New Jersey: Premeditated murder of 17-year-old Greek girl and her friend

An 18-year-old suspect is charged with first-degree murder for the deaths of two 17-year-old girls, including a Greek-American teenager, in Cranford, New Jersey.

New Jersey: Premeditated murder of 17-year-old Greek girl and her friend

An 18-year-old man stands accused of deliberately killing two 17-year-old girls, one of Greek origin, in Cranford, New Jersey, last September.

Vincent Battiloro initially told investigators that an armed stranger had stolen his vehicle. However, footage captured by his own car's camera completely contradicted this claim, according to the indictment.

The victims, Maria Niotis and Isabella Salas, lost their lives on September 29, 2025, while riding an electric bicycle through Cranford. The suspect now faces first-degree murder charges as an adult.

Investigators say the teenager made a U-turn to pursue the girls, accelerated, and ultimately struck them at high speed, as recorded on video. Following the collision, he allegedly abandoned the car and fled on foot.

The video from his vehicle shows him mounting the sidewalk and heading toward Burnside Avenue, near the residence of one of the victims. Shortly after, the two teenagers appear on their e-bike traveling in the opposite direction.

The case has now moved to adult court, a development that Maria Niotis's family described as a first step toward justice. Meanwhile, the family's attorney revealed that two false emergency calls targeting their home had occurred before the tragedy, raising questions about whether authorities could have acted earlier to prevent the incident.

The suspect was located around 2 a.m., just hours after the crime.

Source: Athens Voice

Source: Google News GR — Crime (el)