Overview

• Authorities say the girls were struck just before 5:30 p.m. Monday on Burnside Avenue near Lincoln Avenue, and the driver left the scene before being located and taken into custody.
• The suspect, a 17-year-old boy from Garwood, was charged with two counts of first-degree murder and has not been publicly identified because he is a juvenile.
• Union County officials requested home and dashcam video showing a 2021 black Jeep Compass with tinted windows from the surrounding streets, with tips eligible for up to $10,000 via Crime Stoppers.
• Relatives identified the victims as Maria Niotis and Isabella Salas, both 17 and students at Cranford High School, who were pronounced dead at area hospitals.
• Neighbors and family members alleged one victim had reported months of stalking and sought a restraining order, claims not confirmed by authorities, as the community held a vigil and schools offered counseling.