More Than 1K Acres Burn In NJ Wildfire: 5 NJ Stories You Need To Read

Good evening, New Jersey Patch readers! We've assembled some of the most share-worthy stories from the state for today, just for you.

Here are the top five stories from New Jersey:

1. Officials have charged a man accused of fatally stabbing a 22-year-old woman who was leaving her shift at a New Jersey Turnpike rest stop, and then running her over. The 23-year-old man faces a murder charge and other charges in connection with the slaying at the Woodrow Wilson Service Area, said state police. (Read more on Patch.)

2. Police said 40 shots were fired during gunfire that erupted Sunday morning in a South Jersey city, injuring a 14-year-old girl and a 36-year-old woman. Officials are searching for suspects after the shooting in Millville. (Read more on Patch.)

3. A New Jersey woman has been sentenced to 11 years in prison for a crash that killed her son and nephew, said officials. Yokauri Batista-Alcantara was driving the wrong way and crashed into an Old Bridge Police vehicle, authorities said. (Read more on Patch.)

4. Ron Cephas Jones, known for playing a father seeking redemption on NBC's "This Is Us," has died. The North Jersey native, also a Broadway actor, won two Emmy awards for playing William “Shakespeare” Hill on the show. (Read more on Patch.)

5. A wildfire in the New Jersey Pinelands has grown to 1,200 acres, officials said Monday afternoon. The State Forest Fire Service has been battling a wildfire near the Atco Dragway in Wharton State Forest since Sunday evening, and said it was 10 percent contained as of the latest update. The forest is the largest in the New Jersey State Park System, with more than 125,000 acres. (Read more on Patch.)