A teenage driver from New Jersey, charged with deliberately hitting two 17-year-old girls, displayed a disturbing fixation on one of the victims before the tragic incident. In a YouTube livestream on September 23, Vincent Battiloro expressed feelings of “vengeance” toward Maria Niotis, claiming he had played a prank on her by ordering pizza to her house.
He seems to have acknowledged in the same livestream that he had previously waited outside her home, hinting at a deeper obsession.
The 17-year-old is facing two counts of first-degree murder after allegedly colliding with Maria and her friend Isabella Salas while they were riding an e-bike on a Monday night.
Battiloro argued that he was wrongfully accused of sending inappropriate material by Maria and her mother, claiming that this fueled his anger.
During the video, he made a call to Domino’s Pizza using what he referred to as a “burner phone,” placing a fake order to Maria’s house.
“I definitely feel vengeance toward this girl because I believe she falsely accused me,” he stated, adding that he intended to send a message to Maria’s mom.
He warned her not to involve authorities, insisting that she was the one damaging her own reputation and claiming that Maria would return to school regardless of his presence.
After placing the call, Battiloro and some friends joked about their actions, describing them as a “demonic” prank.
When his friends speculated about how he might have seen the pizza delivery at Maria’s home, he recalled a previous incident where he felt pursued by police after being spotted by Maria’s mother.
Authorities have not disclosed what was seized during their initial investigation. Cranford Police stated that all inquiries regarding the case have been directed to the Union County Prosecutor’s Office.
It has been reported that Maria’s family alleges Battiloro had been stalking her for months, even loitering outside her residence.
The day after the crash, in another livestream, Battiloro denied various allegations against him, portraying himself as a victim of bullying.
He claimed his parents were defending him against what he described as baseless accusations from earlier in May.
By June, he maintained that the allegations had been resolved and he wouldn’t face any charges.
In a somewhat contradictory statement, he remarked, “I’m basically exempt from fraud,” asserting his innocence despite the gravity of the situation.
Attempts to reach his father went unanswered, and no one from the family responded to inquiries over the past week.
Currently in custody, Battiloro’s case is being treated as a juvenile matter, though he could potentially face adult charges. He was initially detained and questioned on the night of the incident, but later released while the investigation continued, leading to the murder charges announced on Wednesday.
