Two teenage girls were reportedly killed Monday in New Jersey as a result of a hit-and-run incident involving a man accused of stalking one of them.
Maria Niotis and Isabella Salas were both atop an e-bike around 5:30 p.m. when a 2021 black Jeep featuring tinted windows allegedly slammed into them, the New York Post reported, citing authorities and news reports. Relatives said both girls were 17 years old, according to CBS News New York. Law enforcement sources said the driver kept going and fled the incident.
Authorities later took the driver into custody after an investigation, the Union County Prosecutor’s Office said in a Wednesday press release.
Prosecutors charged a 17-year-old boy, not identified, with two counts of first-degree murder in relation to the incident. The Cranford Police Department responded to the location of the alleged hit and run and discovered two injured teens. Both were transferred to local hospitals and later died as a result of their injuries, according to the press release.
Family and friends of the two teens told CBS News New York the girls knew the boy who was allegedly driving the Jeep. A restraining order ended up being filed against him for allegedly stalking one of them.
“She made complaints, and nothing was done,” Tammy Carbajal, a friend of the girls, said. “It’s just a tragedy. It’s just a tragedy.”
Mike Niotus, the uncle of Maria Niotus, alleged that the suspect followed her to her house “for many months,” according to a post shared via his personal Facebook account. He claimed the family informed police but nothing was done. (RELATED: REPORT: Remains Of Missing Woman Found Behind Hidden Wall In California Home)
Both girls attended Cranford High School, My Central Jersey.com reported. A GoFundMe fundraiser set up to honor them has raised over $100,000 as of publication.
The Daily Caller contacted the Cranford Police Department, but did not receive a comment in time for publication.