New Jersey news briefs for Sunday Jan. 11

LIBERTY STATE PARK

Green group worries about development at Liberty State Park

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — The possibility of developing land at Liberty State Park in northern New Jersey has some environmentalists concerned.

New Jersey Sierra Club director Jeff Tittel says language in a bill before Gov. Chris Christie would make it easier for a planning commission to greenlight building projects in the 1,200-acre park.

But a spokesman for the Department of Environmental Protection says there are no such plans under consideration.

The dispute arises from a bill lawmakers passed in December that combines two Meadowlands development agencies and reforms a tax-sharing system.

Christie has until next month to decide whether he'll sign the bill.

BROTHER SHOOTS BROTHER

Police: Dispute ends with brother shooting, wounding brother

PLEASANTVILLE, N.J. (AP) — Authorities say a southern New Jersey man shot his brother during an argument with a gun that he didn't believe was loaded.

Pleasantville police tell The Press of Atlantic City that 26-year-old city resident Drew Murphy was charged with aggravated assault and two weapons offenses. His bail was set at $50,000 cash, and it wasn't known Saturday if he has retained an attorney.

The shooting occurred Friday in an apartment on West Leeds Avenue where Murphy and his 27-year-old brother, Anthony, both live.

Authorities have not said what the men were arguing about, but said Drew Murphy pointed a .32-caliber handgun at his brother and — thinking it wasn't loaded — pulled the trigger.

Anthony Murphy was shot in the neck, but was conscious and able to talk.

BODY FOUND IN YARD

Man found dead in front yard of home was shot in the head

NORTHFIELD, N.J. (AP) — Authorities say a man found dead in the front yard of a southern New Jersey home this week died from a gunshot wound to the head.

Atlantic County prosecutors identified the victim on Saturday as 52-year-old Franklin Dwayne Gant Smith, who was also known as Kevin Charm. But it's still not clear how he ended up at the Northfield home late Friday morning or how long his body had been there before it was found.

The death has been ruled a homicide, but a motive for the shooting remains under investigation. Prosecutors say it's not yet known where Smith had been living in recent weeks.

Atlantic County prosecutors declined to disclose further information on the shooting, citing the ongoing investigation.

FIERY PARKWAY CRASH

State police: Driver killed in Garden State Parkway crash

HOLMDEL, N.J. (AP) — State police say a driver was killed when their car struck a bridge abutment on the Garden State Parkway and burst into flames.

The crash occurred around 2 a.m. Saturday near mile marker 117 in Holmdel Township.

A state police spokesman says the motorist was driving in a northbound lane when the vehicle drifted into the southbound lanes and struck the abutment. Troopers are still trying to identify the driver, as well as the make and model of the car, which was destroyed by the fire.

The driver was alone in the car, and it did not appear that any other vehicles were involved in the accident.

The cause of the crash remains under investigation.

CRASH-PASSENGER KILLED

Driver gets 4-year state prison term in fatal Howell crash

FREEHOLD, N.J. (AP) — A central New Jersey driver who caused a crash that killed one passenger and injured another is now headed to state prison.

Jacob Cannizzaro, of Howell Township, had been drinking and was speeding when his car overturned and struck a tree in June 2013. He pleaded guilty last September to vehicular homicide and assault by auto charges.

Authorities say the crash in Howell occurred after the 22-year-old Cannizzaro passed another car in a no-passing zone.

Mark Chilton, a 22-year-old Freehold resident who was sitting in the back seat, was killed in the crash. The front-seat passenger, 21-year-old Angelo Capasso of Howell, was injured but has since recovered.

Cannizzaro received a four-year prison term Friday for the vehicular homicide count and an 18-month concurrent term for the assault by auto charge.

CONCRETE CRUSHER ACCIDENT

Maintenance worker killed in concrete crusher accident

SOUTH TOMS RIVER, N.J. (AP) — Authorities say a worker performing routine maintenance on a concrete crusher was killed when he somehow got entangled in the machinery.

South Toms River police told NJ.com that 54-year-old Adrian Perez, of Lakewood, suffered traumatic injuries to the upper regions of his body and didn't have a pulse when officers arrived at Suffolk County Contractors around 8:45 a.m. Friday.

It then took authorities "some time" to free Perez from the machinery. He was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead a short time later.

Authorities say the concrete crusher appeared to be working properly, and they are trying to determine how Perez got caught in the machine.

The federal Occupation Safety and Health Administration is investigating the accident.

CRANE COLLAPSE

Crane operator injured when it collapses near Parkway

(Information in the following story is from: Asbury Park (N.J.) Press, http://www.app.com)

BRICK, N.J. (AP) — A construction worker was injured when a crane tipped over near the Garden State Parkway in southern New Jersey.

Brick police tell the Asbury Park Press that the accident occurred around 10 a.m. Saturday in Brick.

They say the crane's operator was working on an overpass that carries the Parkway over Route 88 when the crane apparently collapsed, throwing the man into a wooded area. He was flown to a hospital for treatment of undisclosed injuries, but further details on his condition were not disclosed.

The man's name has not been released.

The cause of the accident is under investigation by state police and the Brick police department.

CHILD PORN CHARGES

Southern New Jersey man faces child pornography charges

TOMS RIVER, N.J. (AP) — A southern New Jersey man is facing child porn charges.

Ocean County prosecutors say bail was set at $75,000 cash for Michael Peluso, a 44-year-old Toms River resident who was arrested Friday at his home after authorities executed a search warrant.

Prosecutors say Peluso allegedly possessed and shared hundreds of images of child porn online. They also say he used software to mask the IP address of his computer, so it appeared that he was in Illinois.

After authorities in Illinois determined that Peluso was in Toms River, they notified Ocean County authorities.

It wasn't known Saturday if Peluso has retained an attorney.

BOOKKEEPERS-THEFT CHARGES

Prosecutors: 2 bookkeepers stole money from iron company

NEPTUNE, N.J. (AP) — Two bookkeepers at a Jersey shore-based iron company face theft charges for allegedly stealing money from the company.

Monmouth County prosecutors say 54-year-old Debra Latshaw, of Neptune Township, forged about $300,000 worth of checks and made unauthorized purchases from the company's accounts. She's charged with theft, fraudulent use of a credit card, forgery and uttering a forged instrument.

Marilyn Berger, a 67-year-old Freehold Township resident, allegedly stole more than $30,000 by manipulating the company's payroll system and making unauthorized purchases with a company credit card. She's charged with theft by deception and fraudulent use of a credit card.

Telephone numbers for both women could not be located Saturday. Both face lengthy prison terms if convicted.

Latshaw's bail was set at $35,000, while Berger was released pending a future court date.

GREEN CARD FRAUD

Man sentenced for making, selling false government documents

CAMDEN, N.J. (AP) — Federal prosecutors say a Camden man has been sentenced to two years in prison for his role in a scheme to produce and sell fake government documents.

Domingo Luna, a 34-year-old Mexican citizen who prosecutors say was living in the United States illegally, will also have to serve three years of supervised release once he's freed from prison under the sentence imposed this week.

Prosecutors say Luna had a criminal record in the United States and was deported in 2012. He was arrested in December 2013 and eventually pleaded guilty to making fake identification documents and to willfully entering the United States illegally.

Federal officials have said Luna was producing and selling false and fraudulent U.S. Social Security cards, permanent residence cards and driver's licenses from a location in Camden.

INTERNET GAMBLING-NJ

WSOP, 888 to combine prize pools

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — Two of New Jersey's Internet gambling sites will begin sharing players next week, with bigger online prizes.

WSOP.com and 888poker.com will start sharing players on Monday.

The move is designed to increase so-called player liquidity, a key area New Jersey's year-old Internet gambling market is seeking to improve as it begins its second year.

Internet gambling in New Jersey took in only about a tenth of the $1 billion supporters had forecast for its first year.

Caesars Interactive says the move will increase prize guarantees for tournaments, and lead to a greater number of players available for cash games.

The sites will begin sharing $130,000 in guaranteed tournaments each week.

GAS PRICES

New Jersey gas prices still falling

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — Motorists continue to see sharply lower prices at the pumps in New Jersey.

AAA Mid-Atlantic says the average price of a gallon of regular gas in the state on Friday was $2.16, down 11 cents from last week. That's also much lower than the price from a year ago, when motorists were paying $3.33.

The national average price on Friday was $2.17, down 6 cents from last week. That's also much lower than the national average from a year ago, when motorists were paying $3.31.

Analysts say the lower prices are due to falling crude oil prices.

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