Murder on the Hill
Fatal Shooting Being Treated as Domestic Dispute
08/13/26; Bergen-Lafayette- Hudson County Prosecutor Wayne Mello this morning announced the arrest of a suspect in the fatal shooting at 200 Cornelison Avenue this past Tuesday evening, August 11th, 25-year-old Jalil Harley of Jersey City has been arrested and charged with Murder, Possession of a Weapon for Unlawful Purposes, and Unlawful Possession of a Weapon. The matter is being treated as a domestic dispute.
On Tuesday night, shortly after 8 o’clock JCPD was notified of a man injured at an apartment in the Cornelison Building housing project. The officers responding found an unresponsive male, later identified as 38-year-old Omar Smith of Jersey City, with apparent gunshot wound(s). The victim was pronounced dead at the scene and the Cause and Manner of Death are pending with the Regional Medical Examiner’s Office.
*This matter is actively being investigated by the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office Homicide Unit and the Jersey City Police Department. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Office of the Hudson County Prosecutor at 201-915-1345 or to leave an anonymous tip at: http://hcpo.org/tips. All information will be kept confidential. [ibid – ed.]
July Hit-and-Run Suspect Arrested
Early Morning Greenville Crash Left Victim in Serious Condition
08/20/26 – The driver involved in last month’s near-fatal collision at Ocean and Winfield Avenues has been arrested and charged with leaving scene. 27-year-old Santiago Merna-Gutierrez, of Bayonne, was taken into custody this past Monday, the 17th, by officers from the Hudson County Regional Collision Investigation Unit and later released pending his first court appearance.
On Sunday, July 5, 2026, at about 2:20am, JCPD received notification of a stricken pedestrian in the area of Winfield Avenue and Ocean Avenue. At the scene, officers found a seriously injured male victim. The driver of the striking vehicle had not remained on the scene but was later identified by his Kia Soul.
Hudson County Prosecutor Wayne Mello’s office announced the charge of Knowingly Leaving the Scene of a Motor Vehicle Collision Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury and a charge of Obstruction in a Tuesday press release.
Competing Rallies at City Hall
Make Polluters Pay Speakers Heckled by JC Tax Protesters
Downtown, 08/17/26 – Two activist rallies competed for attention this afternoon in front of City Hall as bystanders and nearly two dozen JCPD officers and a handful of detectives looked on.
Make Polluters Pay, the much larger assembly, organized by Food & Water Watch- NJ and a coalition of climate action organizations, was drumming up support for the Polluters Pay Act bill being put before the New Jersey Legislature this fall and featured an all-star line-up of speakers from the mayor and city council to state assembly persons and leaders of the various organizations.
They were being heckled throughout the event by less than a dozen attendees of the Jersey City Tax Protest, organized by a community organization calling itself Prevailing Sentiment.
Also in attendance were JCPD top brass, reporters from numerous news outlets and a few podcasters.
Reward Posted for Union City Fugitive
Luis "Luisito" Marin Sought for March 23rd Murder
The United States Marshals Service is offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of Luis Marin aka "Luisito." Marin is wanted for Homicide by the Hudson County, NJ Prosecutor's Office for First Degree Murder and Weapons Offenses.
Luis Marin is to be considered Armed and Dangerous.
Investigative Contact:
Task Force Officer/Detective Sean Kennedy (USMS NY/NJ Regional Fugitive Task Force) - (201) 469-7703. All information will be kept strictly confidential.
Wolf among the sheep
Hudson County Family Services Worker Accused of Repeated Sexual Assaults of Jersey City Juvenile
Journal Square, 02/19 – A 46-year-old employee of the county Department of Family Services was arrested today on second-degree charges of Sexual Assault and third-degree Endangering the Welfare of a Child. Tejas Patel, of Woodbridge, was taken into custody by members of the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victims Unit at their offices in Secaucus.
Hudson County Prosecutor Wayne Mello this afternoon released information pertaining to the investigation and arrest of Patel, who in 2017 was arrested in Fairfield, NJ, for possession of child pornography on his work computer.
In Jersey City, Patel allegedly met his 15-year-old victim on the social media platform Snapchat and sexually assaulted them on multiple dates in 2024.
In the 2017 arrest, Patel’s fellow employees at Command Nutritionals in Fairfield, reported accidentally discovered suspicious icons on Patel’s work computer, which was eventually confiscated and inspected by Essex County authorities who were able to retrieve files of child pornography.
Patel is currently being held at the Hudson County Correctional Facility pending his first court appearance.
Mall Brawl
Monday Night Fracas at Newport Center Involving Dozens
Newport, 02/17/26 - A large fight broke out in the area between the Newport Centre Mall’s east entrance and the Pavonia-Newport light rail station north platform last night, 2/16, between 7:30 and 8pm and involving over two dozen people.
Multiple NJ Transit Police Department units were dispatched to the scene, including its Emergency Services Unit, as well as an EMS ambulance. At least one Jersey City Police Department was also seen present.
Jersey City Live Wire arrived on the scene as at least three groups of people were being separated by NJTPD officers; the largest consisting of more than a dozen juveniles, and two smaller groups that included both adults and minors.
It is unclear who, if anyone, was injured or if any arrests were made. Statements were being taken by NJTPD officers and some detained individuals were being permitted to leave the scene one at a time.
Initial phone inquiries to Simon Malls (the owner operator of Newport Centre) and New Jersey Transit Police were referred to official email channels and we are awaiting responses to a request for information and details submitted at the time of this posting.
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