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.
- Former Montville Police Chief Teddy Adams Dies, Department Pays Tribute to His Service
The Montville Township Police Department is mourning the loss of former Chief Teddy Adams, who led the Morris County police department in 2001.
MONTVILLE, NJ — The Montville Township Police Department has announced the death of former Police Chief Teddy Adams, remembering his service to the department and his dedication to protecting residents of the Morris County community.
Adams served as Montville’s chief of police in 2001 and remained part of the department’s history long after his tenure in leadership ended.
Police announced his passing in a public statement expressing condolences to his family, friends and former colleagues.
Department remembers former chief’s dedication
“It is with deep sadness that the Montville Township Police Department announces the passing of former Police Chief ‘Teddy’ Adams, who served as Chief of Police in 2001,” the department said.
The department recognized Adams as one of the officers who helped shape its history of public service.
“Chief Adams was a part of our department’s history, and we are grateful for his service and dedication to the Montville Township community,” police said.
“His time with the department remains a part of the legacy of those who have served and protected our residents.”
Police extend condolences to family and colleagues
The announcement also acknowledged the loss felt by those who knew and worked alongside Adams.
“On behalf of the Montville Township Police Department, we extend our heartfelt condolences to Chief Adams’ family, friends, former colleagues, and all those who knew and cared for him during this difficult time,” the department said.
The tribute concluded with a message of sympathy for his loved ones.
“May he rest in peace, and may his family find comfort in the memories they shared and the support of the community.”
- Five lucky numbers deliver a massive payday at a Jersey City lottery retailer
Jersey City Store Sells $434K Lottery Winner, Scores $2,000 Bonus
JERSEY CITY, NJ – Lottery luck has landed in Hudson County, where a Jersey Cash 5 ticket sold at a Jersey City business hit all five winning numbers Thursday night, delivering a $434,183 jackpot in one of the week’s biggest New Jersey Lottery wins.
The winning ticket was purchased at Holland Tiger LLC, located at 854 Jersey Avenue in Jersey City. The ticket matched every number in the October 8 drawing, securing the entire $434,183 jackpot, according to the New Jersey Lottery’s Friday announcement.
The winning numbers were 10, 24, 35, 37 and 42, with Bullseye number 42 and an XTRA multiplier of 02. The big win also brings a bonus to the local retailer, which will receive $2,000 for selling the jackpot-winning ticket.
Jersey City Lottery Retailer Scores Big With $434K Cash 5 Win
A routine lottery purchase at Holland Tiger LLC turned into a six-figure prize when all five numbers lined up in Thursday’s drawing.
The Jersey City business will collect a $2,000 retailer bonus from the New Jersey Lottery, giving the store a reason to celebrate alongside the jackpot winner.
The winning ticket matched all five numbers required to capture the Jersey Cash 5 grand prize. The $434,183 jackpot is subject to applicable taxes.
While the jackpot was the biggest prize of the night, it wasn’t the only reason New Jersey Lottery players had something to celebrate.
Another 21 tickets matched four of the five winning numbers plus the Bullseye, earning $500 each.
Five of those players had also added the XTRA feature, doubling their prizes to $1,000 apiece.
That means several additional players walked away from Thursday’s drawing with extra cash, even without matching every number.
Jersey Cash 5 Jackpot Resets to $150K After Hudson County Win
Following the Jersey City jackpot hit, the New Jersey Lottery reset the Jersey Cash 5 grand prize to $150,000 for Friday’s drawing.
The game’s Bullseye and XTRA features give players additional opportunities to win prizes beyond the standard five-number jackpot.
Thursday’s drawing demonstrated both options, with 21 players winning $500 for matching four numbers and the Bullseye, including five whose prizes were doubled through XTRA.
The New Jersey Lottery announced the Hudson County jackpot win Friday, October 9, confirming Holland Tiger LLC as the retailer responsible for selling the winning ticket.
Players can check official Jersey Cash 5 results through the New Jersey Lottery’s website and authorized lottery retailers.
- Former NJ Mayor Calls for Federal Election Monitors After Sherrill Administration Uncovers More Voter Registration Errors
Former Englewood Cliffs Mayor Mario Kranjac is urging the Justice Department to investigate New Jersey’s voter rolls and deploy federal election monitors, citing thousands of registration errors, alleged illegal voting and the resignation of the state’s top election official.
TRENTON, NJ — A former New Jersey mayor is asking the Trump administration to increase federal oversight of the state’s November elections, warning that thousands of questionable voter registrations and newly discovered errors at the Motor Vehicle Commission could point to broader problems with the integrity of New Jersey’s voter rolls.
Mario Kranjac, the former Republican mayor of Englewood Cliffs, sent a letter Thursday, October 8, to U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche and New Jersey U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer requesting additional federal investigations and election monitors ahead of the November 3 midterm elections.
The request comes one day after Gov. Mikie Sherrill disclosed another 750 voter registration errors and approximately 340 potentially improper registrations associated with correctional re-entry events, adding to the roughly 6,600 records affected by an earlier citizenship-related software malfunction.
“New Jersey’s voter rolls raise serious questions that warrant further federal scrutiny,” Kranjac wrote.
Former mayor wants federal monitors at New Jersey polling places
Kranjac’s letter calls on the Department of Justice to examine how state officials handled the voter registration problems, investigate credible evidence of unlawful voting and deploy federal election monitors where legally appropriate.
“I write to you to urge the Department of Justice (DOJ) to increase federal monitoring and investigations of New Jersey’s elections ahead of the November midterms,” he wrote.
The former mayor argued that state officials have not fully disclosed the scope of the registration problems and questioned whether the state’s existing investigations are sufficient.
“Given the state’s reluctance to cooperate, my experience as an elected official in the state leads me to believe the problem could be significantly larger than Gov. Mikie Sherrill is willing to admit or confront publicly,” Kranjac wrote.
He also cited a Department of Homeland Security estimate suggesting that as many as 35,152 noncitizens could be registered to vote in New Jersey. That figure is an estimate cited in his letter, not a verified count of ineligible registered voters.
Kranjac linked his concerns to the state’s immigration policies, alleging that those policies contribute to vulnerabilities in voter registration. The letter did not establish a causal connection between New Jersey’s sanctuary policies and the MVC software errors.
Sherrill administration acknowledges another round of errors
The letter follows Sherrill’s October 7 announcement of additional MVC registration errors, which identified problems extending beyond the citizenship-related malfunction first disclosed in July.
The latest review uncovered approximately 750 records in which applicants selected “no” when asked whether they met the minimum voting age requirement, yet their information was still transmitted for voter registration.
State officials said the individuals were old enough to vote and appeared to have selected the incorrect response on the electronic keypad. No underage voting resulted from the error, according to the administration.
The review also identified approximately 340 potentially improper registrations from MVC correctional re-entry events dating back to 2016.
About 50 people whose records were processed through the age-eligibility error had no other registration and subsequently voted, prompting referrals for further review.
Sherrill has maintained that her administration is correcting errors inherited from previous administrations rather than suspending automatic voter registration.
“My Administration continues to move aggressively to fix the serious system error at the Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC) left behind by the previous administration to ensure our elections remain free, fair, and secure,” Sherrill said Wednesday.
The administration is introducing daily automated audits, additional safeguards and a new technology vendor.
Federal prosecutors have charged New Jersey residents with illegal voting
Kranjac also pointed to recent federal criminal cases involving allegations that noncitizens illegally participated in New Jersey elections.
In September, federal prosecutors charged Sanata Coulibaly, 64, of Hudson County, with illegally voting in federal elections and making false statements on a citizenship application.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for New Jersey, Coulibaly allegedly registered using a paper application and falsely claimed to be a U.S. citizen.
Prosecutors allege she voted in federal elections in 2018, 2020 and 2024.
Coulibaly is presumed innocent unless proven guilty. Her alleged registration through a paper application is separate from the MVC software malfunction.
Kranjac cited the prosecution as evidence supporting broader federal scrutiny of New Jersey election administration.
“The DOJ has also uncovered multiple cases of illegal voting and I am grateful to the DOJ’s efforts and President’s leadership on these existential matters,” he wrote.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office has established an Election Integrity Task Force to investigate potential violations of federal election law in New Jersey.
Caldwell resignation raises additional questions for former mayor
Kranjac also questioned the timing of former Lt. Gov. Dale Caldwell’s September 25 resignation, which left New Jersey without its elected lieutenant governor and removed the official who had also served as secretary of state.
As secretary of state, Caldwell oversaw the department responsible for administering statewide elections.
“My experience in the state leads me to ask why New Jersey Democrats suddenly removed the official responsible for administering its elections five weeks before Election Day, particularly at a time when serious questions remain regarding voter rolls and the state’s cooperation with federal investigations,” Kranjac wrote.
Caldwell resigned following an independent investigation commissioned by Sherrill that substantiated allegations involving sexual harassment, ethics violations and improper workplace conduct.
Sherrill demanded Caldwell’s resignation after receiving the investigation’s findings. Caldwell has disputed the conclusions and criticized the investigation.
The investigation into Caldwell concerned personal and workplace conduct, not alleged election fraud. No evidence has been presented connecting his resignation to the MVC registration errors.
Shirley Emehelu is now serving as acting secretary of state.
Kranjac warns about local elections decided by narrow margins
Kranjac argued that questionable registrations could be particularly consequential in municipal elections, where margins can sometimes be extremely small.
He also alleged that New Jersey’s voter rolls include individuals who have moved but remain registered at previous addresses, including some locations where he claims they never lived.
Those allegations were not accompanied by specific voter records in the letter.
“Every eligible citizen has an interest in knowing that lawful votes are not diluted by ballots cast by those who are ineligible to participate,” Kranjac wrote.
The former mayor wants federal officials to evaluate New Jersey’s corrective efforts and investigate potentially unlawful voting before Election Day.
Federal oversight request comes weeks before midterms
The federal monitoring proposal comes as the Justice Department prepares for the November elections and faces legal challenges concerning the scope of its election-monitoring activities.
Federal observers have historically been deployed under applicable election laws to monitor compliance with voting rights protections. The extent of federal authority to send additional monitors is now the subject of litigation.
New Jersey officials maintain that the registration problems are being addressed and that affected records are being reviewed to protect both election integrity and the voting rights of eligible residents.
Kranjac’s request does not establish that widespread fraudulent voting occurred, and the total number of registrations affected by software failures cannot automatically be treated as a count of ineligible voters.
The former mayor nevertheless argues that federal intervention is necessary before voters return to the polls.
“But respectfully, more must be done,” he wrote.
The Justice Department has not publicly announced whether it will act on Kranjac’s October 8 request.
- New Jersey Dad Killed Wife, Daughter Before Taking His Own Life, Prosecutor Says
Somerset County authorities say David Grodnick fatally shot his wife and 24-year-old daughter inside their Montgomery Township home before dying from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
MONTGOMERY TOWNSHIP, N.J. — A 61-year-old New Jersey man killed his wife and daughter inside their Somerset County home before taking his own life, authorities said Tuesday as they publicly identified the three people found dead last week.
Somerset County Prosecutor John P. McDonald identified the victims as Lora Grodnick, 62, and her daughter, Sloane Grodnick, 24.
David Grodnick, 61, was identified as Lora’s husband and Sloane’s father. Authorities said both women died from gunshot wounds to the head and their deaths were ruled homicides. David Grodnick also died from a gunshot wound to the head, which was ruled a suicide.
Welfare Check Led to Investigation
The case began shortly before 3 p.m. Oct. 1 when Montgomery Township Police received a request to conduct a welfare check at a home on Wild Azalea Lane.
Officers went to the residence but were unable to make contact with anyone inside.
Police then began investigating the whereabouts of the occupants.
Shortly before 6 p.m. the following day, officers entered the home.
Mother and Daughter Found in Separate Bedrooms
Inside, police found Lora and Sloane Grodnick dead in separate bedrooms.
Both appeared to have suffered gunshot wounds.
David Grodnick was also found dead inside the home with what authorities initially described as an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. A firearm was found with him.
All three were pronounced dead at the scene.
Medical Examiner Rules Two Homicides, One Suicide
Postmortem examinations conducted by the Northern Regional Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed that both women died from gunshot wounds to the head.
Their deaths were ruled homicides.
David Grodnick’s death was ruled a suicide.
The findings formally established the case as a double murder-suicide.
Prosecutor Says There Is No Threat to Public
Detectives from the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office, Montgomery Township Police Department and crime scene investigators worked the case with medical investigators.
“The investigation, which remains ongoing, has yielded that the homicide deaths of both Lora and Sloane Grodnick were an isolated incident and there are no threats to the public from this tragic occurrence,” McDonald said.
Authorities have not publicly disclosed a possible motive.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit at 908-231-7100 or Montgomery Township Police at 908-359-3222.
- Newark Lottery Player Scores Massive $1.78 Million Jersey Cash 5 Jackpot
The jackpot-winning ticket was sold at El Caballo Blanco #2 on Mount Prospect Avenue.
NEWARK, N.J. – A New Jersey Lottery player scored a massive $1,784,870 Jersey Cash 5 jackpot with a ticket sold in Newark.
The jackpot-winning ticket for the Oct. 3 drawing was purchased at El Caballo Blanco #2, 690 Mount Prospect Ave., according to New Jersey Lottery winner information.
The nearly $1.8 million prize was easily the largest New Jersey Lottery win listed during the week spanning Sept. 28 through Oct. 3.
Newark Ticket Hits Jersey Cash 5 Jackpot
The Newark winner landed a seven-figure prize while players elsewhere in New Jersey collected a string of Powerball, Scratch-Off and other draw-game prizes.
The winner’s identity was not included in the information released by the Lottery.
The jackpot also gave Essex County two significant lottery wins listed for Oct. 3.
Another Big Winner Sold in Essex County
Along with the Newark Jersey Cash 5 jackpot, a $50,000 Powerball ticket was sold at Eagle Rock Liquor in West Orange.
That means the two Essex County tickets combined for $1,834,870 in prizes.
The Newark jackpot was also substantially larger than any other prize listed during the week.