Rutherford, NJ
Police & Fire
Woman Deliberately Set Rutherford Garden Apartment Fire, Authorities Charge Woman Deliberately Set Rutherford Garden Apartment Fire, Authorities Charge
Woman Deliberately Set Rutherford Garden Apartment Fire, Authorities Charge A woman remained held Tuesday after authorities charged her with deliberately igniting a fire in the kitchen of a garden apartment in the Rutherford complex where she lives. Mary Anne Hampl, 62, was arrested shortly after 7 p.m. last Thursday, Feb. 8, after borough firefighters doused the Hastings Avenue blaze, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said. Hampl, who Musella said is unemployed, is accused of intentionally creating a fire and smoke condition with items purposefully placed on a stove. The prosecutor didn't suggest a possible motive. Detectives from his Arson Squad charged Ham…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Middletown, NJ
Business
30 Burgers Opens Second Jersey Shore Location 30 Burgers Opens Second Jersey Shore Location
30 Burgers Opens Second Jersey Shore Location A New Jersey chain that prides itself on using fresh Angus beef for innovative burgers is opening up its second restaurant on the Jersey Shore. 30 Burgers opened up its newest location in late January in Freehold Township. The restaurant on Village Center Drive in the Raintree Towne Center shopping plaza held a grand opening on Thursday, Feb. 1. This is the 11th location for 30 Burgers, according to its website. All restaurants are in the Garden State and Freehold joins the location in Red Bank as the second restaurant in Monmouth County. View this post on Instagram …

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by Chris Spiker
Ridgefield Park-Hasbrouck Heights, NJ
Police & Fire
Dumpster Fire Doused At Avalon Apartments In Wood-Ridge Dumpster Fire Doused At Avalon Apartments In Wood-Ridge
Dumpster Fire Doused At Avalon Apartments In Wood-Ridge A building manager kept a trash bin fire in the basement of a Wood-Ridge apartment complex from spreading and borough responders took it from there, authorities said. Wood-Ridge Lt. Jeffrey Geisler and Officers Joseph Barbiera and Michael Donato evacuated the building at the Avalon at Westmount Station apartments shortly before 9 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 18, Capt. Joseph Biamonte said. Although the building manager contained the blaze, smoke extended up the trash chute to other floors, said firefighters who ventilated the building. They were assisted at the scene by fellow firefighters from Car…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Ridgefield Park-Hasbrouck Heights, NJ
Police & Fire
FIREBALL (UPDATE): Gas Tanker Flips From One Side Of Route 17 To Other, Dealership Destroyed FIREBALL (UPDATE): Gas Tanker Flips From One Side Of Route 17 To Other, Dealership Destroyed
Fireball (Update): Gas Tanker Flips From One Side Of Route 17 To Other, Dealership Destroyed In nothing short of a miracle, no serious injuries were reported after a gas tanker truck exploded into a huge fireball on Route 17 Monday morning. A used car dealership and many of its two dozen or so vehicles were destroyed in the five-alarm blaze after the truck and a passenger vehicle collided near the U-turn at the White Castle on the highway's southbound side in Hasbrouck Heights at 5:43 a.m. Jan. 8. The force flipped the tanker over the divider into the northbound lanes, Fire Chief Mike Greco said at the scene. (Justin Derevyanik took the photo at the top of this story. See his vide…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Rutherford, NJ
Police & Fire
Somewhere In The Swamps Of East Rutherford: Garfield Vehicle Thief Crashes, Bails Somewhere In The Swamps Of East Rutherford: Garfield Vehicle Thief Crashes, Bails
Somewhere In The Swamps Of East Rutherford: Garfield Vehicle Thief Crashes, Bails The driver of a vehicle stolen out of Garfield crashed the car on an East Rutherford service road, bailed out and vanished into the swamps after being chased by the owner, authorities said. No injuries were reported. East Rutherford police had help establishing a perimeter after the thief was last seen near the Hilton off the eastbound Route 3 service road around 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 3, Capt. Jeff Yannacone said. Among those responding were fellow officers from Lyndhurst, Rutherford, Secaucus and the Bergen County Sheriff's Office, as well as New Jersey State Police. A sheriff's K-9 …

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by Jerry DeMarco
Paterson, NJ
Police & Fire
Smoky Post-Christmas House Fire Ravages Passaic Home Smoky Post-Christmas House Fire Ravages Passaic Home
Smoky Post-Christmas House Fire Ravages Passaic Home A smoky house fire in Passaic went to four alarms the day after Christmas. No injuries were immediately reported in the blaze, which ignited in a Van Buren Street home near Central Avenue around 11 a.m., Passaic Mayor Hector Carlos Lora said. "All tenants are reported to be out and safe," the mayor said around noon. "Nobody appears to be in the building." Firefighters were quickly removed after a partial ceiling collapse, Lora said. They had two ladder trucks and multiple hand lines in operation. Damien Danis for DAILY VOICE Although smoke met them at the scene, the fire may have b…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Rutherford, NJ
Police & Fire
Convicted Serial Package Thief Nabbed By East Rutherford Detectives Trying To Hop Bus Convicted Serial Package Thief Nabbed By East Rutherford Detectives Trying To Hop Bus
Convicted Serial Package Thief Nabbed By East Rutherford Detectives Trying To Hop Bus A serial package thief from East Rutherford was at it yet again, making it no fewer than four times this year alone that he’s been busted, authorities said. Anthony Mendoza, 42, has a drug-related history of porch pirating, usually from fellow borough residents, stretching back nearly five years, records show. This time, a victim directed police to a bus stop near the corner of Paterson and Johnson avenues, East Rutherford Detective Capt. Jeff Yannacone said. It was no surprise to any of them that Mendoza was their suspect. Detective Kevin Felten nabbed him with packages addressed to two …

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by Jerry DeMarco
Mahwah-Ramsey, NJ
Business
American Dream: Pizza Chefs From Italy Open Bergen County Restaurant American Dream: Pizza Chefs From Italy Open Bergen County Restaurant
American Dream: Pizza Chefs From Italy Open Bergen County Restaurant Five immigrants, three of whom are pizza chefs from Italy, have opened a Bergen County restaurant in pursuit of the American Dream. Culto Italiano, or the Italian vibe, opened on Dec. 1 at 49 W. Church Street in Bergenfield.The three pizza chefs are 31-year-old Corrado Cervelli, 23-year-old Angelo Riccio, Gianni Massaro. The other two owners are Tammy Castellanos and her husband, Ariel Castellanos, of Rutherford. Tammy and Ariel Castellanos with Corrado Cervelli, Angelo Riccio, and Gianni Massaro at their new restaurant, Culto Italiano. Courtesy of Tammy Castellanos …

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by Cecilia Levine
Edison, NJ
Police & Fire
Grandparents, Uncle Believed Killed By 23-Year-Old Family Member In NJ Remembered Grandparents, Uncle Believed Killed By 23-Year-Old Family Member In NJ Remembered
Grandparents, Uncle Believed Killed By 23-Year-Old Family Member In NJ Remembered A Middlesex County family torn apart by tragedy is remembering those they lost. Dilipkumar and Bindu Brahmbhatt were shot and killed by their 23-year-old grandson, Om Brahmbhatt, who also killed his 38-year-old uncle, Yashkumar Brahmbhatt, Monday, Nov. 27 in South Plainfield, Middlesex County Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone said. The three Brahmbhatts were found dead with gunshot wounds at the Traditions condo complex on Coppola Drive around 9 a.m. 🙏🏽😭It is with an inconsolable deep heavy heart that I share this devastating and shocking tragic news of the passing of…

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by Cecilia Levine
Saddle Brook-Elmwood Park, NJ
Business
Popular Bergen Pizzaiolo Opening New Store Year After Closing Popular Bergen Pizzaiolo Opening New Store Year After Closing
Popular Bergen Pizzaiolo Opening New Store Year After Closing The owner of a popular Bergen County pizzeria that shuttered in August 2022 has announced plans for a return. Dave Ligas, who owned Tavolino in Wallington, said on Instagram this week he has plans to open a new shop at the former site of Top That! Donuts in Rutherford. Ligas — who also runs Coniglio’s in Morristown — said only that the shop will be a brand new concept with the same staple pies, and some different options opening in the next few months. Ligas' new shop will be located at 8 Highland Cross. Follow him on Instagram for updates.

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by Cecilia Levine
Lyndhurst, NJ
Politics
Unofficial Results Of Bergen County Mayoral Elections (DEVELOPING) Unofficial Results Of Bergen County Mayoral Elections (DEVELOPING)
Unofficial Results Of Bergen County Mayoral Elections (Developing) The results of Bergen County's 38 mayoral races are rolling in. Votes were being counted in real time on the Bergen County elections website.  Here is the vote count for the mayoral races as of 8 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 8, according to the county's election result website. ** NOTE: This is a developing story. Totals are not final ** Bergenfield:  Arvin Amatorio (D)* — 100% of votes Bogota (replacing Claudia Lopez): Mary Ellen Murphy (D) — 54% Daniele Fede (R) — 46% Carlstadt: Lorraine Joewono (D) — 22% Robert J. Zimmerman (R)* — 77% Cliffside Park: Thomas Calabrese (D)* —…

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by Cecilia Levine
Rutherford, NJ
Police & Fire
SEE ANYTHING? Meadowlands Jewel Expo Attendee Robbed At Knifepoint SEE ANYTHING? Meadowlands Jewel Expo Attendee Robbed At Knifepoint
SEE Anything? Meadowlands Jewel Expo Attendee Robbed At Knifepoint An attendee at a jewelry expo was robbed at knifepoint outside a hotel in the Meadowlands, authorities confirmed. At least four robbers converged on the victim as he loaded his vehicle outside the Renaissance Meadowlands Hotel just off Routes 3 and 17 in Rutherford around 6:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 29, authorities said. They fled in a Dodge minivan with what was considered a significant but not yet specified amount of jewelry. The victim, who's from out of state, wasn't injured, responders said. ****** ANYONE who might have seen something or has information that could help identify the vehic…

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by Jerry DeMarco