Tag:

West New York, NJ

Toms River Company Among 19 NJ Businesses Who Owe $1.1M In Unpaid Dues, State Says Toms River Company Among 19 NJ Businesses Who Owe $1.1M In Unpaid Dues, State Says
Toms River Company Among 19 NJ Businesses Who Owe $1.1M In Unpaid Dues, State Says Nineteen businesses who owe a total of $1.1 million have been barred from public contracting until they pay back their dues, the New Jersey Department of Labor said. R.A. Florio Building Contractors Inc., of Toms River, for example, has been ordered to pay $39,555.57 to the state, according to the department of labor and workforce development. The final judgment was given on Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2020.  The contractor is one of 101 total businesses on New Jersey's Workplace Accountability in Labor List, also known as the WALL. According to the state, Florio Building Contractors violated …
Man Poses As Nurse To Kidnap, Sexually Abuse Women In NJ, NY: Feds Man Poses As Nurse To Kidnap, Sexually Abuse Women In NJ, NY: Feds
Man Poses As Nurse To Kidnap, Sexually Abuse Women In NJ, NY: Feds A Hudson County man who posed as a nurse on Facebook and the Hinge dating app kidnapped, assaulted and sexually abused several women in New Jersey and New York, federal authorities charged. Herman Calvin Brightman, 30, abducted one of the women and her 2-year-old child in the Bronx and brought them to his West New York home at knifepoint, said Damian Williams, the US Attorney for the Southern District of New York. It was only one of what NYPD Commissioner Edward A. Caban called many “deeply disturbing and heinous acts” that included threats to kill his victims. Brightman also stalked a wom…
Man Crushed To Death Between Car, Garage In Princeton: Police Man Crushed To Death Between Car, Garage In Princeton: Police
Man Crushed To Death Between Car, Garage In Princeton: Police A 61-year-old man was killed when he was pinned against a garage by a backing car, authorities said. Meliton Hernandez-Morales of West New York died of his injuries at the scene of the crash at about 10 a.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 29, Princeton police said. Huimei Qiu, 53, of Princeton, was backing down a residential driveway on Red Hill Road when Hernandez-Morales, who was in the driveway, was struck, police said. Hernandez-Morales was pinned against a detached garage, they said. Qiu was not hurt and no summonses had been issued. The investigation is ongoing.
These 9 NJ Towns Failed To Correct Sick Leave Policies, State Comptroller Says These 9 NJ Towns Failed To Correct Sick Leave Policies, State Comptroller Says
These 9 NJ Towns Failed To Correct Sick Leave Policies, State Comptroller Says Towns throughout the Garden State have not addressed their sick and vacation leave policies, the state's comptroller said. In a letter sent to Gov. Phil Murphy, Senate President Nicholas Scutari, Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin and State Comptroller Kevin Walsh said nine municipalities have refused to cooperate and develop a correction action plan and is requesting that Murphy's office withhold state funds if they do not cooperate within 30 days. "The failure of the nine municipalities to prepare a correction action plan creates risks that taxpayer funds will be wasted and that unlawful pol…
Police Fully Justified In Shooting West New York Man Who Fired At Them, Grand Jury Rules Police Fully Justified In Shooting West New York Man Who Fired At Them, Grand Jury Rules
Police Fully Justified In Shooting West New York Man Who Fired At Them, Grand Jury Rules It was as open-and-shut as a police shooting can possibly get. That’s why a state grand jury found that police were more than justified in shooting a West New York gunman who’d just wounded one officer while firing point-blank at them with a gun in each hand. Dramatic police bodycam footage shows Kevin Colindres, 32, opening fire after emerging from his 59th Street home on June 3, 2022. In a clip recorded through the front-door window, Colindres is seen entering the vestibule in a t-shirt and shorts with both hands behind his back as police investigate a domestic violence call. He sudden…
NY Dealer Gets 11 Years, No Parole, For Moving Fentanyl, Meth, Coke By The Pound Into NJ NY Dealer Gets 11 Years, No Parole, For Moving Fentanyl, Meth, Coke By The Pound Into NJ
NY Dealer Gets 11 Years, No Parole, For Moving Fentanyl, Meth, Coke By The Pound Into NJ A dealer who admitted flooding four North Jersey counties with massive quantities of fentanyl, meth and coke is headed to federal prison for more than a decade. Juan Carlos Merced Moreno, 45, of Manhattan must serve out just about all of his plea-bargained 11-year sentence because there's no parole in the federal prison system. Moreno and his partners operated a fentanyl mill in Washington Heights that supplied traffickers in New Jersey with at least 25,000 pills that were distributed throughout the Garden State, U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Philip R. Sellinger said. Authorities disco…
DONE AND DONE: Hudson Pair Get 30 Years Each In Bergen Robbery Murder DONE AND DONE: Hudson Pair Get 30 Years Each In Bergen Robbery Murder
Done AND Done: Hudson Pair Get 30 Years Each In Bergen Robbery Murder UPDATE: Two Hudson County men who killed a Fairview pot dealer during an armed robbery at his home were sentenced to a plea-bargained 30 years each in state prison. Carlos Burgos of Jersey City and Raul Torres of North Bergen, both 23, must each serve 25½ years behind bars before they'll be eligible for parole under the terms of their respective plea agreements. The plot's mastermind, Lexie Burke, 24, of Jersey City, pleaded guilty to aggravated manslaughter last year in the June 2019 shooting death of David Duque-Soto. He's scheduled for sentencing on June 23, Bergen County Prosecutor Ma…
Hudson Pair Quickly Take Guilty Pleas After Jury Convicts Getaway Driver In Bergen Drug Killing Hudson Pair Quickly Take Guilty Pleas After Jury Convicts Getaway Driver In Bergen Drug Killing
Hudson Pair Quickly Take Guilty Pleas After Jury Convicts Getaway Driver In Bergen Drug Killing UPDATE: Two men charged with the cold-blooded killing of a Fairview man during an armed robbery at his apartment four years ago have taken plea deals not even three weeks after their getaway driver was convicted at a trial. Carlos Burgos of Jersey City and Raul Torres of North Bergen, both 23, took the same route as the plan’s mastermind, Lexie Burke of Jersey City, who pleaded guilty to aggravated manslaughter last year in the June 2019 shooting death of David Duque-Soto. Both men, like Burke, were originally charged with felony murder. Like him, they opted to plead guilty to lesser charg…
Getaway Driver In NJ Drug Killing Convicted Of Felony Murder, Conspiracy, More Getaway Driver In NJ Drug Killing Convicted Of Felony Murder, Conspiracy, More
Getaway Driver In NJ Drug Killing Convicted Of Felony Murder, Conspiracy, More UPDATE: The getaway driver in an armed robbery turned cold-blooded killing in Fairview was convicted this week of felony murder, among other counts, following a trial in Hackensack. David Martinez of North Bergen will get a minimum 30-year state prison sentence, at the very least, for the June 2019 shooting death of David Duque-Soto at his Fourth Street apartment. Superior Court Judge Margaret M. Foti, who presided over the four-week trial, scheduled sentencing for April 21. Assistant Bergen County Prosecutors Suzanne Cevasco and Matthew Fitzpatrick presented 16 witnesses to prove that Ma…
Body Of Missing NJ Man Found In His Van, No Foul Play Suspected Body Of Missing NJ Man Found In His Van, No Foul Play Suspected
Body Of Missing NJ Man Found In His Van, No Foul Play Suspected The body of an audio engineer from West New York who'd gone missing earlier this month was found in his van parked outside an Englewood day care center on Friday, multiple responders said. Investigators said they don't suspect any wrongdoing in the death of Lestor Tabora, 31, whose body was found near the corner of William Street and West Linden Avenue. An autopsy scheduled Saturday morning by the Bergen County Medical Examiner's Office will provide definitive results, they said. Tabora was last seen driving the white GMC van in Fairview on Feb. 8. Loved ones described Tabora as a "kind-h…
Dealer Admits Role In Major Ring That Moved Fentanyl, Meth, Coke By The Pound Into NJ From NYC Dealer Admits Role In Major Ring That Moved Fentanyl, Meth, Coke By The Pound Into NJ From NYC
Dealer Admits Role In Major Ring That Moved Fentanyl, Meth, Coke By The Pound Into NJ From NYC One of three Manhattan men accused of flooding four North Jersey counties with massive quantities of fentanyl, meth and coke admitted his role in the organization, authorities said. Juan Carlos Merced Moreno, 45, and his partners operated a fentanyl mill in Washington Heights that supplied traffickers in New Jersey with at least 25,000 pills that were distributed throughout the Garden State, U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Philip R. Sellinger said. And that wasn't all. Authorities discovered the operation during what began as an investigation into the Hudson County crew, which flooded the str…
UPDATE: NJ Woman Jailed For Shooting Up SUV In Former Neighbor's Driveway UPDATE: NJ Woman Jailed For Shooting Up SUV In Former Neighbor's Driveway
Update: NJ Woman Jailed For Shooting Up SUV In Former Neighbor's Driveway UPDATE: A 40-year-old Mahwah woman was charged with shooting up an SUV parked in the driveway of a former neighbor in Waldwick. Megan Dzugay spent the night in jail after being seized in Mahwah by Waldwick detectives, assisted by Mahwah police and a Bergen County Regional SWAT team, Wednesday evening, Nov. 30, Waldwick Police Lt. Troy E. Seifert said. She's charged with unlawful possession of a handgun, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and criminal mischief resulting in property damage in connection with the 3:35 a.m. shooting on Grove Street in Waldwick. The 5-foot-4-inch g…
16 Arrested, 39K Folds Of Heroin/Fentanyl Seized In Major Atlantic City Drug Sting: Police 16 Arrested, 39K Folds Of Heroin/Fentanyl Seized In Major Atlantic City Drug Sting: Police
16 Arrested, 39K Folds Of Heroin/Fentanyl Seized In Major Atlantic City Drug Sting: Police A months-long investigation into the sale of drugs resulted in the arrest of 16 people and the recovery of multiple handguns and a huge quantity of heroin/fentanyl, authorities said. On Nov. 14, the Atlantic City Police Department, with assistance from the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office, DEA Atlantic City Resident Office, and the Liberty Mid-Atlantic DEA Atlantic County HIDTA Task Force, completed an investigation into a drug distribution network operating in the area of Florida Avenue, the Ducktown section of Atlantic City, and surrounding areas. The network, allegedly led by brothers…
Two NJ Powerball Players Win $150K, Nine Win $50K Two NJ Powerball Players Win $150K, Nine Win $50K
Two NJ Powerball Players Win $150K, Nine Win $50K Eleven New Jersey Lottery tickets matched four of the five white balls and the Power Ball drawn on Monday, Oct. 31, winning the $50,000 second-tier prize.  Two of those tickets were purchased with Power Play, multiplying the prizes to $150,000. The Powerball jackpot now rolls to $1.2 billion for the next drawing to be held Wednesday, Nov. 2, at 10:59 pm. Those winning NJ tickets were sold at the following locations: Bergen County ($150,000): 7-Eleven #34523, 29 County Rd., Tenafly; Passaic County ($150,000): Jackpocket, 355 Warwick Tpke., Hewitt; Burlington County ($50,000): Acme #6…
FATAL SHOOTOUT: NJ Gunman Fires Point-Blank At Police, Shot Dead In Exchange FATAL SHOOTOUT: NJ Gunman Fires Point-Blank At Police, Shot Dead In Exchange
Fatal Shootout: NJ Gunman Fires Point-Blank At Police, Shot Dead In Exchange Dramatic footage shows a fully-armed man shooting point-blank at West New York police, then being shot dead himself. The incident is captured in a compilation of police bodycam footage and home surveillance video released late Tuesday, Sept. 6, by Acting New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin. Several uniformed officers responding to a domestic dispute at the 59th Street home of Kevin Colindres, 32, of West New York on June 3, 2022 had their body cameras activated, Platkin said. Home security cameras in the neighborhood were working, as well. Bodycam footage video recorded throug…
Ex-NJ Assistant Principal Who Faked Reason For Slip-Fall Getting Job Back Ex-NJ Assistant Principal Who Faked Reason For Slip-Fall Getting Job Back
Ex-NJ Assistant Principal Who Faked Reason For Slip-Fall Getting Job Back A former assistant principal of a Hudson County school who faked her slip-and-fall in a stairwell will be getting her job back, the Superior Court of New Jersey Appellate Division ruled. Amanda Sanjuan was hired as a bilingual education teacher in West New York in 1997, and was appointed assistant principal at Memorial High School in 2019. One night in February 2020, Sanjuan was attending an event at the high school when she fell down a flight of stairs and landed on the floor, according to court papers. After hearing a commotion, a teacher and a custodian rushed to the stairs wh…
Players Mourn Sudden Loss Of Beloved NJ Football Coach Brian Meeney, 46 Players Mourn Sudden Loss Of Beloved NJ Football Coach Brian Meeney, 46
Players Mourn Sudden Loss Of Beloved NJ Football Coach Brian Meeney, 46 Take a quick look at the posts from some of Brian Meeney's current and former players and students, and the impact he made becomes obvious. "I can never repay you for everything you taught me," one wrote. "Kept me out of trouble and made sure I stayed on the path of success, I wouldn’t be where I am today if you didn’t push me the way that you did." "You believed in me," said another, "and most importantly you never gave up on me. Coach Meeney I’ll always love you you were that second father-like figure in my life." The Maywood dad suffered a massive heart attack while on his way to work o…
Killer Brutally Beat Inmate For NJ Latin Kings 'Hit Squad': Indictment Killer Brutally Beat Inmate For NJ Latin Kings 'Hit Squad': Indictment
Killer Brutally Beat Inmate For NJ Latin Kings 'Hit Squad': Indictment A convicted killer from West New York sent a fellow inmate to the hospital with a severe head injury as part of a deal with a prison "hit squad" run by a Latin Kings leader, authorities said. Daniel Balbuena, 29, carried out the beating in exchange for an assault on a rival of the Gran Familiar Mexicana gang by hit squad members, an indictment returned by a grand jury in Trenton alleges. Authorities last year charged Frank “Lafay” Blake of Hillside and several other current and former shank-armed inmates with an assault at New Jersey State Prison in Trenton, as well as with plans to carry …
MS-13 Members Convicted Of Murder Of Innocent West New York Man, 19, Other Gang-Related Crimes MS-13 Members Convicted Of Murder Of Innocent West New York Man, 19, Other Gang-Related Crimes
MS-13 Members Convicted Of Murder Of Innocent West New York Man, 19, Other Gang-Related Crimes Three ranking MS-13 members from El Salvador were convicted by federal jurors in Newark of the murder of an innocent 19-year-old dishwasher from West New York, among other charges stemming from their participation in the international gang. It was one of many offenses that jurors agreed were committed by Juan Pablo “Humilde” Escalante-Melgar, 31, Elmer “Locote” Cruz-Diaz, 33, and Oscar “Snappy” Sanchez-Aguilar, 25 – among them, extortion, witness tampering, and drug trafficking. Federal prosecutors told the jurors that Escalante-Melgar and Sanchez-Aguilar instructed an MS-13 member and an …
Teen Charged With Bias Attempted Murder For Savage Beating In North Hudson Park Teen Charged With Bias Attempted Murder For Savage Beating In North Hudson Park
Teen Charged With Bias Attempted Murder For Savage Beating In North Hudson Park A grand jury has indicted a Baltimore teen on bias attempted murder charges for savagely beating a learning-disabled man in a Hudson County park because he thought he was gay. José Tobias Carranza Serrano, 18, was captured by police in Bayonne who found him and his clothes covered in blood while arresting him on a trespassing charge hours after the June 21 attack in James J. Braddock Park in North Bergen, authorities said. The indictment returned Wednesday charges Carranza Serrano with attempted murder, bias intimidation, aggravated assault and robbery. The 37-year-old victim from West New…
NY Yankees Radio Voice John Sterling Rescued From NJ Floodwaters NY Yankees Radio Voice John Sterling Rescued From NJ Floodwaters
NY Yankees Radio Voice John Sterling Rescued From NJ Floodwaters Among those rescued from rising floodwaters in North Jersey late Wednesday was "the voice of the Yankees," radio broadcaster John Sterling of Edgewater. The hero: His Spanish-language counterpart. Although the Bronx Bombers were playing the Angels in California, WFAN still has its game crew working remotely. While Sterling's partner, Suzyn Waldman, has often worked from home, he's been calling road games from his WFAN booth in the Bronx. Wednesday night's Yankees victory wrapped up shortly after 10 p.m. "Usually when we finish a game, John is the first one to leave," Yankees Spanish-lang…
Sheriff: Attacker Admits Beating, Leaving Hudson Man For Dead Because He Thought He Was Gay Sheriff: Attacker Admits Beating, Leaving Hudson Man For Dead Because He Thought He Was Gay
Sheriff: Attacker Admits Beating, Leaving Hudson Man For Dead Because He Thought He Was Gay A Baltimore man admitted luring and then savagely beating a learning-disabled man from West New York in North Hudson Park, leaving him for dead, because he thought he was gay, authorities said. José Tobias Carranza Serrano, 18, was captured by police in Bayonne who found him and his clothes covered in blood while arresting him on a trespassing charge, it was revealed Wednesday. Carranza Serrano confessed to them that he lured the 37-year-old victim into a wooded area of the North Bergen park, where he tried to kill him because he "does not like homosexuals," an affidavit filed by the Hudson…
Three Charged In $3 Million Burglary Of 50 Cent’s Bergen County Crib Three Charged In $3 Million Burglary Of 50 Cent’s Bergen County Crib
Three Charged In $3 Million Burglary Of 50 Cent’s Bergen County Crib A stolen car helped tie three ex-cons to the $3 million burglary of 50 Cent’s luxury apartment above the Hudson River, authorities said. The rapper, songwriter, TV producer and actor posted on Instagram that he was in Miami the third week of January, which law enforcement sources said afforded the thieves the opportunity. 50 – whose real name is Curtis Jackson – reported the break-in of his apartment to Cliffside Park police on Jan. 17. It “involved an estimated loss of approximately three million dollars in U.S. currency and jewelry,” Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said Friday, wit…
Prosecutor: NJ Man Sexually Assaulted Girl Between Ages 8, 10 Prosecutor: NJ Man Sexually Assaulted Girl Between Ages 8, 10
Prosecutor: NJ Man Sexually Assaulted Girl Between Ages 8, 10 A Hudson County man is accused of sexually assaulting a girl on multiple occasions when she was between the ages of 8 and 10 years old. Mario Villa, 62, of West New York, assaulted the now-13-year-old girl between 2016 and 2018, Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez said. The Special Victims Unit was notified by the New Jersey Division of Child Protection and Permanency last month and launched an investigation in the alleged assaults. Villa was arrested on charges of aggravated assault, sexual assault, child endangerment and more on May 25, Suarez said. He was arrested at the Hudson Coun…
Ex-Mamajuana Café Co-Owner From NJ Admits Bankruptcy Fraud Ex-Mamajuana Café Co-Owner From NJ Admits Bankruptcy Fraud
Ex-Mamajuana Café Co-Owner From NJ Admits Bankruptcy Fraud UPDATE: A Bergen County businessman who once co-owned the popular Mamajuana Café chain admitted in federal court that he concealed assets from a bankruptcy trustee. An investigation by the NYPD and New York City-based Homeland Security agents led to charges against Victor Osorio, 53, of Cresskill, who helped spark the Dominican restaurant chain's expansion to Paterson, East Rutherford, Secaucus, West New York and Woodbridge, as well as to New York and Florida. Osorio, a Dominican native who also co-owned a separate restaurant in Pennsylvania, filed for Chapter 7 relief in U.S. District Cour…
MAJOR BUST: Authorities Smash Trafficking Ring, Seize $1 Million Worth Of Drugs, Arrest 20 MAJOR BUST: Authorities Smash Trafficking Ring, Seize $1 Million Worth Of Drugs, Arrest 20
Major Bust: Authorities Smash Trafficking Ring, Seize $1 Million Worth Of Drugs, Arrest 20 A barber shop and used car lot were fronts for a large-scale North Jersey drug trafficking ring, said authorities who seized nearly 21 pounds of fentanyl, 7½ pounds of cocaine, a loaded gun and more while arresting 20 people in Hudson, Bergen, Essex and Union counties. Nearly two dozen locations in New Jersey and New York were raided and nearly four pounds of meth, more than a pound and a half of fentanyl and $118,395 in cash were seized by a team headed by the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Narcotics Task Force working with federal Homeland Security Investigations and the NYPD, they said Wednes…
TRIBUTE: Giant Of Industry, Creator Of Modern Commuter Ferry Arthur Imperatore Sr Dies At 95 TRIBUTE: Giant Of Industry, Creator Of Modern Commuter Ferry Arthur Imperatore Sr Dies At 95
Tribute: Giant Of Industry, Creator Of Modern Commuter Ferry Arthur Imperatore Sr Dies At 95 After terrorists crashed two planes into the Twin Towers, Arthur E. Imperatore Sr.’s NY Waterway ferries hustled 150,000 people out of New York. When a commuter jet made an emergency landing on the Hudson River, Imperatore’s ferries rushed to the scene, helping to rescue everyone on board. Imperatore, the “visionary entrepreneur” who is credited with inventing the modern commuter ferry system, died Wednesday at 95 following a life of massive – and at times fascinating – achievement. "Arthur E. Imperatore, Sr., [f]ounder & [p]resident of NY Waterway leaves us, but his memory will last …
Hudson 'Runner' In $3.5M Accident Insurance Fraud Scheme Gets Year And Day In Federal Prison Hudson 'Runner' In $3.5M Accident Insurance Fraud Scheme Gets Year And Day In Federal Prison
Hudson 'Runner' In $3.5M Accident Insurance Fraud Scheme Gets Year And Day In Federal Prison A Hudson County man is headed to federal prison for a plea-bargained year and a day for recruiting accident victims for an insurance fraud racket that racked up $3.5 million in bogus medical bills. Luis G. Aguirre, 57, of Kearny admitted in March that he worked as a “runner,” steering accident victims to various chiropractors, medical imaging centers and others who billed PIP insurance plans for medically unnecessary services. Health care providers gave Aguirre $500 in cash for each victim he delivered, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito said. Aguirre and an employee from an auto body shop…
Police: Contractor Hid Micro Camera In NJ Families' Bathrooms Police: Contractor Hid Micro Camera In NJ Families' Bathrooms
Police: Contractor Hid Micro Camera In NJ Families' Bathrooms A contractor hid a micro camera that recorded video in bathrooms at homes in Paramus and Wayne, authorities said. The Paramus victim went to local police after finding the camera, with a micro-SD memory card, hidden in a bathroom wall, Police Chief Kenneth Ehrenberg said Wednesday. Detectives learned that the homeowner had hired Romeo Sanchez, 47, of West New York to replace a window, Ehrenberg said. Sanchez "had not finished the job and reported that he would return at a later date and time," the chief said. Detective Mark Pinajian examined the device's memory card and found "several vid…
Police: Former Lyndhurst Apartment Tenant From Hudson Returns As 'Porch' Pirate Police: Former Lyndhurst Apartment Tenant From Hudson Returns As 'Porch' Pirate
Police: Former Lyndhurst Apartment Tenant From Hudson Returns As 'Porch' Pirate A former Lyndhurst resident from Hudson County returned to swipe packages delivered to several tenants at his old apartment complex, said authorities who arrested him. Juan Cuartas, 42, of West New York, confessed to stealing packages as far back as April – and most recently in June – from the mail room at the Winston apartments on Chubb Avenue, Detective Lt. Vincent Auteri said Friday. Nearly $1,000 worth of stolen items included a laptop and several pair of pricey name-brand sneakers, Auteri said. Detective Geoff Rejent identified and located Cuartas – who still has family at the Winston…
Driver Admits Guilt In Drugged Crash That Killed North Bergen Woman, 20 Driver Admits Guilt In Drugged Crash That Killed North Bergen Woman, 20
Driver Admits Guilt In Drugged Crash That Killed North Bergen Woman, 20 A North Bergen man admitted that he had THC in his system when he ran a red light in West New York and crashed his car into another, killing a 20-year-old passenger. Fernando Batista, 25, pleaded guilty to death by auto in exchange for what will be a five-year prison sentence during a virtual hearing Monday attended by family members of the victim, Alysa Matos, also of North Bergen, authorities said. Batista was driving a 2002 Acura TL west on 60th Street when he blew the light at Jefferson Street shortly after 12:30 a.m. on June 18, 2019, Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez said. The …