NJ Man Charged In $20K Check Fraud Scheme Years After Route 80 Police Chase NJ Man Charged In $20K Check Fraud Scheme Years After Route 80 Police Chase NJ Man Charged In $20K Check Fraud Scheme Years After Route 80 Police Chase
NJ Man Charged In $20K Check Fraud Scheme Years After Route 80 Police Chase A New Jersey man once arrested following a high-speed pursuit on Route 80 has been charged again, this time in a nearly $20,000 check fraud scheme, authorities said. Nicholas G. Didio-Slaaen, 27, of Garfield, was arrested Thursday, Oct. 15, following a two-year investigation by Tenafly Police Detective Michael Vecchiarelli, Deputy Chief Michael deMoncada said. The investigation began in August 2024, when a victim mailed a legitimate $2,500 check to a contractor for work performed, deMoncada said. The check was intercepted, altered to list Didio-Slaaen as the payee, and deposited into his p…
Ex-NJ Lt. Caught In Sexual Encounter By Husband Guilty Of Illegally Accessing Files: Prosecutor Ex-NJ Lt. Caught In Sexual Encounter By Husband Guilty Of Illegally Accessing Files: Prosecutor Ex-NJ Lt. Caught In Sexual Encounter By Husband Guilty Of Illegally Accessing Files: Prosecutor
Ex-NJ Lt. Caught In Sexual Encounter By Husband Guilty Of Illegally Accessing Files: Prosecutor A 46-year-old former Mantua police officer was convicted of official misconduct Friday, Oct. 16. In 2021, Butler, a lieutenant in the Internal Affairs department in Mantua, was involved in an off-duty sexual encounter when the woman's husband found the pair in their home, leading to a fight, Gloucester County Prosecutor Andrew Johns said. Rather than calling 911, Butler used the Mantua dispatch number, failing to identify himself as an officer, Johns said. He also refused to respond to questions from subordinate responding officers when asked about the events leading to the altercation, Joh…
PTA Mom Admits Stealing $50K From LI Group For Tickets, Hotels, And Amazon: Authorities PTA Mom Admits Stealing $50K From LI Group For Tickets, Hotels, And Amazon: Authorities PTA Mom Admits Stealing $50K From LI Group For Tickets, Hotels, And Amazon: Authorities
PTA Mom Admits Stealing $50K From LI Group For Tickets, Hotels, And Amazon: Authorities A Long Island PTA mom admitted stealing more than $50,000 from the organization and spending it on herself, authorities said. Jodi Scarlatos, 44, of Centereach, pleaded guilty to second-degree grand larceny on Thursday, Oct. 15, the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office said. Scarlatos was treasurer of the Jericho Elementary School PTA from July 2020 through September 2023, giving her access to the group’s bank account and a debit card meant only for PTA expenses, investigators said. Instead, she spent the money at restaurants, Best Buy, Ticketmaster, Amazon, and Verizon, along with ho…
NJ Middle School Teacher Held Man Down, Robbed Him In Hotel Room: Police NJ Middle School Teacher Held Man Down, Robbed Him In Hotel Room: Police NJ Middle School Teacher Held Man Down, Robbed Him In Hotel Room: Police
NJ Middle School Teacher Held Man Down, Robbed Him In Hotel Room: Police A man was robbed by two women he brought back to his hotel room in Atlantic City, authorities announced Friday, Oct. 16. At 1:31 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 9, officers responded to Harrah's Atlantic City after a man said he met two women, Veda Engel and Amanda Crafts, Atlantic City police said. He went to their hotel room where they held him down and took his cell phone, Atlantic City police said. They used the facial recognition feature to unlock his phone and transferred $1,250 from the victim’s Apple Pay account to Engel’s, police said. The man stated that the transactions were made without hi…
Crumbl Closes 60 Stores As Cookie Empire Struggles With Plummeting Sales: Reports Crumbl Closes 60 Stores As Cookie Empire Struggles With Plummeting Sales: Reports Crumbl Closes 60 Stores As Cookie Empire Struggles With Plummeting Sales: Reports
Crumbl Closes 60 Stores As Cookie Empire Struggles With Plummeting Sales: Reports A popular cookie chain has closed dozens of stores nationwide in 2026, including several in the Northeast, amid plunging sales and growing financial problems, according to reports. At least 60 Crumbl locations have permanently closed in 2026 as of Wednesday, Oct. 14, according to the fan-run website Crumbl Cookie Flavors. The closures come as the chain faces declining customer traffic and concerns that more stores could shutter. Crumbl was founded in Utah in 2017 and became the nation's largest cookie chain in 2023. The company has grown to more than 1,000 locations nationwid…
Man, 84, Killed, 4 Hospitalized In Parkway Crash In Westchester Man, 84, Killed, 4 Hospitalized In Parkway Crash In Westchester Man, 84, Killed, 4 Hospitalized In Parkway Crash In Westchester
Man, 84, Killed, 4 Hospitalized In Parkway Crash In Westchester An 84-year-old man was killed and four other people were taken to a hospital following a three-vehicle crash at a busy intersection in Westchester County, police said.  The fatal crash happened on Thursday, Oct. 15, at the intersection of the northbound Central Westchester Parkway and North Broadway in North White Plains, the North Castle Police Department announced.  Police said three vehicles were involved in the collision, including a 2026 Mercedes driven by an 84-year-old man. The elderly driver suffered fatal injuries in the crash, authorities confirmed.  Four othe…
Antisemitic Signs Reported Around Putnam County Town: Elected Officials Antisemitic Signs Reported Around Putnam County Town: Elected Officials Antisemitic Signs Reported Around Putnam County Town: Elected Officials
Antisemitic Signs Reported Around Putnam County Town: Elected Officials Reports of antisemitic signs appearing throughout a Putnam County community have prompted condemnation from local and state officials, with town authorities now working to remove the hateful messages.  The signs were posted throughout Putnam Valley, town officials confirmed on Thursday, Oct. 15. The town said its building inspector is removing the signs and that the Putnam County Sheriff's Office has been contacted.  "Hate speech will not be tolerated in our Town," town officials said in a public statement.  Assemblyman Matt Slater and Putnam Valley Town Board member Christ…
Shots Fired Near Busy Westchester Intersection After Possible Dispute Prompt Investigation Shots Fired Near Busy Westchester Intersection After Possible Dispute Prompt Investigation Shots Fired Near Busy Westchester Intersection After Possible Dispute Prompt Investigation
Shots Fired Near Busy Westchester Intersection After Possible Dispute Prompt Investigation Police are investigating after multiple gunshots were fired near an intersection in Westchester County in what authorities believe may have been a dispute.  The incident happened on Thursday, Oct. 15, around 2:45 p.m., near the intersection of Palisade Avenue and Ashburton Avenue in Yonkers, according to the Yonkers Police Department.  Officers responded to the area after receiving reports of shots fired. After arriving, police confirmed gunshots had been fired, potentially in connection with a dispute.  No injuries have been reported, authorities said.  Detective…
‘Today’ Show Co-Host Dylan Dreyer Shares Deeply Personal News ‘Today’ Show Co-Host Dylan Dreyer Shares Deeply Personal News ‘Today’ Show Co-Host Dylan Dreyer Shares Deeply Personal News
‘Today’ Show Co-Host Dylan Dreyer Shares Deeply Personal News A familiar face on morning television has offered a candid glimpse into a major change behind the scenes at home. NBC “Today” co-host and meteorologist Dylan Dreyer, 45, confirmed during the Thursday, Oct. 15, episode of her podcast, “The Parent Chat,” that her divorce from Brian Fichera is final. “Why does my mom live with me?” Dreyer asked during the podcast episode. “What is happening in my house that I have now taken up residence and have my mom as a roommate? As you know, I’m recently divorced,” Dreyer said. “So, my mom has been staying with me for months at a time.” Dreyer said her m…
Early Flu Concerns Grow As Activity Climbs Early Flu Concerns Grow As Activity Climbs Early Flu Concerns Grow As Activity Climbs
Early Flu Concerns Grow As Activity Climbs Flu activity is picking up as fall gets underway, putting this year’s protection timing in focus. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says flu activity remains low nationally but is increasing. Its latest FluView report captures that trend. Clinical laboratories reported that 3.4 percent of tested respiratory specimens were positive for influenza. Flu diagnoses accounted for 0.4 percent of emergency department visits in a separate surveillance system. Those figures show flu is circulating, but they do not establish that a widespread early season is already underway. The CDC…
2-Star Reviews Flood In For Gia Giudice's New NJ Restaurant 2-Star Reviews Flood In For Gia Giudice's New NJ Restaurant 2-Star Reviews Flood In For Gia Giudice's New NJ Restaurant
2-Star Reviews Flood In For Gia Giudice's New NJ Restaurant Gia Giudice's new restaurant has barely opened its doors, and diners are already divided over everything from the food and prices to a reported no-children policy. UPDATE: Il Vero has broken its silence on receiving 2-star reviews. Il Vero, the new Westwood restaurant from the daughter of "Real Housewives of New Jersey" star Teresa Giudice and Maria Sausa, a catering and special events coordinator, has begun welcoming guests, with early reviews praising its atmosphere while raising complaints about service, pricing and the dining experience. While the Center Avenue restaurant has received …
NJ Deputy Attorney General Arrested In Pennsylvania For AI Child Sex Abuse Material NJ Deputy Attorney General Arrested In Pennsylvania For AI Child Sex Abuse Material NJ Deputy Attorney General Arrested In Pennsylvania For AI Child Sex Abuse Material
NJ Deputy Attorney General Arrested In Pennsylvania For AI Child Sex Abuse Material A New Jersey deputy attorney general has been arrested in Pennsylvania after investigators said he used artificial intelligence to create and distribute child sexual abuse material and shared images depicting real children, authorities announced Thursday, Oct. 15. Brian Richard Fitzgerald, 51, of the Yardley area of Lower Makefield Township, Bucks County, was arrested at his home in the 900 block of Edgewood Road on Thursday morning, according to information released by the Bucks County District Attorney's Office and updated Friday, Oct. 16. Fitzgerald works as a deputy attorney general for…