Pet of the Week: Toby

I\’m a super lovable little guy who loves people. I\’m a little spoiled here – I have a favorite blanket, and I get tucked in most nights! But I\’d truly love to go to my forever home. I\’m really not interested in toys at this time, but people, oh yeah. I\’m just looking for a family to hang out with and maybe some day I\’ll find a toy that strikes my fancy. I\’m good with other dogs and hope to make new friends someday. I\’m learning how to walk nicely on a leash and should be good at it in no time flat. I would enjoy a fenced yard so I can run around if the mood strikes me. I should be fine children of around six years old and older only because I might accidentally knock a toddler down while exercising. With a little training, I\’ll be fine. Please come see me at

Homeward Bound Pet Adoption Center

– I won\’t disappoint!

Williams helps Raptor women defeat William Paterson, 65-56

CAMDEN, N.J. (Jan. 25, 2020) – Senior guard

Fatimah Williams

scored 23 points for her third straight game over 20 points as she sparked the Rutgers University-Camden women’s basketball team over William Paterson University, 65-56, in a New Jersey Athletic Conference game here Saturday afternoon.

The victory snaps a three-game losing streak and lifts the Scarlet Raptors to 10-8 overall and 3-8 in the NJAC. Paterson, which now leads the all-time series, 54-14, falls to 8-10 overall and 6-5 in conference play.

The two teams battled to a 33-33 halftime score after Rutgers-Camden fell into a 17-8 hole just 6:05 into the game. The Scarlet Raptors broke a 37-37 tie early in the third quarter on a jumper by Williams to take the lead for good, 39-37, but the score remained tight for most of the remainder of the contest.

When Paterson freshman guard Madison Dulude hit a pair of foul shots with 1:38 remaining, Rutgers-Camden held a slim 58-56 lead. Williams collected four foul shots down the stretch, junior guard

Shane Holmes

added two and freshman guard/forward

Jalissa Pitts

notched one as the Scarlet Raptors closed out the game at the foul line.

Rutgers-Camden finished the night 14-for-20 at the charity stripe (70.0 percent), while shooting 24-for-57 (42.1) from the floor. Paterson went 12-for-19 from the line (63.2) and 19-for-46 (41.3) from the floor. Although the Pioneers had a 42-26 advantage off the boards, Rutgers-Camden also forced them to make 29 turnovers, compared to the Raptors’ 16.

With her 10th 20-plus scoring effort of the season, Williams raised her team-leading scoring average to an even 20.0 points per game. She also hiked her career output to 1,092 points, 13th on the program’s all-time list. She should pass jump into 11th place next week, needing only 26 points to pass both Nelly Cruz (1,113 points from 1988-91) and Tara Harris (1,117 from 1984-88), who are 12th and 11th, respectively, on the career list.

Williams added a team-high six rebounds, tied Holmes with a team-high four assists and notched a game-high six steals. Holmes finished with 12 points to go along with her four assists.

The Raptors also received big contributions from freshman center

Kayla Newton

(eight points, four rebounds), sophomore forward

Breanna Ettrick

(seven points, freshman guard/forward

Jalissa Pitts

(six points, four rebounds, three steals) and sophomore guard/forward

Tamara Johnson

(six points, four steals).

Senior guard Alisa Giordano led the Pioneers with 15 points on 5-for-12 shooting from three-point range. Dulude and junior guard Brianna Brooks both added 13 points. Freshman guard Yakira Rosa had a game-high five assists and junior forward Vianca Soriano hauled down eight rebounds to lead all players.

The Scarlet Raptors return to NJAC action Wednesday with an 8 p.m. game at Stockton University.

Early run lifts Paterson past Rutgers-Camden men

CAMDEN CITY, N.J. (Jan. 25, 2020) – The William Paterson University men’s basketball team went on a 14-point run after Rutgers University-Camden scored the first three points of the game and the Pioneers went on to defeat the Scarlet Raptors, 79-52, in New Jersey Athletic Conference action here Saturday.

Paterson evens its record at 9-9 overall and improves to 5-6 in the NJAC with its sixth straight win in the all-time series against Rutgers-Camden. The Pioneers lead that series, 63-7.

The Scarlet Raptors fall to 6-11 overall and 3-8 in conference play.

Raptor junior guard

Arian Azemi

buried a three-pointer to get the scoring started, but the Pioneers rattled off the next 14 points, taking the lead for good at 4-3 on a jumper by senior guard Anthony Uribe. Uribe scored six points and junior guard Domenic Mignone added four during the opening run.

Rutgers-Camden managed to slice its deficit to eight points on two occasions (21-13 and 26-18) in the first half before Paterson established a 38-25 halftime lead. The Pioneers led by as many as 28 points (72-44) in the second half.

Mignone scored a game-high 21 points to pace four Pioneers in double figures. Uribe finished with 12 points, junior forward Malcolm McLeod notched 11 and senior forward Sean Smith added 10.

McLeod just missed a double-double, hauling down nine rebounds as WPU dominated the boards, 52-19. Uribe added four assists and three steals.

Senior center

Isaac Destin

notched 17 points and six rebounds to lead the Scarlet Raptors in both categories. Azemi added 11 points, five rebounds, four assists and a game-high five steals.

Sophomore guard

Keysean Simmonds

and freshman forward

Dylan Trow

both collected nine points for Rutgers-Camden.

The Pioneers shot 34-for-63 (54.0 percent) from the floor, while the Scarlet Raptors were 15-for-53 (28.3). Paterson had 24 turnovers, while Rutgers-Camden had 15.

Rutgers-Camden jumps right back into action on Sunday when it plays a road game at Division I Princeton University, beginning at 12 p.m.

Take the Connect 2020 Biking and Walking Survey

Help Improve Biking and Walking in Collingswood and Haddon Township

Collingswood and Haddon Township are working on a Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan. The goal is to develop a bicycle and pedestrian network that helps to further connect the two communities, with a specific focus on travel to the Haddon Avenue corridor.

The plan will identify strategies and improvements that will help to create a safe and comfortable multimodal network between Collingswood and Haddon Township that balances the needs of everyone – pedestrians, bicyclists, public transit riders, people with disabilities, seniors and children. It will maximize multimodal connections for visitors, commuters and residents to assets including NJ Transit bus connections, the PATCO Speedline, The Camden County Spine Trail, various public park trails, the Camden Greenway and the Circuit Trails of Greater Philadelphia. The project team is hosting two public meetings to kick off the project and also is soliciting public feedback from visitors and residents via a survey and interactive mapping exercise.

Go to

connect2020sj.com

to take the survey and for detailed project information.

Anderson Diaz, 22, of Camden City, Charged with Murder

CAMDEN CITY, NJ –On January 23, 2020, Anderson Diaz, 22, of Camden, was charged with Murder, Unlawful Possession of a Weapon, Possession of a Weapon for an Unlawful Purpose, and Certain Persons Not to Have a Weapon for the murder of Michael Edwards, according to Acting Camden County Prosecutor Jill S. Mayer and

Camden Police Chief Joseph Wysocki.

At approximately 12:54 a.m. on January 11, 2020, Camden County Police responded to a ShotSpotter activation and reports of a possible shooting near the 500 block of Pfeiffer Street in Camden. When officers arrived, they located the victim, Michael Edwards, lying unresponsive on the 400 block of Pfeiffer Street, suffering from apparent gunshot wounds. He was taken to Cooper University Hospital, where he died a short time later.

Anderson Diaz is currently being held in the Camden County Jail on an unrelated matter pending a pretrial detention hearing.

All persons charged with crimes are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Released Friday, January 24, 2020.

Cherry Hill Man Charged with Pos. of Child Porn

CHERRY HILL NJ –Robert Hammond, 68, of Cherry Hill, was charged with one count of Possession of Child Pornography according to Acting Camden County Prosecutor Jill S. Mayer and Cherry Hill Police Chief William Monaghan.

On January 24, 2020, detectives from the High-Tech Crimes Unit (HTCU) of the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office and Members of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) – Cherry Hill Office executed a search warrant for Robert Hammond’s residence on the 500 block of Murray Avenue in Cherry Hill. An onsite preview of digital media devices found in the home resulted in Hammond being charged. Numerous digital devices were taken to the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office’s HTCU forensic lab to be further analyzed.

Robert Hammond was transported to the Cherry Hill Police Department, where he was processed and released pending further court proceedings.

The Cherry Hill Police Department, Cherry Hill Police Department Tactical Response Team and a New Jersey State Police Electronic Storage Detection K9 assisted the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office HTCU Detectives and HSI-Cherry Hill in this investigation.

The investigation is ongoing.

All persons charged with crimes are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Tyler Dralle, 22, and Kwamere Benjamin, 19, Convicted of Murder and Other Crimes

CAMDEN CITY NJ (January 24, 2020)–On January 23, 2020, a jury convicted Tyler Dralle, 22, and Kwamere Benjamin, 19, of Felony Murder, Murder, Armed Robbery, Armed Burglary, Conspiracy to Commit Burglary, Unlawful Possession of a Weapon and Possession of a Weapon for an Unlawful Purpose in connection with the murder of Deanna Scordo. Assistant Prosecutor Peter Gallagher represented the State at trial.

Officers initially responded to a blueberry farm located at the 700 block of Bairdmore Avenue, in Winslow Township, shortly before 4:00 am on June 25, 2017, after receiving a 911 call from the victim’s father, stating that intruders had broken into his home and shot his daughter. On arrival, officers found Deanna Scordo lying on the floor of her bedroom. She had been shot three times and was pronounced deceased shortly thereafter. Detectives determined that the intruders had forced entry to the Scordo residence and, during the course of the home invasion, had stolen currency and property.

The extensive investigation was led by Sergeant Christopher Sarson and Detective Matthew Barber of the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office and Detective Nick Arnold and Detective Darren Dogostino of the Winslow Township Police Department and included numerous witness interviews and the forensic examination of physical evidence. As a result, detectives were able to determine that Kwamere Benjamin and Tyler Dralle had committed the home invasion after conspiring to do so. Both defendants were charged felony murder and arrested in connection with the home invasion and shooting of Deanna Scordo.

The trial for both defendants commenced the week of November 17, 2019, and culminated with guilty verdicts on all counts for both defendants on January 23, 2020.

Sentencing hearings for Tyler Dralle and Kwamere Benjamin are scheduled for February 28, 2020, before the Honorable Frederick J. Schuck. Both men face up to life in prison.

Released Friday, January 24, 2020.

Camden City Drug Dealer Indicted for Causing Death of Customer

Burlington County Prosecutor Scott Coffina announced that a Camden drug dealer has been indicted for causing the death of a customer to whom he sold fentanyl-laced cocaine last year.

Marquese Smith, 22, of Baird Boulevard, was indicted on one count of Strict Liability for Drug-Induced Death (First Degree). The indictment was returned January 14 and signed by Prosecutor Coffina. An arraignment will be scheduled soon in Superior Court.

The investigation began in June 2019 when officers from the Maple Shade Police Department responded to the Ryan Run West Apartment Complex and discovered the body of 33-year-old Kristi Ventura, who had fatally overdosed.

The Burlington County Medical Examiner’s Office concluded the cause of death was cocaine and fentanyl toxicity.

The investigation determined that the drugs used by the victim had been purchased from Smith, who has been lodged in the Burlington County Jail in Mount Holly since his arrest in October.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant Prosecutor Jeremy Lackey. The investigation was conducted by the Maple Shade Police Department and the BCPO Gang, Gun and Narcotics Task Force.

This is the second drug-induced death indictment the BCPO has announced this week.

Terrance D. Walker, 37, of Pemberton Township, was indicted January 9 on charges of Strict Liability for Drug-Induced Death (First Degree), Distribution of a Controlled Dangerous Substance (Third Degree), two counts of Possession of a Controlled Dangerous Substance (Third Degree) and two counts of Possession of a Controlled Dangerous Substance with Intent to Distribute (Third Degree).

Walker was charged in October with causing the death of a 21-year-old Pemberton Township woman by supplying the fentanyl-laced heroin that led to her fatal overdose in May 2019.

An indictment is an accusation. Defendants are presumed innocent unless or until proven guilty.

NJAC-leading Rowan women outlast Rutgers-Camden

CAMDEN CITY, N.J. (Jan. 22, 2020) – The Rutgers University-Camden women’s basketball team gave New Jersey Athletic Conference leader Rowan University all it could handle here Wednesday night before the Profs escaped with a 65-61 victory in NJAC action.

Rowan, which was effectively ranked No. 26 nationally this week when it received 11 votes toward the WBCA NCAA Division III Top 25 Coaches Poll this week, improved to 15-2 overall and 9-1 in the NJAC. The Profs have won three straight games and 12 of their last 13.

Rutgers-Camden fell to 9-8 overall and 2-8 in the NJAC with its third straight loss.

Rowan has won four straight games against Rutgers-Camden and leads the all-time series, 56-17.

Wednesday’s game wasn’t anything close to the 82-60 loss the Raptors suffered at Rowan on Nov. 26, as neither team held more than a seven-point lead, the game was tied five times and featured seven lead changes. Rutgers-Camden held a 24-19 lead after one quarter before Rowan bounced back to take a 39-38 advantage into halftime. The Profs were led by 14 first-half points from freshman guard Nicole Mallard, while Rutgers-Camden senior guard

Fatimah Williams

had 15 points at the break.

The lead changed hands four times early in the third quarter, with Rowan finally taking the lead for good, 44-43, on a jumper by junior guard Alexis Kriley midway through the period. The Profs, however, weren’t able to pull away and led by only 51-48 entering the fourth quarter.

Rowan built its fourth-quarter lead to seven points on four occasions, including 61-54 with 4:07 remaining in the game, but Rutgers-Camden whittled that margin deficit down to 61-60 with 1:02 remaining. That comeback was sparked by three straight field goals from Williams.

Mallard made it a 63-60 game with 20 seconds remaining after hitting a pair of foul shots, but a free throw by sophomore forward

Breanna Ettrick

cut the gap to 63-61 in the final seconds. Kriley finally iced Rowan’s win with a pair of foul shots at the finish.

Rowan finished with 19 points from Mallard, while Kriley joined junior guard Paige Caldwell and freshman guard Savanna Holt with eight points apiece. Sophomore center Jazlyn Duverglas had nine rebounds for the Profs, including eight in the second half. Rowan held a 53-35 advantage off the boards.

Williams finished with a game-high 25 points, hiking her career scoring output to 1,069. Sophomore guard/forward

Tamara Johnson

added 14 points and tied freshman guard/forward

Jalissa Pitts

with a team-high eight rebounds.

Williams also added five steals for game-high honors. Junior guard

Shane Holmes

tied Rowan freshman guard/forward Eliana Santana with a game-high three assists apiece.

Rowan shot 21-for-58 (36.2 percent) from the floor while Rutgers-Camden went 20-for-59 (33.9).

The Scarlet Raptors return to NJAC action Saturday when they host William Paterson University in a 3 p.m. NJAC game.

Petrik leads balanced attack as Raptors edge Rowan men

CAMDEN CITY, N.J. (Jan. 22, 2020) – Rutgers University-Camden sophomore forward

Jake Petrik

spent his freshman year playing basketball at Rowan University.

The transfer student came back to haunt his old team here Wednesday, scoring a career-high 24 points to lead the Scarlet Raptors to a wild 90-87 victory over the Profs in a New Jersey Athletic Conference game.

Rutgers-Camden improves to 6-10 overall and 3-7 in NJAC play, posting its second conference win in three outings while snapping an eight-game losing streak against Rowan. It was the Raptors’ first win over the Profs since Dec. 2, 2015 when they won a 71-70 game in Camden.

Rowan falls to 8-9 overall and 4-6 in the NJAC, snapping its two-game winning streak. The Profs lead the all-time series against Rutgers-Camden, 97-33.

Petrik had plenty of help as senior forward

Isaac Destin

poured in 23 points, while junior guard

Arian Azemi

collected a double-double of 18 points and 14 rebounds, while tying for game-high honors with five assists. The Scarlet Raptors also had a career-high 17 points from sophomore guard

Keysean Simmonds.

Petrik’s former career high was 14 points against Rosemont on Nov. 10, while Simmonds’ old high was 12 against Arcadia on Nov. 9.

Rowan jumped out to a big start, leading 14-5 only three minutes into the game. After Rutgers-Camden sliced the deficit to three points on three occasions – the last coming at 21-18 – the Profs went on a five-point run to grab a 26-18 advantage.

The Scarlet Raptors finally came back to tie the game, 28-28, on a jumper by junior guard

Victor Nyanway,

but Rowan followed with a 13-2 run to take its first of two 11-point leads (41-30 and 43-32). Behind seven points from Destin and five from Petrik, the Raptors sliced the gap to 45-44 before Rowan took a 46-44 lead into halftime.

Rutgers-Camden finally took its first lead of the game at 54-52, four minutes into the second half, on a layup by Azemi. That was the first of 17 second-half lead changes, while the score also was tied on nine occasions. Rutgers-Camden finally took the lead for good, 88-86, on a layup by Azemi with 1:03 remaining.

In the final seconds, freshman forward

Dylan Trow

grabbed a huge rebound off a missed Rowan foul shot with the Raptors clinging to an 88-87 lead. Trow was fouled and scored his lone point of the game with a clutch foul shot, making it an 89-87 game. His second foul shot was rebounded by Destin, who was fouled and sunk two free throws for the final margin. Rowan missed a three-pointer with five seconds remaining and another trey at the buzzer.

The Profs placed five players in the scoring column, led by 22 points from senior guard Maliq Sanders. Senior forward Austin Kearney notched 15 points and nine rebounds, while senior forward Diante Bah and senior guard Jerry Price both added 12 points. Junior guard Matt Green had 10 points and tied Azemi with a game-high five assists.

Rutgers-Camden shot 32-for-77 (41.6 percent) from the floor and 15-for-21 (71.4) from the foul line. Rowan was 30-for-68 (44.1) from the floor and 19-for-27 (70.4) from the line.

The two teams combined for 19 treys, including 11 by Rutgers-Camden. Five of those came from Petrik, who went 7-for-16 overall from the floor, including 5-for-11 from three-point range. He was 5-for-6 from the foul line.

Rutgers-Camden hosts William Paterson University in a 1 p.m. NJAC game Saturday.