Investigation of Teen's Murder Continues
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Dance fever Break dancers recently per formed for Linden students, also bringing along a lesson in fol lowing your dreams. Page 3 LINDEN, N.J WWW.LOCALSOURCE.COM 75 CENTS VOL. 89 NO. 04 THURSDAY FEBRUARY 2, 2006 Investigation of teen’s murder continues By Dan Burns she might have met her killer on an Roselle man faces 10 Staff Writer Internet chat site. Like many children years in state prison ROSELLE — Tracking down the her age, Cajuste had a profile and pic A 35-year-old man is facing 10 killer of 14-year-old Judy Cajuste is a tures of herself on at least one Web site. years in state prison after he admit priority for the Essex County Prosecu Her MySpace.com profile was still ted to prying a weapon from an offi tor’s Office but, as of Tuesday, they still accessible as of press time Tuesday. It cer outside a pharmacy on First had no major breaks in the case to shows that she last logged on to the site Avenue in Roselle last October. report. on Jan. 10. According to Assistant Union “The investigation is ongoing. We’re Cajuste was a freshman at Abraham County Prosecutor Severiano Lis following all leads and talking to all Clark High School. The Haitian-born boa, Troy Spann of 517 Chandler witnesses,” Essex County Assistant girl was a member of the Abraham Ave. in Roselle stood in court last Prosecutor Charlotte L. Smith said. Clark High School track team and week before Superior Court Judge Essex County investigators have dreamed of becoming a nurse, a teacher Joseph Perfilio and admitted to been interviewing witnesses since or a police officer when she grew up. attempting to disarm the officer on Cajuste’s body was identified after Cajuste had dozens of friends who Oct. 2, 2005 after he had been spot being found in Newark last month, remembered her as an outgoing girl ted trying to take an object from the according to Smith. who could make them laugh and who store. The Essex County Prosecutor’s had a keen fashion sense. She loved to When confronted by patrol offi Office is the primary agency investigat wear bright colors and her shoes always cers Mark Conforti and Brian Bren ing the murder. The office is being matched her shirt, according to Abra nan, Spann struck one of them with assisted by Roselle police since the last ham Clark High School freshman a shopping bag and then tried to place Cajuste was seen is in Roselle, Ayeisha Forbes. take Brennan’s service weapon according to Smith. Cajuste was buried Saturday at the from his holster. Investigators from the neighboring Rosedale Cemetery in Linden, follow The defendant, who is subject to county have visited Roselle often, ing her funeral at the First Baptist the terms of the No Early Release according to Roselle Chief of Police Church on Dill Avenue in Linden. Act requiring a minimum 85 per Peter DeRose. Anyone with information should call cent incarceration before parole “Essex County has been here quite a Essex County Investigator Michael release, will be sentenced on March bit. It doesn’t hurt for them to have DeMaio at 973-621-4586 or the Roselle 28, according to Executive Assis someone from here who can show them Police Department at 908-245-2000. Even tant Prosecutor Robert P. O’Leary. around,” DeRose said. inside a maintenance garage Dumpster from Abraham Clark High School track Essex County and Roselle law the smallest pieces of information may help “He is very lucky that no one Cajuste’s mother, Magalie Cajuste, in Newark’s Weequahic Park on Jan. practice with two friends on Jan. 11. At enforcement officials declined further the investigation, according to authorities. was injured in spite of his reckless reported her daughter missing on Jan. 13. The body wasn’t identified until Jan. some point during the walk home, she comment on the progress of the case, Staff Writer Dan Burns can be conduct,” O’Leary said. 12. Employees of the Essex County 20, a fUll week later. turned around and went back to the high citing the ongoing investigation. reached at 908-686-7700, ext. 120, or Parks Department found her body Cajuste was last seen walking home school, according to DeRose. Many of Cajuste’s friends believe [email protected]. Free program offers job preparedness Project Ready will accept appli Church bell tolls City after cations for its winter job prepared ness program on Feb. 17 at 9:30 a.m. Applicants should be prepared historic to stay for two hours. The free six- after long silence week program will begin Feb. 20 at home 9 a.m. Young volunteer discovers lost bell Basic computer skills will be By Dan Burns taught including Microsoft Word, By Kitty Wilder he is stationed. His training in electri Staff Writer Excel, navigating the internet, Managing Editor cal work originally led him in the LINDEN — Linden has started fil resume writing, and interview tech RAHWAY — Up high in the bell direction of a dim message board in ing paperwork that should ultimately niques. tower of St. Mary’s Church, past the front of the Central Avenue Church. lead to the city acquiring the Eiva Project Ready is located within names carved in a stone wall, over the But when he flipped an old switch House on South Wood Avenue, offi the St. Joseph Social Service Center leftover scraps of wood and beyond in the church’s entrance way at about cials close to the project said this week. at 118 Division St. in Elizabeth. For the dust bunnies clinging to cracks and 10 p.m. one night, he redirected his City-hired contractor Fred more information, call 908-353 corners is a treasure tucked away. attention to a project that has con Michaeli should file a request with the 1045 or visit www.projectready.org. It’s a steep climb up three flights of sumed him since. state within the next few weeks to put stairs and three more rickety wooden According to family friend and the Eiva House on the New Jersey Linden announces ladders to reach a narrow hole in a longtime parishioner Tom Rooney, the Department of Historical Preserva ceiling and finally the 1874 bell bell was silenced in the 1970s when a tion’s list of historic sites, according to Earth Day contest belonging to the church. neighbor complained the ringing was 2nd Ward Councilman Richard Kozi- The city of Linden, the Linden It takes a deft climber — unafraid keeping him awake. ol, the council’s liaison the the Linden Environmental Commission, and of heights or dirty hands and knees — Rooney has been a member of St. Historical Society. industrial representatives will spon to make it into the bell tower, which is Mary’s for 40 years and attended mid If the department grants the soring the eighth annual Earth Day why 21-year-old Stephen McCarthy night Mass on Christmas Eve when request, Linden would then submit an Poster Contest. seems the perfect candidate. the bell publicly broke its silence, application to Union County to use The contest is open to children The Navy electrician was home on ringing as a surprise for the parish. trust fund monies to restore the house, in pre-kindergarten to 12th grade. leave last summer when he accidental The churchgoers clapped in happy according to Koziol. The theme of the posters is, “What ly flipped a switch that triggered the response and Rooney said he’s heard If the acquisition goes according to Earth Day Means to Me.” long-forgotten church bell. several parishioners say they didn’t plan, the house would become a home The deadline for submission is He was actually looking for a way even know the church had a bell. to the Linden Historical Society. March 31. Earth Day is April 22. to turn on the light for the church’s In the months since his discovery, The society has been without a home Prizes will be awarded to win sign out front when he was surprised McCarthy has worked to restore the since the summer of 2005. It shared an ners at the City Council meeting on by what he heard. bronze bell’s condition. Part of his office building with former State Sen. April 25 at 7 p.m. in City Hall, 301 It was the first time in about 30 time has been spent scraping away at Joseph Suliga, but the building was sold North Wood Ave., Linden. years the bell sounded and the find has an inscription covered with age. following his death in February 2005 For more information, call 908 been music to many parishioners ears. Because it was written in Latin, and the new owner needed the space. 486-1490, or 908 298-3833, ext. 14. McCarthy, a Woodbridge High McCarthy was unable to convey the The society began a search for a School graduate who joined the Navy message without first consulting historic house to make its permanent Rahway AARP plans in 2002, has regularly volunteered his Robert Anderson, a fellow choir mem Photo By Barbara Kokkalis home after that. Two properties were Stephen McCarthy, 21, has worked to restore the bell at monthly meeting time at the church when home on ber at his parish in Norfolk, Va. considered by the City Council, the leave from Virginia Beach, Va., where St. Mary's Church in Rahway while home on leave from Truncale farm house on South Stiles Rahway AARP Chapter 607 See BELL on Page 2 the Navy.