Here's the stories you'll be talking about on the New Jersey 101.5 Morning Show on Thursday:

⬛ 'He is not my son': Chief condemns Cranford teen suspect

The police chief in Westfield released a lengthy statement on Wednesday to distance himself from the juvenile suspect charged with murdering two 17-year-old girls with his Jeep in Cranford on Monday afternoon.

Westfield Chief Christopher Battiloro, who lives in the Cranford neighborhood where the homicide unfolded, clarified that the 17-year-old murder suspect is not his son after social media comments revealed that he was a relative in a family with retired and serving members of law enforcement. At least one AI-generated article wrongly identified the chief as the teen's father.

Prosecutors have not publicly identified the suspect by name because he is a juvenile, but he was known in the neighborhood, where neighbors of one of the victims said he had been stalking her, raising questions about how seriously police handled the young victim's complaints in light of the suspect's familial ties to law enforcement.

➡ Read Chief Battiloro's full statement HERE.

⬛ Emotionless NJ teen charged with murder goes live on YouTube

▶ Teen accused of killing two Cranford girls went on YouTube livestream the next day claiming he was bullied.
▶ Families of victims say he stalked one of the girls; prosecutors charged him with murder.
️▶ Suspect, a gamer and Andrew Tate follower, has 39K TikTok followers and posted Jeep photos.

A teenager charged with intentionally killing two 17-year-old girls by running over them with a Jeep went on a YouTube livestream the next day and tried to portray himself as a victim of bullying and the government’s failure to address a mental health crisis.

As the families and friends of Maria Niotis and Isabella Salas were wracked with grief after the fatal Monday afternoon crash in Cranford, the 17-year-old online gamer and follower of the misogynist influencer Andrew Tate went live with his gaming buddy as if it were another normal day.

He even crowed about how much "engagement" and revenue he was generating from the angry comments to his sick livestream.

⬛ Man found dead at NJ jail after being convicted of wife's murder

🔴 Convicted killer Shawn Lichtfuss was found dead in his Camden County jail cell
🔴 The Voorhees man was found guilty of strangling his wife, Stefanie Caraway
🔴 Medical examiners have determined a cause of death

A Voorhees man has been found dead in his cell at Camden County jail, only one night after he was convicted of his wife's 2021 murder.

Shawn Lichtfuss, 53, was found unresponsive shortly after 11 p.m. on Sept. 19, according to the Camden County Prosecutor's Office.

Despite attempts to revive him, medics declared Lichtfuss dead around half an hour later.
On Wednesday, the prosecutor's office revealed how Lichtfuss died. A report from the medical examiner said his cause of death was asphyxia.

His death has been ruled a suicide.

⬛ NJ hospital tech accused of raping patient during heart test

🚨 Tech accused of sexually assaulting a hospital patient during cardiac test
👩‍⚖️ Asher Younis was fired and faces multiple sexual assault charges
📞 Prosecutors ask the public for tips as Special Victims Unit investigates the incident

HACKENSACK — An electrocardiogram technician at Hackensack University Medical Center has been criminally charged and accused of a patient’s sexual assault on Tuesday.

Asher Younis has been charged with first-degree aggravated sexual assault, second-degree sexual assault and third-degree aggravated criminal sexual contact.

The 41-year-old Dumont resident is a citizen of Pakistan, according to jail records.

On Tuesday, the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victims Unit was called in by Hackensack police, about the incident that morning.

Younis was working when he sexually assaulted an adult female patient, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said.

⬛ Jackson rebellion: Turmoil as NJ town struggles to replace mayor

🔴 Multiple Jackson Township employees file complaints against Council President Jennifer Kuhn.
🔴 The council is set to pick a new mayor on Friday after longtime Mayor Mike Reina’s resignation.
🔴 Kuhn, a top contender for mayor, denies wrongdoing and says she's only asking for accountability

JACKSON — Factions within this Ocean County community are coming to a head as competing groups look to pick a new mayor for the first time in nearly two decades.

New Jersey 101.5 has obtained several leaked complaints filed by Jackson Township municipal employees, including several code enforcement officers and Police Chief Matthew Kunz.

All of the complaints were filed within the past two weeks, coinciding with the resignation of longtime Mayor Mike Reina.

It comes days before the Jackson council will decide on the next mayor at a special meeting on Friday morning.

At least six complaints accuse Council President Jennifer Kuhn of bullying and harassment. They call for her to resign from the council.

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You can reach him at eric.scott@townsquaremedia.com

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