A 17-year-old TikToker is facing two counts of first-degree murder after reportedly running over two girls in New Jersey, but before charges were announced, he went live on YouTube to play video games and address the situation.
According to local news outlet NJ1015, the teen, who has nearly 40,000 followers on TikTok, is accused of intentionally killing Maria Niotis and Isabella Salas by running them over with a Jeep. He was detained by police, but wasn’t officially charged until a couple of days later.
Despite the seriousness of the allegations, the teen went live on YouTube the following day to play MLB The Show, complain about online backlash, and even brag about the engagement his stream was receiving.
During the broadcast, which Dexerto has viewed, he referred to the incident as a “tragic accident,” while offering “condolences” to the families of the victims. He claimed there was “misinformation” spreading online and lashed out at viewers sending hostile messages.
“Threats against my family won’t be tolerated. You’re opening Pandora’s box by getting family involved,” he said at one point, before discussing New Jersey’s lack of mental health resources and continuing to game.
TikToker charged with murdering two girls
The following day, the Union County Prosecutor’s Office confirmed the teen had been charged with two counts of murder. His name has not been released due to his age.
Neighbors told Fox the teen had allegedly stalked one of the girls for months, often parking outside of her home. After the deadly crash, police say he continued driving, dragging one of the girls’ bikes under his Jeep until it became disabled.
The families of Maria and Isabella released a joint statement on October 1, describing the accused as “a coward of a man” who “had been plotting this attack for months.”
“He is not insane, he is competent and meditated,” they said.
In a previous live stream reviewed by Dexerto, the 17-year-old bragged about harassing Maria by sending pizzas to her house as revenge for claiming he had sent her AI deepfakes.
A GoFundMe set up to support the victims’ families has raised nearly $130,000 at the time of writing.
“Our hearts are broken with this sudden and senseless loss of two beautiful young lives,” organizer Tiffany Pinero wrote. “We are grateful for law enforcement, first responders, and neighbors who tried their very best for a better outcome.”
Westfield Police Chief Christopher Battiloro, who was confirmed to be related to the accused, denied being his father or part of his immediate family.
“I do unequivocally 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,” he said.
The investigation remains ongoing.
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