New Jersey
N.J. State Police’s Human Trafficking unit is working overtime to save victims
Wettengel said his unit’s job doesn’t end with a bust.
“We are always following up with them, making sure they’re okay, they’re good, especially if they’re going to be testifying in court, it’s a lot for them to deal with,” he said.
Even undocumented immigrants caught in the trafficking web are entitled to services, he said.
New Jersey State Police Major Tom Wieczerak is the commanding officer of the Special Investigations Section, which includes the Human Trafficking Unit.
He said his team goes beyond rescuing human trafficked survivors by going after the traffickers.
“With the location of New Jersey, with all the arteries, the Turnpike and all these interstates, it’s definitely something that is on the rise,” he said.
When to intervene
How do you look for signs of trafficking?
Wieczerak said common sense is key, and if something seems odd, it’s worth reporting.
“If you see young girls in hotels that may be dressed provocatively with older men, that can be a red flag,” he said.
Leese said sometimes it’s just a matter of “trusting one’s gut”.
“If you see women that are afraid to speak for themselves, it doesn’t hurt to look into it a little further, or call the authorities to do the same thing,” she said.
If human trafficking is suspected, New Jersey has a 24-hour human trafficking hotline number that can be called anonymously, 1-855-END-NJHT, which is 1-855-363-6548.
How to prevent trafficking?
Leese said education and awareness, especially for young men and women, is critically important to prevent human trafficking going forward, and her agency is working with local police departments to bring presentations into schools for kids as young as elementary school level.
“It’s making sure we’re having conversations with our children about what could happen, everything is on social media, a lot of things are considered acceptable, and kids may not know the danger they’re getting into,” she said. “It’s also making parents aware of danger signs they need to be aware of.”
Hershey said that with the World Cup coming to New Jersey in 2026, the problem is expected to increase exponentially, and his unit will be working closely with the FBI and authorities in Philadelphia to stop it.
Miller now works as an advocate, supporting victims of child and adults in recovery, who have been sex and labor trafficked.
Her advice to young women who start going down a slippery slope is simple: tell someone.
“Find your trusted adult, we know if there’s one adult who is healthy in a child’s life, chances of success (and help) are greater, talk to somebody, don’t keep it inside.”
MOORESTOWN, N.J. (WPVI) — Ten people, including several students, were hospitalized Tuesday after a school bus crash in Burlington County, New Jersey.
The collision happened around 3 p.m. at Borton Landing and Hartford roads in Moorestown.
Township officials said in a Facebook post that a car and school bus collided at the intersection, injuring six students, the bus driver and three occupants of the passenger vehicle. All injuries appear to be minor, officials said.
“We have been made aware of a bus accident on one of our routes. There are no significant injuries for our students,” Moorestown Township Public Schools said in a statement.
The remaining students on the bus were taken to a nearby school, where they were picked up by family members.
School counselors will be available this week to provide additional support to students.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation.
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An alleged drunk, wrong-way driver was arrested following a crash on Interstate 80 in Warren County, officials said.
Robert Felegi was driving a pickup truck west in the eastbound lanes in Knowlton when he crashed head-on into a New Jersey State Trooper’s vehicle near milepost 1.4 around midnight Tuesday, State Police said.
The trooper had emergency lights and sirens activated while trying to alert motorists of a hazard ahead, authorities said.
The trooper suffered minor injuries, while Felegi was not hurt.
Felegi, 67, of Middleport, Pennsylvania, was charged with assault by auto and driving under the influence.
He was brought to the Warren County jail ahead of a detention hearing. An attorney for Felegi is not listed in court records.
investigation, and no additional information is available.
TRENTON, N.J. (WPVI) — New Jersey casino workers, who are pushing to permanently ban smoking in their workplaces, held a rally in Trenton on Monday.
A hearing was held to discuss a lawsuit that aims to close the smoking loophole in the Garden State.
For years, casino workers have been pursuing protections against secondhand smoke in their workplaces.
RELATED | Judge allows smoking to continue in Atlantic City casinos, dealing blow to workers
New Jersey’s Smoke-Free Air Act largely bans indoor smoking, but casinos have a long-standing exemption.
The lawsuit filed last April by the United Auto Workers, which represents dealers at the Bally’s, Caesars and Tropicana casinos.
In August 2024, a judge ruled in favor of the casinos to allow smoking to continue.
“Casino workers are expected to clock in to work every day despite inevitably facing a toxic environment that could cause countless health issues, including cancer, heart disease, and asthma,” said Nancy Erika Smith, the lawyer representing Casino Employees Against Smoking Effects (CEASE) and the UAW on Monday.
“We’re asking the court to find the exemption in New Jersey’s Smoke-Free Air Act unconstitutional and void it immediately. We hope this case will serve as a precedent for casinos across the country to close their smoking loopholes and stop poisoning their workers,” added Smith.
The casinos have warned that thousands of jobs and millions in gambling revenue and taxes could be lost if smoking was banned.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Copyright © 2025 WPVI-TV. All Rights Reserved.
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