Maria Niotis and Isabella Salas, two teen girls, were killed in a hit-and-run incident in New Jersey after they complained of relentless stalking by the accused killer, now identified as 17-year-old Vincent Battiloro. The two teen girls were riding an electric bike when the unnamed 17-year-old allegedly struck and killed them both on Monday at around 5:26 p.m., according to the Union County Prosecutor’s office.Vincent was charged with two counts of first-degree murder. One neighbor confirmed that Vincent parked outside one of the girls’ homes for months and was not stopped by school administrators or police. “I had only seen one girl. And then I walked down the street a little bit and I saw the other girl. Just horrible. Nothing in the world is more horrible than what I saw yesterday. I have kids, you know, and so no family should have to go through this,” a neighbor said.Vincent was hit with numerous municipal summonses connected to the deadly crash that took place Monday evening. At least 15 tickets were issued to Battiloro, of Garwood, municipal court records indicated. The citations include leaving the scene of an accident, reckless driving and speeding, as well as driving without a license, registration or insurance card.Battiloro hosted a chilling livestream on YouTube the day after he allegedly killed two teens. In the 22-minute livestream, the teen argued there was “more to the story,” offered his condolences to the girl’s families and spoke about how he is the victim of bullying and harassment. In the first several minutes, people commented about the girls’ deaths in a live chat with one viewer posting, “Rip Isabel and Maria, you monster,” NJ.com reported.“I wish my sincerest condolences to those two girls lost in that tragic accident, OK,” he said during the livestream. “It is an absolute unfortunate situation and there’s more to the story that you’re not getting. But when the time comes, I will explain it in greater detail.”The livestream video was posted Tuesday night on the YouTube channel “VinnieBatt118″ after the 17-year-old driver had been released from police custody. “I’ve been through way too much. I’m a nice kid. I’m 17 years old with a good family by my side. And these allegations that have been ruining everything, is a shame,” he added during the livestream before playing an online video game with another person.
Is Vincent Battiloro’s uncle the police chief?
Westfield Police Chief Christopher Battiloro, who is a Cranford resident, made a statement on Facebook clarifying that he is not the uncle of the accused. “While social media has made it known that the accused is related to me, he is not my son and not a member of my immediate family. I want to be clear, as loud and as firm as possible, that in NO WAY do my wife, children or I condone, defend, or excuse the actions that caused this terrible and tragic loss of life,” he said.
