NJ Lawmakers Demand Justice For Gabby

State legislators are calling for better accountability from the judicial system following the death of a Paramus resident who was struck down during a weekend jog, allegedly by a man with a long history of run-ins with the law.

Dover resident Philip Cise allegedly struck and killed Paramus resident Gabrielle Reuveni, a 2010 Paramus high school graduate  on July 14. Cise allegedly drove his pickup up truck over highway lines and struck and killed Reuveni. 

A witness reportedly police that Cise had been driving erratically before he struck Reuveni. 

Cise is currently being held at the Ann Klein Forensic Center and still faces charges stemming from all the incidents.

Paramus resident and Assemblywoman Connie Wagner expressed her condolences to the Reuveni family but said that the circumstances surrounding Gabrielle’s death are especially heartbreaking.

“It's clear from media reports of his many run-ins with police that Philip Cise was troubled. He should not have been on that road, driving that car, and he certainly should not have been free to drive again after striking her," said Wagner. "It’s too late for Gabrielle, but I hope justice is served and once the trial is over, Cise will no longer be a danger to the public.”

Cise, who a day after hitting Reuveni , already  in the weeks leading up to the fatal accident. He had an arrest warrant for allegedly harassing employees at the Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster.

He also faced weapons charges after allegedly wielding an ax while demanding free food at a Rockaway McDonald's restaurant.

Cise was arrested on July 7 for stealing a truck from a Jefferson Township driveway, according to police. The vehicle was recovered and returned to the owner and Cise was released on bail.

A week later after hitting Reuveni, Cise plowed into a utility pole with a different vehicle in Lake Hiawatha. Cise was uninjured but officers discovered the Bedminster arrest warrant related to the golf course, arrested Cise and turned him over to Bedminster Township Police.

After sitting in Somerset County Jail for weeks, Cise was sent to the Ann Klein Forensic Center for evaluation to determine if he can stand trial.

Assemblyman Tim Eustace, who also represents Paramus, described the incident as “every parent’s worst nightmare."

"My heart aches for them and their daughter whose life was cut short in her prime,” said Eustace. “It's hard to comprehend why an individual with a history of such erratic, violent behavior would have been allowed to roam the streets.

"Based on media reports, he was a danger to himself and the public," Eustace added. "It’s somewhat of a relief to know he has been remanded indefinitely pending a psych evaluation. I just wish it had been done sooner. Maybe then Gabrielle would still be with her family.”

Sen. Bob Gordon praised authorities for their "best efforts" to detain Cise, but said that the possibility of of his release was too great.

“In cases such as this, where one man is such a threat to public safety, the only option must be for him to remain behind bars," Gordon said. "Releasing him in the past with pending cases hasn't worked, and there's no reason to think this time would be any different.”