JC man charged in stabbing of wife and four kids
A Jersey City man was arrested Tuesday night in connection with the stabbings of his wife and his four children inside their Rutgers Avenue apartment, according to Deputy Police Chief Peter Nalbach.
Nalbach said on Wednesday that Jai D. Finley, 41, was charged in the stabbings of his wife, Tasheba Finley, 35, his 16-year-old stepdaughter, and three children, ages 10, 8 and 6. Nalbach said the wife suffered 11 stab wounds and the stepdaughter was suffered four stab wounds and a laceration, with both in serious stable condition at Jersey City Medical Center.
The three younger children were treated for non-life threatening wounds.
Nalbach said Finley faces charges of multiple counts of aggravated assault, unlawful possession of dangerous weapon, and possession of weapon for unlawful purpose, as well as eluding police, assault of police officer(s), and resisting arrest.
Nalbach said the incident took place around 10:20 p.m. Tuesday and was the result of a marital dispute. Nalbach said Finley was caught within minutes of the stabbing after he crashed his car into the gates of an electrical substation on Garfield Avenue, but only after leading police officers on a brief chase and a struggle with police. Nalbach said the suspect told police he crashed his car because he was trying to kill himself.
Finley made an appearance in court Wednesday afternoon and a judge placed a $1 million bail.
Police arrest five for attacking JC man as part of knockout game
Police charged five males Monday night with attacking a Jersey City man near the Journal Square PATH station, according to police spokesperson Lt. Edgar Martinez.
Martinez said the five – an adult and four juveniles – attacked the victim because of what one of the suspects claimed to police was part of a ‘knockout’ game, where they hit people to knock them out.
Martinez said the suspects arrested were Jesus Montalvo, 19, of Hoboken, and 12 year-old from Irvington, and 13-, 14- and 15-year-old, all from Jersey City. Montalvo was arrested on robbery charges and the four juveniles were each charged with assault and robbery.
Martinez said the 25-year-old victim told police he was walking to the PATH station around 9:20 p.m. when the five males shoved him to the ground, then snatched his phone from his hand and began kicking and punching him. The victim suffered some cuts but did not require medical attention, Martinez said.
He said the police then caught the suspects on Pavonia and Chestnut avenues within minutes of the attack after the victim pointed them out.
Annual Homeless Count coming this Wednesday
The 2011 Point-in-Time Count (PIT) of the Homeless is occurring this Wednesday, Jan. 26 starting at 7:30 p.m. It is the annual street count of unsheltered homeless individuals & families.
Volunteers for the count should meet up at the Jersey City Episcopal Community Development Corp. Social Services Office, 118 Summit Ave. in Jersey City (between Jewett & Belmont avenues).
After orientation & training (7:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.), count teams led by social services professionals will head out together to do the county (8 p.m. to11:30 p.m.)
To help out with the homeless count, call (201) 668-0546 or e-mail Joanne at homeless.count.hudson@gmail.com.
Christie announces new charter schools including two in JC
Gov. Christopher Christie announced last week the approval of 23 new charter schools in New Jersey for the 2011-2012 school year. Two of those schools will open in Jersey City.
Mathematics, Engineering, Technology and Science Charter School (METS) will be a sixth to 12th grade school with 320 students in the first year. The school’s location has not been determined, although there is talk of opening the school in the Beacon Condominiums on Montgomery Street. The application for the school presented a plan for a program that will have a strong mathematics, engineering, technology and science curriculum. METS is planning to partner with Liberty Science Center to implement the curriculum.
The other school is the Dr. Lena Edwards Charter School, a K-8 facility with 354 students to open on Bramhall Avenue between Grand and Clerk streets. The school will offer a classical education program with a focus on character education.
‘Christmas in January’ event to benefit disabled
The Abre Lata Social Club, together with the Honor Guards of the Department of Corrections of Hudson County, is hosting a benefiting The Club of Uniquely Able.
The event will be held this Sunday, Jan. 23 at the Abre Lata Social Club, 656 Grand St. in Jersey City from 1 to 6 p.m.
The Club of Uniquely Able consists of children and young adults with many different disabilities.
For further information, contact Minnie Torres at (201) 892-9249.
Another dognapping in Jersey City?
Last year, a Jersey City resident tied her dog up outside a bodega in the middle of the night when she went to buy groceries – and her beloved pet was stolen in front of her eyes. While the police were unable to find the dog, a man reading media coverage of the dognapping was able to buy the dog in Journal Square from a man who was selling it, and return it to its rightful owner.
Now, another man has lost his beloved pooch in a similar situation.
Eleven years ago, Jack Murray adopted “Sweetie” from a rescue group in Minnesota, near where he was taking classes at the time. Four years later, the pair moved to Jersey City.
“She was six months old and she had been badly abused,” said Murray on Friday. “You could barely look at her without her [urinating] on the floor.”
Sweetie gradually became used to Murray. The two became a familiar sight near India Square and Journal Square in Jersey City when they moved here seven years ago.
“The kids all love her,” he said. “She’s a great dog. She barks about once a year and that’s it.”
This past week, Murray tied the border collie mix up outside a bodega near White Castle, as he often does. When he came out, Sweetie was gone.
“Please help return her to me. THIS DOG IS MY LIFE,” Murray wrote on the posters he has sent out. He also is offering a $500 reward for her return.
If you have information on Sweetie, please contact Murray at lumberjackmn@yahoo.com or at 347-446-5327.