Carlstadt Man Sentenced For Role In Death Of Morris County Disabled Man
Monday, April 7, 2025, 10:30 A.M. ET. 2 Minute Read, By Art Fletcher: Englebrook Independent News,
EAST HANOVER, NJ.- On Friday, Morris County Prosecutor Robert J. Carroll reported that a former Bergen County, New Jersey, nurse was sentenced in connection with the tragic death of an East Hanover, New Jersey, disabled man, who tragically succumbed to injuries he sustained shortly after being transported on his school bus in February of 2023.
According to Prosecutor Carroll, Emilio J. Rivera, 30, of Carlstadt, New Jersey, appeared on February 25, 2025, in Morris County Superior Court and pleaded guilty before Superior Court Judge Ralph Amirata to one count of third-degree Endangering Another Person; and one count of third-degree Neglect of a Disabled Person, in connection with the death of Matthew Rossi, 19, of East Hanover, New Jersey.
Rivera Sentenced To Probation And County Jail Time
On Friday, April 4, 2025, Rivera appeared in Morris County Superior Court and was sentenced by Judge Armirata to three years of probation as a condition of the probationary term, Rivera will be required to serve 90 days in the Morris County Correctional Facility, with up to 45 days to be served in the Sheriff’s Labor Assistance Program. In addition, Judge Amirata ordered Rivera to forfeit his nursing license and to have no contact with Mr. Rossi’s family.
The guilty plea and Friday’s sentence stem from an investigation that began on February 10, 2023, when members of the East Hanover Police Department and Emergency Medical Services responded to a 911 Emergency Call reporting an unconscious man at an East Hanover residence.
Upon arrival, Police Officers and First Responders found Mr. Rossi, who was wheelchair-bound and unable to speak, having just arrived home on the bus from his school. Despite life-saving measures by Emergency Medical Services Personnel and East Hanover Police Officers, Mr. Rossi succumbed to injuries and was pronounced deceased.
Investigation Uncovers Rivera Neglected Mr. Rossi
During the ensuing investigation into the circumstances surrounding Mr. Rossi’s death. Detectives of the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office and the East Hanover Police Department determined that Mr. Rossi was accompanied on the bus by a licensed nurse, Rivera. Rivera was legally responsible for the care of Mr. Rossi and neglected to perform certain acts necessary for Mr. Rossi’s care and well-being, which created a substantial risk of serious bodily injury.
