Fair 72°
Police & Fire
Wayne Neighbor's Call Leads To Car Burglary Arrest Wayne Neighbor's Call Leads To Car Burglary Arrest
Wayne Neighbor's Call Leads To Car Burglary Arrest Thanks to a citizen’s call, a Wayne police officer seized a car burglar who’d just swiped a laptop, authorities said. Officer Diego Ocampo was responding to a vehicle burglary call from Riverview Drive when he spotted Anthony Cole of Rahway on the lower end of Valley Road shortly after 11:30 p.m. Sunday, March 27, Detective Capt. Dan Daly said. Cole, 41, was fumbling with a backpack before the officer stopped him, Daly said. Officer Donald Cook spotted the laptop in the grass nearby, the captain said. Turned out it belonged to a neighborhood resident who confirmed moments later that it ha…

SHARE

by Jerry DeMarco
News
Paterson Detectives Chase Down Suspect, 19, Recover Loaded Gun, Magazine, Drugs Paterson Detectives Chase Down Suspect, 19, Recover Loaded Gun, Magazine, Drugs
Paterson Detectives Chase Down Suspect, 19, Recover Loaded Gun, Magazine, Drugs A 19-year-old Paterson man who bolted as city detectives approached dozens of people drinking on a street corner was carrying a loaded gun with a defaced serial number, authorities said. The Special Investigations Division detectives chased Mekhi Porter through several back yards after he took off from the corner of Rosa Parks Boulevard and Warren Street, where nearly 100 people had gathered shortly after 10 p.m. Friday, March 18, Public Safety Director Jerry Speziale said. Detectives John Traynor, Kenneth Kerwin, Wojciech Kulbabinski, and Suquan Gary eventually chased down Porter on Mercer…

SHARE

by Jerry DeMarco
News
Robbery Goes Sideways: Repeat Offender Released Under Bail Reform Shot Dead By Pal, Police Say Robbery Goes Sideways: Repeat Offender Released Under Bail Reform Shot Dead By Pal, Police Say
Robbery Goes Sideways: Repeat Offender Released Under Bail Reform Shot Dead By Pal, Police Say A botched robbery in Paterson cost a repeat offender from Union County his life, although New Jersey’s bail reform law also had something to do with it. It was a week ago that Kyle Newton, 28, was arrested in Lyndhurst while he and another man were scoping out vehicles to steal, authorities said. Newton (inset in photo above), of Hillside, had a history of arrests in multiple counties over the past few years. Just as in the those cases, he was released from custody after last Monday’s arrest in Lyndhurst because of New Jersey’s bail reform law, records show. He ended up dead less tha…

SHARE

by Jerry DeMarco
News
ID Thieves Had Dozens Of Fake DLs, Debit Cards, Social Security Cards, More: Hawthorne PD ID Thieves Had Dozens Of Fake DLs, Debit Cards, Social Security Cards, More: Hawthorne PD
ID Thieves Had Dozens Of Fake DLs, Debit Cards, Social Security Cards, More: Hawthorne PD A New York City couple who both tried giving Hawthorne police fake IDs during a traffic stop had a trove of phony driver’s licenses, debit cards, Social Security cards and checks in other people’s names with them, authorities said. Various violations led police to stop their 2006 BMW 525, which had a temporary registration tag that didn’t belong to the vehicle, on Rea Avenue near Goffle Road around 2 p.m. Wednesday, March 2, Detective Lt. Matthew Hoogmoed said. After arresting both, police found “the driver’s licenses of 29 people as well as numerous TD bank debit cards,” Hoogmoed said. “T…

SHARE

by Jerry DeMarco
News
Paterson PD: Detectives Nab Motorcyclist With Loaded, Stolen Pistol, Crack Paterson PD: Detectives Nab Motorcyclist With Loaded, Stolen Pistol, Crack
Paterson PD: Detectives Nab Motorcyclist With Loaded, Stolen Pistol, Crack A wanted 20-year-old Paterson man who bolted when Paterson detectives approached him tried ditching a stolen gun before he was captured, authorities said. Khari L. Scott was sitting on the motorcycle in the area of North Main and Arch streets when Detectives Kenneth Kerwin and Wojciech Kulbabinski spotted him shortly after 6 p.m. Tuesday, March 1, city Public Safety Director Jerry Speziale said. Scott took on foot off down Arch Street when he saw them coming, tossing a loaded 9mm Ruger semi-automatic pistol with hollow-point ammo that had been reported stolen out of Sunbury, Pennsylvania, S…

SHARE

by Jerry DeMarco
News
GOT EM! Totowa Trio Charged With Killing Paterson Woman Found Stuffed In Car Trunk GOT EM! Totowa Trio Charged With Killing Paterson Woman Found Stuffed In Car Trunk
GOT EM! Totowa Trio Charged With Killing Paterson Woman Found Stuffed In Car Trunk UPDATE: One of three people charged with the brutal murder of a Paterson woman told detectives that she saw her live-in boyfriend and his father carry a large box from their Totowa home to the victim's car the night she was believed killed, authorities said. The victim, Stephanie DeJesus, 38, had driven to the Gordon Avenue home where Justin Fisher and Joelle Martucci lived with their young son the night of Feb. 23, documents say security video shows. She'd driven there from a nearby pharmacy, according to an affidavit filed in Superior Court in Paterson. Martucci, 24, pulled up afterward…

SHARE

by Jerry DeMarco
News
Reckless Driver In Mall Lot Had Dozens Of Bottles Of Perfume, Purses From Macy's: Wayne PD Reckless Driver In Mall Lot Had Dozens Of Bottles Of Perfume, Purses From Macy's: Wayne PD
Reckless Driver In Mall Lot Had Dozens Of Bottles Of Perfume, Purses From Macy's: Wayne PD A Maryland motorist who was stopped for driving recklessly through the Willowbrook Mall parking lot in Wayne not only had a stolen license plate on his car and an outstanding warrant for his arrest, authorities said. An officer also found 30 bottles of perfume and several purses that had all been stolen from the Macy’s at the mall, they said. Ever Vasquez-Hernandez, 27, of Columbia, MD remained held on the warrant in the Passaic County Jail on Tuesday, Feb. 22, two days after his arrest, records show. His vehicle also was impounded. Officer Michael Sweeney stopped Vasquez-Hernandez in the …

SHARE

by Jerry DeMarco
News
Passaic County Sheriff's Investigators Bust HVAC Employee On Child Porn Charges Passaic County Sheriff's Investigators Bust HVAC Employee On Child Porn Charges
Passaic County Sheriff's Investigators Bust HVAC Employee On Child Porn Charges A Passaic County heating, ventilation and air-conditioning company employee was arrested by sheriff's officers for trafficking child porn, authorities said. They also seized a defaced firearm and electronic devices while arresting Andrew J. Duval, 27, of North Haledon during a raid on his home, Passaic County Sheriff Richard H. Berdnik said. Berdnik's Internet Crime Against Children Task Force targeted Duval after discovering that he'd distributed "several images of child sexual abuse," including videos, the sheriff said. The Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office assisted with the investigati…

SHARE

by Jerry DeMarco
Business
Morris County Man Nabbed In Hackettstown Bagel Shop Burglary, Police Say Morris County Man Nabbed In Hackettstown Bagel Shop Burglary, Police Say
Morris County Man Nabbed In Hackettstown Bagel Shop Burglary, Police Say A Morris County man previously put behind bars for a series of burglaries throughout North Jersey was found to be behind the recent break-in of a popular Hackettstown bagel shop, police announced. Riverdale resident Joseph Demauex, 35, was taken into custody Wednesday and charged with burglary, theft, and criminal mischief, Hackettstown Police said. Demauex is accused of breaking into Budd Lake Bagel & Deli II on Mountain Avenue using the drive-thru window on Wednesday, Dec. 29, police said. Demauex stole $1,600 in cash, two cash registers valued at $1,650 each, and then fled the scene…

SHARE

by Valerie Musson
News
Child Porn Probe: NY Bank Tech Busted By Passaic County Sheriff's Investigators Child Porn Probe: NY Bank Tech Busted By Passaic County Sheriff's Investigators
Child Porn Probe: NY Bank Tech Busted By Passaic County Sheriff's Investigators A West Milford man who works as a tech for a New York security company had a side pursuit, as well, authorities said. Steven F. Jackson, 44, was charged with being the leader of a child pornography network after investigators learned that he'd used a chat room to share videos and other images of child sexual abuse, Passaic County Sheriff Richard Berdnik said. The Internet Crime Against Children Task Force detectives seized several electronic devices as part of a five-month investigation leading to Jackson's arrest, the sheriff said. The Passaic County Prosecutor's Office assisted, he said.…

SHARE

by Jerry DeMarco
News
Trio Charged With Murdering College-Bound Paterson Honor Student, 18 Trio Charged With Murdering College-Bound Paterson Honor Student, 18
Trio Charged With Murdering College-Bound Paterson Honor Student, 18 Three men were each charged with murder in a street shooting that killed an innocent college-bound honor student from Paterson as he carried in his grandmother’s groceries. Jaquin Williams and Jahed Jones, both 19 of Paterson, and Kahaz D. Heron, 18, of Clifton remained held in the Passaic County Jail following an intense and furious investigation into the slaying of 18-year-old Robert Cuadra. Cuadra was struck by a bullet that was among no fewer than 16 rounds that authorities said were fired on Godwin Avenue around 6:30 p.m. Jan. 19. Responding officers found the mortally wounded teen o…

SHARE

by Jerry DeMarco
News
BAIL REFORM: NJ Judge Frees Gun-Carrying Driver Who Rammed Police Cars With Stolen BMW, PD Says BAIL REFORM: NJ Judge Frees Gun-Carrying Driver Who Rammed Police Cars With Stolen BMW, PD Says
Bail Reform: NJ Judge Frees Gun-Carrying Driver Who Rammed Police Cars With Stolen BMW, PD Says A driver with no license, registration or insurance was carrying a gun when he rammed two Hawthorne police cars -- narrowly missing several officers -- with a BMW stolen from the Hamptons, authorities said. Troy Weeks, 27, was charged with five counts of aggravated assault on a police officer, possession of both a firearm and a stolen vehicle and several other offenses following the incident, Hawthorne Detective Lt. Matthew Hoogmoed said. Weeks has a criminal history, including arrests in Essex County dating back to 2017, records show. A Central Judicial Processing Court judge in Paterson …

SHARE

by Jerry DeMarco