Families of two murdered high schoolers have issued a blistering rebuke of their alleged killer, stating he is a “coward of a man” who plotted the attack for months.
Their statement, shared with Fox 5, comes days after police say best friends Maria Niotis and Isabella Salas, both 17, were fatally struck by a black Jeep Compass on Monday evening, about two miles from their high school in Cranford, New Jersey.
The high school seniors were riding e-bikes when cops say they were struck and left to die by their attacker.
An arrest has since been made, but prosecutors have withheld the suspect’s name because he is reportedly 17. Citing publicly available traffic citations, NJ.com reported Thursday that the suspect is named Vincent Battiloro.
How are you a senior 😭 get it girl!!!
Posted by Mary Salas on Thursday, September 4, 2025
Information included in the tickets issued to Battiloro indicated that he will turn 18 in early November, according to the newspaper.
The slaying was initially described as simply a “hit-and-run,” but the suspect has since been charged with two counts of murder, suggesting prosecutors believe the attack was premeditated.
Loved ones agree with that assessment.
“It is now vital that the truth be shared: This was not an e-bike accident, and it was not a hit-and-run,” a statement from the families said. “This was murder in the first degree.”
Neighbors of the girls said that the suspect, who is related to the neighboring town’s police chief, had been “stalking one of the victims for months, parking outside her home, contacting her online, and showing up at school,” reports Fox 5.
The families wrote that the suspect “had been plotting this attack against Maria for months, carried out this horrific act, taking not only her life but also Isabella’s.”
Statement of Westfield Police Chief Christopher Battiloro & Family
Like many of you, I am shocked, stunned, and so…
Posted by Town of Westfield, NJ Police Department on Wednesday, October 1, 2025
Westfield Police Chief Christopher Battiloro, a resident of Cranford, asserted that the suspect is not his son in a statement that condemned the violence. NJ.com reported that online obituaries list the arrestee as the police chief’s nephew.
“While social media has made it known that the accused is related to me, he is not my son and not a member of my immediate family,” the chief wrote in a lengthy post to his department’s Facebook page. “I want to be clear, as loud and as firm as possible, that in no way do my wife, children, or I condone, defend, or excuse the actions that caused this terrible and tragic loss of life.”
Juveniles older than 15 can be tried as adults in New Jersey if a prosecutor files a waiver motion, and the court finds probable cause for serious offenses like homicide or carjacking.
An obituary for Niotis says that she and her twin brother were born in Rhodes, Greece, but spent most of their lives in Cranford. She worked at the “Cake Artist Café” and aspired to “start a cosmetology career” upon graduation.
Salas’ father said that his daughter and Niotis were close friends, but that—to his knowledge—Salas did not know her alleged killer. He told NJ.com that Niotis’ mother said that her daughter knew the suspect and was “dealing with problems” concerning him.
Isabella senior pics 😭 ❤️ oh my heart
Posted by Mary Salas on Thursday, August 14, 2025
“Her best friend was Maria,” Salas’ dad told the New Jersey paper. “They were hung together at the hip.”
Salas was in the Celebration Singers Choir, Cranford High School Concert Choir, and performed as part of an acapella group, her obituary said. She also had a brother, her obituary said.
“She was especially passionate with theater, as she was a part of many plays through Hillside Avenue School and Cranford High School, as well as Cranford Dramatic Club Theater,” Salas’ obituary said. “She was kind, generous, gentle, and will forever be deeply loved by her family.”
A GoFundMe for the girls’ loved ones raised $135,000 by Thursday afternoon.
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