NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J., April 14 (ZFJ) — The Center for Islamic Life at Rutgers University (CILRU) was broken into and vandalized on Eid.
The Center reported on Instagram that art pieces with Quranic verses, windows, TVs, printers, artwork, and the Palestinian flag were damaged.
“This reprehensible act, occurring on our sacred day, is undoubtedly fueled by Islamophobia is clearly a hate crime targeting our Muslim population at Rutgers,” the Center wrote.
EDISON, N.J., April 4 (ZFJ) — Marcus Wright, 27, of Beaufort, South Carolina, was sentenced to life in prison without parole for the murder of an Edison Speedway gas station employee that occurred on Dec. 20, 2018, announced Middlesex County Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone.
Wright was convicted on Sept. 12, 2023, of the murder of John Bertram, 38, of the Fords section of Woodbridge; armed robbery; conspiracy to commit armed robbery; and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose.
April 4 (ZFJ) — Wayne Bagley, 68, of South Brunswick was arrested following a five-month investigation, announced South Brunswick Police Chief Raymond Hayducka on Tuesday, March 5.
According to Hayducka, the joint effort by the South Brunswick Police Department, ATF, and the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office revealed that Bagley traveled to other states, purchased handguns at gun shows, and transported the firearms back to New Jersey for resale. Over the course of the investigation, he traveled to West Virginia, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania.
EDISON, N.J., Feb. 21 (ZFJ) — One juvenile was arrested in connection with a fight that occurred at Menlo Park Mall on Monday, Feb. 19.
At about 5:30 p.m., Edison police received a call reporting that shots had been fired at the mall, said Police Chief Tom Bryan in a phone call.
Based on the emergency call, police assumed that there was an active shooter, so they organized a large response.
EDISON, N.J., Feb. 21 (ZFJ) — Four juveniles and two adults were arrested by Edison police at Menlo Park Mall on Saturday, Feb. 17.
At about 9:30 p.m., an individual called 911 and said that they were being chased by a group of kids, Edison Police Chief Tom Bryan said in a phone call.
The police apprehended the suspects behind the McDonald’s right beside the mall.
They were in possession of two firearms, one of which was stolen.
Feb. 20 (ZFJ) — Glen Rock police are investigating vandalism of the Glen Rock Starbucks’ sign as a bias incident.
At 8:05 a.m. on Monday, Feb. 19, the manager of the Starbucks at 224 Rock Road in the borough’s Central Business District notified police that red paint had been splashed over the café’s sign at the corner of Rock Road and Glen Avenue.
The responding officer also found stickers on the sign with messages related to the Israel-Hamas war.
SCOTCH PLAINS, N.J., Feb. 7 (ZFJ) — The discovery of a firearm in Union Catholic High School on Monday, Jan. 22, resulted in lockdowns at nearby schools and the arrest of one student.
The Scotch Plains Police Department said in a press release that it received a call at about 10:45 a.m. from a Union Catholic administrator concerning a handgun that had been recovered in the school.
The school was placed on lockdown, and Scotch Plains police officers recovered the weapon.
EDISON, N.J., Jan. 13 (ZFJ) — Winnie Raini, 53, of Edison, has been charged with leaving an adult female with a developmental disability in a van overnight while employed as a private transportation driver, announced Middlesex County Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone and Chief Thomas Bryan of the Edison Police Department.
Authorities began investigating allegations of neglect on Jan. 3, according to the criminal complaint against Raini.
According to the aide for the developmentally delayed female, the woman is transported by van back to her residence twice a week.
NEW YORK, Dec. 31 (ZFJ) — The New York Times filed a federal copyright infringement lawsuit on Dec. 27 against Microsoft and OpenAI for using its news articles unauthorized to train generative artificial intelligence models.
The Times says it initiated negotiations with Microsoft and OpenAI in April 2023, but no licensing agreement, like in the case of The Associated Press, was reached, leading to the lawsuit.
“Defendants insist that their conduct is protected as ‘fair use’ because their unlicensed use of copyrighted content to train GenAI models serves a new ‘transformative’ purpose,” wrote The Times in its civil complaint.
Dec. 23 (ZFJ) — Edward White, 56, of Tinton Falls, N.J., was arrested on charges of inappropriately touching students on Dec. 13, announced Middlesex County Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone and Chief Lawrence Cattano of the Perth Amboy Police Department.
In a statement on Dec. 14, a Thursday, Middlesex County Magnet Schools Superintendent Jorge E. Diaz said that the school district became aware of an “alleged incident involving a teacher and a student” on Dec.
