Top inset: Vincent Battiloro (YouTube/@VinnieBat118). Bottom insets, from left: Maria Niotis and Isabella Salas (GoFundMe). Background: The area where Maria Niotis and Isabella Salas were allegedly struck and killed by Vincent Battiloro on Monday, Sept. 29, in New Jersey (WABC/YouTube).
A New Jersey teenager accused of mowing down and killing two girls riding e-bikes — one he was allegedly stalking — had the police called on him by his own dad weeks before the slayings, with the father telling cops “he sprayed me in the face with mace” and was “getting physical” with him, according to 911 audio.
“You guys have been here before,” Jeffrey Battiloro, father of Vincent Battiloro, can be heard telling a 911 dispatcher on Aug. 30 in audio obtained by NJ.com.
Vincent Battiloro, 17, is charged with two counts of murder for fatally striking teens Maria Niotis and Isabella Salas with a Jeep Compass on Sept. 29 in Cranford before fleeing the scene. He is reportedly related to a police chief in the neighboring town of Westfield.
“This was not an e-bike accident, and it was not a hit-and-run. This was murder in the first degree,” the families of Maria and Isabella blasted in a statement to local Fox affiliate WNYW after their deaths. Vincent Battiloro has been described by them as “a coward of a man” who had been “plotting this attack” and “carried out this horrific act” for months while allegedly stalking Maria.
“He is not insane, he is competent and meditated,” the families charged.
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Jeffrey Battiloro and his ex-wife, Judith Battiloro, both called police in the weeks leading up to Maria and Isabella”s deaths to report Vincent Battiloro for various incidents and because they were “concerned for his safety,” according to the 911 audio obtained by NJ.com. At least four calls were made, in total, beginning on Aug. 9.
“He sprayed me in the face with mace. He took my car,” Jeffrey Battiloro alleged to Garwood Police on Aug. 24.
“He’s getting physical,” the father reported on Aug. 30.
On Aug. 9, Jeffrey Battiloro called a non-emergency line and asked for a “sergeant” to come over to his home to talk about Vincent. “I wanna just speak to him and go over a couple juvenile issues that are going on with my son right now and just get some … advice,” the dad allegedly said. “Just to, you know, just to sit down, talk, and so I have myself covered also.”
On Aug. 24, Jeffrey Battiloro called 911 to report a “juvenile issue.” Judith Battiloro phoned police two days later and asked for assistance in tracking down Vincent after she was unable to reach him on his cellphone.
“He is in the custody of my ex-husband, and he’s been having trouble at home,” Judith Battiloro allegedly said. “I’m just concerned about his safety.”
The mother added, “I need to know what’s going on in the life of my son for his safety.”
Judith Battiloro alleged that Vincent Battiloro had been “angry because of what was happening to him,” without disclosing more information. She said that her ex-husband had kicked the teen out of his home and she was worried that he was “wandering the street,” according to NJ.com.
On Aug. 30, Jeffrey Battiloro called police for another “juvenile issue” with his son and he allegedly told cops, “He’s getting physical.”
Maria’s family said after her murder that she had been dealing with alleged stalking problems involving Vincent Battiloro, and even their neighbors took notice.
“He’s been parked outside her house for three months now,” a resident told WNYW. “He was never stopped.”
In September, Vincent Battiloro — who has over 40,000 people following him on various social media accounts, including TikTok — took to YouTube and began discussing his alleged obsession with an unnamed girl. Footage obtained by Law&Crime shows him allegedly talking about “sending her a pizza” and other bizarre things related to accusations that the girl allegedly made against him, including him “sending porn” to her, according to the teen.
He claimed during a Sept. 23 livestream that he wanted “vengeance” for the allegations being made against him.
“I’m going to call a pizza to her house,” Vincent Battiloro purportedly says. “I’m going to have a pizza sent to her house, and I’m going to tell the guy the driver will be paid cash at the door.”
While discussing Maria and Isabella’s deaths, the accused killer purportedly says, “There’s been a lot of misinformation going on over the internet. But I will say this: I wish my sincerest condolences to those two girls lost in that tragic accident. It is an absolute unfortunate situation and there’s more to the story that you’re not getting. But when the time comes I will explain it in greater detail.”
Vincent added, “I’ve been bullied, ridiculed and stuff, over false allegations. Over this whole thing about things that have happened in the past. There’s more to the story, it will come out in the future.”
An attorney representing Maria’s family, Brent Bramnick, told NewsNation this week he was concerned with how police responded to the 911 calls made by Vincent Battiloro’s parents. The Garwood Police Department did not respond to Law&Crime’s requests for comment Thursday.
“Multiple calls regarding what you could describe as domestic violence incidents, right? This is a home,” Bramnick said. “What happened? Did anybody respond? Did anybody take any statements to find out what’s going on? Does anybody want to know why this is happening repeatedly at this house? That would be really important to know because we know what happened the next month.”
Vincent Battiloro is accused of hitting Maria and Isabella with so much force that day that they were both thrown more than 100 feet. One of their e-bikes was allegedly dragged for about a half-mile before it became dislodged. The pair later died at the hospital from their injuries.
“It is now vital that the truth be shared,” the girls’ families told WNYW.
