An 18-year-old man in New Jersey has been indicted in the murders of two teenage girls a year after they were struck by a vehicle while riding an e-bike.
The suspect in the case was identified as Vincent Battiloro of Garwood whom a grand jury indicted Wednesday for the murders of Cranford High School seniors Maria Niotis and Isabella Salas, who were both 17 when they were killed, the New York Post reported Thursday.
Battiloro was initially arrested and charged but he was later released because he was a juvenile at the time the girls were killed in Cranford.
“Vincent Battiloro, now 18, was 17 when he allegedly hit Maria Niotis and Isabella Salas in Cranford, New Jersey, on Sept. 29, 2025. Investigators said the two victims, both age 17, had been riding an e-bike when they were hit by the defendant’s Jeep. Battiloro was initially treated as a juvenile, but his case was moved to adult court this summer,” Court TV reported Thursday.
“After the crash, friends and family of the victims told multiple outlets that the girls knew Battiloro, and that one of them had filed a restraining order against the defendant because she believed he was stalking her,” the article noted.
During an interview with Fox News, Niotis’ mother, Foulla Niotis, said, “He planned it, he knew what he was gonna do, and he did it because he had the freedom to do it.” When asked how he had the freedom to allegedly kill the girls, Niotis said, “How? The law enforcement in the family. He thought he was untouchable because of it.”
Battiloro is reportedly the son of a former policeman, and Court TV noted that “Westfield Police Chief Christopher Battiloro said that while the defendant is related to him, he is not the teen’s father.”
The suspect also made a live YouTube video after the girls were killed:
He is now facing two charges of first-degree murder in the case.