NJ arsonist in hate spree home fire is sentenced – NJ Top News

Here are the top New Jersey stories for Monday, August 19, 2024

⚫ 3 Millville, NJ men dead in morning crash as BMW flips over

VINELAND — Police have identified three victims from Millville killed in a crash on Saturday morning.

An investigation found that around 8:30 a.m., a 2006 BMW heading west on Mays Landing Road lost control near Panther Road in Vineland. Three people were in the vehicle.

The car was going at a high rate of speed when it went off the road and hit a utility pole. It flipped over as it hit an irrigation winch in the farm field nearby.

All three people in the vehicle were dead at the scene. Two of them were ejected from the car.

The driver has been identified as Ian Rodriguez, 23, of Millville. Vineland police also identified the passengers as Joquan Carter, 26, and Shamere Bryant, 24, both of Millville.

⚫ Arsonist behind Manchester, NJ home fire and hate spree sentenced

MANCHESTER — An Ocean County man has been sentenced to time in state prison for an anti-Semitic crime spree that destroyed the new home of a young Hispanic family.

Ron Carr, 35, admitted earlier this year that he was responsible for vandalizing 14 houses in his hometown of Manchester on June 6, 2023, according to the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office. The graffiti spree targeted a Jewish neighborhood.

Carr was sentenced on Friday to seven years in state prison on the arson charge. He also received five years on one count of bias intimidation and 18 months for criminal mischief, however the sentences will run concurrently.

According to an affidavit, Carr said to police that he thought the home would be turned into a school after it burnt down. He believed he was "saving the neighborhood" from its Jewish residents, which he called an "infestation."

⚫ Not enough love for electric vehicles in NJ, poll finds

New Jersey envisions a time — not too far ahead — when all new cars sold are fully electric.

But many people can't see themselves being part of such a future.

In a new survey from AAA Northeast, 55% of consumers say they never plan to buy a vehicle that doesn't rely on gasoline at all. Thirty-five percent of respondents either already own a fully electric vehicle or plan to do so by 2035.

Eight percent believe they'll buy an all-electric vehicle, but in 2036 or later.

New Jersey plans to completely phase out the sale of new gas-powered vehicles by the year 2035. Ahead of the phase-out, at least 51% of all new car sales in New Jersey must be electric vehicles by 2027, under Gov. Phil Murphy's plans.

⚫ Major Jersey Shore bridge into Wildwood Crest, NJ closes indefinitely

LOWER TOWNSHIP — A major bridge down the shore will likely remain closed for the rest of the summer, causing headaches for locals and shoobies alike.

The Middle Thorofare Bridge, or Two Mile Bridge, closed late Saturday morning for a motor failure.

It's stuck in the open position and will remain closed to vehicles, bicycles, and foot traffic. Boats will be able to use the waterway, according to Cape May County officials.

Tests found that the motor didn't work and could not be repaired.

⚫ NJ is getting bigger: Obesity report shows impact of pandemic

Did you put on some weight during the pandemic?

You're definitely not alone, according to new data. But that fact shouldn't provide you with any relief — it's still a major concern, and a bad sign of what's to come down the line for the New Jersey health care system.

According to CHART's analysis of emergency department visits in New Jersey, the proportion of patients who are considered obese or overweight increased from 1% (30,245) in 2017, to 2.3% (68,342) in 2022. That's a 126% increase over five years.

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