TIMES
NATIONAL NEWSPAPER ASSOCIATION FIRST-PLACE AWARD FOR GENERAL EXCELLENCE, 2016
MID
HUDSON
Vol. 28, No 47
3
NOVEMBER 23 - 29, 2016
Accused murderer Nija Johnson
appeared in Newburgh City Court on
Friday, charged with second-degree
murder in the shooting deaths of two
young women at a Halloween party last
month.
The 17-year-old is the alleged shooter
at a party that took place at 119 Broadway.
Tabitha Cruz, 20, and Omani Free, 18,
died in the Oct. 30 shooting. Five other
people were injured.
Johnson fled to Richmond, Virginia,
following the shooting. He was arrested
at a private residence on Nov. 4. He was
sent to Orange County Jail without bail
following his appearance in city court
last week.
Tyson Oliveira, 20, and Rainier
Hamilton, 21, were also arrested in
connection to the shooting, both charged
with felony tampering with physical
evidence. Hamilton was also charged
with second-degree, felony criminal
possession of a weapon.
Johnson will be tried as an adult. “He
is 17,” said criminal defense attorney
James Winslow, assigned to represent
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NEWBURGH & NEW WINDSOR
Johnson by city court Judge Paul Trachte
last week. “That makes him youthfuloffender eligible,” said Winslow. “In a
case of murder, he’ll be tried as an adult.”
The case will move to Orange County
Supreme Court once the county District
Attorney’s Office has finished presenting
evidence to the grand jury, Winslow said.
“We’re expecting that, at some time by the
middle of next week, the grand jury will
have heard all the evidence and they will
decide if there is enough to indict him on
various charges,” said Winslow.
Continued on page 2
Big win for a small team!
Mike Zummo
The City of Newburgh Steelers celebrate their win in Saturday’s OCYFL Division III Super Bowl at Academy Field in Newburgh. Story on page 44
WWW.MIDHUDSONTIMES.COM
ONE DOLLAR
Bells on
Broadway
Murder suspect appears in court
By SHANTAL RILEY
[email protected]
3
Feral cats
reign on Van
Cleft Avenue
By SHANTAL RILEY
[email protected]
The City of Newburgh has a cat problem.
A small army of feral cats have taken
over pockets of the city, specifically the
neighborhood along Van Cleft Avenue on
the west side.
“There’s been an ongoing feral cat issue
in the Van Cleft Avenue neighborhood,”
said city Police Chief Dan Cameron at
City Hall this month. Following staffing
cuts, he said, “We don’t have the ability to
mitigate the issue.”
It didn’t take long to locate the feral-cat
colony last week. The cats were lounging
in the sun at 14 Van Cleft Avenue. Some
were perched atop porch railings. Others
laid out on porch steps. Still others
emerged from dark recesses beneath the
small house.
The cats looked mangy, with matted fur
and bitten ears. Several appeared to have
eye infections. “If you feed them every day,
they come back with their friends,” said
next-door neighbor Thurman Brooks last
Thursday.
There are about 25 cats currently
hanging out around the home, Brooks
estimated. Over the summer, there had
been about 100, he said. “I don’t know how
many are inside,” said Brooks. “They’re
everywhere.”
The situation ballooned out of control
last year when a couple was found to be
hoarding dozens of cats inside the home.
Silvia St. John and Philip Prinzivalli were
arrested and charged with attempted
assault in an incident with an animal
control officer at the home in February,
Continued on page 4