Warning: Accused killer on the loose in NJ, police say – NJ Top News

Here are the top five stories on NJ 101.5 for Friday, June 20, 2025

⬛ Severe thunderstorms leave thousands in NJ without power

New Jersey is feeling the impact of Thursday's thunderstorms with power outages and the closure of a NJ Transit line on Friday morning.

Over 41,000 JCP&L, PSE&G and Atlantic City Electric customers are still without power as of 5:15 a.m. following the strong line of thunderstorms that rolled across New Jersey late Thursday afternoon bringing down hunrdeds of trees and branches.

Last night's storms caused dozens of reports of downed trees and wind damage. The National Weather Service received reports of trees falling onto houses in Colts Neck, Cranford, Keansburg, Middletown and Red Bank along with a tree on top of a vehicle in Harding. Trees also fell onto many local roads including Route 29 in Lambertville and Hopewell, Route 34 in Matawan and Route 206 in Princeton.

NJ Transit says its North Jersey Coast Line will remain suspended Friday morning due to downed trees near Middletown. Cross honoring is in effect with NJ Transit and private bus carriers.

There were 61 departures canceled from Newark Thursday and another 7 so far on Friday, according to flightaware.com.

The Barefoot Country Music Festival on the beach in Wildwood was shut down early Thursday evening due to the lightning strikes near the beach but was reopened at 9 p.m. with performances by Rascal Flatts and Megan Maroney.

⬛ Police catch 'killer' fugitive

MILLVILLE — South Jersey police were hunting for an accused killer who was considered armed and dangerous.

According to the Cumberland County Prosecutor’s Office, on Saturday, June 14, Trasuf J. Bennett, 19, of Bridgeton, pulled up to a car at 300 Maurice Street in Millville, and shot Roshaud Rhett, 20.

Bennett is charged with first-degree murder, second-degree unlawful possession of a weapon (handgun), and second-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose.

He was captured Thursday night just before midnight with a 16-year-old who police say was in the getaway car with Bennett. Police were considering him a runaway.

Police are still looking for James L. Henry, 19, of Maurice Street in Millville, who they said returned gunfire at the car driven by Bennett.

⬛ NJ teacher who gave birth to student’s child indicted on sex charges

A New Jersey elementary school teacher accused of having a sexual relationship with a student and giving birth to his child has been indicted by a grand jury.

Laura Caron, 34, of Cape May Courthouse, has been charged with aggravated sexual assault, sexual assault, and endangering the welfare of a child. The charges are identical to the ones she faced following her arrest in January.

The fifth-grade teacher, who was put on paid administrative leave from Middle Township Elementary School 2, was found by an investigation to have engaged in sexual activities with the child between 2016 and 2020, when the boy and his two siblings were living with her and the victim was as young as 11, according to prosecutors.

⬛ NJ urgent care doctor charged with raping patients in 3 counties

PERTH AMBOY — Nearly a dozen patients accuse their urgent care doctor of raping or groping them at his clinics throughout New Jersey, according to authorities.

On Thursday, the Attorney General's Office announced that 57-year-old Gurvindra Johal was indicted on two counts of second-degree sexual assault and 11 counts of fourth-degree sexual contact.

The state grand jury reviewed evidence against the Colonia man gathered from sprawling investigations conducted by prosecutors in three counties, the OAG said.

It's been more than two years since authorities first arrested Johal on Feb. 25, 2023.

At the time, he faced accusations from two female patients at his practice on Cornell Street in Perth Amboy.

⬛ NJ online shoppers hit with surprise fees. Are these a scam?

New Jersey shoppers are finding out that some online purchases now arrive with unexpected fees.

Is this a result of President Trump's trade war?

Anyone not familiar with the "fine print" of how goods from outside the U.S. arrive at their doorstep are wondering whether this is a scam.

Customers are responsible for the unpaid fees on a package if the retailer did not cover the tariffs.

This applies to third-party sellers on Amazon and any online or app retailer offering items not made in the United States.

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