A dashcam recording from the vehicle driven by Vincent Battiloro may serve as decisive evidence that he deliberately killed two 17-year-old girls riding an e-bike, according to an attorney for one of the victims. The recording allegedly shows Battiloro turning his vehicle around to follow the girls before striking them, a detail prosecutors intend to use to prove intent in the first-degree murder case.
On Wednesday, a Union County grand jury indicted Battiloro, 18, of Garwood, on two counts of first-degree murder for the deaths of Maria Niotis and Isabella Salas. The girls were killed on Sept. 29, 2025, on Burnside Avenue in Cranford. Court records indicate Battiloro was driving a 2021 Black Jeep Compass at speeds up to 70 mph in a residential zone with a 25 mph speed limit when he hit the pair from behind.
Brent Bramnick, who represents the family of Maria Niotis, stated that while police citations for reckless driving, speeding, and improper passing describe dangerous conduct, the murder charges require proof that Battiloro purposely caused the deaths. Bramnick told Fox News Digital that the dashcam footage is critical because it captures the events as they unfolded. He explained that investigators must carefully examine the video to reconstruct the defendant's mental state and demonstrate that the collision was not accidental.
Following the crash, authorities reported that Battiloro abandoned the SUV and fled on foot. Police cited him for leaving the scene of an accident involving personal injury, failing to report the accident, and driving with improper license plates and no proof of registration, insurance, or a driver's license.
The day after the incident, Battiloro appeared on a YouTube gaming livestream where he complained about what he termed "false allegations" regarding the crash. Foulla Niotis, Maria's mother, stated that Battiloro had stalked her daughter for months prior to the collision. She noted that although she reported the behavior to police, no restraining order or other protective measure was issued. "They just kept saying, 'Oh, he's a juvenile,'" Niotis told Fox News Digital.
Bramnick also accused Battiloro of swatting the Niotis residence on at least two occasions in September 2025. Cranford police initially questioned Battiloro on Sept. 29, 2025, but released him to his father after he claimed someone had carjacked him at knifepoint. In June, following a review of the dashcam footage, police arrested Battiloro and charged him as an adult.
Battiloro remains in custody after his defense agreed to detention without prejudice. His defense attorney, Brian Biglin, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. An arraignment is scheduled for Oct. 27 at the Union County Courthouse in Elizabeth.