Millburn High’s head volleyball coach charged with molesting teen

Update: Nguyen was released from jail after a pretrial hearing.

The head volleyball coach at Millburn High School engaged in sexual acts with a 14-year-old girl after giving the teen alcohol, authorities have charged. Peter Nguyen, 50, of Edison, also served as a coach at the all-girls Impact Volleyball Club in Rahway, where the teen was a player, authorities said. He also worked as a bookkeeper…

2 N.J. school districts closed over email threat sent to staff member

Two Gloucester County school districts have been closed after a threatening email was sent to a district staff member, officials said. The Franklin Township and Delsea Regional school districts are closed Thursday after authorities said they were investigating the email sent to the Franklin Township School District staff member overnight. “We are working diligently to identify…

After fatally beating his girlfriend, man stops for drinks, prosecutor says

A man accused of beating his girlfriend to death inside a Jersey Shore motel room last week stopped for drinks before he checked himself into a hospital following the “brutal beating,” a prosecutor said Wednesday. Matthew Demartin, 37, was charged with murder in the killing of Sharon Falcetano, 59, the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office announced last…

2 killed when drunk driver runs red light on South Jersey highway, police say

Two people were killed in a crash Sunday afternoon when an intoxicated driver ran a red light and crashed into their vehicle, according to police. The crash took place on Highway 49 at 4:15 p.m. in Hopewell Township, according to Lt. Ted Schafer, a spokesman for the New Jersey State Police. The driver of a 1994…

New Jersey Democrats Push on Gun Grab Legislation in Wake of Florida Shooting

State lawmakers will hold a a marathon public hearing Wednesday to debate seven bills that would further tighten New Jersey’s gun laws on the heels of mass shootings across the country. Many of the measures were introduced during former Gov. Chris Christie’s tenure, but the Republican governor blocked efforts by Democrats in the Legislature to strengthen…

Toaster fire forces transfer of 6 patients from Bayshore Medical Center

Patients from the Bayshore Medical Center in Holmdel were transferred to another facility early Sunday morning after a toaster in the building’s break room caught on fire, a hospital spokesperson said. The fire damage was limited, but sprinklers, which controlled the fire damage, caused water damage in certain areas of the hospital, spokeswoman April Dunic said…

Democrats Want to Allow Inmate Voting in New Jersey

State lawmakers on Monday announced legislation that would return voting rights to nearly 100,000 people locked up in prison or serving parole or probation. If passed, it would make New Jersey the third state in the country to allow people to vote while serving prison sentences. The charge is being led by members of the New…

Toms River joins growing stand against pot at the shore

The council is scheduled for a public hearing at its 6 p.m. meeting Tuesday at Town Hall, which could be followed by a vote on second reading of an ordinance that would, “establish prohibitions on the sale, dispensation, and cultivation of marijuana in the Township of Toms River.” The measure was approved 6-0 with one abstention…

Couple Killed on Fiery Crash on Interstate 195 in Jackson

Two people were killed late Wednesday when a nearly $200,000 sports car crashed and caught fire along I-195 in Jackson, authorities said. James Fusaro, 26, and Christina McNamara, 25, both of Jackson, died in the 11:14 p.m. wreck, State Police Trooper Alejandro Goez said. Fusaro and McNamara were engaged to be married, according to a 2016…

NJ Spotlight: New Jersey Evaluates “Get Out Jail” Bail Reform Program After First Year

After One Year, NJ Evaluates Judicial Reform Program

The state performed well for its first year of criminal justice reform, according to the New Jersey judiciary, but key data is missing from the report and the picture is incomplete. To keep the program successful, the state is going to need to spend more money and provide more services, noted the report issued by the…

Bomber from N.J. handed multiple life sentences for NYC, Seaside Heights bombings

A man who set off small bombs in two states, including a pressure cooker device that blasted shrapnel across a New York City block, was sentenced Tuesday to multiple terms of life in prison. Ahmad Khan Rahimi, who was born in Afghanistan but lived in New Jersey, injured 30 people when one of his pressure cooker…

‘There’s no closure,’ say families of missing fishermen after search ends

In the year before he went missing in choppy waters 40 miles off the coast of Barnegat, Paul Alexandre Matos bought a house, had a daughter and got licensed to commercially fish on his own boat. He had been working as a fisherman for other people, said his girlfriend, Amy Romano, but he decided last summer…

Philly Chaos Shows Double Standard Over Riots: Critics

In the aftermath of the chaos that erupted in Philadelphia as Eagles fans tore through the streets celebrating their Super Bowl victory, many could not help but notice the difference in how the public and officials reacted to riots by fans compared to those prompted by civil unrest. “Somehow, it seems there’s a line drawn in…

Flu oubreak closes all 3 schools in 1 N.J. district

An outbreak of the flu among “essential personnel” has forced the closure of all three public schools in Branchburg on Monday, district officials said. More than 2,400 students attend Branchburg Central, Stony Brook and Whiton schools. Students in the kindergarten-8th grade district attend Somerville High School. All schools in Somerville are open. Flu epidemic 2018: Is…

Monmouth University student dies, another injured in car crash

A 20-year-old Moorestown man died Saturday after a car veered off the road in Monmouth County and crashed into a tree in the early morning, authorities said. The accident occurred around 2:39 a.m. when Jose R. Rivera, 21, of Lyndhurst, drove his 2006 Audi AA8 off the road in Ocean Township near the 200 block South…

Eagles Fans Run Amok After Win: “Horrific” Scenes

Between stolen horses, burning Christmas trees, calls for Homeland Security and reports of multiple injuries, the Philadelphia police faced all-out mayhem in the hours following the Eagles’ Super Bowl win on Sunday. The hashtag #PhillyPoliceScanner was trending on Twitter overnight as riots broke out across the city and people tuned in to hear chaos unfold in…