Two teen girls went for a bike ride – and were fatally hit by a car. Now another teen faces murder charges

By Zoe Sottile, CNN

(CNN) — Two teenage best friends set out for an afternoon e-bike ride earlier this week in Cranford, New Jersey, a small city just 18 miles south of New York City.

They never made it home. Both girls were struck by a car and killed September 29, according to local authorities. And now another teenager – whom the Union County Prosecutor’s Office identified as a 17-year-old male – has been arrested and charged with two counts of first-degree murder.

The victims’ names have not been released by law enforcement, but family members have identified them to local media as Maria Niotis and Isabella Rose Salas, both 17 years old.

On Tuesday night, hundreds of people gathered to remember the teenagers, according to CNN affiliate WABC. They lit candles and left balloons, stuffed animals and images of the two girls.

Among the mourners was Maria’s mother, Fouli Niotis.

“She wasn’t just my daughter; she was my best friend,” she said. “The kind of girl who could walk into a room and light it up just by being herself.”

The deaths have disturbed the Cranford community. “I don’t think any of us had a decent night’s sleep, because it could be our own” child, Brandi Schmidt, who attended Tuesday’s vigil, told WABC. “So, you put yourself in their shoes and come out and support.”

A visitation is taking place for Isabella on Saturday. The teenager was an avid singer and actor who volunteered at a local food pantry, according to her obituary. Her funeral is scheduled for Monday.

And a Mass was held Friday for Maria, who was remembered as an aspiring cosmetologist who worked at a local cafe in her obituary. Maria was passionate about helping people see the beauty on the inside, her mother said after her daughter’s visitation.

“It wasn’t just about glam,” Niotis said, according to CNN affiliate News 12 New Jersey. “It was about helping people see the beauty in themselves that maybe they had forgotten. She loved deeply, she gave generously, she dreamed boldly.”

A GoFundMe set up to support the families of both victims has already raised more than $150,000.

17-year-old from neighboring town arrested

The killings have also left in their wake a flurry of questions. The suspect has not been named by law enforcement, who didn’t respond to CNN’s questions about whether the killing was targeted and if a motive has been identified, citing New Jersey laws about minors and criminal cases.

But 15 traffic tickets were issued the afternoon of September 29 for a 17-year-old Vincent Battiloro, according to New Jersey court records. They include tickets for exceeding the speed limit by 45-49 miles per hour, leaving the scene of an accident involving personal injury, and failing to report an accident. The date and location line up with the details of the hit-and-run alleged by the prosecutor’s office. The vehicle identified in the tickets also matches the description of the vehicle the prosecutor’s office said they were looking for after the crash. It’s unclear if the teen has an attorney. CNN is working to reach his family members.

The suspect was detained and questioned on Monday, according to the Union County Prosecutor’s Office. He was released and then arrested on Wednesday morning, the prosecutor’s office said in a statement to CNN.

In a Facebook post, the police chief of nearby Westfield, New Jersey, said that the suspect was a relative – although not a member of his immediate family.

“I do unequivocably condemn the actions of the accused, and like you, I demand that he face the consequences of his alleged actions in a court of law,” wrote Christopher Battiloro in a post on Facebook. “My neighborhood feels violated and we are grieving.”

He added that he and his family “are absolutely heartbroken over this senseless loss of life, but also of the lost feeling of safety and security in the neighborhood and community that you and I call home.”

Isabella – “a beautiful, charismatic young lady” – was his neighbor, the chief said.

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CNN’s Holly Yan and Leigh Waldman contributed to this report.