An 18-year-old New Jersey resident will be tried as an adult in connection with the deaths of two 17-year-old girls in a fatal hit-and-run crash in Cranford in September 2025. Vincent Battiloro of Garwood was transferred from juvenile to adult court, allowing prosecutors to release his identity.
Prosecutors allege Battiloro, who was 17 at the time of the incident, struck Isabella Salas and Maria Niotis while they were riding an electric bike. The two girls were pronounced dead at local hospitals shortly after the collision. Battiloro was arrested on Oct. 1, 2025, after an investigation, and faces two counts of first-degree murder and multiple traffic offenses.
Battiloro's identity was previously withheld because he was a minor at the time of the alleged crimes. Following the waiver to adult court, his name could be publicly disclosed, according to the Union County Prosecutor's Office.
911 call audio from the incident, obtained by Fox News Digital, captured distressed callers describing the scene. One caller reported a vehicle "flew down the road and hit people," noting that one of the victims was unresponsive and "someone [was] underneath a car." Another caller stated, "Nobody's conscious. Everyone's stunned, not moving."
Records indicate that Battiloro was initially detained for questioning after the crash and later released to his father. His father reportedly contacted law enforcement after the incident. Battiloro was arrested two days later.
Maria Niotis' mother, Foulla Niotis, has expressed her belief that the suspect "planned" the attack and felt "untouchable" due to alleged connections to law enforcement. She also alleged that local police failed to take action after her family reported Battiloro had been stalking her daughter prior to the crash, stating, "They didn't do anything to help my baby."