Elizabeth, NJ man indicted for June 2020 murder of Newark woman

An Elizabeth man has been indicted on criminal charges in the beating death of a Newark woman last summer, Union County Prosecutor William Daniel announced Friday.

A Union County grand jury returned the charges of first-degree murder and two related, second-degree weapons offenses for 21-year-old Oliver I. Tzarax-Lopez, in connection with the death of 37-year-old Nohora C. Agudelo.

At 2:30 a.m. on June 28, 2020, Elizabeth Police responded to suspicious activity reported in the area of East Broad Street and North Broad Street.

Officers found a woman, later identified as Agudelo, who had suffered severe head injuries, according to prosecutors.

An autopsy confirmed it was a case of homicide caused by blunt-force trauma.

Tzarax-Lopez was criminally charged on August 5, 2020, but remained at large for more than three weeks.

On August 27, he was arrested at a diner in Manhattan by law enforcement including U.S. Marshals officers.

Anyone with further information about Agudelo’s death has been urged to contact the Union County Prosecutor’s Office Sgt. Christopher Scuorzo at 908-472-0492 or Sgt. Lamar Hartsfield at 908-451-1873.

NJ teachers and educators caught in sex crime busts

Over the past several years, state lawmakers have dealt with accused child predators among ranks of teachers and educators.

The following individuals were arrested and charged in 2021 and several years earlier. Some were convicted and sentenced to prison.

Others accepted plea deals for probation and some cases were still pending.

Gallery Credit: Erin Vogt

Most Expensive House For Sale in Somerset County

Located in Bernardsville Boro, the 25,000+ square foot home is now listed at $14.95 million. The home has six bedrooms, 12.5 baths, and over 32 acres. Some features of the property include a two-story library, a guest house, a sauna, a pool, and a 16,355+ bottle wine cellar. Property taxes for the home were $145,150 in 2019.

Gallery Credit: Brendan McLaughlin