Wednesday, January 7, 2026 n www.TheObserver.com n Volume CXXXVIII, Issue No. 35
UNDER THE COVER
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Happy New Year, one and all! Please read our greeting to all of our readers & advertisers Page 13
BELLEVILLE n BLOOMFIELD n EAST NEWARK n HARRISON n KEARNY n LYNDHURST n NORTH ARLINGTON n NUTLEY
Lyndhurst PD arrests man wanted for Mt. Laurel hit & run vehicular homicide Suspect set off ALPRs in Secaucus, was nabbed a few moments later here By Kevin A. Canessa Jr.
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kc@theobserver.com
he Lyndhurst Police Department has arrested a man Burlington County Prosecutor LaChia L. Bradshaw says is responsible for a Mount Laurel fatal e-bike hit & run, Bradshaw and Mount Laurel Police Chief Timothy Hudnall said. Thair Maroki, 40, of El Cajon, California, was charged with vehicular homicide and leaving the scene of a fatal accident. The investigation began after Mount Laurel police were called to the 1100
Maroki
block of Route 73 south at approximately 12:15 a.m., Dec. 29, for a report of an unresponsive man lying on the shoulder of the roadway. Using surveillance footage from area businesses and the New Jersey Turnpike Authority, the investigation determined the victim, Anthony Caprio III, 49, of Magnolia, had been struck by a white 2022 Jeep Cherokee that fled following the collision. A law enforcement alert was issued that included the California license plate number of the vehicle. On Jan. 1, 2026, Officer Thomas Seickendick, of the Lyndhurst Police Depart-
POLICE BEAT ment, after hearing a transmission from the Secaucus Police Department alerting surrounding town of an ALPR hit for the vehicle traveling Route 3 west, immediately proceeded to the east side of the township, where Route 3 exits onto Route 17 south, Capt. Paul B. Haggerty, the Lyndhurst Police Department’s public-information officer, said.
See LPD, Page 15
NAPD arrests duo found with illegal ghost gun in rideshare vehicle By Kevin A. Canessa Jr.
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kc@theobserver.com
he North Arlington Police Department’s collaboration with the Lyndhurst Police Department has resulted in an illegal ghost gun being hauled off the streets — and the two defendants now face serious charges.
According to the NAPD’s Lt. David Hudak: On Dec. 27, 2025, at approximately 1:55 p.m., the North Arlington Police Department responded to a report of a burglary into a motor vehicle that had just occurred on the River Road. Witnesses reported two men allegedly entered a parked Mercedes-Benz and removed
several items before fleeing the area on foot. Officers immediately began canvassing the surrounding neighborhood based on witness descriptions and coordinated resources from neighboring agencies. The Lyndhurst Police Department’s K-9 Unit responded and assisted officers during the search.
During the canvass, officers were flagged down by a resident who reported observing two suspicious men trespassing on her property before entering a rideshare vehicle and fleeing the area. This information was immediately relayed to responding units, allowing officers to quickly identify the vehicle and its direction of
travel. A short time later, officers located and stopped the rideshare vehicle on River Road. The two rear passengers matched the descriptions provided by witnesses and were safely removed from the vehicle. Stolen property from the Mercedes-Benz
See NAPD, Page 15
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