Parental Concerns Before Tragedy

The parents of a New Jersey teenager, who is now facing charges for allegedly murdering two of his classmates, contacted the police multiple times regarding their son’s violent behavior in the weeks leading up to the incident. According to recent reports, Jeffrey Battilolo expressed his worries about his son Vincent, who was 17 at the time.

In a conversation with law enforcement on August 24, Jeffrey mentioned, “He sprayed mace in my face. He took my car.” This was part of a string of incidents he had reported, as revealed by documents obtained through the Freedom of Information Act.

Shortly after, on August 30, he told police he was starting to feel unwell due to the ongoing issues with Vincent.

On September 29, the troubling situation escalated dramatically. Vincent was implicated in a tragic event where he allegedly drove at a high speed—110 mph—through Cranford, striking and killing two girls, Maria Niotis and Isabella Salas, who were riding their bikes.

Jeffrey Battilolo, a former police officer, initially called a non-emergency line on August 9 seeking “advice” about his son. He stated he wanted to discuss certain “youth issues” with an officer, hoping for guidance on how to manage his son’s behavior.

A few weeks later, on August 24, he made a 911 call reporting a “juvenile problem” and mentioned that the police had been to their home previously.

During that call, when asked for details, Jeffrey notified the dispatcher about the mace incident, but the call ended abruptly. This left many questions unanswered.

Two days later, Vincent’s mother, Judith Battilolo, reached out to the Garwood police. She conveyed that Jeffrey had kicked Vincent out of their home, and she was unsure how to help him, indicating that Vincent had shown up at her place, upset about the recent events.

The final call prior to the fatal crash occurred on August 30, when Jeffrey again flagged a “juvenile problem.” He mentioned that police had responded to their home in the past but did not provide much detail. The call ended with him stating, “He’s starting to feel unwell,” again leaving the dispatcher and the situation unresolved.

A number of family members and neighbors reported that Vincent had been stalking and harassing Niotis prior to the tragedy. In a video posted on September 23, he expressed feelings of “revenge” toward her, accusing her of falsely claiming he had sent inappropriate materials to get him into trouble. He even admitted to monitoring her family by sitting outside their home.

In that livestream, he stated, “You shouldn’t have accused me… You made the decision to destroy your reputation.” This rant only adds to the complexity of his psyche leading up to the incident.

Vincent was questioned by the authorities on the day of the crash but was initially released, only to be arrested two days later. In the meantime, he allegedly streamed a video suggesting there was more to his story.

The Union County Prosecutor’s Office has charged Vincent Battilolo with two counts of murder. However, they have not disclosed whether he will be tried as an adult.