2 girls die at birthday party in Newark fire – NJ First News

Here are the top New Jersey news stories for Monday, October 21, 2024.

⚫ Retired NJ Chief County Sheriff Charged with Downloading Child Porn 

FRANKLIN LAKES — A former powerful Bergen County law enforcement official has been arrested on disturbing charges.

Stephen Bojekian retired as the chief of the Bergen County Sheriff's Office in 2004 after serving the department for over 26 years, according to his LinkedIn profile.The 69-year-old Bojekian was arrested in Paramus on Thursday, the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office said.

Prosecutors said a search of Bojekian's home in Franklin Lakes found he had downloaded child porn using the internet.The sexually explicit photos were of prepubescent and pubescent children, prosecutors said.

Bojekian was taken to Morris County Jail. He was released on Friday evening, according to jail records.

⚫ Two Girls Die at Birthday Party in Newark House Fire 

NEWARK — Two young girls are dead after a horrible fire in this city's South Ward overnight, according to officials.

The Essex County Prosecutor's Office is investigating the fatal fire that killed two victims, according to Chief Assistant Prosecutor Thomas Fennelly.

"Two little girls were killed in the fire," said ECPO spokesperson Carmen Martin.

The victims were six and eight years old, officials said. Their bodies were "severely burned" and they were pronounced dead at the scene.A birthday party was being held for one of the girls on the second floor of the home, prosecutors said.

Witnesses said to detectives that the girls were playing with fire near a couch in the hallway. Investigators found the fire started on the second floor and spread to the third floor.

⚫ New Tool for NJ Parents: How to Keep Your Kids Distraction Free 

Distracted driving took more than 3,300 lives on the road in just one year.

On the heels of some bad grades for New Jersey in a new study on distracted driving, and to mark National Teen Driver Safety Week, a new initiative has been launched to help ensure we're not raising a generation that will be glued to their phones while behind the wheel.

The new initiative, from GHSA and State Farm, is meant to serve as a one-stop shop for parents looking to educate kids and teens on how to remain distraction-free, not only while driving, but also while walking, biking or scooting along the road.

In a 2024 study from an injury law firm, New Jersey ranked as the fifth-worst state for distracted driving. The study points to 183 fatalities attributed to distracted driving in 2022, or more than a quarter of all fatal accidents in the state.

⚫Drivers in These NJ Counties Have a Higher Chance of Hitting Deer 

Most deer-related crashes occur close to sunset between the months of October and December, as this time of year coincides with deer rutting or mating season, when deer are on the move and more aggressive than usual, according to AAA Northeast.

Monmouth County drivers encounter the most deer, AAA reported. There were 310 deer versus car crashes there in 2022. Hunterdon County saw the second most car and deer crashes in 2022, at 277. Burlington County is third with 272 car and deer collisions, followed by Somerset County with 227 deer crashes, and Bergen County with 222 crashes.

Be careful driving through Readington, Hunterdon County. That is the top New Jersey town for deer and car collisions. There were 83 of them in 2022.

Mount Laurel is second with 58 car and deer crashes. Marlboro had 56 deer crashes two years ago, followed by Hopewell Township in Mercer County with 50, Egg Harbor with 45, Galloway with 43, Manalapan with 41, Raritan with 40, Tinton Falls with 39, Branchburg/South Brunswick with 38, and Bridgewater with 37 deer and car collisions.

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