A 17-year-old has been accused of tragically killing two teenage girls during a hit-and-run incident this week and may soon face a trial as an adult, sparking outrage from the community.
Vinnie Battiloro has been charged in connection with the deaths of Maria Niotis and Isabella Salas, both 17, after allegedly plowing his Jeep into them on Monday.
According to police reports, the girls were riding an e-bike when Battiloro drove his vehicle directly into them at a speed of 70 mph. One victim was found approximately 100 feet from where the impact occurred. It’s worth noting that Battiloro, whose father and uncle serve in local law enforcement, was released shortly after the incident before being formally charged.
He was arrested on Wednesday.
Authorities confirmed that Battiloro was driving recklessly when he struck the victims. The circumstances leading to the incident have prompted the prosecution to consider seeking a waiver to transfer the case to adult court. Alissa Hascup, a former Morris County Assistant Prosecutor, remarked to The Post about the likelihood of this action.
“It would be surprising if the state did not pursue a waiver,” Hascup, now a partner at Einhorn Barbarito, stated. “The waiver application would include a written explanation detailing the reasons and the circumstances of the case.”
“Once the waiver is submitted, it’s exceedingly challenging to contest it from a defense standpoint,” she added. “Typically, such waivers are approved unless there is clear evidence of misuse in filing the motion.”
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When asked if she would represent Battiloro in court, Hascup responded with a definitive, “No,” citing the live stream he hosted shortly after being released, where he discussed the incident in a troubling manner.
Should Battiloro be prosecuted as a juvenile, the court proceedings would not be open to the public, and the outcome would remain private, according to Hascup.
Dr. Jason Williams, a Justice Studies educator at Montclair State University, pointed out that it is common for juveniles to receive bail even in serious cases.
Since New Jersey revised its bail regulations in 2017, the law specifies that detention hearings must occur for minors charged with severe offenses, such as vehicular homicide, prior to their possible release.
“Each situation is evaluated individually using contemporary bail standards, rather than solely by the type of charges involved,” he concluded.
