By: Richard L. Smith
A Union County grand jury has indicted an 18-year-old Garwood resident accused of intentionally striking and killing two teenage girls as they rode an electric bicycle through Cranford last year.
According to information previously released by the Union County Prosecutor’s Office, Vincent Battiloro, 18, faces two counts of first-degree murder in connection with the September 29, 2025, deaths of Maria Niotis and Isabella Salas, both 17.
The latest development comes after a grand jury returned an indictment against Battiloro, allowing the criminal case to move forward in Superior Court.
As RLS Media previously reported, the two Cranford High School students were riding an electric bicycle along Burnside Avenue when they were struck by a vehicle.
Both victims were rushed to area hospitals, where they were pronounced dead.
Prosecutors allege Battiloro deliberately drove into the girls before leaving the scene.
Battiloro, who was 17 at the time of the incident, was subsequently charged and later ordered to face prosecution as an adult.
The indictment marks another significant development in a case that has drawn widespread attention throughout Union County.
Battiloro remains presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.