Vincent Battiloro, 18, has been charged as an adult with two counts of first-degree murder following a September 29, 2025, incident in Cranford, New Jersey. Prosecutors allege Battiloro intentionally struck and killed Maria Niotis and Isabella Salas, both 17, as they rode an electric bike.
Upon being brought to the Cranford Police Department, Battiloro reportedly told detectives he had been carjacked earlier that day, prior to the fatal incident. He claimed an unknown individual, wearing a red mask and armed with a knife, had taken his vehicle, according to the criminal complaint.
Dashcam Footage Challenges Alibi
However, dash camera footage obtained by investigators from Battiloro's Jeep Compass reportedly contradicts his account. The criminal complaint details the discrepancy, stating that Battiloro initially claimed:
The defendant stated he was driving the Jeep Compass that afternoon when he was carjacked by an unknown individual wearing a red mask and armed with a knife.
The complaint further describes the findings from the vehicle's dash camera footage:
Investigators executed search warrants to retrieve the dash camera footage from the Jeep Compass. The recording from September 29, 2025, allegedly shows Battiloro entering and driving the vehicle to the vicinity of Burnside Avenue, where he then parked. Shortly after he parked, both victims were reportedly seen on their electric bike heading in the opposite direction.
According to police, the video footage then depicts Battiloro making a U-turn and accelerating to follow the two teenagers. The dash camera subsequently shows the girls being struck at a "high rate of speed" before the vehicle came to a stop, as stated in the complaint. Following the collision, Battiloro allegedly fled the scene on foot.
Legal Proceedings and Family's Quest for Answers
Battiloro's identity had previously been withheld because he was a minor at the time the alleged crimes occurred. However, his case was transferred to adult court on Friday, leading to the public disclosure of his identity and the formal murder charges.
A representative for the Niotis family, Bramnick, expressed a sense of relief regarding the decision to try Battiloro as an adult.
The decision to try the defendant as an adult is a welcomed sliver of justice. We are grateful to the Prosecutor’s Office for their efforts as well as the community at large for continuing to keep Maria and Isabella’s memories alive.
Bramnick also conveyed the Niotis family's desire for more information regarding the investigation that followed their initial reports and the evidence police possessed.
What investigation, if any, went on after all that the family reported and all the information that the police had in their possession. That's the question. So we need those questions answered. And that's why we're involved, because we're doing our own investigations to try to get to the bottom of those questions.
She concluded by emphasizing the family's primary goal:
I want justice for Maria and Isabella. That's what I want.
