MORRIS COUNTY — Two Jefferson Township residents face multiple charges following a motor vehicle stop in Denville, according to a release from the Denville Police Department.

Officers stopped a vehicle traveling at a high rate of speed on Route 10 East at approximately 12:00 a.m. on July 22, after observing a motor vehicle violation. During the stop, officers said they located a controlled dangerous substance and drug paraphernalia inside the vehicle.

The driver, Brittany Muccia, 34, Landing, was placed under arrest and charged with:

• Possession of a Controlled Dangerous Substance
• Possession of Drug Paraphernalia
• Failure to Wear a Seat Belt
• Operating a Motor Vehicle While in Possession of a Controlled Dangerous Substance
• Careless Driving

The passenger, Christopher Lininger, 28, also of Landing, was found to have an active warrant for his arrest, issued by Ewing Township Municipal Court in the amount of seven hundred fifty dollars. Lininger was additionally charged with:

• Obstruction of Justice
• Possession of a Controlled Dangerous Substance
• Possession of Drug Paraphernalia

Following processing, Muccia was released pending a future court appearance in Morris County Superior Court. Lininger was also released on the new charges before being turned over to the custody of the Ewing Township Police Department on the outstanding warrant.

Editor’s Note: The charges outlined in this publication are merely accusations, and the defendant and/or defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

MORRIS COUNTY — A Randolph man was arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated following a motor vehicle stop in Denville, according to Denville Police.

Christian Viera, 31, was stopped by officers at approximately 4:17 a.m. on July 25 after police observed motor vehicle violations, according to a police report. During the course of the stop, officers determined Viera was driving while intoxicated.

Viera was placed under arrest and issued summonses for:

• Driving While Intoxicated
• Careless Driving
• Reckless Driving
• Improper Use of High Beams
• Failure to Provide Insurance Card

Viera was processed and released with a future court date in Denville Township Municipal Court.

Editor’s Note: The charges outlined in this publication are merely accusations, and the defendant and/or defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

MORRIS COUNTY — A Rockaway man was arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated following a motor vehicle stop on Bloomfield Avenue in Denville, according to the Denville Police Department.

Garry Della-Calce, 72, of Rockaway, was stopped by a Denville police officer at approximately 4:20 p.m. on July 18 after the officer observed a vehicle with an inoperable passenger-side brake light.

During the stop, officers identified Della-Calce as the driver and observed signs of impairment, prompting standardized field sobriety tests. Based on the results of the investigation, Della-Calce was placed under arrest and transported to Denville Police Headquarters for processing.

Following processing, Della-Calce was issued motor vehicle summonses for:

• Operating a Motor Vehicle Under the Influence of Liquor or Drugs (N.J.S.A. 39:4-50)
• Careless Driving (N.J.S.A. 39:4-97)
• Maintenance of Lamps (N.J.S.A. 39:3-66)
• Reckless Driving (N.J.S.A. 39:4-96)

Della-Calce was released pending a future court appearance in Denville Municipal Court.

Editor’s Note: The charges outlined in this publication are merely accusations, and the defendant and/or defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

MORRIS COUNTY — A Haledon woman was arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated following a motor vehicle stop in Denville, according to Denville Police.

Krystell Maldonado, 32, was stopped by officers at approximately 11:22 p.m. on July 24 after police observed motor vehicle violations, according to a police report. During the course of the stop, officers determined Maldonado was driving while intoxicated.

Maldonado was placed under arrest and issued summonses for:

• Driving While Intoxicated
• Careless Driving
• Reckless Driving
• Traffic on Marked Lanes
• Open Container in a Motor Vehicle
• Obstruction of Windshield for Vision

Maldonado was processed and released with a future court date in Denville Township Municipal Court.

Editor’s Note: The charges outlined in this publication are merely accusations, and the defendant and/or defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

MORRIS COUNTY — A jury has found Victor Peters, 46, of Parsippany-Troy Hills, guilty in connection with a fatal two-vehicle crash on Route 80 in Rockaway Township, according to Morris County Prosecutor Robert Carroll and Chief of Detectives Robert McNally.

The jury returned its verdict on July 22 following a five-day trial. Peters was found guilty of:

• First-degree Aggravated Manslaughter
• Second-degree Vehicular Homicide

The Honorable Ralph E. Amirata, Judge of the Superior Court, presided over the trial and scheduled a sentencing hearing for September 11. Peters will remain in custody until that time. Both charges are subject to the No Early Release Act, meaning Peters will be ineligible for parole until he has served eighty-five percent of the sentence imposed.

According to the prosecutor’s office, the crash occurred at approximately 2:33 a.m. on Route 80 West in Rockaway Township, when a Mercedes sport utility vehicle driven by Peters was traveling east in the westbound lanes and struck a Ford pickup truck traveling west.

The driver of the pickup truck, Destinn McKnight, 31, of East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, was pronounced dead at the scene. McKnight was the sole occupant of the pickup truck.

Peters sustained non-life-threatening injuries and was transported to Morristown Medical Center for treatment. He was the sole occupant of the Mercedes. Investigators said Peters exhibited signs of being under the influence at the scene, which led to the charges against him.

Prosecutor Carroll thanked the agencies that participated in the investigation, including the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit and the New Jersey State Police. He also recognized Assistant Prosecutor Alyssa DiSturco and Assistant Prosecutor Alexander Bennett, who tried the case.

Editor’s Note: The charges outlined in this publication are merely accusations, and the defendant and/or defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.