October 21 Morning News
NEWS 12 NEW JERSEY HAS REPORTED A TOMS RIVER MAN WILL SPEND FIVE YEARS IN PRISON FOR SHOOTING AT A BICYCLIST DURING AN INCIDENT THAT LED TO TWO CONVICTIONS. ANTHONY VENTRICE, 19 YEARS OLD, IS SENTENCED AFTER PLEADING GUILTY TO AGGRAVATED ASSAULT. ACCORDING TO PROSECUTERS, VENTRICE WAS A TEENAGER AT THE TIME OF THE SHOOTING BUT WAS PROSECUTED AS AN ADULT. AUTHORITIES SAY VENTRICE AND ANTHONY ZIGARELLI, 22 YEARS OLD, FOLLOWED THE VICTIM WHO WAS RIDING A BICYCLE, AND FIRED SEVERAL SHOTS. THE VICTIM WAS NEVER STRUCK. ZIGARLELLI WAS PREVIOUSLY SENTENCED TO SIX YEARS IN PRISON FOR HIS ROLE IN THE SHOOTING.
NEWS 12 NEW JERSEY REPORTED THAT POLICE ARE SEARCHING FOR A MAN THAT ABANDONED A DOG BY TYING IT TO A GARBAGE CAN IN THE SOUTH END BUSINESS DISTRICT OF MONTCLAIR LAST WEEK. POLICE SAY THERE IS A SERVELIANCE VIDEO SHOWING A MAN EXITING A VEHICLE, POSSIBLY A DODGE DORANGO, WITH A BLACK DOG WITH A WHITE UNDERBELLY ON OCTOBER 13TH. THE VEHICLE IS THEN SEEN DRIVING SOUTH ON RANGE ROAD. AT AROUND 8:45 P.M., THE MAN WITH THE DOG IS THEN SEEN TYING THE DOG TO A GARBAGE CAN. THE SUSPECT IS SEEN GOING INTO A STORE AND THEN LEAVING SEVERAL MINUTES LATER WITHOUT THE DOG. ANIMAL CONTROL RESPONSE TO THE SCENE AND NOW HAS THE DOG. THE SUSPECT WAS LAST SEEN WEARING A BLACK SWEATSHIRT WITH PINK WRITING, A LIGHT-COLORED BASEBALL CAP, AND BLACK SNEAKERS WITH PINK LACES. ANYONE WHO MAY HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE SITUATION IS URGED TO CALL THE MONTCLAIR POLICE DEPARTMENT DETECTIVE BUREAU.
THE BERGEN COUNTY PROSECUTORS OFFICE REPORTED A NEW YORK MAN FACES CHARGES FOLLOWING A DEADLY HIT AND RUN ON ROUTE 17 IN PARAMUS MONDAY EVENING. POLICE RESPONDED TO THE SOUTHBOUND LANES NEAR GARDEN STATE PLAZA SHORTLY AFTER 5 P.M. PROSECUTOR MARK MUSELLA EXPLAINED AN ACURA TOWING A U-HAUL TRAILER COLLIDED WITH A BUICK CARRYING 31-YEAR-OLD KRISIANN REYES RIVERA OF THE BRONX. AUTHORITIES SAY RIVERA GOT OUT OF THE BUICK, APPROACHED THE ACURA AND STRUCK ONE OF ITS WINDOWS. INVESTIGATORS SAY THE DRIVER ACCELERATED, KNOCKING HER DOWN AND RUNNING HER OVER WITH THE TRAILER BEFORE LEAVING. RIVERA WAS TAKEN TO HACKENSACK UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER, WHERE SHE DIED. WITNESSES FOLLOWED THE VEHICLE AND BLOCKED IT NEAR THE MALL BEFORE FLAGGING DOWN AN OFFICER. THE DRIVER, 31-YEAR-OLD ESTUARDO RODRIGUEZ OF TARRYTOWN, FACES CHARGES INCLUDING DEATH BY AUTO AND LEAVING THE SCENE OF A FATAL CRASH. AUTHORITIES ALSO ACCUSE HIM OF DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE AND WITH A SUSPENDED LICENSE.
THE BERGEN COUNTY PROSECUTORS OFFICE REPORTED A HACKENSACK WOMAN IS ACCUSED OF PUTTING A BENZODIAZEPINE, A CONTROLLED DANGEROUS SUBSTANCE, INTO AN ACQUAINTANCE’S TEA AT A FORT LEE RESTAURANT. PROSECUTOR MARK MUSELLA SAYS 52-YEAR-OLD ROHWENIVEN BACANI MET WITH THE WOMAN TO DISCUSS UNAUTHORIZED BANKING ACTIVITY THAT THE WOMAN DETECTED IN HER OWN ACCOUNTS, TO WHICH BACANI HAD SHARED ACCESS. ACCORDING TO INVESTIGATORS, BACANI HAD A CUP OF TEA WAITING WHEN THE WOMAN ARRIVED. THE WOMAN DRANK SOME OF THE TEA BUT DID NOT FINISH IT AFTER DETECTING AN UNUSUAL TASTE. SHE THEN COLLAPSED WHILE LEAVING THE RESTAURANT. SHE SPENT SEVERAL DAYS IN THE HOSPITAL AND IS NOW RECOVERING. INVESTIGATORS FOUND THAT BACANI HAD ADDED THE BENZODIAZEPINE TO THE TEA. BACANI WAS CHARGED ON WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2026, WITH THIRD-DEGREE AGGRAVATED ASSAULT. SHE WAS ARRESTED ON THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2026, AND TAKEN TO THE BERGEN COUNTY JAIL PENDING HER FIRST COURT APPEARANCE.