Hundreds of mourners paid final respects Monday to one of two New Jersey teens were killed last month by a hit-and-run driver who is accused of targeted them.
A memorial service for Isabella Rose Salas, 17, was held early Monday at Fairview Cemetery in Westfield, where loved ones remembered her as a vivacious and outgoing teen who lived life loudly.
“She was just a doll,” Lori Okonkwo, who changed Isabella’s diapers as a child, told Newsweek from the service. “My hearts breaks for her family because I’m a mom, too. I can’t even imagine what they’re going through. I can’t even stand over there.”
Okonkwo, 39, of Kenilworth, said Isabella had been a standout student at Cranford High School, where she was a member of several choirs and an acapella group. She was also heavily involved at the Cranford Dramatic Club, according to her obituary.
“Isabella was smart, she was funny and she liked to sing a lot, ” Okonkwo said. “It’s been a while since I’ve seen her, but she always used to hug me. She was just full of life.”
Okonkwo, a mother of five, said she attended high school with Isabella’s mother, Mary Rose Salas, and spent a lot of time with Isabella and her older brother CJ when they were young.
“We used to hang out around their house and watch the kids every once in a while,” she said. “We used to call Isabella Chubbz because her legs were so chubby.”
Isabella died on September 29 in Cranford, after she and Maria Niotis, also 17, were struck by a black 2021 Jeep Compass traveling at a high rate of speed as they rode down the street on an e-bike. Both girls were later pronounced dead at a hospital. The driver of the vehicle, a 17-year-old boy from Garfield, fled the scene. He was later arrested and now faces two counts of first-degree murder, according to the Union County Prosecutor’s Office.
“That girl was loved by everybody,” Okonkwo said of Isabella. “Look at how big her family is, oh my God. She was a princess; she is a princess.”
Okonkwo said she was angered that court records reportedly show the alleged driver, Vincent Battiloro, had been going 70 mph on a 25 mph residential street when he fatally struck the teens. Relatives and friends of the victim told local media outlets that Maria had filed a restraining order against Battiloro before the crash over claims of continued harassment. In a now-deleted Facebook post, Maria’s uncle claimed the police were notified about Battiloro’s alleged harassment but nothing was done.
“I can’t even believe this happened,” Okonkwo said. “I heard about the crash and said, ‘My God, that’s terrible.’ And then I saw her face, and I knew it was her right away. I couldn’t believe it. This girl, I used to change her diapers and now her mom is just so broken. I just pray that God gives them the strength to get through because they should never have to deal with this. Nobody should ever have to deal with this — the girl was just riding her bike.”
Battiloro, who was charged on Wednesday, had acknowledged the teens’ deaths online prior to his arrest, claiming they had been “lost in that tragic accident” during a livestream on YouTube, according to reports.
“I’m a nice kid,” the now-charged teen said. “I’m 17 years old with a good family by my side, and these allegations have been ruining everything. It is a shame.”
The footage, which has since been removed, featured Battiloro claiming he had been bullied and ridiculed over false allegations while calling for additional mental health treatment in New Jersey, MyCentralJersey.com reported.
“In a neighboring town, unfortunately, two girls were killed in a hit-and-run crash,” Battiloro said during the livestream on September 30.
Battiloro didn’t indicate whether he knew the girls or had been involved in the hit-and-run, but some followers soon questioned why he allegedly killed the girls.
The families of the girls, meanwhile, have said Battiloro had plotted the deadly attack against Maria, who had previously filed a restraining order against him, CBS News reported.
“This kid is a psycho and he needs to burn in hell for what he did,” Okonkwo told Newsweek. “He knew exactly what he was doing and he planned it. I watched the video on his stream, talking about ordering a pizza and stuff and how he was mocking these girls. We have to be on top of our kids. This is not the same world I grew up in.”
The police chief of Westfield, a town adjacent to Cranford, has confirmed Battiloro is a relative.
“I want to be clear, as loud and as firm as possible, that in NO WAY do my wife, children or I condone, defend, or excuse the actions that caused this terrible and tragic loss of life,” Westfield Police Chief Christopher Battiloro said in a statement. “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. As a law enforcement officer, I maintain full faith and confidence in our criminal justice system, and that it will ensure he is held fully accountable. I, too, pray for these families. I, too, demand full accountability and justice.”
The teen, who remains in custody, could potentially be tried as an adult, authorities said Monday.
“The Union County Prosecutor’s Office is exploring all legal options for prosecution,” a spokeswoman told Newsweek in a statement.
A funeral for Niotis, who also attended Cranford High School, was held on Friday. She was later interred at Fairview Cemetery. Several mourners at Monday’s service were too distraught to talk, but Isabella should be remembered for the light she carried, Okonkwo said.
“Protect your children at all costs,” she said. “And if anything feels wrong in any way, shape or form, speak up right away. This could’ve been avoided perhaps if the right people were listening. These girls had their whole lives ahead of them. Isabella is a ray of light and I pray she’s watching over her family.”
An online fundraiser established for the families of both girls had eclipsed $162,000 as of Monday.
