Crime & Safety

The Week That Was in Union County — 4-Alarm Fire, Child Dies in Six-Story Fall

Major stories in Union County towns covered by Patch for the week of June 18-24, 2012.

Countywide

in three towns: , Cranford and . Officials detailed efforts to combat the virus — found in four pools out of 63 tested throughout the county — and shared tips for residents. Clark Health Officer Nancy Raymond says the finding is not especially alarming and that there have been positive tests in the township in previous years.

Cranford

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Firefighters from Cranford and surrounding towns battled a 4-alarm fire in a Cranford residence on Sunday afternoon through evening. See the video .

Clark

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The infamous Clark ! Clark Det. George Marmarou was out on patrol when he saw a familiar maroon pickup truck drive by him and thought, "That's the guy." Marmarou recognized the truck from Clark restaurant Bistro 1051's surveillance tapes: The doughy thief has twice been caught on camera lifting loaves from the restaurant's morning bread delivery. After Marmarou pulled over the vehicle, Gary Miller, 52, from Iselin confessed to the crime, was charged with two counts of theft and issued a summons to appear in municipal court. Check out our videos of the two incidents, .

Scotch Plains

Local officials, Union County Freeholders, and residents the opening of Ponderosa Park in Scotch Plains with a ribbon cutting ceremony on Tuesday, June 19. To view Patch's

New Providence

from injuries sustained after a six-story fall from a Connecticut apartment building window. Alex Wu, an 8-year-old student at , was reportedly visiting relatives with his family at Rippowam Manor, a 10-story apartment building located in Stamford, CT. Salt Brook Elementary School sent a letter to all parents on Monday about Alex's death, asking parents to discuss this tragedy with their children and informing parents that counselors would be at the school each day until Wednesday, which was the last day of school, to help students cope with the loss of their classmate.

, reported Berkeley Heights Police.

Westfield

both of Westfield, were served with additional charges Wednesday in connection with thethat took the life of , 68, of Scotch Plains, in late January, Union County First Assistant Prosecutor Albert Cernadas, Jr. announced.

On Friday, a Union County, N.J., — including the branch on North Avenue East in Westfield. The robberies occurred between September 2011 and December 2011. Julio Ferrer, 28, of Elizabeth, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Joel A. Pisano in Trenton federal court to seven counts of bank robbery.

Springfield

, Springfield's have lost their ability to enforce traffic violations. On Tuesday, June 19, the New Jersey Department of Transportation announced it was suspended ticketing from red-light cameras in 21 of 25 municipalities it approved to use the technology, including Springfield.


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