NJ Sheriff's Officer Killed While Serving in Afghanistan

An 11-year veteran of the Essex County Sheriff's Office in New Jersey died Tuesday while serving a tour of duty in Afghanistan.

Staff Sgt. Jorge Miguel Oliveira, 33, of  Newark, died of wounds sustained during an attack on his unit in the Paktika province of Afghanistan, the Department of Defense said Thursday.

Oliveira was serving a year-long tour, his third with the New Jersey Army National Guard, said military officials. 

His first tour was in Iraq, in 2008.

Oliveira was an officer in the Essex County Sheriff's Office, and had most recently been on the fugitive squad.

New Jersey Adjutant General Maj. Gen. Glenn K. Rieth, who met Oliveira in April during a pre-deployment training in Indiana, called the long-serving soldier "an American hero" in a statement.

"Oliveira was one of the most seasoned non-commissioned officers on the deployment, having served on a detainee operations mission to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba in 2004, in response to Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans the following year, and a yearlong combat tour in Iraq in 2008-2009," Rieth said.

Oliveira joined the National Guard in 2003, after having served three years on Army active duty beginning in 1997.

Oliveira had been recognized with the National Defense Service Medal, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, and the Iraq Campaign Medal with Campaign Star. He had also earned the Expert Infantryman Badge and the Air Assault Badge.

Oliveira is survived by his mother and father and a brother and sister.

 

Infant Dies in Long Island Day Care Center

Police are investigating the death of a 4-month-old baby at a day care center in Levittown, Long Island.

The owner of the day care center, Karen Shriver, put the infant boy down for a nap at about 11 a.m., according to authorities. When she checked on him at 12:30 p.m., he was turning blue and didn't seem to be breathing.

She called 911, and was still performing CPR on the baby when first responders arrived.

The baby was pronounced dead at Nassau County Medical Center.

The day care center was a licensed facility within a private home at 74 Pond Lane.

Medical examiners will perform an autopsy on the baby, who is from Syosset. Charges against Shriver are possible, depending on the results of the autopsy.

Shriver has several minor day care facility violations on her record, including one in January for leaving children without competent supervision for an unspecified period of time. State officials said that violation was corrected.

Chrissy Lebreezy, who has placed both of her children in day care with Shriver, told NBC New York the baby's death is a tragedy but that she would still go back.

"Karen was wonderful and attentive," Lebreezy said.

Neighbors described Shriver as a caring woman.

Investigation is ongoing.

Rutgers Spying Case Heads Back to Court

The identity of who had intimate encounters with Rutgers student Tyler Clementi before Clementi killed himself last year is expected to be the topic of a legal hearing Thursday.

Clementi's roommate, Dharun Ravi, is charged with bias intimidation, invasion of privacy and other crimes. Authorities say he used a webcam to spy on Clementi and another man in September 2010, days before Clementi jumped from the George Washington Bridge.

Ravi's defense lawyer wants the man's name divulged. A judge last month ruled that it should be, but delayed the deadline after a lawyer spoke up for the man, identified only in court papers as “M.B.”

In court papers, the man pleads for privacy, saying he has “continuous and overwhelming” fears of having his privacy invaded if his name is disclosed.

 

 

2 Men in Hospital After Double Shooting

Two men are in the hospital after a shooting in the Germantown section of Philadelphia.

It happened shortly after 2 a.m. on Germantown and Chelten Avenue.

Police say two men in their mid-30s were shot after a verbal altercation.

Both men were taken to Einstein Hospital where they remain in stable condition. No arrests have been made and there's no word on any suspects.