Suspect accused of killing 2 teen girls in New Jersey hit-and-run will be tried as an adult, officials say

The suspect accused of killing two teenage girls in a hit-and-run in Cranford, New Jersey, last year will be tried as an adult, the Union County Prosecutor's Office said Friday.

Vincent Battiloro, 18, is facing two counts of first-degree murder.

2 girls killed while riding e-bike

The incident happened on Sept. 29, 2025.

Officials said Cranford Police were called to Burnside Avenue around 5:30 p.m. for a report that two teenage girls had been struck by a vehicle while they were riding an e-bike. The driver fled the scene.

Both girls were taken to local hospitals, where they were pronounced dead.

The victims were identified as Maria Niotis, 17, and Isabella Salas, also 17.

Battiloro, who was 17 at the time, was taken into custody and charged two days later.

The investigation so far

Investigators believe Battiloro intentionally struck Niotis and Salas. According to court records, he was driving at least 70 mph in a 25 mph zone at the time.

Battiloro allegedly abandoned the SUV after the crash and left the scene on foot.

Relatives and friends of the victims claimed Battiloro was stalking Niotis and said she had sought a restraining order against him, but investigators have not confirmed those allegations.

A video of a young man talking about the deadly crash was streamed to Battiloro's YouTube channel sometime after the incident.

"I've been bullied, ridiculed and stuff over false allegations, OK? Over this whole thing, about things that have happened in the past. There's more to this story. It'll come out in the future," the man in the video said.

The prosecutor's office did not say when Battiloro is next expected in court.