METUCHEN, N.J., Dec. 27 (ZFJ) — Metuchen resident Sener Kalkan was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), said borough Mayor Jonathan Busch on social media.
Busch said that Kalkan, who is married to Metuchen native Jennifer Poandl, “appeared in Newark for a scheduled immigration hearing as part of his ongoing legal process” in early December.
Kalkan attended the hearing, passed his scheduled interview, received a future court date, and then went out for lunch with his wife.
NEWARK, N.J., Dec. 27 (ZFJ) — Jean Wilson Brutus, 41, died in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Newark, N.J, on Dec. 12, from “suspected natural causes.”
ICE says in a press release that they arrested Brutus on Dec. 11 and held him in the Delaney Hall Detention Facility in Newark, where he experienced a medical emergency. Local EMS was called and took him to University Hospital, also in Newark, where he was pronounced dead the next day.
EDISON, N.J., Nov. 5 (ZFJ) — Sam Joshi won reelection for Edison mayor by a landslide in the general election on Tuesday, Nov. 4.
The Democrat garnered 71.51% of the vote, putting him ahead of independent candidate David Tingle by about 12,000 votes.
“Since first announcing my candidacy for Mayor four years ago, I was determined to make decisions based on putting the public first,” wrote Joshi in a victory post on social media.
EDISON, N.J., Nov. 4 (ZFJ) — The Edison Town Council election saw a Democrat sweep, with Robert J. Kentos, Biral Patel, and Kelli Dima all securing seats on Tuesday, Nov. 4.
The Democrat candidates outpaced the Republican candidates by a margin of over 10,000 votes.
While the Democrats had three candidates, the Republican Party only had two nominations, and Elizabeth Conway was on David Tingle’s team, People’s Choice 2025.
Patel had been a member of the Edison Board of Education from 2021 to 2024, serving as board president in 2024.
EDISON, N.J., Nov. 4 (ZFJ) — Vishal Patel, Russell J. Azzarello, and Xiaohan “Shannon” Peng won the three available seats on the Edison Board of Education on Tuesday, Nov. 4.
Column 2, the Students First team, led by a margin of about 2,000-4,000 more votes than Column 3, the Shaping Edison’s Future team.
Patel and Peng are incumbent members of the board. Patel is the current board vice president. Azzarello dropped out of running for Edison town council as a Republican candidate to join the board race instead.
NORTH BRUNSWICK, N.J., Nov. 4 (ZFJ) — A juvenile has been arrested for texting a false bomb threat to a North Brunswick poll on Tuesday, Nov. 4.
At about 8:15 a.m. today, the North Brunswick Police Department began receiving several reports of a bomb threat at Livingston Park Elementary School via text message, according to a statement from the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office.
North Brunswick police officers and Middlesex County Sheriff’s Department explosive detection K-9 officers responded to the polling location and cleared it of any bombs.
EDISON, N.J., Nov. 1 (ZFJ) — Federal immigration authorities arrested 29 people in a raid on a warehouse in Edison on Aug. 20.
The raid occurred at the Smart Supply Chain Logistics and Freight Solutions warehouse at 45 Patrick Avenue.
The arrest figure comes from the Edison mayor’s office, which distributed a statement to media organizations. The ZFJ was unable to obtain the statement firsthand despite repeated emails, phone calls, and an in-person visit to town hall, and is thus referencing other outlets’ reporting here.
AVENEL, N.J., Oct. 31 (ZFJ) — Federal immigration authorities arrested 46 people in a raid on a warehouse in the Avenel section of Woodbridge on Wednesday, Oct. 29.
The raid occurred at the warehouse of Italian-based logistics company Savino Del Bene located at 34 Engelhard Avenue, according to Cosecha New Jersey.
“The operation is part of DHS’ ongoing efforts to ensure compliance with customs and immigration regulations, safeguard the integrity of the supply chain, and verify that warehouse operators are adhering to all applicable security requirements,” said a U.
TRENTON, N.J., Aug. 12 (ZFJ) — A state grand jury voted not to criminally charge Fort Lee Police Officer Tony Pickens, Jr., with the fatal shooting of Victoria G. Lee, 25, of Fort Lee, during a mental health crisis on July 28, 2024.
Per state law, the N.J. Attorney General’s Office (OAG) is required to investigate any deaths that occur during law enforcement encounters, so this case was investigated by OAG’s Office of Public Integrity and Accountability.
EDISON, N.J., July 24 (ZFJ) — Kushal Aluru, 20, a Rutgers student and J.P. Stevens High School alumnus, died on Tuesday, July 22, 2025.
Aluru was majoring in cell biology and neuroscience and minoring in chemistry at Rutgers University, New Brunswick. He had a stated interest in neurobiology and glial functions, conducting research in the lab of Professor Peng Jiang since 2023, and intended on pursuing a combined medical and doctorate degree program to become a physician and scientist.
