An Atlantic County jury has found a Camden man guilty of attempted murder and multiple drug and weapons charges for shooting an Atlantic City man in July 2024. Prosecutors say forty-year-old Ricardo Berrios shot the victim following a dispute, leading to his arrest hours later at a local motel where police also uncovered a narcotics production facility. At the time of the shooting, Berrios had seven pending indictable charges and a long criminal record, qualifying him as a persistent offender. He remains jailed and faces up to two consecutive life terms at his December sentencing.

U.S. Rep. Jeff Van Drew said Monday that a Middle Township police officer critically injured by a suspected impaired driver is undergoing additional surgery, while the congressman confirmed his claim that the driver is in the United States illegally and has an active federal immigration detainer.Speaking Monday on WOND, Van Drew said Patrolman Austin Kapurelos, 26, was scheduled for his third surgery Monday following the October 16 crash on Route 47. The driver, identified as Lucio Lopez-Perez, 36, of Erma, remained at the scene and was taken into custody on suspicion of impaired driving.

New Jersey has formally requested emergency federal assistance to repair beaches and dunes damaged by September's powerful nor'easter. According to SouthJerseyNewsBeat.com, Governor Mikie Sherrill's administration announced Friday, October 16, that it has asked the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to expedite assistance for eight federal coastal storm protection project areas across New Jersey. Five of those project areas directly involve Atlantic and Cape May counties, including the shorelines of Brigantine, Atlantic City, Ventnor, Margate, Longport, Ocean City, Strathmere, Sea Isle City, Avalon and Stone Harbor.

A Middle Township Middle School teacher is among two Cape May County women facing criminal charges following an alleged encounter at an Atlantic City casino hotel in which authorities say a man was restrained while $1,250 was transferred from his cellphone without permission. BreakingAC.com reports Amanda Crafts, 35, of Wildwood, and Veda Engel, 23, of Cape May, are each charged with second-degree theft and conspiracy to commit robbery in connection with the October 9 incident.Engel also faces a prostitution charge.

A 14-year-old Mays Landing girl was seriously injured Friday evening after her electric bicycle collided with a minivan on the Black Horse Pike. According to SouthJerseyNewsBeat.com,the crash occurred at approximately 5:50 p.m. October 16 along eastbound U.S. Route 40 near Walmart Drive, according to Hamilton Township police.Investigators said the teenager was riding her e-bike eastbound along the shoulder of the roadway when she entered the travel lane and collided with a minivan traveling in the same direction.

On Friday, at approximately 12:19 a.m., the Atlantic City Police Department was dispatched to U.S. 40 (Black Horse Pike), westbound, for a crash involving two vehicles resulting in the death of the driver of one of the vehicles. The Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office’s Crash Investigations Unit and the Atlantic City Police Department are cooperatively and actively investigating this incident.

As Atlantic City's historic Steel Pier remains listed for sale at $85 million, questions are emerging about what would happen to millions of dollars in financing provided by the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority if the iconic Boardwalk attraction changes ownership. SouthJerseyNewsBeat.com reports a review of the CRDA's publicly available audited financial statements shows that the authority carried a Steel Pier loan receivable of $10,826,926 as of December 31, 2024. That figure is significant because the Catanoso family, which purchased Steel Pier in 2011, is now seeking a buyer for the property, creating the possibility of a major transaction involving an attraction that benefited from public-agency financing.

Stockton University is inviting residents, students and volunteers from across South Jersey to roll up their sleeves and help clean up Atlantic City on Saturday, October 24, before celebrating their efforts with an afternoon of food, music and family activities at O'Donnell Park. SouthJerseyNewsBeat.com reports the fifth annual Stockton Community Day and Party in the Park will feature neighborhood cleanups throughout the city's wards, followed by a free community celebration. Volunteeres have removed more than four tons of trash from Atlantic City's streets and beaches since the program began five years ago.

For South Jersey women who have put off getting a mammogram because they don't have health insurance, Atlantic Medical Imaging has a message: Financial concerns should not stand in the way of potentially lifesaving breast cancer screening. SouthJerseyNewsBeat.com reports throughout October, the AMI Foundation is providing free screening mammograms to uninsured women age 40 and older who have no current or previous breast issues.

Atlantic County Clerk candidate Lisa Bender is pushing back against criticism of her proposal to bring county government services directly into local communities, saying political opponents have misunderstood her plan. According to SouthJerseyNewsBeat.com, appearing on WOND, Bender, a Democrat challenging incumbent Republican County Clerk Joe Giralo, explained that her proposal for a mobile office would not involve visiting residents' homes or purchasing a specialized vehicle.Instead, she envisions bringing county employees and portable equipment to municipal buildings, libraries and other community locations, potentially offering services during evening hours when many residents are unable to visit traditional government offices.

Atlantic County Executive Dennis Levinson says the county has the financial resources to help preserve the threatened Sheraton Atlantic City Convention Center Hotel, but he is drawing a firm line when it comes to risking taxpayer money. According to SouthJerseyNewsBeat.com, during an appearance on WOND, Levinson reiterated his willingness to consider county financing to help keep the 502-room hotel operating. However, he said any arrangement must include guarantees that the county would recover its investment.

Six new homes for first-time buyers, a renovated neighborhood park, an expanding supermarket and a nearly completed mixed-use building are among the redevelopment projects moving forward in Atlantic City, according to Councilman Kaleem Shabazz.During an appearance on WOND, Shabazz described a series of projects he said are beginning to deliver visible improvements for residents.Shabazz, who chairs City Council's Planning and Development Committee, said the investments reflect redevelopment taking place in neighborhoods throughout the resort, not just along the Boardwalk and in casino areas.

Bodyworn camera footage released Wednesday afternoon shows what happened as the Atlantic City SWAT team tried to serve a search warrant at a North Florida Avenue home back in June.An officer, who was identified to BreakingAC as Detective Marquez Jones, is seen knelt down, working to open the door before Sgt. Christian Ivanov moves to kick it in.An angle from Jones’ bodyworn camera shows him fall away from the door as gunfire erupts and a bullet strikes him in the leg. Police returned fire, killing Donald Capriotti — also known as Donald Gardner — inside.

A 26-year-old worker was rescued Tuesday morning after becoming trapped waist-deep in recycled asphalt at an Egg Harbor Township facility, where emergency crews spent approximately 2½ hours freeing him while facing the danger of additional material collapsing. According to SouthJerseyNewsBeat.com, Cameron Briggs, of Mays Landing, was inside a recycled asphalt bin at AE Stone, 1435 Doughty Road, when he fell backward and a portion of the asphalt collapsed onto his lower body at about 6am. He was trapped in a seated position with his legs extended in front of him and asphalt covering him to just above his waist.Workers at the facility initially attempted to free him but were unsuccessful after approximately 20 minutes and called for emergency assistance.

Motorists traveling aboard the Cape May–Lewes Ferry are now paying more to cross Delaware Bay as rising diesel fuel costs have prompted a temporary $7 surcharge on every vehicle crossing.The additional charge took effect Monday, Oct. 12, increasing the cost of a round-trip vehicle reservation by $14. According to SouthJerseyNewsBeat.com, the Delaware River and Bay Authority, which operates the ferry between Cape May, New Jersey, and Lewes, Delaware, announced the surcharge last week, citing rising fuel prices and continued volatility in energy markets.

Cape May County officials are taking another step toward securing federal assistance to repair beaches and coastal protection systems damaged by September's powerful nor'easter.The Cape May County Board of Commissioners is scheduled to consider a resolution Tuesday, Oct. 13, asking Gov. Mikie Sherrill to seek assistance from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers under a federal emergency rehabilitation program. According to SouthJerseyNewsBeat.com, the request comes more than two weeks after the storm battered South Jersey's coastline, producing coastal flooding, severe beach erosion and damage to protective dunes in several Shore communities.

With Election Day less than a month away, Atlantic County Republican Chairman Don Purdy says he may reconsider his decision to prevent Republican candidates from participating in debates, potentially reopening the door to a face-to-face showdown between Sheriff Joe O'Donoghue and Democratic challenger Sean Riggin. During an appearance on WOND, Purdy acknowledged his opposition to the debate format but appeared willing to reconsider after Cronick explained the proposed rules and reminded him that Stockton University had agreed to host the event.

Atlantic City's long-awaited road paving project is progressing ahead of schedule, with city officials now suggesting work could be completed before winter rather than the original year-end deadline. Atlantic City Public Information Officer Andrew Kramer delivered the encouraging update during an Oct. 9 appearance on The AC Mike Lopez Show on News Talk 1400 & 92.3 WOND, saying the transformation of Atlantic and Pacific avenues is becoming increasingly apparent to motorists. Crews have been working along Atlantic Avenue from Albany Avenue to Tennessee Avenue, with paving giving way to the next phase of the project.

A Margate doctor at the center of a multimillion-dollar heath benefits scheme was finally sentenced last month, nine years after he pleaded guilty. BreakingAC.com reports Dr. John Gaffney, now 64, pleaded guilty Sept. 22, 2017, admitting that he signed prescriptions for expensive and unnecessary compound medications that costs taxpayers millions of dollars.The Linwood resident faced 10 years under the plea agreement, but was sentenced to 12 months and one day. Gaffney’s part in the scheme totals more than $24.8 million, which he was ordered in restitution.

Thousands of retired New Jersey police officers and firefighters are expected to receive a one-time $3,700 payment before the end of the year, but the long-running battle to restore annual cost-of-living increases to their pensions remains unresolved. According to SouthJerseyNewsBeat.com, State Sen. Michael Testa, R-1st, says New Jersey needs to find a way to restore those increases, which were suspended in 2011 as part of sweeping pension reforms.During an appearance Wednesday, Oct. 7, on The AC Mike Lopez Show on News Talk 1400 and 92.3 WOND, Testa said he has been meeting with law enforcement organizations and other stakeholders to determine how the state can fulfill what he considers a longstanding commitment to retirees.