New Jersey
What do we know about the mysterious drones reported flying over New Jersey?
Officials and experts say some witnesses may actually be seeing planes or helicopters rather than drones, or perhaps are confused about the size of the devices they’re seeing.
“There are certainly big drones, such as a agricultural drones, but typically they are not the type you see flying around in urban or suburban spaces,” John Duesler, president of the Pennsylvania Drone Association, said Thursday. The organization with about 350 members, is headquartered in Pittston, Pennsylvania.
“I wonder a little bit if it’s sort of a type of fish story, as in ‘I caught a fish this big!’ type of a thing,” Deusler added. “At night, it’s hard to see how big the drones are, especially because they can be either closer or further away from you. To get that perspective of how big they are is really difficult.”
Who sent the drones?
Authorities say they do not know who is behind the drones.
The FBI, Homeland Security and state police are investigating the sightings. Authorities say they don’t know if it is one drone that has been spotted many times or if there are multiple aircraft being flown in a coordinated effort.
Speculation has raged online, with some expressing concerns that the drone or drones could be part of a nefarious plot by foreign agents. Officials stress that ongoing state and federal investigations have found no evidence to support those fears.
Two Republican Jersey Shore-area congressmen, Smith and U.S. Rep. Jeff Van Drew, have called on the military to shoot down the drones, citing safety concerns.
The Pentagon insists the drones do not represent a threat from abroad.
Pentagon spokesperson Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said Thursday that the military’s initial assessment after consulting with the Department of Homeland Security and the National Security Council — that the drones are not of foreign origin — remains unchanged.
Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh said Wednesday that the aircraft are not U.S. military drones.
Are drones allowed in New Jersey?
The flying of drones for recreational and commercial use is legal in New Jersey, but it is subject to local and Federal Aviation Administration regulations and flight restrictions.
Operators must be FAA certified.
Have drones been spotted anywhere else?
Sightings also have been reported in neighboring New York and Pennsylvania.
Drones were also spotted last month in the U.K. The U.S. Air Force said several small unmanned aircraft were detected near four military bases in England that are used by American forces.
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Associated Press reporters Tara Copp in Washington, D.C., and Mark Scolforo in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, contributed.
A shooting investigation in Camden County has prompted a large police response, according to a source.
Léelo en español aquí
The shooting unfolded in the area of Locust Court in Winslow Township in the evening of June 17.
SkyForce10 was over the scene of what looked like a residential complex as several police cars were visible lining the streets.
Police tape appeared to be blocking off the area as officers looked at a sedan that appeared to have crashed into another car.
No word yet on what led to the shooting or if anyone was hurt.
A New Jersey man pleaded guilty in connection to a car accident that killed a woman and a girl in Lakewood Township, New Jersey, last July.
Raul Luna-Perez, 43, pleaded guilty to multiple counts of assault by auto and aggravated manslaughter, on Monday, June 15, 2026, prosecutors said.
He is scheduled for sentencing on Aug. 28, 2026.
According to Ocean County officials, on July 26, 2025, officers from Lakewood Township responded to a car crash with multiple injuries at the intersection of Cross Street and Hearthstone Drive.
In the investigation conducted by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office, Lakewood Township Police, and Ocean County Sherrif’s department, it was revealed that a Dodge Durango operated by Luna-Perez, also holding a passenger, crossed into an oncoming lane of traffic and collided head-on with a Nissan Sentra.
Maria Pleitez, 42, and two 11-year-old girls were inside the Nissan Sentra at the time.
Pleitez was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident. One of the 11-year-old girls was transported to Monmouth Medical Center South Campus where she died from her injuries. The second 11-year-old girl was transported to Jersey Shore University Medical Center (JSUMC) where she was treated for her injuries and eventually released.
The passenger in Luna-Perez’s Dodge Durango received minor injuries as a result of the crash, and was treated at JSUMC.
According to police, first responders at the scene detected that Luna-Perez was showing signs of impairment. He was transported to JSUMC, where his blood was drawn. The results of the blood test included a Blood Alcohol Content of 0.19 and traces of cocaine.
In New Jersey, operators of cars are presumed to be over the legal limit for alcohol consumption when their Blood Alcohol Content is 0.08 or greater. As a result of the blood test of Luna-Perez, his charges were upgraded to two counts of aggravated manslaughter and strict liability vehicular manslaughter on Aug. 7, 2025, investigators reveal.
That same day, Luna-Perez was taken into custody at an ICE detention facility in Elizabeth, New Jersey, though he was transported to Ocean County Jail by detectives and has been detained there since.
Subsequently in the investigation, it was revealed that Luna-Perez was accelerating at approximately 60 miles-per-hour at the time of the crash and crossed the yellow line.
According to the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office, the State of New Jersey will be seeking two 10-year terms for each aggravated manslaughter charge of Luna-Perez, and an 18-month sentence for his assault by auto offense. The aggravated manslaughter sentences will run consecutively, while the assault by auto sentence will run concurrently.
WEST ORANGE, New Jersey (WABC) — West Orange, New Jersey bid farewell to a piece of history Tuesday night.
The Pullman rail car, dating back nearly 120 years, has seen better days. For the past four decades it’s been part of a restaurant in West Orange, but now that restaurant is closed, and the rail car is moving along to a new life.
It was my playground as a young kid growing up,” said Tony Markouris, the son of the owner. “It was a beautiful, historic landmark that was also sculpted in West Orange and brought a lot of people to the area as a historic landmark.”
What began as a luxurious, private, rail car for a copper baron in 1909, later was hitched to the Essex House restaurant in West Orange as a dining experience for the common man.
“It’s worth mentioning that Robert Lincoln, the son of Abraham Lincoln, was the president of the Pullman Company when this train car was manufactured, and he certainly would have overseen the construction of this,” said West Orange historian Joseph Fagan.
After 40 years, the restaurant closed and the Pullman car fell victim to time.
So, the owners decided to donate the rail car to a trust. Plans are to restore it to its former Gilded Age glory, and put it back on track to run as a two-hour, dining, train ride in Boyertown, Pennsylvania.
“A lot of times cars go to railroad museums and put on display, but for this car to get life to operate again is just really exceptional,” said David Duncan, an historic railcar consultant.
Eyewitness News is told the restoration project will take at least two years. Meanwhile, plans are to turn this former restaurant and parking lot into an apartment complex.
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