigrant families and community members are expected to gather on Saturday, Feb. 8, in Passaic for immigrant rights and to protest recent attacks on their communities. Organized by Make The Road NJ, the rally is expected to begin at 2:30 p.m. at the corner of Passaic and Paulison Avenues. Dubbed “We Are Home: March for Immigrant Rights," the march is part of a larger movement demanding protections for immigrants across New Jersey. Organizers say the march comes at a critical time. On Jan. 29, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) reported 1,016 arrests a…
Clifton Gunman Charged With Murder Years After Shooting: Prosecutor Clifton Gunman Charged With Murder Years After Shooting: Prosecutor
Clifton Gunman Charged With Murder Years After Shooting: Prosecutor A Clifton man has been charged with murder in the fatal shooting of a 19-year-old Passaic resident more than two years ago, authorities announced. Yoniel Santana-Gomez, 24, was charged with first-degree murder, second-degree unlawful possession of a weapon, and second-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose in connection to the Dec. 11, 2022, shooting of Ariel Henriquez, Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes and Clifton Police Chief Thomas Rinaldi said. Henriquez was brought to Saint Joseph’s University Medical Center with a gunshot wound at approximately 3:47 a.m. that …
Bob Dylan Biopic Filmed In Hoboken Scores 8 Oscar Nominations Bob Dylan Biopic Filmed In Hoboken Scores 8 Oscar Nominations
Bob Dylan Biopic Filmed In Hoboken Scores 8 Oscar Nominations "A Complete Unknown," the Bob Dylan biopic that was shot throughout New Jersey, received eight Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, when nominees were announced on Thursday, Jan. 23. Timothee Chalamet who plays the iconic singer/songwriter as he navigates the New York music scene in the 1960s, was nominated for Best Actor while James Mangold was nominated for Best Director. Monica Barbaro, who plays Joan Baez, was nominated for Best Supporting Actress, while Edward Norton, who plays Pete Seeger, was nominated for Best Supporting Actor. The movie also received nominations for B…
Summit's Sean Baker Nominated For Best Director For 'Anora' Summit's Sean Baker Nominated For Best Director For 'Anora'
Summit's Sean Baker Nominated For Best Director For 'Anora' The Garden State will be well represented at the 97th annual Academy Awards with natives Sean Baker, Zoe Saldaña, Sebastian Stan and Jesse Eisenberg all receiving nominations on Thursday, Jan. 23. Sean Baker, who was born in Summit, was nominated for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Film Editing and Best Original Screenplay for "Anora," about a Russian stripper who  impulsively marries the son of a Russian oligarch, only for his family to try and get the marriage annulled. Growing up in Short Hills, Baker later attended Gill St. Bernard's School in Somerset County. Baker's films prima…
Passiac Predator Who Sexually Assaulted Child For 7 Years, Bribed Witnesses Learns His Fate Passiac Predator Who Sexually Assaulted Child For 7 Years, Bribed Witnesses Learns His Fate
Passiac Predator Who Sexually Assaulted Child For 7 Years, Bribed Witnesses Learns His Fate A 36-year-old Passaic man was sentenced to nearly seven decades behind bars for sexually assaulting a child for nearly seven years and then trying to bribe witnesses to recant their statements, authorities said. Sergio Bernal became the center of an investigation in August 2020, when the local police department was tied off to a 16-year-old having been assaulted, Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes said. The victim told authorities that Bernal assaulted him between October 2013 and August 2020. "Based on the investigation, Mr. Bernal was arrested for and charged with various se…
Passenger, 22, Killed In Route 80 Crash: NJSP Passenger, 22, Killed In Route 80 Crash: NJSP
Passenger, 22, Killed In Route 80 Crash: Njsp A 22-year-old Union City man was killed in a single-vehicle crash on Route 80 early Saturday, Jan. 18, authorities said. A Honda driven by a 22-year-old Belleville man was heading west when it veered off the road and struck a tree in Knowlton near milepost 6.2 around 3:05 a.m., according to New Jersey State Police Sgt. Charles Marchan. The driver sustained minor injuries in the crash, while one passenger, a 19-year-old Passaic man, suffered moderate injuries. A second passenger, age 22, of Union City, died of his injuries, Marchan said. The victim's name was not released. The crash re…