ELIZABETH, New Jersey — An 18-year-old New Jersey man accused of intentionally driving his SUV into two 17-year-old girls riding an e-bike in Cranford, killing both of them, pleaded not guilty on Monday, October 26, to two counts of first-degree murder, ABC News reported.
Source: ABC News
Vincent Battiloro appeared in court in Union County for his arraignment, his first in-person hearing since being charged as an adult, following an indictment earlier this month. He did not speak during the hearing, and one of his attorneys entered the not-guilty plea on his behalf, according to ABC News. The next hearing in the case is scheduled for December 14.
Authorities allege that on September 29, 2025, a Jeep Compass struck the two friends while they were riding an e-bike on a residential street in Cranford and then fled the scene. Battiloro was 17 at the time. He was arrested two days later and initially charged as a juvenile with murder, and a judge ruled over the summer that he would be tried as an adult, NBC New York reported.
Source: NBC New York
NBC New York reported that witnesses said they clearly perceived Battiloro drive his Jeep into the girls, according to the charges, and that he was also cited for 15 motor vehicle infractions in addition to the murder charges. One day after the deaths, Battiloro referred to the crash in a YouTube livestream, calling it a tragic accident and saying there had been misinformation online, the station reported.
Family members of the two girls attended Monday's hearing. In a joint statement, the families said their daughters should be alive today and that every parent in the community deserves to know how the catastrophe was allowed to happen. They called on the New Jersey attorney general to open an investigation into the events leading to the deaths, including law enforcement's dealings and interactions with Battiloro and his family, ABC News reported.
ABC News said it reached out to Battiloro's attorneys for comment on the charges but did not immediately receive a response. The charges against Battiloro are allegations, and he is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.