A 17-year-old boy, Vincent Battilolo, is accused of hitting and killing two girls in New Jersey. He was taken into custody right after the incident but was released to his father, a former police officer, just eight hours later. This quick release has left the victims’ families with significant concerns.
Battilolo faces first-degree murder charges in juvenile court, but a family attorney pointed out that a recent dispatch report raises some troubling questions about the situation.
“Why was he released to his father after everything that happened?” asked attorney Brent Bramnick, representing the family of victim Maria Niotis.
The two friends, Maria Niotis and Isabella Salas, both 17, were riding an electric bike when they were struck at around 5:30 p.m. on September 29 in Cranford. Although he’s currently being processed as a juvenile, there are indications he may face adult charges, according to the Union County prosecutors.
In addition to the fatalities, Battilolo is said to have been stalking Maria in the months preceding the incident. Bramnick, a former prosecutor, noted that records indicate Battilolo was first taken into custody at his home around 6:15 p.m. after the crash.
Surprisingly, he was released to his father, Jeffrey Battilolo, a retired police officer, early the next morning. Prosecutors have previously stated he was detained and later arrested, though they haven’t clarified how long he was initially held.
Bramnick expressed concern about whether the father’s law enforcement background had any bearing on the investigation. Maria’s mother, he says, shares serious doubts regarding how the ties to law enforcement may have influenced the case.
During the time between his initial detention and formal arrest, Vincent Battilolo made unsettling comments regarding the accident in a YouTube livestream.
Attempts to get a comment from Jeffrey Battilolo went unanswered. The Union County Prosecutor’s Office has mostly refrained from discussing the case because the defendant is currently considered a juvenile.
