October 14 Evening News
NEWS 12 NEW JERSEY REPORTED AN ELECTRIC VEHICLE CRASHED INTO THE WOODS ON THE GARDEN STATE PLAZA THAT LEFT THE DRIVER TRAPPED. EMERGENCY RESPONDERS FROM THE TOWNSHIP OF WASHINGTON FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED AT APPROXIMATELY 7:58PM. THE PASSENGER MANAGED TO ESCAPE THE VEHICLE WHILE THE DRIVER HAD BEEN PINNED INSIDE BY A FALLEN TREE. THE DRIVER WAS SUCCESSFULLY FREED AFTER FIRE CREWS DEPLOYED HOLMATRO HYDRAULIC CUTTING AND SPREADING TOOLS WHICH REMOVED THE DRIVER-SIDE DOOR AND CLEARED DEBRIS. THE DRIVER WAS THEN CHECKED BY WESTWOOD EMS AND BROUGHT TO THE HOSPITAL FOR FURTHER CARE. ACCORDING TO OFFICIALS, THIS IS THE THIRD SINGLE-VEHICLE ACCIDENT IN THE PAST THREE DAYS THAT HAS OCCURRED ON GARDEN STATE PARKWAY HEADING SOUTHBOUND. THEY ARE REMINDING DRIVERS TO STAY ALERT AND WEAR THEIR SEATBELTS.
NEWS 12 NEW JERSEY REPORTED THAT THE ESSEX COUNTY JURY HAS CONVICTED AN EAST ORANGE MAN OF MURDER AND ATTEMPTED MURDER ASSOCIATED WITH SEPARATE SHOOTINGS IN BOTH IRVINGTON AND NEWARK. THE MAN, 31 YEAR OLD JAMES TOLBERT, WAS FOUND GUILTY OCTOBER 9TH IN FRONT OF THE SUPERIOR COURT. HIS CONVICTIONS COMES FROM A FATAL IRVINGTON SHOOTING IN 2022 AND A NEWARK SHOOTING IN 2023. ACCORDING TO EVIDENCE PRESENTED BY SUPERVISING ASSISTANT PROSECUTORS, TOLBERT AS WELL AS OTHER MEN, PICKED UP 16-YEAR OLD ALSANIR HALL AND DROVE HIM TO IRVINGTON ON NOVEMBER 27TH 2022. TOLBERT THEN DEMANDED MONEY FROM THE TEEN AND AT CLOSE RANGE PROCEEDED TO SHOOT HIM IN THE FACE BEFORE FLEEING WITH THE VEHICLE. THEN IN 2023 ON JANUARY 22ND, THE SAME GUN WAS USED BY TOLBERT IN A NEWARK SHOOTING. HIM AND ANOTHER GUNMAN LURED 26 YEAR-OLD ALTILIYAH BUTLER OUTSIDE BY THROWING TRASH OUTSIDE A RESIDENCE. BUTLER WAS STRIKED TWICE AFTER 19 ROUNDS WERE FIRED BY BOTH MEN. FOR THE 2022 KILLING TOLBERT WAS CONVICTED BY THE JURY OF FIRST-DEGREE MURDER, FIRST-DEGREE CONSPIRACY TO COMMIT MURDER, AND RELATED WEAPON OFFENSES. THEN FOR THE 2023 INCIDENT HE WAS CONVICTED OF FIRST-DEGREE ATTEMPTED MURDER, CONSPIRACY, SECOND-DEGREE AGGRAVATED ASSAULT, AND OTHER WEAPON CHARGES. PROSECUTOR ACKNOWLEDGE THE HELPFUL INVESTIGATIVE WORK BETWEEN ESSEX COUNTY PROSECUTOR’S OFFICE HOMICIDE TASK FORCE, IRVINGTON POLICE DEPARTMENT, AND NEWARK POLICE DEPARTMENT.