The teenager accused of killing two young girls in a hit-and-run in Cranford, New Jersey, will remain behind bars as his criminal case moves forward, and he is now being tried as an adult on murder charges. The decision keeps one of the most closely watched cases in the area on a path toward a possible life sentence.
The defendant was identified as 18-year-old Vincent Battiloro, who was 17 at the time of the crash. He made a virtual court appearance on Wednesday from a juvenile detention center, appearing by video as the case against him advanced.
The two girls who were killed were Maria Niotis and Isabella Salas, both 17. Prosecutors say Battiloro drove into the pair as they were riding an e-bike, striking them in a collision that would leave both teenagers dead.
According to prosecutors, the crash was no accident. They allege Battiloro drove his Jeep into the two girls on purpose, an accusation that turned what might have looked like a traffic tragedy into a double murder case. He is charged with two counts of first-degree murder.
In his own account to authorities, Battiloro offered a very different story. Court documents show he told police that someone had carjacked him at knifepoint, suggesting he had not been in control of the vehicle. Investigators, however, said the evidence did not support that claim.
The severity of the charges carries a heavy potential penalty. If convicted, Battiloro could face 30 years to life in prison, a range that reflects the gravity of a case involving the deaths of two teenagers. The matter now heads to a grand jury, the next step in the prosecution.
The move to try him as an adult drew support from the victims' side. A lawyer for one of the families said that charging a person accused of running down and killing two young girls as an adult was the right call, arguing that justice could now be pursued in the appropriate venue.
For now, Battiloro remains in custody, charged but not convicted, as the case works its way through the courts. What began with two girls out on an e-bike has become a prosecution that will test how the justice system handles a defendant who was a teenager himself when the deadly crash occurred.