NBC10 continues our Black History Month Celebration with a story about the leader of one of the most sought after construction firms in Delaware. NBC10’s Erin Coleman tells us how Angelo Perryman is breaking down barriers one project at a time.

A former New Jersey police officer charged in a fatal wrong-way crash on Staten Island in 2015 will face a jury in a few weeks after declining a plea deal. 

"We are going to trial," Pedro Abad's lawyer said in a brief hearing Wednesday. Jury selection is now expected to begin April 10.

Abad faces eight to 25 years in prison if convicted, but was offered a plea deal for a sentence of five to 21 years. The deadline for that offer was Wednesday. 

Prosecutors say Abad was drunk when he collided with a tractor trailer on the West Shore Expressway in the morning hours of March 20, 2015. Two passengers in Abad's car were killed, including a fellow Linden, New Jersey officer.

Abad has pleaded not guilty to charges in the case. Last December, a federal judge denied a defense request to suppress Abad's blood-alcohol test results.

A young man sat in the back row of the Medicinal Marijuana Review Panel hearing Wednesday morning, swaying side to side and making small noises his mother tried to hush.

The pair came to Trenton to share their story in front of cannabis patients, doctors and advocates, many of whom had to stand or wait outside the room.

Choking back tears, Susan O’Mullen described how her family has been in “pure hell” as a result of her 23-year-old son’s debilitating medical conditions: severe autism, epilepsy, migraines and chronic pain.

Recently, he suffered brain swelling as a result of a 6-minute grand mal seizure. O’Mullen overheard doctors in the emergency room saying her son “would be better off dead,” she said.

“I don’t understand why you wouldn’t want to help future generations,” the New Jersey mother added.

A chorus of frustration echoed O’Mullen’s testimony as dozens of patients petitioned to add chronic pain and other debilitating ailments to the list of conditions eligible for New Jersey’s medical marijuana program.

Currently, cannabis is only available to people suffering from Lou Gehrig's disease, multiple sclerosis, cancer, muscular dystrophy, Crohn's disease or any terminal illness.

Gov. Chris Christie added PTSD to the list in September, however cannabis treatment must come after traditional methods of therapy and medication have been exhausted.

This qualification is a problem for veteran Leo Bridgewater Sr., a Trenton native who served two tours in Iraq and one in Afghanistan as both a soldier and a contractor. It was during his military years that Bridgewater developed PTSD and chronic pain from a knee injury. Several surgeries and many therapy sessions later, Bridgewater is convinced that forcing veterans to seek pharmaceutical treatment for depression or mental health issues is only exacerbating the problem.

“Guys don’t want to touch those pills. We hear about it even before getting out, so we know. When you make it to where it’s a requirement before you can get to medical marijuana, that’s a problem,” he said.

Bridgewater testified before the state senate committee last year to add PTSD to the list of eligible conditions. He pointed to suicide rates among former service members, which is 32 percent higher than the general population, and how that speaks to the inadequacy of current mental health care practices. Doctors should reconsidered putting veterans on opioids or other heavy medication, he said.

“We have 20 to 22 guys take their lives every day,” Bridgewater said. “So what are we going to do about it?”

Now in its seventh year, New Jersey continues to grapple with implementation of its medical marijuana program. It lags behind other states with similar laws in both access and eligibility, and is the most expensive program in the country. Currently, people suffering from conditions such as chronic pain, lupus and Lyme disease cannot entire the program legally.

This is the first time since 2010 that the health department has considered adding more conditions. In 2014, a state judge ordered the Christie administration to issue an annual report as the first step in expanding the existing program. That ruling came after a patient and physician filed a lawsuit arguing medical marijuana was taking too long to implement.

“It’s a shame that we have to drag patients into a room to beg for their lives,” said Lucky Grimes, who suffers from chronic pain and is frustrated by his lack of legal access to cannabis.

“When you say cannabis, the first thing that pops into people's minds is Cheech and Chong. But these are people’s lives we’re talking about.”

Wednesday’s Powerball jackpot has climbed to $403 million dollars. NBC10 South Jersey Bureau Reporter Cydney Long spoke to one man in Pitman, New Jersey who believes luck is on his side.

One in every six adults in Philadelphia relies on Obamacare. Supporters made another push to protect it on Wednesday. NBC10’s Denise Nakano has the details.

A Stockton University student stuck decals with messages on restroom mirrors to express her political frustrations. NBC10 Jersey Shore Bureau Reporter Ted Greenberg has the story.

United States officials have sued a Philadelphia poultry store accused of selling improperly labeled chickens that were held under unsanitary conditions.

The lawsuit was filed against J & B Poultry Market on 1450 S. 7th Street and its president Johnny Wong.

According to the complaint, the store violated the Poultry Products Inspection Act which prohibits companies and individuals from selling "misbranded" or "adulterated" poultry. The lawsuit states chickens at J & B lacked safe handling instructions and other information required by law. The lawsuit also alleges the chickens were held under unacceptable conditions, including in the back of a pickup truck outside and inside the store when temperatures were as high as 80 degrees.

• READ THE FULL LAWSUIT HERE

Officials say they found over 20 bags of misbranded and unlabeled chickens stored on a shelf with no refrigeration. Wong also allegedly admitted to failing to properly label the poultry and failing to immediately refrigerate it.

It's not the first time Wong’s store has been under investigation. On May 5, 2009, the poultry slaughterhouse received a notice from the United States Department of Agriculture for Food Safety for allegedly violating the Poultry Products Act. On July 13, 2011, October 31, 2012 and May 26, 2015, J & B Poultry received the same warning for allegedly storing, selling and handling non-federally inspected poultry and transporting chickens throughout the state of Pennsylvania.

J & B Poultry has yet to comment on the lawsuit.

A man died from his injuries while 2-year-old twin girls remain hospitalized after a car struck their disabled minivan in Northeast Philadelphia Tuesday afternoon.

Dennis Alexander, 27, was driving with his fiancée and her twin daughters on Woodhaven Road (Route 63) Tuesday around 1 p.m. Alexander's fiancée told NBC10 their minivan became disabled and he pulled over to the left lane. Alexander went outside and stood in front of the van, pouring fluid in the radiator, police said. 

At the same time a 30-year-old man was driving a 2015 White Honda Accord westbound on Woodhaven in the left lane when he became distracted by something in his car, police said. The man looked down briefly and then struck a 2010 Silver Subaru Impreza that was traveling in the middle lane, according to investigators. The collision caused the Accord to deflect towards the disabled van. The Accord then hit Alexander who was still standing outside as well as the van, police said.

The impact knocked Alexander onto the highway. He suffered several injuries, including head trauma, and was unconscious when police arrived. The twin girls, who were sitting in child safety seats in the backseat of the van, also suffered serious injuries. One of the girls was knocked unconscious due to head trauma while the other twin girl was conscious but suffered several injuries, including a possible broken leg. Alexander's fiancée also suffered minor injuries.

The twin girls were both airlifted to St. Christopher's Hospital. Officials have not yet revealed their conditions. Alexander was taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead Wednesday morning.

The driver of the Honda Accord suffered a possible broken hip and leg and was taken to Hahnemann Hospital. The driver of the Subaru Impreza, a 48-year-old man, was not injured.

Police have not filed any charges in the accident but continue to investigate.

With increased biking in Delaware, the state is working to be more accommodating to cyclists. NBC 10's Tim Furlong has more details.

The small town of Bristol, Pennsylvania banded together to win a nationwide small business contest. The town now has $500,000 to invest. NBC10's Deanna Durante has more on the exciting feat.

A New Jersey art student used an unusual medium to make a political statement at her university.

Decals with the words "immigrant," "bad hombre," "nasty woman," "feminist," "persistent," and "snowflake" had been popping up on bathroom mirrors throughout Stockton University. Students were snapping their mirror selfies until the custodial staff began to take them down.

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University staff told NBC10’s Ted Greenberg that custodial staff members removed the decals while cleaning the restrooms because those who put them up didn’t follow the school’s procedures for posting signs.

Those people were artist Aimee Wynne and her husband, who were motivated to start the project in reaction to statements made by President Donald Trump.

“This is my way of making it known that I’m not going to just sit around while everything happens,” Wynne said.

The project comes just days after the university announced itself “Stockton Safe,” stating they were “providing a safe zone for all students, faculty, and staff regardless of immigration status.”

“The university, to the fullest extent permitted by law, protects the identity and information of all members of the community,” university president Harvey Kesselman said.

Taking photos inside a public restroom isn’t illegal but could be considered an “invasion of privacy.” Wynne says she understands why they were removed, but believes her short-lived art made an impact.

“I got my message across,” she said.

Local experts say a warm winter has led to higher rat and mice numbers in the Philadelphia area. NBC10's Brandon Hudson has the details.

A man spent the weekend bloody and bound in his Philadelphia home.

The victim’s brother said he discovered the 50-year-old man inside his home on Neilson Street near E Bristol Street in Juniata Park around 4 p.m. Sunday.

The attack began two days earlier, when two masked men – one armed with a handgun – entered the man’s open garage around 8 p.m. Friday as he did some work on some small engines, Philadelphia Police said.

"They grabbed the resident... they bound him with electrical tape and they put a rag in his mouth and they took him to the second-floor rear bedroom," police Capt. Drew Techner said. "They bludgeoned him, pistol-whipping him."

The entire home invasion and attack took only about 15 minutes but the damage was done, as they left the bloodied man for days until the brother came to the home Sunday afternoon, Techner said.

"(The victim’s) brother – thinking that something was wrong, having not heard from his brother – came to the house… and found his brother in the back bedroom and untied him."

The brother rushed the victim to the hospital where he was treated for injuries to his face, arms and legs, police said. Doctors listed the man in stable condition.

"If his brother did not come and rescue him, who knows, this could have been a homicide," Techner said.

Investigators didn’t immediately know if anything was taken.

"We don’t know exactly why this incident occurred," Techner said.

Surveillance cameras captured much of the incident, police said.

Despite not knowing the motive, police said the attack appeared to be planned.

The winning numbers were drawn Wednesday night for the $435 million Powerball jackpot. The Powerball numbers are: 52, 10, 61, 28, 13 and Powerball: 2. NBC10's Keith Jones shows us what you could get if you win the big prize.

A man is in custody after he allegedly stabbed his wife and stepdaughter while they were inside a car waiting at a traffic light in Allentown, Pennsylvania. 

Police say the suspect was in the passenger seat while his stepdaughter was driving on Hamilton Street in Allentown around 3 p.m. Wednesday. The suspect’s wife was sitting in the backseat, according to investigators.

As they waited at a traffic light, the suspect allegedly pulled out a knife and stabbed his stepdaughter and wife. Giovanni Grella, an Emergency Medical Technician, told NBC10 he was inside his ambulance which was next to the suspect’s car as the stabbing took place.

“My instincts were just like, ‘There’s no way. I have to help,’” Grella said.

Grella said he and four others went towards the car and stopped the suspect.

“I got his fingers and ripped them out,” Grella said. “I kicked the knife out. We’re holding the hand with the knife and then we got her out. It was almost like he tried to get out after her but we took him down.”

The suspect’s stepdaughter and wife were both taken to the hospital. The suspect’s stepdaughter is in critical condition while his wife is in serious condition.

The suspect was taken into custody. Police have not yet released his identity or what led to the stabbing.

When Philadelphia rapper Aaron Out was trying to think of the topic for his first song, he turned to his stomach for inspiration.

“I was really hungry one day and I had a long day at work,” he said. “I went to Wawa and I was like, ‘Everyone loves Wawa.’ So I thought I might as well pay homage to it, make a little ode to Hoagies.”

Out’s song “Wawa Hoagies” has been gaining momentum online ever since it was posted on YouTube Monday. In less than a week it has over 27,000 views and counting.

“The feedback’s been incredible,” he said. “It’s so positive.”

Out told NBC10 his favorite Wawa foods are the turkey classic, chicken cheesesteak and chicken sandwich. He also hasn’t let becoming a vegan stop him from going back to Wawa.

“I go there on a daily routine,” he said. “I get my iced teas, my drinks. They have so much stuff I can eat regardless of my diet.”

As his song continues to grow in popularity, he’s hoping someone from Wawa eventually takes notice.

“I hope they see it and they like it,” he said. “Where ever they want to take it. If they want to reach out to me that would be awesome. But yeah, I just hope they enjoy it and the CEO appreciates it.”

Check out the video below. Warning. Neither the video nor song are safe for work.

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A New Jersey police officer and his sister pleaded guilty in connection to a health insurance fraud scheme in which they said they were married, the Monmouth County Prosecutor's office said Wednesday.

Alix Antoine, 38, and his biological half-sister, Patricia Louis, 44, pleaded guilty to charges of third-degree insurance fraud Tuesday, officials said.

Antoine, a 12-year veteran of the Asbury Park Police Department, and Louis, are due back in court for sentencing June 9. Authorities said they will both apply for admission to the pre-trial intervention program.

An investigation by the prosecutor's office revealed that while employed by the Asbury Park Police Department, Antoine filed fake documents allowing his sister and his nephew to get medical benefits provided by the department that Louis wasn't entitled to, officials said.

The suspended officer claimed Louis was his lawful spouse from 2009 to 2013, officials said.

Louis' attorney, Mitchell Ignatoff, believes that the decision was an issue of marriage validity, not insurance fraud. Antoine and his half-sister filed for marriage in Haiti, but the union wasn't legally recognized by the state because of the nature of their relationship.

"If they were considered properly married, I don't think it would be an issue at all," he said. "It's perfectly legal for people to get married to get health insurance. Prosecutors can't be in the business of questioning a marriage under state law if it's legal."

Antoine was indicted on charges of official misconduct, insurance fraud and tampering with public records Jun. 27, 2016. His sister was also indicted on conspiracy to commit official misconduct and insurance fraud.

The siblings agreed to pay $189,645.84 in restitution to the Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield.

A Monmouth County judge ordered Antoine to forfeit his job at the police department Tuesday. Officials said he's indefinitely disqualified from holding public office or employment statewide.

Antoine's attorney, Richard Incremona of Freehold, says his client opted to plea to a lesser crime in order to avoid jailtime. He was indicted on three second-degree crimes, one of which carried a minimum of 5 years in jail without parole if convicted.

"This was a resolution by way of plea into pre-trial intervention," Incremona said. "[Antoine] can now start planning his future. He doesn't have to worry about jail hanging over his head."

As part of the plea deal, the charges against Antoine will be dismissed upon his completion of the pre-trial intervention program.

Women with active genital herpes infections early in their pregnancy were twice as likely to have a child with autism than women who did not, according to a study released Wednesday.

NBC News reported that the study, published in the journal mSphere, adds to evidence that some cases of autism may be caused by the mother's immune response to infections.

The team from Columbia University and the Norwegian Institute of Public Health believe that the mother's reaction to herpes infection may be crossing the placenta and affecting the fetus' developing brain. A 2013 study found a similar rise in autism rates in pregnant women who had flu.

"We are now looking at other triggers. We think that a wide range of different types of infections can cause this," said Dr. Ian Lipkin, a Columbia epidemiologist and infectious disease expert who oversaw the research.