Funeral Set For Camden Corrections Officer, 36, Who Died Of Medical Emergency Before Work
Family, friends, and first responders will gather Thursday, March 26 for a Celebration of Life service for Camden County Corrections Officer Isiah Hampton Watkins.
Watkins, 36, died on March 10 after suffering a medical emergency while traveling to the correctional facility to begin his shift, county officials said. Emergency personnel responded, but Watkins died shortly after, according to authorities.
The service will be held at Bethany Baptist Church in Lindenwold, followed by interment at Harleigh Cemetery in Camden at 4 p.m., officials said. A procession from the church to th…
Ex Hudson County Parks Chief Took Cash Bribes In $1.5M Scheme: Feds
A former Hudson County Parks Department director and a contractor have pleaded guilty in a $1.5 million bribery scheme, while another former official has been charged, federal authorities said.
Thomas A. DeLeo, 76, of Little Silver, and William A. Murray, 56, of Jersey City, each pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit honest services fraud, according to Special Attorney Jordan Fox.
DeLeo also admitted to conspiracy to commit money laundering, authorities said. Russell Fallacara, 58, of Bayonne, who succeeded DeLeo as parks director, has been charged with conspiracy to commit honest ser…
Bronx Man Torched Car In Fort Lee Lot, Fled: Prosecutor
A Bronx man was arrested for allegedly setting a vehicle on fire in a Fort Lee parking lot and fleeing the scene, authorities said.
Deszon J. Moore, 43, was charged with aggravated arson, arson, criminal mischief, and hindering his own apprehension, according to Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella.
The fire was reported on Wednesday, March 18 at approximately 3:46 a.m. on Bergen Boulevard in Fort Lee, Musella said.
Police and firefighters arrived to find a fully engulfed vehicle, which was extinguished by the Fort Lee Fire Department. Investigators later determined the fire was susp…
Irvington Firefighter Malk Simpson Dies, 29
The Irvington Fire Department is mourning the loss of one of its own.
Malik Simpson, 29, was an active-duty firefighter in Irvington and is being remembered for his service and dedication, according to a GoFundMe organized by the department, which had raised more than $6,000 as of press time.
Simpson was “more than a firefighter—he was a father, brother, a friend, and a protector,” the campaign says.
“He answered every call with courage, selflessness, and pride, always putting others before himself,” the fundraiser reads.
The fundraiser was created to help support his family with fu…
DA Seethes After Farmingville Racing Enthusiast Pleads Not Guilty In Double Fatal Wreck
A Farmingville man was indicted on manslaughter charges in a high-speed crash that killed a 19-year-old volunteer firefighter and her best friend in Hicksville, authorities said.
Frank Labidi, 24, was arraigned on charges including two counts of second-degree manslaughter and two counts of second-degree assault, months after the crash that left Lindsey Parke and Alexa Duryea, both 19, dead, according to Nassau County District Attorney Anne T. Donnelly.
Labidi pleaded not guilty and was held on $500,000 cash bail, $1.25 million bond, or $2.5 million partially secured bond, officials sai…
Former Quakertown Firefighter, Pittstown Dad Dies After Police Encounter: AG
A New Jersey man and former firefighter who died days after a police encounter is being remembered by loved ones as a “local legend” in his obituary.
Steven Fitzpatrick, 61, of Pittstown, NJ, died on Sunday, March 15, at Hunterdon Medical Center in Raritan Township, according to his obituary from Wright & Ford Family Funeral Home.
The New Jersey Attorney General’s Office on Friday, March 20, announced it is investigating Fitzpatrick’s death following a March 10 encounter with law enforcement in Franklin Township.
Officer Tyler Sutton of the Franklin Township Police Department res…
Chilling Note Left On Windshield After Rochelle Park Shooting: 4 Charged 16 Months Later
Four people were charged in connection with a shooting in Rochelle Park following a 16-month investigation, authorities said.
Rafaela R. Almeida, 28, of Newark; Ryoma M. Johns, 25, of Newark; Ruan G. Rodrigues-Monteiro, 31, formerly of Bloomfield; and Igor Gomes Espindola DaSilva, 30, formerly of Newark, are all facing charges in the Nov. 22, 2024 incident, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said Friday, March 20. DaSilva remains at large, Musella noted.
The shooting happened at 8:13 p.m. in the area of Marion Avenue in Rochelle Park, where officers found ballistic evidence and…
