Neighbors are newly concerned about local teenagers breaking into an abandoned pump house in Jersey City after a boy plunged into a well inside the building Tuesday night and had to be rescued by firefighters.
"They come over 24-seven over there," said John Preston, who fishes often at the lake near Summit and Jefferson avenues. "They go into the pump house. They've already been in that tower over there."
The lake, called Reservoir Number 2, is open to the public during limited hours, but some outside walls are easy for kids to scale. The reservoir and its pump house have not been used since 1982.
"There's a lot of safety elements we can't really monitor," said Preston.
Gavin says the pump house is full of dangerous shafts some 35 feet deep, filled with about 10 feet of water. The 16-year-old boy who plunged into the well Tuesday had apparently fallen through rotted plywood covering up the hole and was found clutching some wood.
"He was pretty scared. Frightened and shaken," said Jersey City firefighter Gary Gavin.
"He was holding on to that. He said he wasn't touching the bottom so we figured it was deep water," said Gavin.
Firefighters staged a rope rescue and managed to pull the boy to safety. He was seen walking out of the pump house wrapped in a blanket, his head covered in protective gear.
Jersey City firefighters train for water rescue at the lake, and were fully prepared Tuesday night. But the pump house is sealed tightly, raising questions about how the teens were able to get in.
"The door was secure when we arrived last night," said Jersey City Battalion Chief Robert Daly. "The kids possibly came in through another window, they had to climb much."
The 16-year-old boy couldn't be reached for comment Wednesday, but neighbor Gaspar Villanueva called him a "good kid."
"I guess he's just curious," he said.
A message has been left with the Jersey City mayor's office.
Despite not being used for decades, the Romanesque pump house is considered historically significant in the region, according to advocacy organization Jersey City Reservoir. The group states on its website that the reservoir is only partially protected, and it aims to protect the 13 acres on the site before they're sold for development.
A dog survived after he was shot in the head and leg in Cumberland County, New Jersey. Now the search is on for the gunman who left him for dead.
The pit bull was found lying on a road near Main Street and Strawberry Avenue in Commercial Township back on May 2. Rescuers took the dog to a local veterinary clinic but didn’t realize until May 10 he had been shot when X-Rays showed bullets lodged under his jaw and near his right back leg.
“The dog is very lucky to be alive and so far is doing very well,” said Dr. Ryan Gorman of the Animal Clinic of Millville.
The dog, who rescuers named, “Mr. Biggs,” also has what appear to be puncture wounds and scars all over his body.
“It’s very heartbreaking,” said Melanie Britton of TLC Animal Rescue. “I can’t believe somebody would do this. Just leave him out there to die. He’s so sweet. He just wants love.”
The bullet in Mr. Biggs’ leg shattered his bones. Dr. Gorman hopes an orthopedist can find a way to avoid amputating the leg.
“Instead of being a simple break with just two pieces, there are multiple fragments,” Dr. Gorman said.
The Cumberland County SPCA launched a full investigation into the incident as the search for the gunman continues.
“I hope justice is served because this dog did not deserve this,” Britton said.
TLC Animal Rescue is asking the public for donations to help them pay for Mr. Biggs’ veterinary bills which will end up being thousands of dollars. The dog will be put up for adoption once he’s in better shape. CLICK HERE if you would like to donate.
A Pennsylvania woman who was shot and killed by her boyfriend inside their Chester County home recorded her own murder on her cellphone, prosecutors said.
The boyfriend, Keith Smith, is heard acknowledging the recording and shouting obscenities at the woman before killing her, prosecutors with the Chester County District Attorney's Office alleged Wednesday. The office charged Smith with her murder.
Investigators said Smith, 43, and his girlfriend Wesley Webb were inside their home on the 300 block of Buckwalter Road in Schuylkill Township on May 2. Three children, all under the age of 14, were also inside the home at the time.
Smith and Webb got into an argument that night, according to officials, and Webb decided she was going to take two of the children and leave the home. Webb, seated on a couch in the living room, took out her phone and began to record audio of the argument, investigators said.
During the recording, Smith allegedly grabbed his single-shot, 12-gauge shotgun and opened fire, striking Webb once in the chest and killing her.
The recording allegedly captured Smith asking Webb, “You want to record it now, b---h?” The sound of a gunshot is then heard, before Smith shouts, “F--- you! How’s that? That’s where we just went,” according to investigators.
After shooting Webb, Smith reloaded the shotgun and turned it on himself, investigators said. He shot himself in the face but failed to kill himself, according to officials.
Officials say the three children were upstairs in the home during the shooting, but went downstairs and discovered Webb’s body. One of the children called 911 and police arrived at the home in minutes, officials said. When police arrived, Smith allegedly admitted that he shot Webb and had tried to kill himself after. He was taken to the hospital for treatment.
"This was a savage, selfish, and cowardly murder,” Chester County District Attorney Tom Hogan said. “The defendant did not hesitate to kill his girlfriend. But he flinched when it came to killing himself. Now, the victim is dead, the defendant is alive, and three kids have been badly traumatized.”
Smith is charged with first and third degree murder, possessing an instrument of crime and endangering the welfare of children. He is being treated at a hospital where he is in stable condition and will be transferred to Chester County Prison once he is medically cleared.
It was not immediately clear if Smith had an attorney.
“This case is a tragic example of technology and the law catching up to criminals,” Hogan said. “Until 2012 in Pennsylvania, a victim’s recording of her own murder would have been inadmissible under the Pennsylvania Wiretap Act. This law was changed in 2012, fixing a glaring omission. But that is slight solace for the children and family of the victim in this case.”
Police are searching for the driver of a minivan who struck a bicyclist in University City Wednesday night and then fled the scene.
Police say a former Drexel University student was riding his bike on 33rd and Powelton streets when he was struck by a red or Burgundy Ford minivan. The driver of the van did not stop and instead continued north towards 35th Street, police said.
The victim was not seriously injured during the crash and was able to ride away on his own after being checked out by responding medics.
Police say the hit-and-run vehicle had the partial tag "YBZ." They continue to investigate.
Three local doctors are accused of illegally selling commonly abused prescription drugs to both dealers and addicts in our area.
Dr. Alan Summers, 78, of Ambler, Dr. Azad Khan, 63, of Villanova and Dr. Keyhosrow Parsia, 79, of Ridley Park, are all charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, distribution of controlled substances, health care fraud and money laundering.
Dr. Summers operated a medical clinic on South Broad Street in Philadelphia and sometimes operated under the name National Association for Substance Abuse-Prevention & Treatment (NASAPT), according to an indictment filed Wednesday. Officials say Dr. Summers employed several other doctors including Dr. Khan and Dr. Parsia. The three doctors allegedly sold prescriptions of Suboxone – a drug used to treat opiate addiction -- and Klonopin – an anti-anxiety medication -- in exchange for cash without conducting medical or mental health examinations, which is required by law.
The indictment accuses Dr. Summers of helping his customers obtain health insurance benefits for the drugs by providing false information to health insurance companies. Officials say many of the doctor’s customers were drug addicts or drug dealers who sold the medication.
“These doctors capitalized on the addiction epidemic that is typically responsible for numerous deaths across our region,” said Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent-in-Charge Gary Tuggle. “The DEA will remain vigilant in pursuing investigations in an effort to combat this serious public health crisis.”
During his operation, Dr. Summers illegally sold over $5 million worth of controlled substances, according to investigators.
“We have a public health crisis in this county involving prescription drug abuse that is exacerbated by doctors like these defendants,” said United States Attorney Zane David Memeger. “Every doctor who abandons his or her ethics to engage in the prescription-for-pay culture is breaking the law. They need to ask themselves whether it is worth the money to put people in danger, to risk the loss of their medical licenses, and to lose their freedom. Our office will continue to investigate and prosecute those individuals whose unscrupulous and illegal conduct contributes to this deadly epidemic.”
NBC10 reached out to Dr. Summers’ attorney, Carrie Cinquanto, for comment.
“The medical treatment provided by Dr. Summers was medically necessary and met the generally accepted standards of medical practice,” Cinquanto wrote in an email. “Dr. Summers is innocent of these charges and is looking forward to his day in court.”
A man arrested for allegedly driving under the influence in Southwest Philadelphia overnight managed to slip away from police at the hospital and take off out a side door.
Now, police are searching for the 24-year-old, whom they later identified as Khalil Robinson. Police said Robinson crashed his car on Woodland Avenue near 63rd Street late Wednesday night and was arrested for DUI.
When he complained of pain, arresting officers took him to Presbyterian Medical Center for treatment, police said. When the officers took off his handcuffs at the hospital, the man -- wearing a hospital gown and a neck brace -- managed to get away and flee out a side door.
Police said he left his ID and wallet behind at the hospital. They continued to search for him Thursday morning and released a photo of him in hopes someone will see him and alert them to his whereabouts.
Two people were injured when the car they were riding in crashed into several parked cars and overturned in Philadelphia's East Falls neighborhood overnight.
Police said the crash happened at Ridge and Midvale avenues just after 1 a.m. It's unclear what caused the crash, but the car appeared to have struck several parked cars before overturning.
Video from the scene showed the badly damaged car still resting on its roof.
Police said the car's driver and a passenger were taken to an area hospital. Both were listed in stable condition.
The crash remains under investigation.
A man suffered a stab wound during an apparent robbery in West Philadelphia early Thursday, police said.
Authorities said the victim was on Ruby Street just north of Market about 4:30 a.m. when he was accosted by four men who attacked him, stabbing him in the lower back, and then stole his cellphone.
The victim was taken to a local hospital. His condition was not immediately known.
Detectives were investigating.
