Arson Attempt, a Facebook Violation of Privacy and NJ Man Misidentified as Newtown Shooter

Following are the most popular stories appearing on Newark Patch in December.

Two women from Newark were indicted after they allegedly posted pictures of an elderly person’s genitals on Facebook. The victim resides at a care facility where one of the women was employed.

Newark police, in a raid targeting suspected drug dealers.

A man faced arson and other charges after he allegedly tried to set fires at an Ironbound restaurant. He was reportedly subdued by restaurant employees.

Protesters rallied on the steps of city hall in protest of the rumored construction of a Walmart retail store in Newark. A company spokesman said there were no specific plans to build a store in the city but added that a Walmart would likely be popular with local shoppers. 

A Hoboken man used Facebook to deny media reports identifying him as the shooter in the Newtown grade school massacre Dec. 14. It was later learned, however, that the man is the brother of Adam Lanza, who was the actual assailant.

A $500,000 upgrade to the city’s ice-skating rink was completed this month. The grand re-opening was attended by former players with the New Jersey Devils.

Two off-duty Madison police officers foiled an apparent robbery attempt as they were driving through Newark. The officers reportedly observed five men chasing another man downtown.

Mayor Cory Booker appeared on “Face the Nation,” a Sunday-morning news show on CBS, during which Booker lived off a food budget equivalent to that received by those on federal nutrition assistance for one week.

A city man was arrested by undercover police in Pittsburgh after he was allegedly seen carrying a bookbag containing tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of narcotics.

A city man was convicted of a robbery in which he threatened to shoot off the knees of his victim. He will be sentenced this month.

A task force that included Newark police removed 76 guns from the streets of North Jersey.

A police raid at a Hunterdon Street address yielded guns and drugs this month.

Police were investigating the death of a five-year-old girl this month. Police released little infornation about the incident.

A judge ordered the entire council to take part in a vote on whether to appoint Shanique Speight to the Newark Municipal Council. One member of the council had previously boycotted a vote in order to avoid setting up a 4-4 tie, a cirsumstance under which Mayor Cory Booker would be free to cast the deciding vote in favor of Speight, his preferred candidate for the post.