Alan Senecal's 18-year-old grandson Ezra Schwartz was killed Thursday in a terrorist attack in Israel

Ezra Schwarz, the Massachusetts teenager with ties to Edison, was killed Thursday in Israel in a terrorist attack.Facebook 

EDISON -- Alan Senecal was having a difficult time finding the right words to describe his grandson, an 18-year-old, who was killed Thursday in a terrorist attack in Israel.

"He was supposed to spend a year in Israel studying and then go to Rutgers here in New Brunswick next year," Senecal said of Ezra Schwartz, who lived in Sharon, Massachusetts. "He was a good, sweet, boy. I can't think of anything else to say."

The grandfather said his grandson was a real sports fan who loved football, baseball, hockey and skiing.

Schwartz graduated in June from Maimonides School in Boston, according to his grandfather, and lived in the Boston suburb of Sharon with his parents, Aari and Ruth Schwartz, three brothers and sister.

"He is the most popular kid," said Tammy Thurm of her nephew. "Everybody loved him. He was so witty, so funny. He had a mischievous streak no negativity. He wanted to make people laugh. He was a very smart young man."

Thurm said Schwartz was with school mates in Israel Thursday, on their way home from a community service project where they were constructing a park that was being built to honor three boys killed by terrorists last year when they were gunned down.

Authorities in Israel said a Palestinian motorist opened fire on a line of cars in traffic in Gush Etzion, south of Jerusalem in the West Bank.

The Israel military said he then intentionally rammed his vehicle into a group of pedestrians and soldiers shot at the attacker.

The attacker killed at least two people, including Schwartz and an Israeli. Another Palestinian also was killed but authorities said they are uncertain if the victim was hit by the attacker's fire or that of Israeli forces.

Related: Palestinian attacks in Tel Aviv, West Bank leave 5 dead

"It is hard to express how we feel," she said. "It hasn't really settled. We're broken. All his little brothers and sister. There is a very big hole."

Thurm said Schwartz "had so much to give the world."

"He was very athletic," she said. "Sports was very big in his family. He had just sent a letter to a baseball league in Israel. The league just got his email before everything happened."

Thurm said Schwartz's body is being flown back to Massachusetts from Israel, accompanied by Schwartz's aunt, who lives in Israel. There will be a ceremony at the airport Saturday night.

She said the funeral will be Sunday in Sharon, Mass. Although the family is Orthodox Jewish, the service will be held at a reform synagogue because, "the synagogue my sister and brother-in-law belong to isn't big enough to hold the number of people who are attending."

Thurm said people have called the family from around the country and Israel, reaching out to "give their condolences."

She also lauded the testimonials written on Ezra's Facebook pages.

"They are so beautiful," Thurm said. "My sister said she can't look at them right now. But I know, when she's ready, they will be a wonderful tribute and memory for the family. My sister and brother-in-law are remarkable people who have remarkable strength and our whole family is coming together for them."

Sue Epstein may be reached at sepstein@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @susan_epstein. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

 

The mother was homeless and said she was hearing two voices – a good one and a bad one – and had to resist the urge to give her children to the devil, court documents say.

 

NEW BRUNSWICK -- A state appellate court has affirmed a decision to take away custody of two children from a Middlesex County couple after the mother allegedly requested a priest perform an exorcism on them when they were two years old and the father was in and out of jail and drug treatment.

On Thursday, the court upheld a decision from the Division of Child Protection and Permanency to terminate the parents' custody of the two children, a boy and a girl, now ages 7 and 6. 

DCPP initially had contact with the family beginning in 2008 arising out of domestic disturbances, including the mother's alcohol use, father's conviction for aggravated assault and burglary, and the family's lack of housing, the decision says. The parents are not named in the court documents to protect the identity of the children.

The children were eventually removed from their parents in June 2011, after the mother took them to church and asked a priest to perform an exorcism on them, according to the decision.

The mother was homeless and said she was hearing two voices - a good one and a bad one - and had to resist the urge to give her children to the devil, court documents say. The children had also not eaten in three days, according to the documents.

The children were then put into foster care because the father was in prison and no other family member was available to care for them.

From 2011 to 2014, the mother had several psychiatric hospitalizations, reported hearing voices, experienced homicidal and suicidal thoughts, and was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, according to court documents. She failed to take medication to treat her condition, was jailed twice for receiving stolen property, tested positive for marijuana and cocaine on several occasions, was expelled from parenting classes for poor attendance, and was evicted from housing because of physical altercations with others and substance abuse, the documents say.

MORE: Parents who abducted son sentenced to 5 years probation

Although she had some positive visits with the children, over time her participation became sporadic, and she displayed inappropriate behavior, including sleeping during visits and hitting the children, and the children eventually resisted the visits, the documents say.

The mother also failed to appear for scheduled evaluations and told a psychologist she "still today believes it was the devil" who was talking to her and "pulling [her] hair while [she] was asleep."

The documents say the father did have supervised visits with the children after he was released from prison for several months, but was frequently in trouble with the law, tested positive for cocaine and refused treatment, and disappeared in February 2014. When he returned to New Jersey, a psychologist found although he read books, played with toys and sang songs with the children during an evaluation, he was a "somewhat familiar stranger" to them, the documents say.

The children had two prior placements before being placed with a foster parent willing to adopt them in December 2013, which prompted the biological parents' appeal of the custody decision.

On Thursday, the appellate court upheld the termination of custody, saying neither parent was able to provide the children a safe and stable home after they were removed from their care, and that the children "are entitled to the stability that adoption promises."

Jessica Remo may be reached at jremo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @JessicaRemoNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

 

A firefighter has been charged with stealing thousands of dollars by collecting thousands of dollars in disability while continuing to work for the city and collecting a pay check, Middlesex County Prosecutor Andrew Carey announced Friday.

A New Brunswick firefighter has been arrested and charged with collecting more than $40,000 in disability while also collecting a pay check.File photo 

NEW BRUNSWICK -- A city firefighter has been charged with stealing thousands of dollars by collecting disability while continuing to work and get a pay check, Middlesex County Prosecutor Andrew Carey announced Friday.

Carey said Dell Walker, 54, of New Brunswick, was charged with second degree insurance fraud, a third degree count of theft and a fourth degree charge of forgery.

More: Middlesex County news

An investigation by New Brunswick police Detective Thierry Lemmerling and county Detective Linda Infusino determined Walker filed the disability claim in December 2013 and collected $42,000 in disability, Carey said.

He said Walker forged paperwork to continue receiving the disability checks while he continued working as a firefighter.

Walker has been a firefighter in New Brunswick for more than 19 years and collects an annual salary of $108,020, according to state records.

Sue Epstein may be reached at sepstein@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @susan_epstein. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

 

Watch as more than 20 students from South Brunswick High School say hello in different languages from around the world to celebrate World Hello Day. Watch video

Celebrate World Hello Day by making a simple gesture and say hi to a stranger. 

We asked students from South Brunswick High School to give us a hand and say hello in a number of languages. How many different languages, of the 6,500 in the world, can you say hello in?

The national awareness day was created on Nov. 21, 1973 in response to the conflict between Egypt and Israel. The objective is to say hello to 10 people during the day. 

http://www.nj.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2015/06/free_donuts_nj_bakeries_particpate_in_national_don.html

Amanda Marzullo may be reached at amarzullo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @amanda_marzullo. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

The first-annual New Jersey Comic Expo opened Saturday at the New Jersey Convention and Exposition Center. Watch video

EDISON - Comic book and action-adventure fans - many dressed as their favorite superheroes or villains - are in town this weekend to shop, meet celebrities and take lots of photos.

The first-annual New Jersey Comic Expo, which promoters have labeled the first full-blown comic convention in the state, opened Saturday morning at the New Jersey Convention and Exposition Center.

"We go to Comic Con all the time and this is similar," said Sam Springstead of Staten Island, who came dressed as a revolutionary war soldier. "We're having a lot of fun."

Kay Victoria of Middlesex Borough said New Jersey has been lacking a true comic expo with all the trimmings - celebrities, replica cars and artistry.

"There are not a lot of cons in New Jersey," Victoria said. "It's smaller than a Comic Con, which is good because you get to meet a lot of people."

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The expo is organized by MAD Event Management, which has been producing the Long Beach Comic Con in California for seven years.

The shows are popular among performance artists known as "cosplayers" who wear costumes and accessories to represent specific characters.

The weekend features a lineup of celebrity guests, legendary and top creators in the comic book industry, replica cars from classic movies and television shows, interactive exhibits and hours of seminars and panels.

Signing autographs and posing for photos Saturday were Drea de Matteo ("Sons of Anarchy" and "The Sopranos"); Amy Acker ("Angel" and "Alias"); Chase Masterson ("Star Trek: Deep Space Nine"); Tommy Walker and Peter Shinkoda (Netflix original series "Daredevil").

Also featured are replicas of iconic vehicles from movies and television, including the 1966 Batmobile, the Bat Tumbler from the "Dark Knight" movies, the ECTO-1 from "Ghostbusters," the "Back to the Future" DeLorean, Scooby-Doo's Mystery Machine, "The Flintstones" car, the "Jurassic Park" Jeep, Knight Rider's K.I.T.T

There are also over 150 vendors on the show floor displaying and selling new and collectible items; charity auctions, and an area called "Kids Love Comics!" for younger guests.

For more information visit the expo website.

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

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A person was seen on camera taking a package containing stitched together T-shirts that an Edison mom made to remember her son who died last year, reports say.

EDISON -- A person was caught on surveillance camera stealing an irreplaceable package from an Edison family's front porch, and township police are now investigating, reports say. 

The box contained a quilt Karen Delmonaco had made out of the stitched together T-shirts of her son, who died last year, according to News 12 New Jersey.

Robert Delmonaco, 21, was a graduate of Valley Forge Military College and was serving in the U.S. Army at the time of his death, News 12 reported.

Delmonaco told ABC7 she had sent the shirts to a company to stitch into quilts, which were meant to be Christmas presents. 

MORE MIDDLESEX COUNTY NEWS

Marisa Iati may be reached at miati@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @Marisa_Iati. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

 

City and religious officials pledged to rebuild an even stronger congregation than the one prior to the fire. Watch video

NEW BRUNSWICK -- The Torahs and religious books destroyed in a fire that ripped through a historic synagogue last month were buried on Sunday, marking a new chapter in the congregation's 92 years. 

On Oct. 23, a caretaker was alone at the Poile Zedek synagogue on Neilson Street when a fire broke out at around 4:20 p.m. Authorities have said the fire originated on the first floor of the building and appeared to be accidental.

The congregation's spiritual leader, Rabbi Abraham Mykoff, ran into the burning building to save the Torahs. But Mykoff was only able to save one of them before the ceiling fixtures started to collapse, he said. Nine other Torahs were destroyed.

No was injured in the fire. But the blaze gutted the interior of the structure and shattered the building's stain-glassed windows. Sprinkled among the charred remains are a few items - like kippahs and an artificial plant - that survived the fire.

RELATED: New Brunswick congregation begins picking up the pieces

On Sunday, hundreds of community members, rabbis and city officials gathered at the steps of the synagogue for a ceremony and then a burial of the nine Torahs and hundreds of religious books destroyed in the fire. 

City and religious officials pledged to rebuild an even stronger congregation than the one prior to the fire. 

"It was a great tragedy, but heartwarming to see the public's support," Mykoff told NJ Advance Media before the start of the ceremony. "But hopefully we will rebuild even greater."

The executive director of the synagogue, Robert Dorfman, called the ceremony and burial "the most tragic day in the history of the congregation."

"But our sadness serves as a sourcing of strength," he said.

According to the synagogue's website, the Poile Zedek's building, located in the city's historic district, was built in 1923. A year later, it started housing services. The building was placed on the National and State Registers of Historic Places in 1995.

A large population of Orthodox Jews in the area now resides in nearby Highland Park, though about 100 families still belong to Poile Zedek, many of whom are Russian immigrants.

Speaking in front of the synagogue's facade, New Brunswick Mayor James "Jim" Cahill, a lifelong city resident who assumed office in 1991, said he first visited the synagogue 35 years ago for an afternoon service and lunch.

Cahill said the members of the congregation are "warm and full of compassion." The synagogue is one of the reasons New Brunswick is so special, he said.

"Fire may destroy buildings, even historical ones that mean a lot to us in the New Brunswick community, but it cannot break down the faith and the dedication to people willing to persevere," Cahill said.

"The Poile Zedek congregation is not discouraged," he continued. "Your spirits remain high, your faith immensely strong. Please know that the New Brunswick community stands with you as you rebuild into an even stronger community."

Many of those gathered dressed in black and held stoic expressions on their faces as they prayed in unison. Some even fought back tears.

Hadassah Geretz of Highland Park was among those gathered and had tears streaming down her face.

"I feel very, very sad," Geretz said after the service. "(The synagogue) is beautiful and historical. They don't have them like that any more."

Though not a member of the congregation, Geretz would frequent it regularly to doven, or pray. "It was beautiful and holy, and it's so sad that you can't do that anymore."

After the prayer service, the destroyed Torahs and religious books were hoisted into a van and driven slowly up Bayard Street, as the mourners, huddled in a group, trailed behind it. A burial was then held about 7 miles away at the Poile Zedek Cemetary on Joyce Kilmer Avenue.

The Torahs and readings were placed into a large hole, about 20-feet deep, where men with shovels threw dirt on top. A small plow was also used to cover them.

It's Jewish custom and tradition that Holy Scriptures and objects be buried when they are destroyed and cannot be restored.

Speaking to reporters after the burial, Myckoff, the leader of the congregation, said the lone surviving Torah has taken on a new meaning as it travels around to several congregations for services in Highland Park.

He said Poile Zedek has intentions to rebuild, but they are still waiting to hear back from officials on whether the building is salvable.

Another hurdle the congregation has to overcome: funding to rebuild. The building was dropped by its insurance company in March, Myckoff said. Even so, he is optimistic the Poile Zedek congregation will persevere. 

"Hopefully, this will be the beginning of the future success for the congregation," Mycoff said.

Alex Napoliello may be reached at anapoliello@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @alexnapoNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Captain J.T. Miller said in an email that an adult male was shot shortly after 11 a.m. in the area of Seaman Street and Lee Avenue.

The shooting is under investigation by the New Brunswick Police Department. (File photo).

NEW BRUNSWICK -- Police are investigating a mid-day shooting Monday near Seaman Street and Lee Avenue.

Captain J.T. Miller said in an email that an adult male was shot shortly after 11 a.m. in the area of Seaman Street and Lee Avenue.

The man's injury is non-life threatening, Miller said.

Miller did not give any additional information on the incident. He said the shooting is under investigation by the city's police department.

By 11:45 a.m., there was no visible police presence in the area. 

NJ Advance Media reporter Brian Amaral contributed to this report. 

Alex Napoliello may be reached at anapoliello@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @alexnapoNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

 

Nineteen people were arrested, police said.

Nineteen people were arrested and six massage parlors were shuttered in raids last week. (NJ Advance Media File Photo) 

EDISON -- Nineteen people have been arrested on money laundering and prostitution charges after cops broke up a ring of massage parlors, according to the Middlesex County prosecutor's office.

Six massage parlors where people were engaged in prostitution or money laundering were closed in raids on Thursday and Friday, according to Prosecutor Andrew Carey.

The parlors and their operators, according to prosecutors, funneled illicit funds through the payment of expenses -- including, for one suspect, $150,000 in illegal cash.

"The law enforcement agencies of Middlesex County will remain diligent in closing down businesses that not only breed illegal activity but harm neighborhoods and infringe on the quality of life for all of our residents," Carey said in a news release.

PREVIOUSLY: Metuchen police make arrests at massage parlors

The parlors that were closed, according to Carey, were:

Pro Spa, 902 Oak Tree Avenue, South Plainfield; Q Health Center, 4475 South Clinton Avenue, South Plainfield; Oriental Wellness Center, 2201 South Clinton Avenue, South Plainfield; New Gold Day Spa Inc., 2013 Park Avenue, South Plainfield; Julie's Spa, 525 Milltown Road, North Brunswick, and Pro Acupressure Inc., 1910 Oak Tree Road, Edison.

The people charged in the sweep were the following, according to Carey's office:

• Chunlan Cui, 51, Edison, second degree money laundering, third degree promoting prostitution
• Sheng Lin, 42, Edison, resisting arrest, obstruction, third degree conspiracy of money laundering
• Quan Xiang, 45, Flushing, N.Y., engaging in prostitution, a disorderly persons offense
• Ock Lee, 44, Flushing, N.Y., engaging in prostitution, a disorderly persons offense
• Ok-Soon Hyung, 50, Flushing, N.Y.; engaging in prostitution, a disorderly persons offense
• Longshi Yu, 45, South Plainfield , third degree promoting prostitution, fourth degree engaging in prostitution
• Piao Shunshan, 54, Flushing, N.Y. third degree money laundering, third degree promoting prostitution, fourth degree engaging in prostitution
• Yongri Jin, 39, Scarborough, Maine, third degree money laundering
• Dan Chen, 39, Flushing, N.Y., fourth degree promoting prostitution, fourth degree maintaining a nuisance
• Mei Ling Jin, 49, Peapack, engaging in prostitution, a disorderly persons offense
• Ling Zhang, 44, Flushing, N.Y., engaging in prostitution, a disorderly persons offense
• Ge Yu Qi, 43, Flushing, N.Y .fourth degree promoting prostitution, fourth degree maintaining a nuisance, engaging in prostitution, a disorderly persons offense
• Xiao Liang Huang, 38, Flushing, N.Y., engaging in prostitution, a disorderly persons offense
• Chun Mei Zhou, 37, Queens, N.Y., fourth degree promoting prostitution. Fourth degree maintaining a nuisance
• Paul Turpanjian, 53, Ridgefield, third degree money laundering, third degree promoting prostitution
• Lianying Ji, 53, West Orange, third degree money laundering
• Marc Daichman, 60, West Orange, third degree promoting prostitution
• Xiao Fei Li, 50, College Point, N.Y., third degree money laundering, third degree promoting prostitution
• Bongkyu S Jung, 50, Cliffside Park, second degree money laundering, third degree promoting prostitution

The investigation began in March of this year, Carey said, and was aided by an anonymous tip sent to Crime Stoppers of Middlesex County.

South Plainfield Detective Joseph Indano, North Brunswick Detective Robert Powell, and Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office Detective Ryan Tighe conducted the investigation, which is ongoing, authorities said. The Department of Treasury and Taxation, the federal Homeland Security Investigation Human Trafficking Unit and Immigration and Customs Enforcement assisted local authorities.

Bail was set at $60,000 for those charged with second-degree offenses; others had $20,000 bail or were released on their own recognizance.

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

 

U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone said 10,000 is not enough

HIGHLAND PARK -- Muslim, Jewish and Christian religious leaders gathered at the Reformed Church of Highland Park on Monday to push back against a rising tide of resistance to accepting Syrian refugees.

Even after the recent terrorist attacks in Paris this month, the United States needs to welcome more people fleeing from war and poverty in the Middle East, not fewer, said U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone, who organized the event in the Second Avenue church's auditorium, surrounded by supportive community members and posters that drove the point home: "OPEN THE DOORS."

That's a departure from the prevailing sentiment in the lower house of Congress, where Pallone (D-6th Dist.) represents a swath of Middlesex and Monmouth counties. The House voted last week to effectively halt the acceptance of Syrian refugees, with dozens of Democrats -- not including Pallone -- supporting the measure. The Paris attack was directed by the Islamic State terror group that controls a wide swath of Iraq and Syria; at least one attacker may have traveled to France disguised as a fleeing migrant, reports have said.

The measure to restrict refugees hasn't been taken up in the U.S. Senate, and President Obama has vowed to veto it.

Monday's event in Highland Park took place far from the halls of Congress, but in a town where a debate about the competing values of safety and humanitarian obligations might make a real-world difference.

Pastor Seth Kaper-Dale and other local clergy have pledged to bring to Highland Park 10 refugee families from the war-town Middle East and North Africa, and they're encouraging surrounding towns to do the same. The group is aiming to bring the first refugees in by mid-December, and soon after Thanksgiving, Kaper-Dale said he's welcoming a large Syrian family that is settling in Paterson. They've raised $11,000 to support the refugees once they get here, Kaper-Dale said.

PREVIOUSLY: Pastor criticizes Christie, pledges to bring refugees to N.J.

Bethany Mandel, a borough resident, was one voice of dissent in the crowd, arguing that opposition to a surge of refugees is not, contrary to some statements at Monday's event, rooted ignorance. There are real concerns about radicalization of immigrants, with real-life precedents, she argued.

"Those concerns have now been declared xenophobic," said Mandel, who noted that she was probably the lone Republican in the room (the densely populated borough has a hard-won reputation for liberal activism, banning, for example, cigarettes for those under 21 and nuclear weapons across the board). "It makes you not want to engage in a conversation like this."

For the people chosen to speak at the event, representing a broad cross-section of religious groups, opposition to Syrian and other refugees is not just bad policy, it goes against the tenets of their faith.

"I take very seriously the commandment to take care of the orphan, the widow and the stranger," said Judy Richman, on the board of a group of observant Jews called Highland Park Minyan. "That's in black and white in our Torah."

Sami Catovic, the executive director of the New Brunswick Islamic Center, said that rejecting refugees would play right into the hands of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria: They're seeking to divide the Middle East and the west.

"As a Muslim, I do not feel beholden to what ISIS says," Catovic said. "As an American I do not feel beholden to what ISIS says." 

Catovic said that in the wake of the Paris attacks, some local Muslims have reported comments by their kids' classmates. Donald Trump, a candidate for president, claimed that thousands of people in Jersey City celebrated on Sept. 11, 2001, as lower Manhattan smoldered across the Hudson River, a claim not borne out in news coverage at the time.

It also was not Catovic's experience of Sept. 11.

"It was clear condemnation" from the Muslim community, Catovic said. "It was clear and unanimous."

Pallone said that a Senate bill to limit Syrian refugees in America would face a steep challenge in getting to 60 votes needed to overcome a filibuster, much less 67 to override a veto. President Obama's administration has called for accepting 10,000 refugees from Syria. The administration also raised the overall cap of refugees to 100,000.

Pallone couldn't put a number on it, but he said the United States can and should do more. The security screening process is rigorous, carried out by four federal agencies, and takes upwards of two years. No terrorist has ever navigated it to gain entrance to the U.S., Pallone said.

"We've been a country that takes people who are refugees," Pallone said. "We shouldn't just change that as a knee-jerk reaction to what happened in Paris."

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

Jesse Namotka was charged with a stunning number of crimes.

EDISON -- A fleeing driver emptied several rounds into his own backseat while trying to shoot at police over his shoulder in a chase down Route 1 and Amboy Avenue, police said.

Jesse D. Namotka, of Sylva, N.C., is being held on $250,000 bail after his arrest Saturday. He's been charged with attempted murder, threatening to commit murder, carjacking, criminal restraint, weapons charges, possession with intent to distribute heroin and cocaine, leaving the scene of an accident and eluding police, township police said.

Police say he had commandeered his cousin's car at around 12:45 p.m. Saturday when the cousin leaped from the vehicle at Route 1 and Wooding Avenue. The cousin was treated for minor injuries, police said. Namotka had allegedly taken his cousin against her will in the Jeep Cherokee.

PREVIOUSLY: Edison cop badly hurt by fleeing motorist

Police say Namotka, frightened by his cousin's sudden departure from the vehicle, hit another car, but then fled the scene.

Officer Nicholas Bayne saw the damaged Jeep with a flat rear tire and gave chase up Route 1. Namotka eventually lost control of the Jeep along Amboy and Franklin avenues, police said.

Namotka surrendered, and police found a dozen packets of heroin, a small amount of cocaine, and two handguns -- a revolver and a semi-automatic handgun.

Police say they found bullet holes and slugs from the revolver in the vehicle's backseat, indicating that he tried to shoot at police during the chase.

Namotka is wanted for a parole violation in connection with a robbery in another jurisdiction, police said.

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

 

Per state and federal law, at-home gun shops are legal, but they can run into trouble with the local zoning board.

A firearm for sale at a New Jersey gun shop in 2012. (Staff Photo by Cindy Hepner/South Jersey Times)Cindy Hepner 

EDISON --  Several residents and local officials expressed deep reservations after reports that three people, two of them township employees, had licenses to sell guns from their residential homes in the state's fifth-largest town.

"I would be upset if my next door neighbor was selling guns," Edison Councilman Wayne Mascola said at Monday night's Town Council meeting, reacting to NJ Advance Media's report last week that at least 140 businesses in New Jersey, including three in Edison, had state and federal licenses to sell guns from homes.

The subject of firearms can stoke passions like few others in modern American politics, but Monday night's discussion was less about the Second Amendment and more about Chapter 17.24 of Edison's local ordinances: Whether widgets or Winchesters, can people sell goods to customers from their homes?

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Mascola, the board's lone Republican, said he's not against guns, but "it's a residential area. That's what bothers me."

William Northgrave, the township attorney, said he would prepare some research for the council about the town's investigative options. But he cautioned against immediately sending in zoning officers to go out and knock on doors at the gun businesses, saying that gun sales there are "hypothetical."

"This is not hypothetical," Mascola shot back.

NJ Advance Media reported that the town's construction official, John Soltesz, has a license to sell guns from his Grove Avenue home. Soltesz refused to comment, but World Class Steel's own advertisements show that it is a stocking dealer of firearms, which the manufacturers say means a dealership that sells directly to customers from a stock that is kept on the premises.

Dan Boslet, an Edison police officer, also has a gun business at his home. Town officials said that his business engaged in "services and crafts." Boslet's license is for manufacturing, which in Boslet's case means he can coat the guns with a protective or decorative material. He also does some online gun transfers and a small amount of direct sales, he told NJ Advance Media.

And Mark Papi, a retired county sheriff's officer, said he had a zoning variance for his gun shop, but hadn't sold any firearms in about five years.

"I was shocked," said Walter Stochel, who speaks frequently at Edison council meetings. "The residents should be able to know. There should be an approval process."

Firearms enthusiasts say that home-based gun dealerships are a safe and effective way for people to exercise their rights and their passion for guns. The state of New Jersey, which has seen a large increase in at-home gun shops over the past five years -- at least one in three gun businesses operate from a home, NJ Advance Media's analysis found -- requires safety measures above and beyond what most states do, including locking up inventory in safes at night.

Lois Wolke, another Edison resident, still had questions about what was happening in a town she cares enough about to attend every meeting. Is the town making sure that the businesses are zoned properly, and that they're being assessed at the right level, if they have a finished basement?

"It's not good for the town," Wolke said.

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

 

The new Grover Cleveland service area on the New Jersey Turnpike north in Woodbridge, which emphasis fresh, healthy food, will likely be the model for other highway service areas.

The newly reopened Grover Cleveland service area on the New Jersey Turnpike, closed since being destroyed by Hurricane Sandy in 2012, could be the blueprint for other rest stop makeovers on the toll road.      

The new building that opened in Woodbridge on Monday morning is not the typical highway service area, with food warming under heat lamps and the ambiance of dining in a bus station.

"This is gorgeous. It's a wonderful change from others we've seen when driving down the Turnpike," said John Lawton of Norwich, Conn., who was among the first customers Monday morning. "This looks a little more upscale."

While the Lawtons said some similar rest stop renovations have been done on I-95 in Connecticut, they were impressed with Grover Cleveland.

"It looks beautiful. It's clean," said Cathy Lawton, after she and her husband bought coffee. 

The new Grover Cleveland service area represents a new wave of dining for travelers and could be the model for future rest area renovations, said officials from HMS Host, the contractor that operates service areas on the state's two biggest toll roads.

New Jersey Turnpike Authority and HMS Host officials cut a ceremonial ribbon at the front door and opened the new building for business. HMS Host operates 12 service areas on the turnpike and five on the Garden State Parkway. 

"It's a whole different idea. This is how we operate in airports. This is a first on motorways with a healthy view," said Steve Johnson, HMS Host president and chief executive officer. "We're looking at this as the model."

Gone are most of the fast food franchises, replaced with HMS Host's own Refresh and Co. brand, offering freshly made salads, sandwiches, burgers and pizza. Starbucks and Popeye's Kitchen round out the offerings. Food is made in front of customers and fresh, rather that frozen food is the norm, Johnson said.

The Turnpike Authority paid $8 million to HMS Host to construct the 15,262 square foot building. The new structure was completed in 23 months, one month ahead of schedule, said John O'Hern Ron Gravino, turnpike authority deputy executive director.

"This building is better than the one we lost in Sandy," said Ron Gravino, turnpike authority chairman. "It's not home (for travelers), but it's pretty nice."

The gas station remained open after the storm but required a diesel generator to power the fuel pumps because of damage by the storm to the electrical system.

Larry Higgs may be reached at lhiggs@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @commutinglarry. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Where we stayed on overnight trips in the Garden State in the 1960s.

THE OWNERS of the Solar Motel, on Route 1 and Ridge Road in South Brunswick, are ready to greet visitors in this photo from 1960. The unidentified couple is standing in the lobby of the motel, which has since been demolished.

On Nov. 26, this and other vintage photos of places to stay in New Jersey will appear as "Vintage photos of N.J. hotels, motels and inns" on nj.com.

MORE FROM INSIDE JERSEY MAGAZINE

Woodbridge Township health officials are asking residents in or near the Claremont Avenue school in Colonia to contact the health department if they believe they have come close or in contact with a fox that tested positive for rabies.

Health officials in Woodbridge are asking anyone who may have come close or in contact with a fox near the Claremont Avenue school in Colonia to contact them. The fox has tested positive for rabies.Google 

WOODBRIDGE -- Township health officials are asking residents in or near the Claremont Avenue school in Colonia to contact the health department if they believe they have come close or in contact with a fox captured in the vicinity of the school Nov. 19, 2015, that tested positive for rabies.

Woodbridge health officials said the fox was near death when it was recovered by the animal control officers. The carcass was transported to the state Department of Health forensic laboratory for testing. The township received the test results Monday.

Residents who believe they may have come close or in contact with the fox are asked to contact the health department immediately at 732-855-0600, ex. 5007, according to the alert issued Monday.

Health officials said rabies call affect any warm-blooded animals and warned residents not to come in close contact with stray or wild animals or allow their children to play with or feed any wildlife.

They recommend making sure trash, garbage and recycling containers are closed tightly.

More: Middlesex County news

Members of the public are asked to contact the health department or animal control if they see an animal acting erractically or having unusual contact with humans.

Sue Epstein may be reached at sepstein@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @susan_epstein. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

 

Flip through these Thanksgiving staples and let us know what you're serving Thursday, and what you aren't. Watch video

On Thanksgiving, some experts say we eat more than three times the average recommended daily allowance of calories. It's no wonder with all of those side dishes cramming the dinner table. With super-sized Thanksgiving recipe lists like this, this and this you could spend a lifetime of Thanksgivings without repeating repeating recipes.

What foods are on your Thanksgiving table this year? Flip through the food photos to show us what you are serving, and what you're not. Once you're done, you can see how your menu matches up with other NJ.com users. In comments, tell us what foods you are serving that are not on this list. 

When he sets out to kill his own turkey for Thanksgiving, NJ Advance Media commentator Brian Donohue winds up getting both a kick in the head from the turkey and an emotional hands-on lesson in where our food comes from. Note: video contains graphic footage. (Video by Adya Beasley and Brian Donohue | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)Brian Donohue | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

 

A Superior Court jury convicted an Edison man of the 2011 fatal shooting in Plainfield.

Malcolm Bradley, 25, was convicted of killing a 31-year-old Plainfield man in 2011. (NJ Department of Corrections photo)

ELIZABETH -- A 25-year-old Edison man currently serving a prison term on drug charges now has been convicted of the 2011 murder of a Plainfield man that occurred days before he was arrested.

Malcolm Bradley was convicted of murder, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, and criminal restraint in connection with the death of 31-year-old Curtis Stroud, acting Union County Grace Park said Tuesday.

She said the jury returned the verdict Monday after three days of deliberations following a three-week trial.

MORE: Edison man arrested for fatal shooting in Plainfield

Authorities said that on March 16, 2011, Bradley and Stroud had an argument in a restaurant on Park Avenue at East Fifth Street in Plainfield.

Minutes later, Bradley followed Stroud out of the restaurant to the area of Berckman Street and South Avenue in Plainfield, where Bradley shot Stroud as he was seated in the backseat of a friend's car, said Union County Assistant Prosecutor Colleen Ruppert, who prosecuted the case.

Stroud's friends took him to an emergency room at Muhlenberg Hospital and left him at there, authorities said. They said Stroud was pronounced dead at 1:45 a.m.

Plainfield police and the Union County Homicide Task Force identified Bradley as a suspect and arrested him about two weeks after the shooting, Park said.

Bradley was also arrested on drug charges about 10 days after shooting, according to state records. On March 26, 2011, he was charged with possession and distribution of drugs and unlawful possession of handguns, according to records on the state Department of Corrections website.

On Feb. 19, 2013 Bradley was sentenced to six years in prison.

Bradley could receive a term of life in prison for the murder when he is sentenced by Judge Stuart Peim on Feb. 5, 2016.

MORE UNION COUNTY NEWS

Tom Haydon may be reached at thaydon@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @Tom_HaydonSL. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

 

METUCHEN — Paws First LLC, a pet-sitting and dog walking service in Metuchen, will be collecting food donations in December for its Hungry Bowl Pet Food Drive. From Dec. 5 to 13, the following locations in Metuchen will be drop-off points for donations of dry and canned food for dogs and cats, with all donations going directly to the Woodbridge...

METUCHEN -- Paws First LLC, a pet-sitting and dog walking service in Metuchen, will be collecting food donations in December for its Hungry Bowl Pet Food Drive.

From Dec. 5 to 13, the following locations in Metuchen will be drop-off points for donations of dry and canned food for dogs and cats, with all donations going directly to the Woodbridge Animal Shelter and Adoption Center:

* Marafiki Fair Trade, 20 New St.
* Old Franklin School (Borough Improvement League), 491 Middlesex Ave.
* Metuchen High School, 400 Grove Ave.
* Edgar Middle School, 49 Brunswick Ave.

For more information, call 732-947-6719 or go to pawsfirstllc.com.

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.

 

An Elizabeth man is in the Middlesex County jail, charged with two attempted carjackings and robberies in Woodbridge on Nov. 18, 2015.

An Elizabeth man is in the Middlesex County jail, charged with two attempted carjackings in Woodbridge.File photo 

WOODBRIDGE TOWNSHIP -- An Elizabeth man is in the Middlesex County jail, charged with two attempted carjackings and robberies on Nov. 18, 2015.

Isaiah Malik Smith, 19, was arrested after Woodbridge police received a call about a suspicious person in the area of Jefferson Street and Isabelle Street in the Menlo Park section of the township at about 1:50 p.m. Nov. 18, 2015.

Police said officers arrived at the scene, but were then dispatched to Ford Avenue in the same section of town on a report of an assault taking place. They arrived to find a struggle between a man, identified as Smith, allegedly trying to carjack a vehicle.

More: Middlesex County news

Police said Smith attacked the driver as he sat in the vehicle and attempted to pull him out, but the driver resisted and struggled with Smith until police arrived and arrested him.

Authorities said investigators discovered that prior to the incident on Ford Avenue, Smith allegedly attempted to carjack a vehicle on Jefferson Street and Menlo Park Terrace, but failed.

Police said the victim in the second incident sustained minor face injuries.

Authorities said when Smith was arrested officers found a box cutter, ski mask, leather gloves, screwdriver and assorted jewelry.

The investigation is continuing, police said.

Sue Epstein may be reached at sepstein@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @susan_epstein. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

 

A tanker truck filled with cement overturned Tuesday morning at 11:25 a.m. on the ramp from I 287 north to Rt. 1 south in Edison, shutting the ramp and several lanes of Route 1 for several hours, according to State Police and the state Department of Transportation. Watch video

EDISON -- A tanker truck filled with cement overturned Tuesday morning at 11:25 a.m. on the ramp from I 287 north to Rt. 1 south in Edison, shutting the ramp and several lanes of Route 1 for several hours, according to State Police and the state Department of Transportation.

State Police said the male driver of the tanker truck suffered serious injuries and was transported by ambulance to a nearby hospital, but the spokesman did not know which hospital.

More: Middlesex County news

The Department of Transportation website said as of 3:28 p.m. that the ramp was still closed as is the right lane of Route 1 southbound.

Sue Epstein may be reached at sepstein@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @susan_epstein. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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