☑️A judge approved moving the Cranford double-murder case to adult court
☑️Families of Maria Niotis and Isabella Salas say the ruling brings some relief
☑️ Court records and affidavits are revealing new details
CRANFORD — New details about the deaths of two Cranford best friends are becoming public after a judge ruled that the teenager accused of killing them will stand trial as an adult.
The decision not only exposes court records that had remained sealed during juvenile proceedings, but also publicly identifies Vincent Battiloro for the first time.
The case has drawn statewide attention because of Battiloro’s reported stalking of one of the victims, his profanity-laced livestreams after the killings and his family’s law enforcement connections, all of which fueled questions about how authorities handled the case before the fatal crash.
Vincent Battiloro, of Garwood, faces two counts of first-degree murder in the Sept. 29 deaths of 17-year-olds Maria Niotis and Isabella Salas on Burnside Avenue. The charges were waived up to adult criminal court on Friday.
The affidavit in the case is already revealing brutal details. After Battiloro hit the girls from behind at a high rate of speed with a Jeep Cherokee, Maria was found by police lying in the street, and Isabella was wedged under a parked vehicle. Video surveillance from neighbors shows their e-bike was stuck on the front bumper as the body of what appeared to be a pedestrian slid down the road.
Police went to Battiloro’s home and brought him back to Cranford police headquarters, where he was questioned in the presence of his father, according to the affidavit. He initially told police he was being chased by an unknown man wearing a red mask with a knife.
His father is Jeffrey Battiloro, a retired police officer from the Chatham police department. Vincent Battiloro’s uncle is the current Westfield police chief, Christopher Battiloro.
Brent Bramnick, the attorney for both victims’ families, told Eric Scott on the New Jersey 101.5 show “Jersey Thing” that the decision has brought some measure of peace and satisfaction but there is a long road ahead.
“Being in limbo was terrible, not knowing what’s going to happen, not knowing if this is going to adult court or not. That was really hard,” Bramnick said. “I think this was nice for them to have some satisfaction that the state’s doing what they have to do, that this defendant will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, because, as we know, the adult penalties are so, so much more severe than anything that the family court could ever give out.”
Bramnick said that there are still parts of the case that are restricted and won’t be public unless a grand jury indicts Battiloro on the charges.
A post-indictment arraignment is scheduled for July 20 at 9 a.m.
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Jeep after a crash on Burnside Ave in Cranford on Sept. 29, 2025Jeep after a crash on Burnside Ave in Cranford on Sept. 29, 2025
Questions raised about prior police contacts
Bramnick said there was concern about the treatment the then-17-year-old received before being charged.
Battiloro was behind at least two swatting incidents at Maria’s home, according to Bramnick. After the second SWAT hoax call, Battiloro’s father was allowed to come to the scene and pick up his son
Bramnick did not disclose whether Battiloro was incarcerated while a juvenile after he was charged.
Court records show that Battiloro is represented by attorney Rubin Sinins.
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