A Jersey Shore man who has been missing since a boat he was driving crashed near shore two weeks ago may not be missing at all. Police believe he faked his death and is now on the run.

Egg Harbor Township Police say they believe Andy Bittle, an off-shore boat racing champion, is alive and well. The 45-year-old has been missing since July 20 when the pontoon boat he was piloting hit an unlit buoy just off shore near Longport, N.J.

Biddle and his passenger, Justin Belz, were thrown overboard. Belz swam to shore and called for help, but Biddle was never found.

But detectives have reason to believe the entire crash was staged to elude the law.

Egg Harbor Police charged Biddle with several counts of Theft by Deception in the months before his disappearance. They allege the man defrauded customers of boat sales. He is also accused of fraud at his employer.

Investigators tell NBC10's Ted Greenberg that Biddle previously tried to disappear under suspicious circumstances.

"I'm continuing the investigation as if he were still alive," Det. Ray Theriault said. "Given the knowledge that I have with what’s occurred in the past, certainly makes me skeptical."

On Friday, NBC10 obtained a flier issued to law enforcement agencies warning them to be on the lookout for Biddle. A day earlier, Egg Harbor Police issued an arrest warrant for new charges related to the boat crash.

"The boat that he was allegedly thrown overboard on was stolen by the business that he was part of," Theriault said.

Belz offered no comment when asked about Biddle's disappearance. Our crew was asked to leave when they tried to speak with Biddle's family at his home.

Biddle has contacts throughout the United States and around the world, according to the flier.

Police are asking the public to be on the lookout for the man and contact them with tips.

Bail has been set at $5 million for a Philadelphia man as his 2-month-old son remains on life support.

Police said they began questioning the child's father, 20-year-old Brian Armstrong, late Friday evening after his account of what happened did not match up with the injuries sustained by his infant son.

Armstrong is charged with aggravated assault, endangering the welfare of children and other related offenses. He was arraigned Sunday morning with bail set at $5 million. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for August 20.

The child appeared limp in his father's arms Friday afternoon, when Armstrong frantically ran out of his home on the 6200 block of Old York Road in the city's Ogontz section and screamed for help, according to witnesses at the scene.

Armstrong -- calling out for any passerby to drive him to a hospital -- was taken to Albert Einstein Medical Center with the child's grandfather and the baby, who had blood coming out of his ear, according to witnesses.

Officials with Albert Einstein informed police around 5:20 p.m. Friday that the critically injured 2-month-old was in the emergency room. The infant was transferred to Saint Christopher's Hospital for Children, where he was resuscitated at least once, according to officials.

He is currently on life support at Saint Christopher's.

Police say the mother was at work at the time of the incident.

Police are asking for the public's help locating an elderly Philadelphia resident who suffers from Dementia.

Seventy-three-year-old James Brooks went missing from his residence at the 5500 block of Jane Street in the city's Germantown neighborhood at around 5 a.m.

Brooks is described as standing 5-foot 4-inches tall and weighing approximately 118 pounds with brown eyes, salt-and-pepper colored hair and a beard. He was last seen wearing brown sandals and a grey t-shirt.

Police ask anyone with information on Brooks' whereabouts to contact the Northwest Detective Division at 215-686-3353/54 or dial 911.

With the funeral for the three children killed in a carjacking hit-and-run crash set for Monday, a family member of one of the suspects charged in the incident is speaking out and apologizing to the loved ones of the victims.

“I would like to send out condolences on behalf of the Crawford family,” said Cornelius Crawford’s aunt, who did not want to be identified. “We know it was a tragic death and we’re really feeling for the family.”

Crawford, 23, and 19-year-old Jonathan Rosa were charged last Monday with second-degree murder, robbery, carjacking, sexual assault and other offenses. On July 25, the two men allegedly carjacked a SUV, sexually assaulted a woman inside and then plowed into a woman, her three children and her friend as they were selling fruit during a fundraiser on Germantown and Allegheny Avenues.

The three children, Joseph Thomas Reed, 10, Keiearra Williams, 15, and Terrence Moore, 7, died from their injuries. Their mother, 34-year-old Keisha Williams, remains in critical condition. The family friend, 65-year-old Thelma Brown, was released from the hospital Wednesday after suffering a broken ankle and bruised sternum.

“It’s tragic,” Crawford’s aunt said. “We’re not here to justify anything that he’s done. He was in the wrong on so many levels and we can’t do anything about that. We just wanna let them know how sorry we are.”

The aunt claims Crawford suffered from mental issues that were amplified by his usage of synthetic marijuana.

“I think it happened because he has a little mental issue,” the aunt said. “We tried to give him help. He started taking K2 that’s not for human consumption because he was on parole.”

The aunt claims Crawford’s father is “devastated” by the allegations against his son. She also says the family hasn’t had the chance to speak to Crawford.

“We’re trying to get together so that we can speak to him,” she said.

The funeral for the three children killed in the crash is set to take place on Monday at 11 a.m. at the Seventh Day Adventist Church at 16th and Oxford Streets.
 

A woman and her foster daughter were found dead inside their Long Branch, New Jersey apartment.

Police responded to a 911 call around 5:20 p.m. on Friday reporting suspicious circumstances on Lippincott Avenue. When police arrived, they found the bodies of 62-year-old Joan Colbert and her 10-year-old foster daughter Veronica Roach inside the first floor apartment.

An autopsy performed on the two victims ruled their deaths a homicide.

No arrests have been made and police have not released a description of any suspects. Monmouth County Crime Stoppers are offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.

Anyone with information on their deaths should call Detective Richard Chapman, of the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office at 732-577-8700, or Detective Ross Zotti, of the Long Branch Police Department at 732-222-1000.
 

Police have issued an arrest warrant for a second suspect in the shooting death of a 3-year-old girl.

Authorities are searching for 22-year-old Brandon Ruffin for his role in the shooting on a Philadelphia street Friday that wounded three adults and took the life of Tynirah Borum, who was hit by a stray bullet.

Investigators already charged his alleged accomplice, 22-year-old Douglas Woods, with murder and other offenses, but witnesses tell NBC10 Ruffin was the gunman.

Woods, of the 1400 block of South Ringgold Street, was denied bail and remains in custody.

Ruffin, however, is still on the loose.

And court records show he has had multiple run-ins with the law in the past.

The at-large suspect was released from prison July 3 -- less than a month before he allegedly pulled a gun when he got into an argument, according to police.

Ruffin, Woods and another man, 24, were arguing on the the 1500 block of South Etting Street in the Grays Ferry section of the city around 9:40 p.m. Friday, according to police.

In a moment the neighborhood street, where Tynirah was getting her hair done by a family friend, turned violent.

Ruffin pulled out a gun and started firing, according to witnesses.

The intended target -- the 24-year-old man involved in the argument -- suffered a gunshot wound to the head and three others -- 3-year-old Tynirah, a 21-year-old man and a 28-year-old woman -- were also hit, according to officials.

Tynirah was struck in the left side of her chest, according to investigators.

Police officers rushed the child to the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, but doctors were unable to save her. She was pronounced dead at 10:21 p.m. Friday.

The three others were transported to the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.

The 28-year-old woman was treated and released, according to police. The latest conditions of the two male victims are unknown.

Woods' preliminary hearing is scheduled for Aug. 20.

A $20,000 reward is being offered for information leading to an arrest and conviction.

Anyone with information on the crime or Ruffin's wherabouts is urged to contact police.

Contact Alison Burdo at 610.668.5635, alison.burdo@nbcuni.com or follow @NewsBurd on Twitter.

Several partygoers began to attack police officers as they tried to apprehend an assault suspect at a North Philly birthday celebration Sunday night.

Police said at least two suspects assaulted the birthday girl, who was having a party in a grass-covered lot on the corner of West York and North 27th streets, around 6 p.m.

Minutes later, officers arrived on the scene and began surveying the area from their vehicle with the victim in an attempt to locate the suspect, according to authorities.

The woman spotted men fitting the assailants' description, but the suspects fled on foot into a nearby cookout when they were approached by police, according to reports.

The officers pursued the suspects into the crowd, who turned on police, according to officials.

Cell video taken at the scene shows at least one person throwing punches at the officers as they tried to catch and handcuff the fleeing suspect.

As the partygoers and police fought each other off, an officer tasered at least one person, according to witnesses at the scene.

Four people -- including two men who allegedly commited the assault -- were taken into custody.

A woman suffered smoke inhalation when flames broke out in her home early Monday. And, Philadelphia firefighters say that hoarding hindered their efforts as they fought back flames in the woman’s Olney section home.

The flames broke out shortly around 2 a.m. in a corner row house at W Ashdale and 3rd Streets.

A 60-year-old resident suffered some burns and suffered smoke inhalation includoing soot in her mouth. Crews rushed her to Temple University Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Firefighters remained at the home putting out hotspots for hours. They said that even though they made quick work putting out the flames that their efforts were hindered by a potential hoarding situation in the home.

With more than 30 years' service in the infantry and as a drill sergeant, this United States Army sergeant major gathered intelligence behind enemy lines and saw combat in both Iraq and Afghanistan.

But people who knew the sergeant major then might not recognize the soldier from active duty. That's because about five years ago, the now retired sergeant started a new life as a woman.

"I've lost a lot of friends," said the Army veteran, who is now known as Jennifer. "It's hard for people."

But one of the hardest parts of Jennifer's transition, she said, is proving one of her proudest accomplishments -- her military service -- to potential employers, banks and medical staff.

Jennifer's military record still refers to her by a different name. The Defense Department policy is not to change a person's official military service form, or DD-214, a department spokesman confirmed.

Lieutenant Commander Nate Christensen, a spokesman for the DOD, said in a statement that his agency won’t change a name on the original DD-214 form, “based on the Service's interest in maintaining the accuracy of its historical records.” But he said they will place a letter or certificate in the applicant's official service record, verifying a name or gender change.

"The Department of Defense continues to explore avenues to provide the Service member with privacy while balancing the need for accurate historical information," Christensen added.

The veterans and the ACLU of New Jersey, which is representing Jennifer and one other transgender veteran in their efforts to change their records, say that's not good enough. To have their military service acknowledged, the veterans have to explain to every doctor, banker or potential employer that they changed genders -- a situation that can be uncomfortable, and open them up to discrimination.

"Our clients are in the unfortunate position of having a DD-214 that doesn’t match who they are currently," said Jeanne LoCicero, deputy legal director for the ACLU of New Jersey. "And because of that, when they show their papers, they have to really out themselves. They might be outright denied benefits or services, and we think that’s just not fair.”

“I just want a document changed. That’s all," said Nicholas, the second transgender veteran being represented by the ACLU of New Jersey.

Nicholas says he should be eligible for medical benefits through the Veterans Administration, but feels he would be rejected because his current identity does not match his papers. He said exposing himself to that argument with medical administrators at every appointment is more than he can bear.

Jennifer says there must be a compromise: Keep the old record for historical purposes but seal it, and give her a new document to use in public life -- something like that. After all, birth certificates and other official documents can be amended, she says.

"We’re here. We’re good citizens. We’ve served. I’ve served with honor," she said. "I’m just asking for my name to be changed. I’m not going to rewrite history."

Two people were injured and a New Jersey building was badly damaged when a vat containing eggnog flavoring exploded, according to officials.

The blast ripped a three-story wall from the structure on Adams Drive in Totowa Saturday night. Large pieces of metal and concrete went flying and people in surrounding buildings were shaken.

"I felt my house actually shake from the explosion, and it's about a mile away," said Christopher Tencza.

Another resident, Kevin Franz, felt the tremors.

"It shook the houses. It shook us. And we all looked at each other and knew it wasn't a firework," he said.

Police said seven people were in the facility at the time of the explosion. The building houses the company Pharmachem Labs, which manufactures food products.

Fire officials said much of the building will need to be torn down.

The people who were hurt were treated at Paterson Hospital and are expected to recover, authorities said.

A 30-year-old man was killed Sunday when he was hit twice by separate SUVs on a New Jersey road, police said.

Jagit Singh-Kandah, of Lakewood, was knocked down by an SUV going west on Route 70 near Whitesville Road.

As he was lying on the road, a second SUV hit him, pulled into a pharmacy parking lot, then sped away, according to Toms River Police.

He died at a nearby hospital shortly after 12 p.m.

It wasn't clear if the SUV that first hit Singh-Kandah stopped.

Six Philadelphia Police officers suspended from their jobs on the force’s narcotics unit are due in court Monday afternoon as they fight to get out of jail as they fight dozens of allegations of corruption, theft and conspiracy.

Perry Betts, 46; Thomas Liciardello, 38; Linwood Norman, 46; Brian Reynolds, 43; John Speiser, 42; and Michael Spicer, 46; are due in federal court for a 1:30 p.m. detention hearing.

All the accused officers have remained behind bars since their arrests last Wednesday accused of swiping more than half a million dollars' worth of money, drugs and other items over a period of years.

“Unfortunately, a very small percentage of police officers continue to toss their oath aside and act like the very criminals they have sworn to bring to justice,” said U.S Attorney Zane David Memeger while announcing the arrests.

The U.S. Attorney's Office unsealed the 26-count indictment that resulted from a two-year joint investigation between the police department, FBI and U.S. Attorney's office. The officers, who have served anywhere from five to 13 years in the narcotics unit, face allegations of multiple acts of robbery, extortion, kidnapping and drug dealing from February 2006 to November 2012.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony Wzorek told Philly.com that the officers are "a risk of flight and a continuing danger to the community" and therefore should remain behind bars as the case develops.

In papers filed in federal court, lawyers for Speiser filed a motion for release that includes letters and emails from friends that beg for his release.

Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey said that each officer will be suspended for 30 days with the intent to dismiss.

"Conduct like this is simply unacceptable, cannot be tolerated and is inexcusable," said Ramsey who noted the shame these allegations bring the officers and entire department.

Prosecutors say that the defendants would routinely rob the occupants of suspected dealers' cars or homes.

"The defendants used their positions of authority to target suspected drug dealers for purposes of stealing cash, personal property and drugs," said Memeger.

The indictment details about 22 separate incidents where the officers broke the law.  In total, prosecutors estimate the officers took more than $500,000 worth of cash, drugs and goods including fancy watches.

Some of the incidents outlined in the indictment includes one where Liciardello, Reynolds and Walker allegedly took $30,000 from an illegally detained suspect then took another $80,000 from the suspect’s home; an incident where Norman allegedly held a man over an 18-story balcony; an incident where Spicer allegedly dangled a man off a 35th-floor balcony in an attempt to swipe $79,000 and a designer suit; and an incident where Norman and Walker allegedly stole and distributed multi-kilogram quantity of cocaine.

Other incidents weren't as violent.

"They literally filed false police reports," Memeger said.

The allegations include declaring they collected less money than they would report.

Ramsey said that the officers tarnished their badges and that the badge numbers will be destroyed.

"I have been a police officer for more than 40 years and this is one of the worst cases of corruption that I have ever heard," Ramsey said.

A crashed car, riddled with bullet holes, on the line between two counties is likely connected to a shooting in Philadelphia that left a woman shot once and a man shot seven times.

Police said it began around 3 a.m. Monday when they received multiple calls about gunfire on the 7100 block of Georgian Road in the West Oak Lane section of the city.

"Upon Police arrival they found a 25-year-old female suffering from a gunshot wound to her leg," said Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Scott Small.

Police rushed the victim to Einstein Hospital where Small said she remained in stable condition Monday morning.

"Minutes later, we were informed by Cheltenham Township Police that a Ford Crown Victoria was involved in an auto accident (along) Cheltenham Avenue on the Cheltenham Township side of the street,” said Small.

Investigators said they found a 29-year-old man shot seven times in the torso and legs slumped behind the wheel a couple of miles away from the shooting scene. Small said the victim remained in critical condition Monday morning at Einstein Hospital.

Police say the shooting began in Philadelphia as the woman was getting into the sedan -- Small said that investigators found 10 spent shell casings along Georgian Road. After the gunfire the male driver sped off.

“The vehicle that the occupants were in when shot was driven... after the shooting took place,” said Small.

The driver then crashed into a parked vehicle on the Cheltenham Township side of the road, according to investigators.

Small said that there were 10 bullet holes in the car including some in the driver’s side door and windows.

Police didn’t immediately reveal a motive and they said they were still looking for one or more shooters.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Philadelphia Police.

Police are searching for a woman's boyfriend after she was found dead inside her Delaware County home.

Thirty-eight-year-old Masako Griffin was supposed to meet family members Friday. When she didn't show up or call her relatives, they notified authorities.

Officers arrived at Griffin's home on the 7000 block of Emerson Avenue, Upper Darby around 7:30 a.m. Sunday to perform a well-being check. Once inside, they found her body inside a second floor bedroom.

"She's laying on her back on the floor," said Upper Darby Police Superintendent Michael Chitwood. "She has a black cloth or shirt covering her face."

Investigators have not determined a cause of death, but they consider the woman’s death “suspicious.”

Police are working to locate Griffin's boyfriend, who is considered a person of interest. No charges have been filed, although he was arrested July 11 for violating a restraining order in place to protect Griffin.

"He's a career criminal," Chitwood said. "Apparently this has been an ongoing domestic issue that she's trying to get out of and he ain't letting it go."

Officers frequently visited the home in the past for reported domestic violence situations involving the victim and her boyfriend, who is also the father of her youngest child, according to officials.

Family members say Griffin is the mother of a 1-year-old daughter and an adult son. She recently graduated with a nursing degree from the Delaware County Community College. Family members also say her gray Dodge Avenger is missing.
 

Four suspects have been arrested in the unrelated June slayings of two New Jersey teenagers -- one, a soon-to-be sophomore at the University of Richmond, the other a high school cheerleader who was headed to college this fall -- who were killed four days apart.

Brendan Tevlin, 19, and Cheyanne Bond, 17, were killed in late June in West Orange and Newark, respectively. Prosecutors say the cases are not related, but they announced the arrests in both cases at a news briefing Monday.

Three suspects, including a registered sex offender suspect in two homicides in another state, were arrested in the death of Tevlin. Tevlin, of Livingston, was found shot dead inside a Jeep parked in a lot on Northfield Avenue several hours after police said he left a friends house following a night of video game playing.

Prosecutors say the weapon used to kill Tevlin is the same weapon used in two murders in Seattle, Washington. They linked that gun to a 29-year-old sex offender, and found him living in a makeshift camp in a wooded area of West Orange. He faces felony murder, robbery and conspiracy charges.

A 19-year-old who lives in the apartment complex where Tevlin's body was found, along with an 18-year-old who lives elsewhere in West Orange, were also arrested in connection with Tevlin's death. They too were charged with felony murder, among other crimes.

Bond, of Irvington, was shot and killed on South 17th Street near a park June 29. Weeks before her death she graduated from high school, where she was a cheerleader, and attended prom, according to her friends. Relatives said she was scheduled to begin college in September and wanted to be a nurse.

On Monday, prosecutors announced a 31-year-old Irvington man had been arrested and charged with first-degree murder in her death. He also faces robbery, conspiracy and weapons charges.

Prosecutors say the 31-year-old suspect and another man tried to steal an iPhone from Bonds and a 17-year-old friend as the two walked down the street. Both were shot. Bond was pronounced dead shortly after police arrived; her friend survived. 

It wasn't immediately clear if police were still looking for a second suspect in the Bond case.

All four suspects arrested in the slayings of the teenagers are being held at the Essex County Correctional Facility in Newark. They are scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday.

A 2-month-old baby boy is dead and his father is behind bars Sunday.

Twenty-year-old Brian Armstrong brought his infant son, Hassan, to a local hospital Friday in extremely critical condition.  The child succumbed to his injuries -- which were extensive -- at 1:55 p.m. Sunday, according to hospital officials.

Police began questioning Armstrong Friday evening after his account of what happened did not match up with the injuries sustained by Hassan. The next day, authorities charged the father with aggravated assault, endangering the welfare of children and other related offenses. Charges are expected to be upgraded now that the baby has died.

Armstrong frantically ran out of his home on the 6200 block of Old York Road in the city's West Oak Lane section Friday afternoon with the child limp in his arms, according to witnesses.

Screaming for someone to help, the father, the child's grandfather and Hassan, who had blood coming out of his ear, were rushed by a passerby to Albert Einstein Medical Center, witnesses said.

Officials with Albert Einstein informed police around 5:20 p.m. Friday that the 2-month-old was in the emergency room with injuries to his ribs and skull.

The infant was transferred to Saint Christopher's Hospital for Children, where he was resuscitated at least once and placed on life support before succumbing to his injuries Sunday, according to officials.

The father was arraigned Sunday morning and bail was set at $5 million.

Police say the mother was at work at the time of the incident.

Philadelphia Police announced Monday afternoon that the manhunt continues for the alleged triggerman in the stray-bullet killing of a 3-year-old Philadelphia girl.

Police Captain James Clark spoke to reporters about the shooting death of Tynirah Borum along the 1500 block of S Etting Street in the city's Grays Ferry neighborhood.

Clark reiterated that investigators believe that 22-year-old Brandon Ruffin, of the 1300 block of Wharton Street, fired the shot that wounded three adults and killed Tynirah, who was hit by a stray bullet.

Investigators already charged Ruffin's alleged accomplice, Douglas Woods, with murder and other offenses, but witnesses and police tell NBC10 Ruffin was the gunman.

A judge already denied Woods, 22, of the 1400 block of South Ringgold Street, bail. Ruffin, however, remained at large, considered armed and dangerous, according to Clark.

Court records show that Ruffin had multiple run-ins with the law in his past. The at-large suspect was released from prison July 3 -- less than a month before he allegedly pulled a gun when he got into an argument, according to police.

Ruffin, Woods and another man, 24, were arguing along Etting Street, according to police. In a moment the neighborhood street, where Tynirah was getting her hair done by a family friend, turned violent.

Ruffin allegedly pulled out a gun and started firing, according to witnesses.

The intended target -- the 24-year-old man involved in the argument -- suffered a gunshot wound to the head and three others -- Tynirah, a 21-year-old man and a 28-year-old woman -- were also hit, according to officials.

Tynirah was struck in the left side of her chest and died a short time later at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. The three others were transported to the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.

Woods' preliminary hearing is scheduled for Aug. 20.

A $20,000 reward was offered for information leading to an arrest and conviction.

Anyone with information on the crime or Ruffin's whereabouts is urged to contact police.