The victims, 17-year-old Greek Maria Nioti and her friend Isabella Salas, are commemorated with a vigil at a memorial event
An entire community was plunged into mourning and shock after the unjust and tragic death of the 17-year-old Greek-American Maria Nioti and her also 17-year-old friend, of Italian origin, Isabella Salas, by a peer of theirs, who before the accident was harassing the deceased Maria, to the extent that he had forced her to file restrictive measures against him.
Alina Loi
The gruesome murder happened on the afternoon of Monday, September 29, 2025, shortly before 17:30 local time, when the two girls were riding their e-bikes on Burnside Avenue in Cranford, New Jersey.
According to local media reports and announcements by the authorities, the two young girls were fatally run over by a black SUV that made a U-turn, in a way that suggests a deliberate action.
Police, based on the evidence they collected, have already charged a 17-year-old young man from New Jersey with first-degree murder.
The case comes to confirm the worst fears, as the alleged perpetrator was allegedly known to Maria Nioti.
In the past, the 17-year-old had filed restraining orders against him for harassment and intimidation, a move that unfortunately failed to prevent the tragic event.
The murder of the two girls has shocked the local community, which is calling for immediate justice. The families of the victims are in a state of shock, while friends and relatives are honoring their memory, while calling for an end to the violence and harassment that lead to such tragedies.
The 17-year-old who dragged and killed his two peers is now charged with two first-degree murders.
The crash happened on Burnside Avenue, a quiet residential area where the speed limit is just 25 miles per hour. The two girls, Maria Nioti and Isabella Salas, were riding an electric bicycle when they were fatally run over by a black SUV. The driver, who abandoned his victims trying to escape, was arrested nearby.
The spot where the 17-year-old lured the two underage girls has been turned into a makeshift monument with flowers, candles and balloons.
Allegations of harassment before the accident
Authorities have not specified whether the collision was an accident or a deliberate act. However, relatives and friends of the victims claim that the girls knew the driver and that a restraining order had already been filed against him, following allegations that he was harassing one of the two. "He had made complaints but nothing happened," said the acquaintance of the two girls, Tami Karbachal. "It's a tragedy, just a tragedy."
The Union County District Attorney's Office has asked local residents to check security cameras and cameras on their cars for any material.
The memorial service and the emotion of the community
On Tuesday night, friends and family gathered on Burnside Avenue to honor the memory of the two girls. "It hurts more when it happens so close to home, in people we saw every day at school," said their classmate, Nicole Giannucci. Salas is described as full of life, with a special talent for singing. "It was wonderful, it's great to have her around. She was an excellent singer, we did a choir together," recalls her friend, Leah David.
Nioti is described as happy and kind, with relatives reporting that her twin brother is devastated. "I hugged him last night and told him that there are no words that can make his pain lighter," Mary Campbell said emotionally.
"A flower of our Diaspora that was cut prematurely"
The Metropolitan of New Jersey Apostolos expressed his deep sorrow, performing a trisagion in memory of 17-year-old Maria Nioti. "Maria was only 17 years old, a flower of the Diaspora that was cut prematurely and unfairly," he said, adding that it is everyone's duty to stand by the family. As he noted, he contacted the young woman's uncle, whom he knows personally, expressing his heartfelt condolences and willingness to stand by the family at this difficult time. "The situation is very difficult. People cannot face the grief that overshadowed their home," he said.
"Maria was only 17 years old, a flower of our Diaspora, who was cut prematurely and unfairly," the Metropolitan stressed, adding that "it is the duty of all of us to support the family, which is experiencing an unspeakable tragedy."
Metropolitan Apostolos concluded by noting that he will visit the family to personally convey his condolences, expressing the hope that "the prayer and solidarity of the Diaspora will alleviate, as much as possible, the pain of these people".
The news of the death of the two young girls caused emotion among the relatives and friends of their parents, with a group of them setting up an online fundraising campaign to cover the emergency expenses of their funeral on the GoFundMe platform.
