Former Hasbrouck Heights Police Officer Charged In Murder Of John Amendola
WOOD-RIDGE, N.J. (CBSNewYork/AP) -- A former Hasbrouck Heights police officer has been charged in the killing of a Wood-Ridge businessman who was found dead on Sunday.
Scott Smith, 33, of Hasbrouck Heights, was arrested Monday and faces murder and weapons possession charges in the death of 39-year-old John Amendola.
Bergen County Prosecutor John Molinelli says the two men had been friends for nearly 20 years and got into a dispute at Amendola's Union Avenue home early Sunday morning.
Smith allegedly stabbed Amendola several times with a knife prosecutors say Smith often carried.
Amendola's body was found around 2 p.m. by a friend who arrived for a visit.
Those living closest to the home said they knew little about Amendola, who shared the home with his three dogs. He grew up in Hasbrouck Heights, has a twin brother, and owned an Italian restaurant on the town's main Boulevard.
Prosecutors say Smith, who is currently unemployed, is being held on $2 million bail.
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