The 17-year-old punk accused of fatally mowing down two New Jersey girls was initially detained shortly after the crash but was released to his ex-cop father eight hours later, police records reveal—leaving their grieving families with “very serious concerns.”
Vincent Battiloro is facing first-degree murder charges in juvenile court, but a lawyer for one of the victims’ families told The Post the computer-aided dispatch (CAD) reports released by officials this week open up a stream of new questions.
“Why this juvenile was released to his father after all that occurred,” said attorney Brent Bramnick, who is representing the family of victim Maria Niotis. “They’re very upset that he was detained, released and then rearrested,” Bramnick added in reference to the family. “They want to know why he was not [charged] that night.”
Battiloro allegedly mowed down Maria and her pal Isabella Salas as the two 17-year-olds rode an e-bike on a Cranford road around 5:30 p.m. on September 29. While his case is currently in juvenile court, he could still be charged as an adult by Union County prosecutors. He has also faced accusations that he was stalking Maria for months leading up to the crash.
The CAD reports, which provide a minute-by-minute layout of the response tied to the fatal crash, show that the suspect was initially detained by authorities around 6:15 p.m. at his house, according to Bramnick, who is a former Union County prosecutor.
But the alleged homicidal driver was released to his father, Jeffrey Battiloro, around 2 a.m. the next day, the logs show.
Jeffrey Battiloro is a former Chatham Borough cop who retired in December 2024, according to his now-former department. While the prosecutor’s office previously disclosed the suspect was detained, released, and then officially arrested and charged, it did not specify how long the alleged killer was in custody the first time.
Bramnick said the Niotis family wants to know if the father’s law enforcement background influenced the probe into the younger Battiloro.
Vincent Battiloro’s uncle, Christopher Battiloro, is also a police chief in nearby Westfield, but he has condemned his relative’s alleged actions.
Bramnick said Maria’s mother has “very serious concerns about the fact that he had law enforcement ties and how that impacted this investigation.”
Between Vincent Battiloro’s original detainment and official arrest, he spoke out in an eerie livestream on YouTube about the crash.
A message seeking comment from Jeffrey Battiloro was not returned Wednesday evening.
The Union County Prosecutor’s office has been tight-lipped about much of the case because the defendant is currently a juvenile.
https://nypost.com/2025/10/29/us-news/teen-charged-in-fatal-hit-and-run-of-2-nj-girls-cut-loose-to-ex-cop-dad-records/
