Family members found dead in backyard pool accidentally drowned, says medical examiner
Juveniles
‘Electricity did not play a part in the death of these three victims,’ investigators say
Court
May 27, 2020
Judge who told rape victim to ‘close your legs’ is permanently removed from bench
A New Jersey judge who in 2016 suggested that a rape victim should have tried to stop her attacker by closing her legs was officially removed from the bench Tuesday. The New Jersey Supreme Court unanimously ruled in favor of John Russo Jr.’s permanent barring as judge in the state. The seven-justice committee determined that Russo, …
Murder
May 20, 2020
Fugitive beats wife to death with wine chiller, flees before cops arrive: Officials
A New Jersey woman is reportedly on the run after allegedly fatally beating her wife with a wine chiller. Mayra Gavilanez-Alectus, 48, was formally charged with murdering Rebecca Gavilanez-Alectus, 32. Ocean County prosecutors and Brick Township police said in a statement that Rebecca Gavilanez-Alectus was found dead Sunday in a bedroom in the couple’s home. Authorities …
Murder
April 29, 2020
Pregnant New Jersey chef beaten to death in apparent murder-suicide
The owners of a trendy Jersey City restaurant were found dead Sunday in what appears to be a murder-suicide, the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office said on Monday. Garima Kothari, the 35-year-old chef of Nukkad in the waterfront Paulus Hook neighborhood, was found dead early Sunday morning in her home. The medical examiner ruled that she …
Coronavirus
April 11, 2020
Coronavirus scammer orders pizza for hospitals and police but never pays: Cops
More than a dozen pizzerias in New Jersey have been hit by a scammer who places large orders of pizza for law enforcement or hospitals dealing with the coronavirus pandemic but never pays or even shows up to pick up the order, MyCentralJersey reported. South Brunswick police believe Sudeep Khetani, 34 — who once lived …
Sex Crimes
April 1, 2020
Hired caretaker breaks severely disabled girl’s femur while sexually assaulting her, prosecutors say
A New Jersey man was recently arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting a 16-year-old while he was employed as her caretaker. Burlington County prosecutors said Edmondo DiPaolo’s arrest came after the victim’s family found an injury to the girl’s leg. KYW-TV reported that she has a degenerative brain disorder, is nonverbal and immobile, receives food and …
AMBER Alert
March 15, 2020
FOUND: AMBER ALERT cancelled after 3 children found safe [officials]
Update: 8:10 p.m. New Jersey officials cancelled an AMBER Alert Sunday evening after finding three children who were reportedly abducted earlier in the day, NBC Philadelphia reported. Although they did not say where the children were found, police said all three were safe and in good condition. They did not say if Travis Russell, the …
Homicide
February 20, 2020
Bus driver drags passenger down the street by his arm. When he breaks free, she runs him over, killing him: Docs
A bus driver in New Jersey who allegedly fatally mowed down a passenger after dragging him down a street with his arm trapped in the bus door was arrested on Tuesday while trying to flee the country. NJ Transit employee Fayola Howard, 34, was charged with vehicular homicide in connection with a December 31 incident …
February 20, 2020
BREAKING: Bodies of 2 newborns discovered hours apart at recycling facility
Authorities reportedly found the bodies of two newborns at a New Jersey recycling facility. New Brunswick police reportedly discovered a newborn’s body at the Colgate Paper Recycling facility at 9 a.m. on Wednesday. A second body was recovered from the same facility roughly six hours later, according to New Brunswick Today. WPIX reported that autopsies …
Murder
February 6, 2020
Wife gets restraining order against husband before he fatally stabs her & 2 kids in grisly murder-suicide: Reports
A New Jersey man who was found dead this week is believed to have stabbed his wife and two children to death before taking his own life. On Wednesday, a passerby discovered Eugenio Severino’s body in a wooded area near his Penns Grove apartment. NJ Advance Media reported that an inspection of his apartment uncovered …
Cold Cases
January 18, 2020
Missing mom found dead 6 YEARS later in crushed car submerged in river: Reports
A New Jersey woman who has been missing for nearly six years was reportedly found dead on Thursday inside a car submerged in a river. Vanessa Smallwood, then 46, was last seen at a dry cleaner’s store in Cherry Hill on January 27, 2014. Smallwood’s relatives reported her missing 10 days after her disappearance. Authorities — …
January 7, 2020
Teen mom smothers minutes-old son; baby’s dad helps her hide body in dumpster
A New Jersey woman admitted on Monday to killing her son shortly after giving birth to him in March. Despite her admission, the baby’s remains were never found. Jada McClain, 18, said she gave birth to her son alone in her parents’ bathroom and pressed on his chest until he stopped breathing. The baby’s father …
