Lindenwold man sentenced to 90 years for 2020 Mount Laurel murder

MOUNT HOLLY, NJ – A 33-year-old Lindenwold man has been sentenced to 90 years in state prison for the 2020 murder of a man in a Mount Laurel hotel room. Jawaad ​​Ali's sentencing was announced Friday by Burlington County Prosecutor LaChia L. Bradshaw.

Ali was convicted in June after a jury deliberated for two hours and found him guilty on several charges, including first-degree murder, robbery and kidnapping. The sentence was handed down by Superior Court Judge Terrence R. Cook in Mount Holly.

The investigation revealed that on May 8, 2020, Ali, along with two co-defendants, Asia Boone and Anthony Sermond-Guyton, lured 31-year-old Samer Alhalayqa to the Fairfield Inn on Century Parkway under the guise of a robbery. Alhalayqa was suffocated in a room on the third floor and later dragged into the hallway. His debit card was used to withdraw money, order items from Amazon and buy pizza after the murder.

Ali represented himself during the trial. His co-defendants, Boone and Sermond-Guyton, have pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing.

In New Jersey, gas prices are shown with three decimal places (e.g. $3.499 or $3.49 9/10) due to a decades-old pricing convention.

This practice allows gas stations to fine-tune prices and gives them the flexibility to adjust costs by fractions of a cent without making huge jumps.

While this may seem insignificant, it can make a difference in fuel pricing in competitive markets.

Companies also have the option to round up their prices.

Ok, that answers the fractional question, but is it legal to put the lower cash price on the sign instead of the higher credit price?

The difference between cash and credit prices is also common at gas stations in New Jersey. The main reason for this is the processing fees that credit card companies charge merchants, which can be significant – often around 2 to 3% of the transaction.

Instead of absorbing these fees, many gas stations pass the cost on to the consumer through a higher “credit price,” typically about 5 to 10 cents more per gallon than the cash price.

The cash price, which is usually lower, is shown on the large street signs. However, once you stand at the gas pump and swipe a credit card, you may notice that the price per gallon is higher.

This “cash vs. credit” pricing model benefits both the gas station and the customer, depending on the payment method. The gas station avoids losses due to credit card fees and customers who pay in cash can save some money at the pump. Some stations also offer debit card discounts similar to cash, as debit transactions typically have lower processing fees than credit cards.

It's important for New Jersey drivers to be aware of these price differences to avoid surprises at the pump. Always check the fine print on the sign or at the pump itself to determine whether you will be charged cash or credit and plan accordingly depending on how you plan to pay. This little detail can save you a few bucks, especially over multiple tank fills!

UTICA, NY - On the evening of September 28, 2024, at approximately 8:25 p.m., Utica Police responded to a report of a man attempting to attack people with a baseball bat in the 700 block of Court Street.

Upon arrival, officers interviewed several people who then referred them to the suspect. The suspect, Dennis Leavitt, 69, of Utica, was arrested without incident. Police found the baseball bat in Leavitt's vehicle nearby.

Leavitt was taken to the Utica Police Department and charged with crimes related to the incident. Further details about the specific charges have not yet been announced.