New Jersey: 17-year-old stalker kills Greek-American girl of the same age and her friend

The tragedy occurred around 5:26 p.m. on Monday while the girls were riding electric bikes on Burnside Avenue, a quiet residential street in Cranford where the speed limit is 25 miles per hour, when they were hit by a black SUV.

The first police officers arrived on the scene just two minutes after the call, but despite rescue efforts, the two teenagers ended up in the hospital. Investigators are gathering security camera footage, focusing on a black 2021 Jeep Compass with tinted windows, which was seen in the area.

The driver of the vehicle, a 17-year-old identified as the alleged perpetrator, did not stop at the scene of the accident, but was later taken into custody. Authorities announced Wednesday that he has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder.

Tragedy in New Jersey: 17-year-old was stalking one of the girls
According to what people close to the victims told local television, the alleged perpetrator was following one of the girls, which led her to seek restraining orders.

“She filed a complaint and nothing happened,” her friend, Tammy Carbajal, told CBS 2. “It’s just a tragedy. It’s just a tragedy.”

And neighbors claimed the driver had been following one of the girls for months, and suggested her friend was just hanging out with her when the 17-year-old abducted them.

“He was parked outside her house, stalking her online, even at school,” one woman told reporters, along with another person who appeared to be aware of the situation. The second person added, “The school was notified, the police were notified, for three months.” “And nothing happened?” asked a third woman who is not on camera. “No,” the second woman replied as her voice began to crack.

According to Fox 5, after the driver hit Maria and Isabella with enough force to kill them, he continued driving down the road, dragging one of the bikes with him until the bike likely hit his SUV and stopped it.

Nioti's relatives described her as kind, while Salas' friend said she was beautiful to be around. "She was an amazing singer," said Leah David.