Vincent Battiloro pleads not guilty to first-degree murder in Cranford e-bike deaths

The double-murder case moves toward trial proceedings in Union County as the families of the victims press for an independent state investigation into law enforcement interactions prior to the incident.

• •Vincent Battiloro pleaded not guilty during his first in-person court appearance on an indictment charging him with two counts of first-degree murder.
• •Prosecutors allege Battiloro intentionally drove a vehicle into 17-year-old best friends Isabella Salas and Maria Niotis while they were riding an e-bike on Burnside Avenue in Cranford.
• •The incident occurred in September 2025, when Battiloro was 17 years old; he is now 18.
• •The defense announced plans to pursue a diminished-capacity defense and request a change of venue.
• •Attorneys representing the Salas and Niotis families called on the New Jersey attorney general to investigate all law enforcement dealings and interactions with Battiloro and his family.
• •Defense attorneys requested additional discovery materials during Monday's proceedings.