NEWARK, NJ—The Newark Department of Public Safety continues its urgent search for 17-year-old Aaliyah Bryant, reported missing since Wednesday, August 30, 2023. Aaliyah, known to have run away in the past, was last seen on Tuesday, August 29, 2023, in the 100 block of Chancellor Avenue. At the time, she was dressed in a long white T-shirt and black leggings, and was carrying a cross-body bag.
Aaliyah is described as being 5 feet 3 inches tall, weighing 300 pounds, with a light-brown complexion and blonde hair. She has a silver nose piercing.
Aaliyah is also diagnosed with Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Public Safety Director Fritz G. Fragé is calling on anyone with information regarding her whereabouts to contact the Newark Police Division’s 24-hour Crime Stopper tip line at 1-877-NWK-TIPS (1-877-695-8477). All tips are confidential and could lead to a reward.
- Police Shoot Armed Man Inside New Jersey Home, Find Two Bodies Inside Same Home
HILLSBOROUGH, N.J. – A quiet Somerset County neighborhood was shattered Thursday when police discovered two homicide victims inside a Cornell Trail home and shot a man armed with a weapon during the response, officials said.
Police discover two victims
At about 4:12 p.m., Hillsborough Township police were asked to check on the residents of the home, according to Somerset County Prosecutor John P. McDonald. Officers were initially unable to make contact, but at 6:24 p.m., they gained entry.
While searching the second floor, officers encountered an adult male with a weapon. A Hillsborough officer fired, striking the man, who was taken to a nearby trauma center and remains in critical condition.
Inside, investigators found two deceased victims — an adult male and an adult female — in separate bedrooms. Both were pronounced dead at the scene by Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital medical personnel.
Multiple agencies on scene
The Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit, Crime Scene Investigations Unit, Hillsborough detectives, the New Jersey Northern Regional Medical Examiner’s Office, and the state Attorney General’s Office all responded.
Autopsies will be conducted to confirm the victims’ identities and determine their causes of death. The Attorney General’s Office is handling the investigation into the officer-involved shooting, as required by state law.
Call for information
Prosecutor McDonald and police officials urged anyone with knowledge of the case to contact investigators. Tips can be submitted to the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office at (908) 231-7100, Hillsborough Township Police at (908) 369-4323, or anonymously via the STOPit app or Crime Stoppers tip line at 1-888-577-TIPS (8477).
Key Points
- Two homicide victims were found inside a Hillsborough home Thursday.
- A man armed with a weapon was shot by police and is in critical condition.
- Investigators from multiple agencies are working the case; tips remain confidential.
- New Jersey cops seize illegal e-bike after 12-year-old flees traffic stop
HACKETTSTOWN, NJ – A 12-year-old boy riding a modified e-bike sparked a chase through town Tuesday after refusing to stop for a police officer, authorities said.
The juvenile was spotted operating a Class 3 e-bike in violation of several New Jersey traffic laws when an officer attempted to pull him over, police said. Instead of complying, the boy bolted, ditching the bike in a resident’s shed before running off on foot. He later returned to the scene.
When officers inspected the bike, they found the pedals zip-tied to the frame and the chain removed, making the vehicle no longer a legal e-bike but an unregistered, uninsured motorized vehicle. Labels identifying it as a Class 3 bike with a 1500KW battery had also been removed, officials said.
The Hackettstown Police Department impounded the vehicle, noting it is subject to the same towing fees as a standard motor vehicle. The juvenile was released into his parents’ custody, but police said the parents will face the motor vehicle summonses tied to the violations.
Pending summonses include operating an unregistered motor vehicle, operating an uninsured vehicle, driving without a license, improper operation of low-speed electric bicycles, speeding across a sidewalk, and a local ordinance violation for use of unlicensed vehicles, police said.
Authorities urged parents to carefully check e-bike classifications and review the department’s e-bike flow chart to ensure compliance with state law.
Key Points
- A 12-year-old Hackettstown boy fled from police on a modified Class 3 e-bike.
- The bike was determined to be an unregistered, uninsured motor vehicle and was impounded.
- Parents will receive multiple motor vehicle summonses tied to the incident.
- Mikie Sherrill’s Mysterious Navy Past Under Fire as Academy Cheating Scandal Explodes
TRENTON, NJ – The New Jersey Republican Party is calling on Rep. Mikie Sherrill to release her full academic and disciplinary records from the U.S. Naval Academy, citing her admission that she was barred from participating in her class’s graduation due to involvement in a cheating scandal.
Sherrill was disciplined by the academy in one of the nation’s biggest cheating scandals, but says it was only because she didn’t narc on her shipmates.
Now, the NJGOP and Jack Ciattarelli are asking the Democrat candidate for governor to prove that she didn’t cheat.
So far, she’s not willing to do it.
This comes after a report by the New Jersey Globe that showed Sherrill was involved in one of the biggest cheating scandals in U.S. Naval Academy history.
Sherrill, the Democratic nominee for governor of New Jersey, acknowledged that she was barred from participating in her 1994 graduation ceremony at the U.S. Naval Academy as punishment tied to a massive cheating scandal that swept through her class.
A commencement program from May 25, 1994, obtained by the New Jersey Globe, does not list Sherrill’s name among graduates. More than 130 midshipmen were implicated in what remains one of the largest cheating and honor code scandals in the Academy’s history.
In a statement, Sherrill said her punishment stemmed not from direct involvement in the cheating but from failing to report classmates
She refuses to provide proof to back up her story that she was only looking out for her cheating classmates.
“I didn’t turn in some of my classmates, so I didn’t walk, but graduated and was commissioned as an officer in the U.S. Navy, serving for nearly ten years with the highest level of distinction and honor,” she said.
Things aren’t so cut and dry for Sherrill, whose past is just as mysterious as her father’s.
Sherrill reportedly lied about being involved in the scandal eight years ago when pressed. Her father, David, worked for the Central Intelligence Agency, leaving many to speculate that strings were pulled for his daughter at the time of the scandal to avoid punishment.
Mikie Sherrill and her father, David, an alleged former CIA employee. Mikie Sherrill/Facebook. Additionally, Sherrill’s two daughters also attend the U.S. Naval Academy. Even that was marred by controversy. Earlier this year, Sherrill’s office issued a press release congratulating the three Montclair students for their acceptance.
“I am so proud of all the young men and women from NJ-11 who are reporting to the military academies or academy preparatory programs this summer. From my time at the Naval Academy, I remember how challenging the academy’s programs are — both academically and physically. Learning to work as a team and overcoming those challenges prepared me to lead service members as a military officer. I am grateful for these young men and women who are willing to serve our nation in uniform and I wish them the best of luck as they start their careers as future military leaders,” said Congresswoman Sherrill.
What she did not disclose in that release was that her two daughters, Lincoln and Margaret Hedberg (Sherrill’s husband’s last name), were among the only 22 New Jersey students accepted into the U.S. service academies in 2025, leaving many wondering if nepotism played a part.
Mikie Sherrill photo-op with students joining U.S. military service acadamies, including her two daughters in 2025. Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill. Sherrill did graduate and went on to serve nearly a decade in the Navy. However, her campaign has rejected requests to allow public inspection of her sealed disciplinary records from the Academy. Only she can authorize their release.
In a statement Thursday, the NJGOP said Sherrill “was implicated and punished for involvement in the largest cheating and honor code scandal in the Academy’s storied history.”
Party officials argued that her bid for governor requires full transparency about the episode.
“Rep. Sherrill is now running for governor and owes the people of our state full transparency,” the NJGOP said. “She is not entitled to the benefit of the doubt.”
The demand comes amid reminders of another controversy in Sherrill’s political career: in 2021, she paid a fine for violating the federal STOCK Act after failing to properly disclose her husband’s stock trades. The law was designed to prevent insider trading among members of Congress.
Her husband, Jason Hedberg, is a stock trader at UBS Securities. Some of the trades that drew scrutiny involved UBS stock that Hedberg received as part of his compensation. At the time, Sherrill initially held individual stocks after entering Congress, later shifting to broader investment funds.
Her opponent, Jack Ciattarelli, also accused Sherrill and her husband of trading stocks tied to her tenure in congressional committees, where she earned $7 million on those transactions.
With Sherrill now a declared candidate for governor, Republicans are questioning whether the combination of the Naval Academy scandal and her past STOCK Act violation raises larger concerns about integrity.
Key Points
- NJ GOP is demanding Rep. Mikie Sherrill release full Naval Academy records tied to a cheating scandal.
- Sherrill previously paid a fine in 2021 for violating the STOCK Act over late disclosure of her husband’s stock trades.
- Her husband, Jason Hedberg, is a trader at UBS Securities, and some transactions involved UBS stock.
- Sherrill Falling in Polls Despite Tens of Millions in Funding From National Democrats
Sherrill locked in dead heat as New Jersey governor’s race tightens
Trenton, NJ – The New Jersey governor’s race has tightened dramatically, with a new WPIX/Emerson College poll showing Rep. Mikie Sherrill tied 43-43 with her Republican opponent. The result marks the first time in the campaign that Sherrill’s once-comfortable lead has vanished.
The poll represents a steep drop from July, when Sherrill publicly claimed she was up by 15 points. Her slide comes after a widely criticized debate performance in which she avoided direct answers to policy questions. At one point, Sherrill declined to rule out raising the state sales tax, leading critics to argue she had placed a potential tax hike “on the table.”
The poll also comes against the backdrop of heavy national investment in the race.
The Democratic Governors Association poured $20 million into television ads over the summer, some of which were labeled “misleading” by fact-checkers.
The Democratic National Committee has also committed record funding to the state, signaling deep concern about holding the governorship.
Political observers note that Democratic leaders in Trenton have deployed top policy strategists to assist Sherrill, hoping to steady a campaign accused of offering vague, scripted answers.
Meanwhile, Republicans have seized on Sherrill’s debate missteps and her voting record on immigration and taxes, framing her as out of step with voters.
With just weeks remaining before voters head to the polls, both campaigns are expected to escalate spending and sharpen their attacks. What was once seen as a Democratic stronghold is now emerging as one of the nation’s most closely watched gubernatorial contests.
Key Points
- A new WPIX/Emerson College poll shows a 43-43 tie in the New Jersey governor’s race.
- Sherrill’s debate performance and comments on the sales tax have fueled criticism.
- National Democrats are spending record amounts to defend the seat.
New Jersey’s race for governor has gone from a presumed advantage to a full-scale political dogfight.
- Homeland Security slams sanctuary state enablers; New Jersey policies draw fire
Newark, NJ – Federal homeland security officials are blasting sanctuary state policies, warning that politicians who oppose Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) are putting federal agents — and the public — at risk.
In a forceful message on social media, the Department of Homeland Security declared that “sanctuary politicians have demonized federal law enforcement as the enemy—placing a target squarely on the backs of the brave men and women of ICE.”
The agency accused political leaders of using rhetoric that undermines enforcement efforts and endangers lives.
Although DHS did not mention names, New Jersey has been cited multiple times as an example of a state allegedly harboring criminal non-citizens under sanctuary protections. Governor Phil Murphy and Rep. Mikie Sherrill have both backed policies that limit cooperation between local authorities and ICE, positions that critics argue obstruct federal enforcement.
The issue resurfaced after a recent violent incident linked to anti-ICE rhetoric. A federal security alert pointed to what it described as “hateful, false, and bigoted attacks” against ICE, suggesting they may have influenced a man accused of opening fire from a rooftop.
The New York Post reported that while politicians such as Gavin Newsom, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, LaMonica McIver, and Brad Lander did not direct the act, their language “surely played a role” in shaping hostility toward ICE.
Rep. Sherrill’s voting record is testament to her opposition to several immigration enforcement measures. She voted against or did not support legislation, including the Secure the Border Act of 2023, the Detain and Deport Illegal Aliens Who Assault Cops Act, and the No Bailout for Sanctuary Cities Act. In each case, she rejected bills aimed at tightening enforcement or penalizing jurisdictions that shield undocumented immigrants.
Homeland Security officials maintain that policies restricting cooperation with ICE create “safe havens” for offenders who would otherwise face federal removal. Critics counter that such policies are designed to build trust between immigrant communities and local law enforcement.
With border enforcement and public safety at the center of the national debate, DHS’s pointed remarks have raised the stakes for politicians in states like New Jersey, where sanctuary policies remain in effect.
Key Points
- DHS accused “sanctuary politicians” of endangering ICE officers and the public through hostile rhetoric.
- New Jersey has been repeatedly flagged by federal officials for policies shielding undocumented immigrants.
- Rep. Mikie Sherrill has consistently voted against immigration enforcement bills in Congress.