NEWARK, NJ—The Newark Public Safety Department is seeking assistance in locating 40-year-old Kiki Clark for questioning about an aggravated assault shooting that occurred on Monday, May 13.
The incident took place at approximately 3:55 a.m., where a victim was shot in the leg at an unspecified location. The victim was subsequently transported to University Hospital.
Clark is described as a white female, 5 feet 6 inches tall, with brown hair and hazel eyes.
Public Safety Director Fritz G. Fragé has urged anyone with information about Clark’s whereabouts to contact the Newark Police Division’s 24-hour Crime Stopper tip line at 1-877-NWK-TIPS (1-877-695-8477).
All tips received can be anonymous and may qualify for a reward. Information can also be submitted via the Police Division’s website.
- Man charged in Jersey City hit-and-run that left pedestrian seriously injured
JERSEY CITY, NJ — A 30-year-old man has been arrested and charged in connection with an April 7 hit-and-run in Jersey City that left a pedestrian seriously injured, Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez announced Thursday.
Hassan Degregoda, of Jersey City, faces multiple charges including aggravated assault, endangering an injured victim, leaving the scene of a crash with serious injury, and several weapons offenses. He was taken into custody by the Hudson County Regional Collision Investigation Unit and S.W.A.T. team at his residence on Morgan Street on April 17 and is currently being held at the Hudson County Correctional Facility pending his first court appearance.
The incident occurred around 1:30 a.m. on Monday, April 7, near Bay and Erie streets. Responding officers found a 37-year-old male victim with serious injuries. The vehicle involved, a Mercedes S530, fled the scene before police arrived.
Investigators later located the vehicle and, during a court-authorized search, recovered a high-capacity magazine. Authorities determined that Degregoda and the victim were involved in an altercation before the crash, during which witnesses reported Degregoda was armed with a handgun.
Array of charges includes weapons and assault offenses
Degregoda faces 12 charges, including second-degree aggravated assault and possession of a weapon for unlawful purposes. Other charges include aggravated assault with a deadly weapon (a motor vehicle), obstruction, and causing serious injury while driving with a suspended license. He also faces charges related to illegal firearm possession and possession of a prohibited device.
“The charges stem from both the hit-and-run and the altercation that preceded it,” the prosecutor’s office stated.
Key Points
- Hassan Degregoda was arrested April 17 in connection with an April 7 hit-and-run in Jersey City.
- The victim, a 37-year-old man, sustained serious injuries; the vehicle fled the scene.
- Degregoda faces 12 criminal charges, including aggravated assault and weapons violations.
Authorities say Degregoda remains in custody and no additional details have been released as the investigation continues.
- In New Jersey, is it pizza or is it a pie
When you call your favorite local pizza joint, do you ask for a pizza or a pie?
In New Jersey, a state renowned for its rich culinary heritage and vibrant Italian-American culture, a longstanding linguistic debate persists: should the iconic dish of dough, sauce, and cheese be referred to as “pizza” or “pie”?
This question, far from trivial, reflects deep historical, cultural, and regional influences that shape the state’s identity. Below, we examine the origins, arguments, and evidence behind both terms to provide a comprehensive analysis of this culinary conundrum.
The term “pizza” originates from Italy, with roots tracing back to the Latin word pinsa, meaning flatbread, or the Greek pitta, referring to bread. Documented as early as the 10th century in Italy, pizza as we know it—a leavened dough topped with ingredients—gained prominence in Naples before crossing the Atlantic with Italian immigrants in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In New Jersey, home to some of the nation’s oldest and most celebrated pizzerias, “pizza” is the predominant term used in commercial and colloquial contexts.
Establishments such as Star Tavern in Orange, founded in 1945, and De Lorenzo’s Tomato Pies in Robbinsville, established in 1947, explicitly use “pizza” on their menus and branding. This reflects both the dish’s Italian heritage and its standardized nomenclature in modern American English. Menus across the state, from urban Newark to coastal Wildwood, consistently list “pizza” as the primary descriptor, suggesting a widespread acceptance of the term. Furthermore, when ordering a single portion, customers typically request a “slice of pizza,” reinforcing the term’s dominance in everyday vernacular.
Despite the prevalence of “pizza,” the term “pie” holds significant historical and cultural weight in New Jersey. The use of “pie” to describe pizza emerged in the early 20th century among Italian-American communities, particularly in the northeastern United States. The analogy likely stemmed from the dish’s physical resemblance to traditional American pies: a round, sliced item shared among a group. Early references, such as advertisements from the 1920s and 1930s, occasionally used “pizza pie,” a term that gained traction in popular culture, notably in the 1940s song “That’s Amore” with its famous line, “When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie.”
In New Jersey, the term “pie” is particularly associated with certain regional and familial traditions. For example, in South Jersey locales like Trenton and Vineland, pizzerias and residents often refer to a whole pizza as a “pie,” especially in the context of takeout orders for group consumption. This usage is evident at establishments like Spirito’s in Elizabeth, where older generations may casually use “pie” in conversation. The term also aligns with the cultural practice of communal eating, as a “pie” is typically ordered for sharing, distinguishing it from individual slices.
To gauge contemporary usage, an analysis of social media platforms, including posts on X, reveals a divided yet passionate discourse among New Jerseyans.
Residents from North Jersey, particularly in Bergen and Essex counties, often favor “pizza,” citing its alignment with the state’s urban, fast-paced pizzeria culture. Conversely, South Jerseyans, especially in areas like Cumberland and Atlantic counties, frequently use “pie,” reflecting a more traditional, community-oriented lexicon.
These differences underscore New Jersey’s regional diversity, with linguistic preferences often tied to local identity and heritage.
A review of prominent pizzerias’ online presence further illustrates this divide. De Lorenzo’s and Santillo’s Brick Oven Pizza in Elizabeth consistently use “pizza” in their official communications. However, anecdotal evidence from customer reviews and social media suggests that “pie” remains prevalent in informal settings, particularly among older demographics or in South Jersey establishments like Trenton’s tomato pie-centric pizzerias.
The debate over whether to call it a “pizza” or a “pie” in New Jersey is not merely linguistic but a reflection of the state’s complex cultural tapestry. “Pizza” dominates as the formal, widely recognized term, rooted in the dish’s Italian origins and standardized in commercial contexts. Yet “pie” persists as a nod to historical usage, regional identity, and communal dining traditions, particularly in South Jersey and among older generations.
Ultimately, both terms are valid, their usage determined by context, geography, and personal or familial preference. What remains undisputed is New Jersey’s unparalleled contribution to pizza culture, with its world-class pizzerias producing some of the finest examples of this dish, regardless of nomenclature. As the debate continues, it serves as a testament to the state’s pride in its culinary heritage and its willingness to engage passionately in matters of food and identity.
- Driver charged in double-fatal Linden crash after allegedly running red light at high speed
LINDEN, NJ — A 28-year-old Piscataway man has been charged with two counts of second-degree vehicular homicide in connection with a deadly crash last year that killed two people, officials announced Thursday.
Devon Scuccimarri was arrested on April 10 following a months-long investigation into an October 5, 2024, crash at the intersection of US Routes 1 & 9 and South Stiles Street in Linden, according to Union County Prosecutor William A. Daniel and Linden Police Chief David Hart.
Authorities said Scuccimarri was behind the wheel of an Infiniti G37 when he allegedly ran a red light at high speed and collided with a Freightliner tractor trailer that was making a left turn. Police responding to the scene around 3 a.m. found front-seat passenger Ahmad Campbell, 25, of Edison, dead inside the vehicle.
Scuccimarri and a second passenger, Melvin Jones, 24, of Piscataway, were rushed to Newark University Hospital with serious injuries. Jones died later at the hospital.
Investigators determined that Scuccimarri’s vehicle was traveling at an excessive speed at the time of the collision. The driver of the tractor trailer was not reported injured.
Scuccimarri was taken into custody, processed on the vehicular homicide charges, and remanded to the Union County Jail.
Key Points
- Devon Scuccimarri, 28, is charged in a 2024 crash that killed two passengers.
- Authorities say he ran a red light at high speed before striking a tractor trailer.
- He was arrested April 10 and is being held in Union County Jail.
Prosecutor: Crash investigation led to charges after six months
Officials say the investigation was conducted by the Union County Prosecutor’s Office Homicide Task Force and Linden Police Department. Detectives involved include Kevin Stanicki, Nicholas Veltre, and Michael Rozycki.
The charges against Scuccimarri are accusations at this stage, and he is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The Union County Prosecutor’s Office is encouraging anyone with further information about the case to come forward by contacting investigators directly.
- The faces of ICE: Over 200 arrested in New York City migrant sweep
NEW YORK — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested 206 individuals during a week-long enhanced enforcement operation in the New York City area, focusing on illegal aliens with serious criminal histories, ICE announced Thursday.
The operation, which ran April 6–12, involved ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and federal partners including the FBI, DEA, ATF, U.S. Marshals Service, Diplomatic Security Service, and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices from the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York.
“New York is much safer today because of the hard work of ICE and our law enforcement partners,” said acting ICE Director Todd M. Lyons. “Throughout this enhanced enforcement operation, we targeted the most dangerous alien offenders in some of the most crime-infested neighborhoods in and around the city.”
According to ICE, the arrests included members of violent transnational gangs such as MS-13, Tren de Aragua, Sureños, and 18th Street. Of the 206 arrested, 121 had criminal convictions or pending charges for crimes including homicide, sexual assault, drug trafficking, firearms offenses, and arson. One individual was a foreign fugitive and another had a homicide conviction in the Philippines.
ICE Acting Field Office Director Judith Almodovar said, “The majority of the aliens arrested have egregious criminal histories to include manslaughter, rape, assault, drug trafficking and sex assault against minors.”
Gang members and sex offenders among those arrested
Among those arrested was Camilo Cesar Gonzales-Encalada, 23, a Spanish national and Sureños gang member, convicted of assault and drug and firearms offenses. He was arrested April 6.
Also detained was Alexander Steven Jimbo-Perez, 25, of Ecuador, arrested the same day. His record includes charges of assault with intent to cause injury and endangering a child.
ICE apprehended Derrick Alphonso Roberts, 60, of Jamaica, on April 7. His criminal history spans multiple convictions, including manslaughter, firearms offenses, and drug trafficking.
Luis Olmedo Quishpi-Poalasin, 35, from Ecuador, was arrested April 7. He has been convicted of several sex crimes, including rape by forcible compulsion and sexual abuse of an individual incapable of consent, as well as arrests for witness tampering and aggravated harassment.
Another arrest included Edimar Alejandra Colmenares Mendoza, 22, a Venezuelan national and alleged member of Tren de Aragua, apprehended April 8. She faces charges for conspiracy, larceny, and possession of stolen property.
Key Points
- ICE arrested 206 individuals, including gang members and sex offenders, in a week-long New York City enforcement effort.
- 121 of those arrested had serious criminal records or pending charges, including homicide, rape, and drug trafficking.
- The operation involved cooperation with multiple federal law enforcement agencies and targeted neighborhoods across NYC, Long Island, and the Hudson Valley.
On April 9, ICE arrested Modesto Arias-Soto, 35, a Dominican national with a conviction for narcotics conspiracy and an arrest for tampering with public records. That same day, they detained Marcos Tul-Guallpa, 39, of Guatemala, who has a conviction for endangering a child and a sex abuse arrest.
On April 10, Jhonny Morocho-Veletanga, 32, of Ecuador, was taken into custody. He was previously convicted of injuring a bystander during a felony assault.
The arrests continued through April 11, when ICE officers apprehended multiple offenders. These included Will Alexander Ordonez, 48, of Honduras, convicted of arson and drug offenses; Jaime Gustavo Quizpi-Romero, 51, of Ecuador, with assault and strangulation charges; Adnan Paulino-Flores, 58, of Mexico, with sexual abuse charges pending; and Jose Felix Ortiz-Martinez, 49, also of Mexico, with assault convictions.
ICE emphasized that many of those arrested had been released from custody by local jurisdictions that declined to honor immigration detainers.
New York City neighborhoods see violent offender sweep in ICE-led crackdown.
- A New Jersey human trafficker who exploited a minor among four victims was sentenced to nearly 18 years in prison
TRENTON, N.J. — A Newark man was sentenced to 210 months in federal prison Thursday for trafficking multiple women, including a minor, across state lines for sex, following his conviction on a slate of prostitution-related charges.
Amin Sharif, 50, was found guilty by a jury in July 2024 of five federal crimes: sex trafficking of a minor, transporting a victim with intent to engage in prostitution, persuading a victim to travel for prostitution, attempted transportation with the same intent, and using an interstate facility to promote unlawful activity. U.S. District Judge Michael A. Shipp handed down the sentence in Trenton federal court.
The case, prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, stems from a January 2021 FBI investigation that uncovered Sharif’s cross-country trafficking network. Authorities say Sharif used fake identities and social media profiles to lure victims from New York, Pennsylvania, Idaho, and Utah, promising them money, housing, and bill payment.
Among the four victims was a minor whom Sharif advertised online for more than 30 sexual encounters. Investigators testified that he made false promises of financial independence to exploit vulnerable women for profit.
Sharif has a prior federal conviction for transporting a minor for prostitution and previously served a 10-year prison sentence for that offense.
20-year supervised release imposed
In addition to the nearly 18-year prison term, Judge Shipp ordered Sharif to serve 20 years of supervised release following his incarceration. No parole exists in the federal prison system.
According to court documents and trial evidence, Sharif’s crimes were marked by a pattern of manipulation and deception, as he posed under multiple aliases and used digital platforms to reach his victims.
Key Points
- Amin Sharif, 50, was sentenced to 210 months in prison for sex trafficking and related offenses
- Sharif recruited women and a minor from four states using false promises and online aliases
- He has a prior conviction for similar crimes and will also serve 20 years of supervised release
