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Cranford community mourns teen girls killed in hit-and-run
On Tuesday night, more than 500 people gathered at a growing memorial on Burnside Avenue, where grief and outrage spilled into the open.
CRANFORD, NJ - A teen has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder in connection to a hit-and-run in Cranford, NJ, that left two teen girls dead, the Union County Prosecutor's Office announced on Wednesday.
According to authorities, the 17-year-old boy from Garwood faces two counts of first-degree murder.
What they're saying:
"We would like to thank the members of the public for their assistance with this investigation as well as members of the Union County Prosecutor’s Office Homicide Task Force and Cranford Police Department for their diligent work during this investigation," Union County Prosecutor William Daniel said.
The backstory:
The crash happened just after 5:30 p.m. Monday on Burnside Avenue, where the victims were riding an electronic bike when they were struck and killed.
According to police, a black Jeep SUV struck the two teens riding their bikes, dragging one of the bicycles underneath the car before the driver fled. The SUV became disabled a short distance away, where officers arrested the suspect.
Dig deeper:
At first, officials described the incident as a hit-and-run involving e-bikes.
But residents on the block where the girls lived say the suspect had allegedly been stalking one of them for months both online and in person. They say the suspect had been parking outside one of the girl's home, and, in their words, "never being stopped" by police or school administrators.
"He’s been parked outside her house for three months now. He was never stopped," one neighbor told FOX 5 NY’s Arthur Chi’en.
Local perspective:
Another resident described seeing the aftermath, saying, "I had only seen one girl. And then I walked down the street a little bit and I saw the other girl. Just horrible. Nothing in the world is more horrible than what I saw yesterday. I have kids, you know, and so no family should have to go through this."
Another, a mother of five, struggled to hold back tears: "We don't want to bury our children, our children. It's burying us. So we're here to support them no matter what. And I want them to know that we... Our condolences to all three families. Not just two but his parents too are going through a lot.
What we don't know:
Authorities have not released the suspect's name. Friends of the victims’ families, however, say he may be related to a nearby police chief, an allegation prosecutors have not confirmed.
What you can do:
Anyone with any information is urged to contact Union County Prosecutor’s Office Homicide Task Force Detective Alex Lanza at (908) 370-4318 or Cranford Police Detective Jason D’Agostino at (908) 276-0171.
Union County officials are seeking surveillance or dashcam footage of a 2021 black Jeep Compass SUV with tinted windows seen in the area of Hillcrest Avenue, Burnside Avenue, and Lincoln Avenue at the time of the crash.