‘He followed her every day': Unanswered warnings before Cranford teens were killed

💔 Two 17-year-old girls, Maria Niotis and Isabella Salas, were killed when a Jeep slammed into their e-bike in Cranford.

🚨 A 17-year-old suspect from Garwood faces two counts of first-degree murder; prosecutors may seek to try him as an adult.

🎥 The teen posted disturbing YouTube livestreams mocking the victims before and after the crash.

CRANFORD —  On Sept. 29, Cranford High School juniors Maria Niotis and Isabella Salas were struck and killed by a Jeep traveling 70 mph in a 25-mph residential street.

Prosecutors say the driver, a 17-year-old Garwood boy, deliberately targeted the girls as they rode their e-bike. What first appeared to be another e-bike tragedy has since revealed chilling allegations of stalking and harassment.

The latest report: Oct. 14

Click to read: SWAT calls and stalking warnings: Inside the NJ police connections behind the Jeep homicides

911 calls released

Who is the suspect?

The suspect — whose name is being withheld because he’s a juvenile — faces two counts of first-degree murder, according to Union County Prosecutor William Daniel.

He was initially detained, questioned, and released pending investigation, then arrested Oct. 1. Officials have not said whether he is currently being held or released to juvenile custody.

At first, the case appeared to be another in a series of recent deaths involving teens on e-bikes. But friends and neighbors told a different story to the media.

Neighbors told ABC 7 Eyewitness News that one of the girls had a restraining order against the driver after he harassed her at school and that he often sat in his vehicle outside her home. Maria Niotis' uncle was blunt about it on his Facebook page, stating that the driver followed her home from school every day. He said the police did nothing about it despite being told many times.

Court records show the teen was ticketed for traveling at 70 mph in a 25 mph zone at the time of the incident.

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Can the teen be charged as an adult?

Former Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher Gramiccioni, now in private practice with the firm Kingston Coventry, said state law allows for waiver of a juvenile offender to adult court for certain crimes, including homicide, within 60 days after the complaint is filed. In this case, it appears that Daniel is required to apply for the waiver.

"If a prosecutor wants to waive a case to adult court, he must file a motion to waive the juvenile with the court. In this case, since the anticipated charges are homicide, NJSA 2C:4A-26.1(c) sets forth the criteria – essentially probable cause that exists with a criminal homicide charge makes waiver mandatory," Gramiccioni said.

Gramiccioni said the allegations of stalking likely will play an aggravating role in the decision to waive the case to adult court.

A judge will consider several factors when considering a waiver to adult charges for a juvenile:

• The nature and circumstances of the offense
• The past record of the juvenile in terms of delinquencies
• The age and maturity of the teen
• Intellectual capacity of the juvenile
• Whether the crime is considered "complex or sophisticated"
• Whether or not the juvenile can be reformed and become a productive member of society

Daniel has not disclosed if he is considering waiving up the charges.

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Why do we know the teen suspect's name?

Hours after his release on Sept. 30 the teen did a livestream on his YouTube channel and appeared to have discussed the case. Chillingly, he did play-by-play of an online baseball game with a friend and 200 viewers as if it were a normal day.

The teen briefly expresses condolences to the two victims just twice in the 22-minute session, most of which is his lamenting the bullying and unspecified threats that he and his family have received.

He tried to portray himself as a victim of bullying and the government’s failure to address a mental health crisis. He even crowed about how much "engagement" and revenue he was generating from the angry comments to his sick livestream.

Viewers also verbally attacked the suspect, which delayed him from commenting on the incident. “Stream after incident ✔ Mourn the death of 2 innocent people ❌," commented one person before the frustrated teen turned off live commenting.

What else did he say in the videos?

In another livestream video recorded days before the fatal crash, the suspect mocks the mother of Maria Niotis for having a "stupid f***kin' name and accuses her of reporting that he has pornography to police.  He also called a Domino's and had two pizzas delivered for cash on delivery at the teen's home.

In a clip from the same video, which has been posted on X, he accuses Maria of making fun of conservative speaker Charlie Kirk, who was assassinated by a gunman on Sept. 10.

"Hey, whenever Maria sees the pizza guy come, better think of Charlie Kirk for making fun of his f**king death. Stupid ass clown. Just remember that," the teen says. "She made fun of Charlie Kirk's death on TikTok on a repost. Maybe her mother should monitor her social media activity."

The channel could not be viewed on YouTube on Friday afternoon.

According to NJ.com's reporting about another video, the suspect compared himself to former Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Trevor Bauer, who was suspended by the Dodgers in 2021 because of allegations of sexual assault the never resulted in criminal charges. The suspect accused "this girl" of making up "ridiculous allegations" that he will "deny for 50 years to the end of my life."

The teen was also a fan of toxic influencer Andrew Tate, whose Romanian sex trafficking and rape prosecution the teen was following in the news when he was 15 years old, according to headlines shared on his X account.

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What are the suspect's connections to law enforcement?

The suspect's uncle is Westfield Police Chief Christopher Battiloro. The chief has acknowledged he is related to the suspect.

"I do unequivocally condemn the actions of the accused, and like you, I demand that he face the consequences of his alleged actions in a court of law. As a law enforcement officer, I maintain full faith and confidence in our criminal justice system, and that it will ensure he is held fully accountable. I, too, pray for these families. I, too, demand full accountability and justice," the police chief wrote in a statement after the homicide arrest of his nephew.

The suspect's father is a retired police officer while his grandfather, who died in 2016, was a longtime fire chief in Westfield.

Could more have been done to stop the alleged stalking?

While friends and neighbors tell a consistent story about Maria Niotis being stalked and harassed by the suspect, details have not been disclosed by the prosecutor's office or Cranford police because the case involves juveniles.

Former Morris County prosecutor Alissa D. Hascup wrote on NJ.com that there are two types of restraining orders in New Jersey.

A temporary protective order, or TPO, can be issued under the state's Prevention of Domestic Violence Act.  The second is the newer Civil Protective Act, which allows victims to apply for a protective order against the person who they say caused them harm without reporting to law enforcement or filing criminal charges.

Created by the Victim’s Assistance and Survivor Protection Act, the person must first apply for a TPO in family court. A hearing is then held to determine if a final protective order, or FPO, can be granted.

According to the NJ Coalition Against Sexual Assault, a protective order is generally granted to those who are subject to continued harassing behaviors from their abuser but do not qualify for a domestic violence restraining order. This includes victims of stalking and cyber harassment.  A parent or guardian can apply on behalf of a victim under age 18.