In large measure because of an investigation by NJ Advance Media, convicted child molester Gregorio Martinez, once a fugitive, is back behind bars. … More Accused child predator, back in N.J., held without bail
Anthony Appolonia spent five years in prison for killing cats. Now living in Delaware, he’s allegedly adopting cats again. But where are they? (After this ran, the Delaware Attorney General’s Office launched an investigation.) … More He tortured and killed 19 cats. Now some fear he’s at it again
Our coverage of Gregorio Martinez, a convicted sex offender who had been on the run, kick-started a stalled investigation and helped lead to his arrest in Central America. … More A preacher’s flight from justice
The top official at Northern State Prison in Newark has been demoted and reassigned after failing to report to the Department of Corrections that one of his officers briefly lost a service weapon, NJ Advance Media has learned. … More Top prison official demoted for failing to report missing gun, sources say
He called them his grandmas. The Rev. Alex Orozco befriended the elderly women at St. Rose of Lima parish in Short Hills. Orozco was a new priest, charming and afire with enthusiasm. And always, it seemed, willing to accept money. … More Priest took more than $250K from ‘grandmas’ at wealthy church
The Rev. Manuel Gallo Espinoza was allowed to slip away after a teenage boy accused him of rape. An NJ Advance Media investigation found he later became a teacher in Maryland. Now police are hunting for him. … More Where’s Father Manuel? Police hunting priest accused of rape
The 4,500-square-foot home sits on 8.2 wooded acres in the hills of Hunterdon County. With five bedrooms, three full bathrooms, a three-car garage and a big outdoor pool, it’s valued at nearly $800,000, records show. But it’s not quite roomy enough for Newark Archbishop John J. Myers. Myers, who has used the Franklin Township house as … More Archbishop’s Pricey Retirement Home
The Rev. Matthew Riedlinger was suspended from ministry after The Star-Ledger disclosed his sexually explicit text messages with a person he believed to be a teenage boy. … More Priest in sexting sting thought he was talking to 16-year-old boy, wanted to meet
The state Parole Board described his crime as an “abomination.” The attorney general called him a danger to the public. Stephen Finley spent three years in prison for stealing body parts from cadavers that passed through his Newark funeral home. But Finley, free once again, can’t seem to stay away from the dead. … More Convicted body-parts thief took job at crematory, sparking state probe
This story led to Michael Fugee’s arrest and removal from the priesthood. It also sparked widespread criticism of Archbishop John J. Myers and led to the reassignment of Myers’ top assistant. … More Priest works with kids despite lifetime ban
Mark Mueller Journalism 