Two students from Cranford High School, New Jersey, were struck by an SUV on Monday, Sep. 29. They tragically died, and the local police department have reason to believe the students weren’t just struck by accident but rather as part of a premeditated murder plot by a fellow teenager.
The students, Maria Niotis and Isabella Salas, both 17, were riding an e-bike at half past five in the evening when they were struck by the SUV. The two were rushed to hospital but were soon pronounced dead.
The family has remained quiet as investigations continue, but in the immediate aftermath, the families of Isabella and Maria released a joint statement to Fox 5 saying that the suspect is “a coward of a man, who had been plotting this attack against Maria for months, carried out this horrific act, taking not only her life but also Isabella’s. He is not insane, he is competent and meditated.”
The families are now asking the prosecutor’s office for a murder in the first degree charge. Reportedly, neighbors of Isabella and Maria had previously noticed that the driver of the SUV was stalking the young girls. “He’s been parked outside of her house, online, in school,” one woman shared. Another neighbor added, “The school was notified, the police were notified, like for three months now.”
To make matters more complicated, People reports the police chief admitted on Facebook that the main suspect was a relative of his. The police shared that while the main suspect was not a member of his immediate family, he still acknowledged the family relation. The police chief, however, also added that he does not condone the actions. And much like Charlie Kirk’s parents, the police chief said he wants full accountability for the main suspect.
The main suspect is a 17-year-old male who was arrested in nearby Garwood by the Cranford Police Department on two first degree murder charges. The police told the press they had reason to believe he had a connection to the fatal hit and run, however they refused to answer anymore questions. The Union County Prosecutor’s Office also chose not to answer questions from the press and instead focused on building their case against the 17-year-old.
Cases of stalking have long been understood by law enforcement as the gateway to much more sinister crimes down the line. However, when it comes to law enforcement involvement, there is usually little the police can do in accordance with legal parameters. So while the situation is dire and unfortunate, especially when you take into account that the police were at least partially aware, the law is — for better or worse — mostly reactionary. And sometimes, that ends in tragedy, especially with teenagers.
The accusations seem solid, and the main suspect appears to be in a situation where a mountain of evidence points solely at him. But again, the law states that everyone is innocent until proven guilty, and in this particular situation even his identity cannot be released to the public before he is found guilty because, in New Jersey, the state juvenile laws protect underage suspects from having their names released by legal authorities.
