With Thursday's charges, the total has reached nine

PISCATAWAY -- Since Kyle Flood took over as Rutgers football coach in 2012, nine Scarlet Knights have been arrested on various charges, including five players arrested Thursday in connection with home invasions and an assault.

MORE: Statement from Rutgers AD Julie Hermann on player arrests

Some players, like Ruhann Peele and Nadir Barnwell, have multiple arrests during Flood's tenure.

The charges have ranged from driving while intoxicated to simple assault, and from robbery and to a first-degree assault -- and now include the charges leveled by the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office.

Click through the slideshow above for the players and charges.

Keith Sargeant may be reached at ksargeant@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @KSargeantNJ. Find NJ.com Rutgers Football on Facebook.

Kaylanna Ricks was arrested along with 5 members of the Rutgers football team in connection with home invasions and an assault.

PERTH AMBOY - The father of Rutgers student Kaylanna Ricks - who allegedly drove two Rutgers football suspects from the scene of a robbery - defended his daughter on Thursday, just hours after her arrest.

"My mom and myself are just trying to figure out what to do," said Patrick Ricks, who himself is an assistant football coach for the Panthers at Perth Amboy High School, according to the district website.

"I stand by my daughter," Ricks said.

According to the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office, Kaylanna drove a getaway car after TeeJay Johnson, 23, of Egg Harbor and Andre Boggs, 20, of Pa., conspired to force their way into a dorm at Livingston College in Piscataway to rob a student back on May 5.

PREVIOUSLY: 5 Rutgers football players arrested in connection with home invasions and assault

Ricks is accused of driving Boggs and Johnson from the crime scene, the prosecutor said.

A 2013 graduate of Perth Amboy High School, Ricks played girls basketball and volleyball.

"This (arrest) is not something I would ever expected of her," said Tavaughn McKenzie, who works with Ricks at The RutgersZone Ice Cream Parlor.

"She was always nice, always helpful," he said. "She's a really cool person."

Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at tattrino@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyAttrino. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Snediker faces 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine when he is sentenced later this year.

File photo 

NORTH BRUNSWICK - The township's fire marshal resigned Thursday, one day after pleading guilty in federal court to embezzling about $89,000 from the North Brunswick Volunteer Fire Department.

The resignation of Craig Snediker, 40, is effective immediately, according to North Brunswick Mayor Francis "Mac" Womack.

"Today I asked for and received the resignation of Craig Snediker, North Brunswick township Fire Marshal," Womack said in an email to NJ Advance Media.

"His guilty plea in the United States District Court yesterday afternoon mandates his immediate separation from the township," the mayor stated.

U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman said Snediker admitted to using ATMs in Middlesex County from March 2014 to May of this year to access public funds and private donations belonging to the volunteer fire department.

He then used the funds for personal expenses, Fishman said. To cover up his actions, he misrepresented the account balance on the fire company's books, Fishman said.

Snediker worked in the township for 15 years and earned $73,292 a year, according to New Brunswick Today.

He faces 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine when he is sentenced later this year.

Snediker's attorney, Robert Scrivo of Morristown, declined to comment on the case or his client. A message left at the Snediker family home in Monroe Township was not returned.

Still unclear on Thursday was the status of the investigation into the North Brunswick warehouse fire on July 22, the largest fire in township history.

Snediker, along with the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office and North Brunswick police, had been investigating the blaze.

Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at tattrino@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyAttrino. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

The assaults and break-ins began with an attack on the street on a few blocks away from the College Avenue campus of Rutgers University. A timeline of events.

NEW BRUNSWICK--The assaults and break-ins began with an attack on the street on a few blocks away from the College Avenue campus of Rutgers University in New Brunswick that left one student with a broken jaw.

It escalated over the next two days with a home invasion and a knife-point robbery.

Nearly five months later, the Middlesex County Prosecutor's office said those responsible were Rutgers students--five of them football players for the university's Scarlet Knights, including three starters.

A timeline of events:

Investigators with the Perth Amboy Police Department and the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office were on the scene.

File photo 

PERTH AMBOY - One person was arrested after a stabbing that left two people injured Thursday afternoon, according to city officials and media reports.

"A suspect is in custody and the investigation is ongoing," Perth Amboy police stated in an email.

The 1:30 p.m. stabbing began as an altercation on Madison Avenue and ended up on Smith Street, according to 7online.com.

Two people were being treated at a nearby hospital, the news station reported.

A witness told 7online.com he saw a man stab someone in the chest multiple times with a knife at least 12-inches long.

Investigators with the Perth Amboy Police Department and the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office were on the scene.

The incident resulted in the closure of roadways near the scene. The roads were reopened about 6 p.m. and traffic is back to normal, police said.

DEVELOPING: 2 injured in stabbing in Perth Amboy, suspect arrested http://t.co/XtkYdS5tk8 pic.twitter.com/q0WqxxASY9

-- Eyewitness News (@ABC7NY) September 3, 2015

Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at tattrino@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyAttrino. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

After five Rutgers University football players were charged with violent offenses Thursday, Democratic state lawmakers, including two Rutgers alumni, said they were struck by the disturbing nature of the crimes.

TRENTON -- After five Rutgers University football players were charged with violent offenses Thursday, Democratic state lawmakers, including two Rutgers alumni, said they were struck by the disturbing nature of the crimes.

State Sen. Ray Lesniak (D-Union) and state Sen. Richard Codey (D-Essex) said the assaults the players are accused of committing were shocking, but they hoped the accusations that the athletes attacked a group of students -- even breaking one victim's jaw -- don't tarnish Rutgers' athletics program or the university's reputation.

Prosecutors labeled the attack "unprovoked."

One player, defensive back Andre Boggs, is also accused of participating in several home invasion robberies while armed.

Lesniak said the pain caused by the five suspects "goes beyond the people they've victimized and spreads to teammates and to the university as a whole," but he added that Rutgers athletic director Julie Hermann rightly suspended them immediately.

State Assemblyman John Wisniewski (D-Middlesex) also praised Hermann for immediately suspending the athletes.

MORE: Timeline of a case that ensnared 5 Rutgers football players

"I'm a Rutgers alum and a big fan of the school and football program, but there is a line between being a passionate alumni and what is right or wrong," he said. "If the allegations are true, they are disturbing."

A spokesman for Gov. Chris Christie did not respond to a request for comment. State Senate President Stephen Sweeney declined to comment.

But Codey expressed shock at the violent nature of the crimes, saying that next to rape, a home invasion is "what everybody fears."

"I don't know how they can remain as students," he said. "Unfortunately things like this happen all too often on college campuses across the country. Some would say it's a violent sport that attracts people who are around violence all the time... It's not only football players or athletes. It's the mentality of when you get to college, anything can go."

Codey said he did not have any immediate plans to intervene.

The public should not rush to judgement, Wisniewski added. "Let's learn all the facts," he said.

"We have to wait and see what materializes, but clearly we need to have an examination of the athletic program and what type of messaging within that program from the leadership to the students.

"Long term, we need to examine why we have these kinds of allegations being made and what can be done to prevent this from happening in the future. These are  students' lives and their future and we need to make sure we are protecting students who are victims."

NJ Advance Media staff writer Claude Brodesser-Akner contributed to this report.

MORE POLITICS

Susan K. Livio may be reached at slivio@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @SusanKLivio. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.

Tejay Johnson, Andre Boggs and other Rutgers football players past and present were charged in a startling and violent crime spree.

NEW BRUNSWICK -- The criminal charges that threaten to tarnish a proud but troubled football program began almost a month ago.

Former Rutgers University player Tejay Johnson, 23, was charged on Aug. 5 with armed robbery, criminal restraint and weapons offenses after an investigation into an April 26 incident, court records show. It was not the first time the defensive back was in legal trouble -- he was accused of beating and robbing a man in Egg Harbor, charges that were later dropped -- and it also would not be the last.

Free on $100,000 bail since Aug. 25, Johnson on Thursday was arrested again and slapped with a slew of new charges, but this time he was not alone: Eight other people, including five current Rutgers University football players, were in police custody, and one suspect was at large.

All 10 were charged with some part of a string of violence this spring that police said included an unprovoked street attack and home invasion robberies that kept the campus on high alert.

RELATED: 5 Rutgers football players arrested in connection with home invasions and assault

Johnson alone has been accused in the original April 26 incident, but authorities said their investigation led them to two more home invasions. Authorities have charged Andre Boggs, another Rutgers football player, with participating in home invasions on April 27 and May 5, along with Johnson. Boggs and Johnson were charged with robbery and burglary in those incidents.

Johnson was charged in all the alleged attacks and robberies, prosecutors said.

An Egg Harbor Township resident who knows Johnson, but did not want his name used, said the news was "heartbreaking."

"This will get around town, they'll be heartbroken, and disappointed," he said. "I don't have anything bad to say about the kid. I hope he rights all his wrongs.''

NJ Advance Media reporter Pete Genovese contributed to this report.

Brian Amaral may be reached at bamaral@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @bamaral44. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

State senators toured Rutgers-New Brunswick to get a first-hand look at how the university is taking advantage of the Building Our Future Bond Act, $750 million in borrowing to build and renovate campus facilities at the state's public and private colleges.

NEW BRUNSWICK -- Rutgers University officials said they wanted State Senate President Steve Sweeney to leave campus Thursday afternoon with a sense that the university is "on the move."

After touring the first building the university constructed with the help of the state's $750 million higher education bond issue, Sweeney had that feeling and more, he said. 

"Words can't describe how impressed I am," Sweeney (D-Gloucester) said. 

Sweeney and Sen. Bob Smith (D-Middlesex) toured Rutgers-New Brunswick to get a first-hand look at how the university is taking advantage of the Building Our Future Bond Act, $750 million in state borrowing to build and renovate campus facilities at New Jersey's public and private colleges.

The bond, approved by voters in a 2012 referendum, was aimed at replacing out-of-date facilities across the state's colleges.

On the Cook Campus at Rutgers-New Brunswick, the senators toured the New Jersey Institute for Food Nutrition and Health. The $55 million facility scheduled to open this month features a new student health center, a children's nutrition center and a human performance center. 

Construction of the new building was financed with the help of a $35 million grant from the bond, and it will be the first Rutgers facility to open that was built with money from the bond. 

After getting a first look at the new institute, the senators took a bus tour of the sprawling New Brunswick campus, finishing at the new Rutgers-New Brunswick Honors College and the future site of the University Academic Building. 

The Academic Building, which is currently under construction but will be adjacent to the honors college, will hold 2,500 students in classes that range from 300-seat lectures to 20-person seminar rooms. 

The $116.8 million price tag will be covered in part by $43 million from the state's bond. 

Though Sweeney was impressed, he said the state's investment should not be measured only in buildings. He hopes the updated facilities go a long way toward ending New Jersey's annual exodus of high school graduates to colleges in other states. 

"The one thing you don't want to do is export them," Sweeney said of students. "They are our future. 

Adam Clark may be reached at adam_clark@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on twitter at @realAdamClark. Find NJ.com on Facebook. 

News of charges brought against 5 Rutgers players 'heartbreaking' Watch video

NEW BRUNSWICK -- Neighbors and others who knew them reacted with a mixture of sadness and shock at news of the arrests of five recently active Rutgers University football players who authorities said were among a larger group of suspects charged in connection with a string of crimes, including an assault and a number of home-invasion robberies.

 RELATED: First of several arrests in alleged spree made one month ago 

A total of 10 suspects were charged following an investigation into an incident the night of April 26, when three masked men burst into a New Brunswick home and robbed five Rutgers students at gunpoint.

Authorities have since linked various suspects to other, subsequent crimes, including a second home-invasion robbery on Hartwell Street the following night and an attempted robbery at a Livingston College dorm in May. Six of the suspects face riot and assault charges stemming from yet another incident, a violent confrontation on Delafield Street April 25.

The announcement of the arrests, coming just before the start of the college football season, is yet another mark against Rutgers athletics, at a particularly bad time for head coach Kyle Flood. 

Along with the five recently active players, who have all been suspended from the team, the suspects include the daughter of a high school football coach and a brother of one of the players. The suspects also include a former Rutgers University player,  Tejay Johnson, 23, who was charged on Aug. 5 with armed robbery, criminal restraint and weapons offenses, court records show. It was not the first time the standout defensive back was in legal trouble -- he was accused of beating and robbing a man in Egg Harbor, charges that were later dropped.

"It's heartbreaking," said a college coach in Johnson's hometown of Egg Harbor who followed his career. "We were just talking about him. Was he going back to Rutgers this year?"

In addition to Johnson -- alleged to be involved in every incident and jailed on $650,000 bail -- the other suspects are:

• Andre Boggs, a starting cornerback, who is being held on $500,000 bail, according to the Middlesex County Adult Corrections Center in North Brunswick. He was involved in the Hartwell Street and Livingston College invasions, authorities said. He has been widely regarded as a hero in his native Coatesville, Pa., a small rural town where, as one resident said Thursday, "everybody knows everybody."
• Nadir Barnwell, the cornerback whose academic status the head coach allegedly meddled in. He was charged with aggravated assault and riot in the alleged Delafield assault. Friday morning, he had been released on bail, records show.
• Ruhann Peele, who has just moved past his own legal issues stemming from an assault charge, was jailed on $25,000 bail and also released overnight, according to records. He was also accused in the Delafield assault. "I hope this doesn't affect his scholarship," said Dr. Marlena Berghammer, a neighbor of Peele's mother. "I hope he doesn't [lose it], he was the one in his family his mother was counting on. His mother works so hard," she said, also describing Peele as a "good boy" who "keeps to himself."
• Rahzonn Gross, a sophomore fullback who allegedly participated in the attack on Delafield Street. Bail was set at $25,000, prosecutors said.
• Delon Stephenson, a junior defensive back from Sayreville, also charged in the Delafield attack. Bail was set at $75,000.
• Daryl Stephenson, Delon's brother, who prosecutors said Thursday was still at large. Bail was set at $25,000, again in the alleged Delafield attack.
• Jianan Chen, 19, of New Brunswick, and Dylan Mastriana, 19, a Rutgers student, allegedly planned several of the home invasions, prosecutors said. Bail was set at $500,000 for Mastriana and $100,000 for Chen. It's unclear where they're being held.
• Kaylanna Ricks, charged with driving the getaway car in a home invasion. Bail was set at $75,000, but no information was available from jail records. Her father, a football coach, said he stands by her.

NJ Advance Media reporters Pete Genovese, Spencer Kent, Anthony G. Attrino, Ted Sherman and Craig McCarthy contributed to this report.

Brian Amaral may be reached at bamaral@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @bamaral44. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Paul Milo may be reached at pmilo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @PaulMilo2. FindNJ.com on Facebook

EAST BRUNSWICK — Doris is a 1½-year-old cat in the care of Karma Cat and Zen Dog Rescue. Rescued in New Brunswick as a stray with a litter, her kittens have been adopted and now she needs a home. Doris has been described as a "cuddler" who is also very playful. She is FIV/FeLV negative, spayed and up-to-date on shots....

Doris 

EAST BRUNSWICK -- Doris is a 11/2-year-old cat in the care of Karma Cat and Zen Dog Rescue.

Rescued in New Brunswick as a stray with a litter, her kittens have been adopted and now she needs a home.

Doris has been described as a "cuddler" who is also very playful. She is FIV/FeLV negative, spayed and up-to-date on shots.

For more information on adopting Doris, contact the nonprofit rescue society, which is currently caring for 51 cats and kittens, at 732-568-4694, email info@karmacatzendog.org or go to petfinder.com/shelters/NJ639.html.

Shelters interested in placing a pet in the Paw Print adoption column or submitting news should call 973-836-4922 or email middlesex@starledger.com.

Gov. Chris Christie said Friday the immediate suspension of five active Rutgers University football players accused of being among group of people charged in connection with a string of crimes was "the appropriate thing."

NORTH CONWAY, N.H. -- Gov. Chris Christie said Friday the immediate suspension of five active Rutgers University football players accused of being among a group of people charged in connection with a string of crimes was "the appropriate thing."

The governor and Republican presidential candidate, speaking on the campaign trail in New Hampshire, said Rutgers' athletic director, Julie Hermann, took the appropriate course of action by suspending the five players who were charged Thursday with assaulting a group of people, including one student whose jaw was broken during the unprovoked attack.

"I think the AD did the appropriate thing by suspending them immediately so there's no cloud over their game this weekend," Christie said.

"Obviously, it's an enormous concern when you have folks who are scholarship athletes at Rutgers who appear, allegedly, to have engaged in that kind of conduct," he said, adding, "Let's let the prosecution run its course."

An investigation into an April 26 home invasion, when three masked men burst into a New Brunswick home and robbed five Rutgers students at gunpoint, led to the arrest of 10 people.

Officials have since linked various people to other crimes, including a second home-invasion robbery on Hartwell Street the following night and an attempted robbery at a dorm on campus n May. Six of the suspects face riot and assault charges stemming from yet another incident, a violent confrontation on Delafield Street April 25.

The governor said his office has been receiving updates from Rutgers' president, Robert Barchi, and will continue to monitor the investigation.

"I only know what I read and I've obviously spoken to the chairman of the Board of Governors and also spoke to my own chief counsel," Christie said. "My staff is in continuous conversation with Dr. Barchi's office and if there's more we have to say we'll say more later today, but we're just getting information as it's coming in."

Christie is campaigning in New Hampshire Friday before returning to New Jersey later in the day.

MORE CHRIS CHRISTIE

Matt Arco may be reached at marco@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MatthewArco or on Facebook. Follow NJ.com Politics on Facebook.

 

The cause of the blaze in the 500 block of North Avenue is under investigation.

Photo courtesy of Dunellen Fire Defender Company #1 

DUNELLEN - One firefighter was injured and several families were left homeless Thursday after fire tore through two structures in the 500 block of North Ave.

"The stubborn fire burned two structures and left several families homeless," Dunellen Defender Fire Company 1 stated on Facebook.

The American Red Cross and the Dunellen Office of Emergency Management assisted the displaced on Friday, officials said.

One firefighter sustained minor injuries and was treated at a nearby hospital. No other injuries were reported.

The cause of the blaze is under investigation.

In addition to Dunellen, fire department crews from Middlesex, Green Brook, New Market, Arbor, North Stelton, Bound Brook, South Plainfield assisted.

Anibal Rodriguez of Perth Amboy is charged with murder in the death of Phillip Willis, 65, also of Perth Amboy. Rodriguez is charged with attempted murder in an attack of Willis' acquaintance, who remained hospitalized on Friday with multiple stab wounds, according to police and Middlesex County Prosecutor Andrew C. Carey.

Anibal Rodriguez, 75, was arrested on Sept. 3, 2015 and charged with murder following the death of Phillip Willis, 65, of Perth Amboy. (NJ.com file photo) 

PERTH AMBOY - A 75-year-old man was arrested Thursday in connection with the stabbing death of one man and a knife attack on a woman who knew the victim, authorities said.

Anibal Rodriguez of Perth Amboy is charged with murder in the death of Phillip Willis, 65, also of Perth Amboy.

Rodriguez is charged with attempted murder in an attack on Willis' acquaintance, who remained hospitalized on Friday with multiple stab wounds, according to police and Middlesex County Prosecutor Andrew C. Carey.

Investigators determined the dispute began about 1 p.m. in an apartment building on Madison Avenue, where Rodriguez allegedly stabbed a 36-year-old woman multiple times.

Rodriguez then threatened a man and woman with a knife after they came to help the screaming victim, officials said.

After fleeing the crime scene, Rodriguez walked toward Smith Street, where he encountered Phillip Willis.

Rodriguez recognized Willis as an acquaintance of the woman he had just stabbed and then stabbed him, the prosecutor said.

Middlesex County sheriff's officer Omar Smith and a passerby knocked Rodriguez to the ground where Smith was able to handcuff the suspect, the prosecutor said.

Rodriguez is being held on $1.7 million bail.

Willis was taken to Raritan Bay Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead at 1:45 p.m., authorities said.

PREVIOUSLY: 2 stabbed, 1 arrested in Perth Amboy

The woman who was stabbed was taken to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick, where she remained Friday. Her condition was not available.

In addition to murder, Rodriguez is charged with attempted murder and weapons possession, authorities said.

No motive was given for the attack.

On Friday, Perth Amboy Mayor Wilda Diaz released this statement:

"I want to extend my sincerest sympathies and prayers to the family and friends for the tragic loss of Mr. Phil Willis, who was a loved member of our community. I also want to thank the Perth Amboy Police Department and all involved in protecting our residents and community during the incident." 

Anyone with information about the attacks is asked to call Detective Marchak of the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office at (732) 745-3254, or Detective Mohamed of the Perth Amboy Police Department at (732) 442-4400.

Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at tattrino@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyAttrino. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Marissa Rosario was reported missing Friday night from her home on the 1200 block of North 32nd Street.

CAMDEN -- Police are looking for a missing 14-year-old Cramer Hill girl.

Marissa Rosario, 14, of Camden, was reported missing Friday, Sept. 4. (Camden County Police Department)
 

Marissa Rosario was reported missing Friday night from her home on the 1200 block of North 32nd Street, police said.

She is described as Hispanic, 5 feet 5 inches tall, 115 pounds, with brown eyes and blonde hair.

She was last seen wearing a gray hoodie with "PINK" written in white on the back, gray sweatpants and black Vans sneakers.

Police say she could be in New Brunswick.

Anyone with information on Marissa's whereabouts is asked to call the Camden County Police Department tip line at 856-757-7042.

Matt Gray may be reached at mgray@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MattGraySJT. Find the South Jersey Times on Facebook.

The alleged assault that prompted charges against six former and current Rutgers University football players was captured on video, NJ Advance Media has learned

NEW BRUNSWICK -- The alleged April 25 assault that left one Rutgers University student with a broken jaw and prompted charges against six former and current Rutgers football players earlier this week was captured on video, NJ Advance Media has learned. 

According to the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, investigators with the New Brunswick Police Department were recently provided information as to the existence of video footage of the alleged attack. The source's details were confirmed by a second person with knowledge of the events. 

Investigators arrived at the Hale Center Football Training Facility on Aug. 28 where, according to the source, they confiscated cellular phones from an unknown number of team members. According to the source, investigators obtained a court-approved order to seize the phones prior to arriving at the facility. None of the players was questioned at the time, the sources said.

An unknown number of coaches was present at the Hale Center as the phones were being confiscated, one of the sources said. It was not clear if head football coach Kyle Flood was among them, the sources added.

A spokesman for Rutgers athletics director Julie Hermann said the investigation is part of an ongoing legal matter and the university would have no comment for this story. 

Citing the ongoing police investigation into the assaults, a university spokeswoman on Saturday declined to comment on whether Rutgers officials were made aware of the phone seizures. 

MORE: Rutgers coach Kyle Flood: Arrests of 5 players 'rips you apart inside'

Reached Friday, a spokesman for the Middlesex County Prosecutor Andrew Carey declined to comment on the police investigation into the assault.

Earlier this week, Carey's office announced charges against four then current players -- cornerback Ruhann Peele, fullback Razohnn Gross, cornerback Nadir Barnwell and defensive back Delon Stephenson -- in connection to the alleged attack.

Three of the players were team starters prior to the filing of charges. Peele, Gross, Barnwell, Stephenson and cornerback Dre Boggs were all dismissed from the football program Saturday.

Authorities allege that former players Tejay Johnson and Daryl Stephenson also participated in the assault.

All now face a range of charges stemming from the attack, including aggravated assault, riot, and conspiracy to commit a riot. 

Authorities allege that the players surrounded a group of at least four other individuals and assaulted them during the "unprovoked" street attack one day after the team concluded spring camp with the Scarlet-White scrimmage. In the aftermath, a 19-year-old male student was left with a broken jaw, authorities said.

The revelation of the video's existence is just the latest wrinkle in a scandal that rocked the Rutgers University football program earlier this week. 

Authorities announced an investigation that led to a total of 10 suspects, 7 of whom were students, being charged in a variety of crimes related to the assault, home-invasion robberies, including one at gunpoint and an attempted robbery at a Livingston College dorm.  

A phone call to Nadir Barnwell, the player at the center of the university's investigation into Flood for a possible compliance violation, was unsuccessful. 

Reached by phone, Harvey Barnwell, the father of Nadir Barnwell, said, "Not now, sir, not now,'' and hung up.

Rutgers officials placed the seven students, including the five football players, on interim suspension from the university on Friday.  

Vernal Coleman can be reached at vcoleman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @vernalcoleman. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

A timeline of events:

U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., who voted against the Iraq War, said there was no viable alternative to the nuclear deal with Iran.

WASHINGTON -- U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone Jr. on Friday became the fourth New Jersey Democratic member of Congress to endorse the agreement to curb Iran's nuclear program for at least a decade in exchange for lifting economic sanctions.

In a statement, Pallone called the deal "the most effective means available to monitor Iran's nuclear program and peacefully prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon."

He said opponents had not offered a realistic alternative. 

"The consequence of rejecting the deal would be an Iran far less restricted in its ability to develop a nuclear weapon and able to influence policy in the region at unprecedented levels, all without a realistic chance of returning to the negotiating table," he said.

RELATED: Booker announces support for Iran deal

Pallone (D-6th Dist.) had been one of two New Jersey lawmakers who had yet to take a stand on the agreement, which will be debated by the U.S. House when it returns from its summer recess next week.

U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr. (D-9th Dist.) is the last undecided congressional member from the state.

More than 34 U.S. senators, including U.S. Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) have endorsed the agreement, ensuring the deal will go into effect. Congress will not be able to assemble two-thirds majorities in both houses to override an expected veto by President Obama of any resolution rejecting the agreement.

Pallone was one of four New Jersey lawmakers to vote against going to war against Iraq in 2002.

"As we have learned from our misguided war in Iraq, military intervention must be a last resort," he said.

Of the other three members of Congress to vote no, Rep. Donald Payne (D-10th Dist.) also supported the Iran deal; then-Rep. Rush Holt (D-12th Dist.), now chief executive of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, was one of 29 scientists and engineers signing a letter endorsing the agreement; and U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) announced he would vote no.

Holt's successor, Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-12th Dist.), also is supporting the Iran agreement, while Reps. Donald Norcross (D-1st Dist.) and Albio Sires (D-8th Dist.) and all six House Republicans from the state have announced their opposition.

 

MORE POLITICS

Jonathan D. Salant may be reached at jsalant@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JDSalant. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.

At Saturday morning's tailgate, Rutgers fans reacted to the Thursday arrests of five players with disappointment, but continued optimism for the season.

PISCATAWAY -- Harold Hall, a retired police detective, worked for the Trenton police force 30 years and has seen a lot of young people squander their lives. As he turned Trenton's own Laffler's hot dogs on the grill on Saturday morning at a family tailgate before Rutgers University's opening game, he sighed.

"They're (almost) millionaires, and now their future's dead," said Hall, 79, of Trenton, as he reflected on the recent arrest of five Rutgers football players. "On the verge of making it -- to this."

RELATED: Rutgers coach Kyle Flood dismisses 5 arrested players

Four current Rutgers football players were charged on Thursday in connection with an attack in April. Another player was charged in connection to home robberies this spring. All have been dismissed from the program. Coach Kyle Flood is currently being investigated by the university for allegedly contacting a professor over the grades of one of the arrested students, Nadir Barnwell, 20.

At the Saturday morning tailgate before the season's 12 p.m. opener against Norfolk State, fans like Hall expressed a general sense of disappointment about the arrests. Still, they had fun. They were optimistic for the season, they said, and stood behind the rest of the team.

Some defended the young men, saying, if the allegations are true, young people make mistakes. Others offered no words of defense for the arrested players, calling them "bad apples" if they did commit these felonies.

"Innocent until proven guilty, right? It's a shame but it is what it is," said Noel Powell, 47, Willingboro, whose high school son is being recruited by Rutgers for basketball. "Let's see if this makes them stronger. It should make them stronger as a team."

Dorothy Kalucki, 60,of Rockaway, and her husband, both Rutgers alumni whose children went to Rutgers, came to the first game to support the team following the news. "We need to be thinking more positively and creating more positivity," she said.

MORE: Alleged assault by Rutgers football players was caught on video, sources say

Andy Mazer, 61, a football player from Rutgers's Class of 1975, said that athletes should realize they have a special pressure to be role models since "they're in the media all the time" and "elected to be a part of this opportunity."

"Let's face it. It's a business, football, basketball," he said. "I just think if there's a problem, does it need to be blown out of proportion? Let's eliminate them and continue with what they have. Let's move forward."

Other fans emphasized that Rutgers has a lot going for it, and that it's not the only school with these troubles.

Will Moore, 24, Wood-Ridge, a Rutgers Class of 2013 alum, pointed out that Rutgers is known for "being great in the classroom" and these allegations fall outside the norm for players. "They're national champs in the gridiron," he said. "We should win a national championship in the classroom."

RELATED: 5 Rutgers football players arrested in connection with home invasions and assault

Likewise, Nicole Hreno, 27, a Rutgers University Dance Marathon Alumni member, said she wished more attention could be given to the university's good works. She was at the event promoting her organization, which raised $690,000 this year for children with cancer. 

"I think it's unfortunate that we get press for the bad things that happen when there's so much good going on," she said.

George Bradley, 58, of Howell, was eating a hamburger at his tailgate station, supporting Rutgers for the 33rd year.

Rutgers and football players in general get heat for these arrests, but lots of schools, athletes and people in general have controversies, he said; he just heard that Washington State University's team has over 30 arrests.

"We're not immune to it. It happens," he said.

Laura Herzog may be reached at lherzog@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @LauraHerzogL. Find NJ.com on Facebook. 

Boy Scout Troop 759 took a 12-day trek through the Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico.

Troop 759 Boy Scouts and their leaders, front row, Nikhil Ramakrishna, Brian Sheets, Graham Davies, Philmont Troop Guide Konrad, Richard Maffei, Rohan Nandal and Adam Scherr; back row, Duncan Kreutter, Sunil Ramakrishna, Trevor Davies, Elliot Scherr, David Delmonico and Ed Mayor, at the Philmont Scout Ranch.

PLAINSBORO -- On July 27 eight Boy Scouts and four adult leaders from Troop 759 left for a 12-day trip to the Philmont Scout Ranch in Cimarron, N.M.

Philmont, which spans 214 square miles in the Sangre De Cristo Mountains, is the Boy Scouts' largest High Adventure base.

While on the trek, the Scouts practiced their shooting skills, threw tomahawks, cared for a Mexican donkey, mountain biked, hiked, used their blacksmith skills to forge a metal hook, panned for gold, rode horses and cooked their own meals.

But according to Boy Scout Adam Scherr, perhaps their greatest challenge came in adhering to the fundamentals of "Leave No Trace" camping, which challenges them to minimize their impact on the environment while camping and not leaving anything behind.

"Every day, the crew packed up camp, hiked to the next camp, and then set up camp. Although this may sound easy, certain tasks involved in setting up camp were quite difficult, especially when in a Leave No Trace campsite," said Scherr, who had a short list of items that the Scouts left behind. "Although we lost some items, the memories that we created at Philmont will stay with us for the rest of our lives."

To submit Scouting news, email middlesex@starledger.com.

A 13-year-old girl and her grandmother suffered serious injuries in a dog attack at a township home Saturday morning, police said.

A 13-year-old girl and a 59-year-old woman were seriously injured in a dog attack Sept. 5, 2015, police said. File photo 

The girl and her 59-year-old grandmother were taken to St. Peter's University Hospital in New Brunswick, township police said on Twitter.

The Avenue B homeowner's boxer and pit bull attacked the third family dog, a pug, MyCentralJersey.com reported. The boxer and pit bull went after the girl when she tried to stop the fighting and soon went after the grandmother, who also tried to intervene.

Family members managed to halt the attack, the report said.

Noah Cohen may be reached at ncohen@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @noahyc. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

 

The pickup struck another car before crashing into Cranbury Pizza on North Main Street.

The outside of Cranbury Pizza in a photo taken before the crash.Photo courtesy of Bob Huegel 

CRANBURY - One child was slightly hurt and more than a dozen restaurant-goers shaken up Saturday night when a pickup truck crashed into the outdoor dining area of Cranbury Pizza.

"It was Saturday night dinner, it was very full outside," said Bob Huegel, owner of the pizzeria on North Main Street.

Huegel said the driver of a pickup truck careened through an intersection, struck a passing car and then crashed into tables, chairs and the railing along the restaurant's front steps.

"Everybody kind of looked up when they heard the first crash," Huegel said. "People started to get up and people were pulling each other to safety."

PREVIOUSLY: Car crashes into Futon World mattress shop

Huegel believes that if the first accident had not happened, the diners might not have known to get out of the way.

"That sound from the impact is what kept people from getting hurt," he said.

Huegel said one child sitting on the steps sustained minor injuries and was transported to a nearby hospital for observation.

There were no other injuries, he said.

Cranbury police did not return a call Sunday seeking comment.

News 12 New Jersey reported that police are investigating the cause of the accident.

 

Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at tattrino@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyAttrino. Find NJ.com on Facebook.