Funeral services held for 1 of 2 teens killed in Cranford hit-and-run
The funeral services for Maria Niotis took place at Fairview Cemetery on Friday morning.
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Friends and family members gathered at a Westfield cemetery on Friday to honor the life of one of two 17-year-old girls killed in a hit-and-run crash in Cranford earlier this week.
The funeral services for Maria Niotis took place at Fairview Cemetery.
Hundreds of mourners showed up at the St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church in Union Township on Thursday evening for Niotis’s wake. Her mother spoke publicly for the first time.
Fouli Niotis remembered her daughter as her sunshine and said her daughter had dreams of going to cosmetology school to become a makeup artist.
Visitation for Isabella Rose Salas, the second victim, will be held this Saturday from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. at Dooley Funeral Home in Cranford. Her funeral services will take place on Monday at the same cemetery as Niotis.
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The 17-year-old Cranford High School seniors were killed while riding on an electric bike on Burnside Avenue in Cranford. A 17-year-old boy from Garwood was charged with two counts of first-degree murder for allegedly crashing into the victims and driving away.
A spokesperson for the Union County Prosecutor’s Office says that the suspect was initially detained and questioned soon after the incident on Monday. The spokesperson said that the suspect was released later that day. The suspect was then arrested on Wednesday morning and taken into custody on the murder charges.
News 12 has learned that the suspect is related to the Westfield chief of police. Chief Christopher Battiloro admitted in a statement that he is related to the suspect but stated that the suspect is not a member of his immediate family.
Authorities have not officially identified the suspect due to his age.
But News 12 has learned that Cranford police issued 15 tickets to 17-year-old Vincent Battiloro, of Garwood. The tickets were issued for an incident at the same time and place as the hit-and-run on Monday night. Those tickets included speeding, reckless driving and leaving the scene of an accident.
