Former Town Resident Charged With Manslaughter

Former Montville resident Michael Yodice, 22, has been charged with aggravated manslaughter, vehicular homicide, robbery and eluding an officer in connection with the early-morning robbery of a 7-Eleven on Changebridge Road Thursday.

According to an arrest affidavit filed by Montville Police Sgt. Andrew Caggiano, the department received a 911 call from an employee of the store, at 269 Changebridge Road, reporting a robbery at approximately 1:40 a.m. 

The employee said that a male entered the store and allegedly demanded money, and allegedly displayed a gun. Sgt. Mark Olsson, Patrolman Ian Jacobsen and Patrolman Scott DeMagistris responded to the call, and observed a motorcycle heading south on Changebridge Road.

Jacobsen observed the operator of the bike, Yodice, who looked over his shoulder and saw the patrol car, at which point the officer activated his car's emergency lights and began to peruse Yodice, the affidavit said.

According to the affidavit, the pursuit continued for about a half mile before the bike crossed the double yellow lines and lost control near 332 Changebridge Road. According to Jacobsen, he was traveling approximately 80 miles an hour before the crash to keep up with the motorcycle. The crash occurred in a curve of the road with a 30-mile-per-hour speed limit.

Police responded to the scene of the crash and found the passenger, identified in the affidavit as Christopher Vielee, face down on the ground. He was not wearing a helmet and was pronounced dead on the scene. Police administered first aid to Yodice, who was wearing a helmet, until emergency services arrived and took him to Morristown Memorial Hospital.

Caggiano said in the affidavit that Vielee and Yodice were good friends for at least 10 years.

According to the affidavit, police found a rifle near the scene of the crash that matched the description given by a 7-Eleven employee and later confirmed by surveillance video.

Montville Det. Christopher Keezer interviewed the 7-Eleven clerk, whose name has not been released.

According to the clerk, he was behind the counter when a man entered the store and pointed a gun at him and demanded money, the affidavit said. The clerk said he ran away from the counter and locked himself in the store's office before calling 911.

Surveillance tapes obtained by Montville Police show that Vielee entered the store and threatened the clerk with a rifle before exiting the front door and running toward Stiles Lane from the rear of the 7-Eleven parking lot, the affidavit said.

According to Capt. Jeffrey S. Paul, chief spokesman for Morris County Prosecutor Robert A. Bianchi, Yodice was born and raised in Montville and Vielee was Montville resident.

According to Morris County Persecutor Robert Bianchi, the incident was investigated by the Morris County Prosecutor's Office Major Crime Unit, Vehicular Homicide Unit along with the Montville Township Police Department and the Morris County Sheriff's Office Criminal Investigation Section.