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Monday, feb 3
Tag:
Closter, NJ
Police & Fire
NY Sex Assault Suspect, Armed Robber Arrested In Bergen Thanks To Brand-New Task Force
Two New York men wanted in separate violent crimes were tracked down last month in Bergen County, thanks to the county's newly-launched Crime Suppression Team, authorities said. The first arrest was made on Saturday, Dec. 21, when members of the team identified 51-year-old Randolph R. Smith of Far Rockaway, NY, who was wanted in connection with an armed robbery that occurred in New York City, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said. Smith was spotted in the Ramsey area, and when confronted by the Crime Suppression Team, he provided a false name to investigators, Musella said. He was…
Police & Fire
Cops Cut Calm YouTuber Break During Bergen County Traffic Stops, New Bodycam Footage Shows
Newly released bodycam footage reveals tech influencer Marques Brownlee calmly navigating a series of traffic stops in Bergen County, NJ over the past two years. The videos, shared by Transparency Bodycam, show the 31-year-old YouTuber from Maplewood being pulled over on three separate occasions for traffic violations. June 30, 2023, Alpine: Brownlee was stopped by police for tinted windows. Brownlee realizes soon after being pulled over that he does not have his license. Brownlee and the officer make small talk over his barber and the fact that he's going all the way to Weehawken for a hai…
Police & Fire
Two Pedestrians Struck In Crosswalk, Driver Faces Summons In Bergen County (
Update
)
Police have released details in a crash that left two pedestrians injured, including one who was knocked unconscious, Wednesday evening, Dec. 11 in Bergen County. The two pedestrians were struck while crossing the street in a marked crosswalk on Homans Avenue in Closter around 545 p.m., when a vehicle traveling west failed to yield to them both, according to Closter Police Capt. Vincent Aiello. The pedestrians were walking south in the crosswalk near the intersection of Trautwein Crescent. One pedestrian suffered swelling to the face and left brow area and was taken to Hacken…
Police & Fire
Duo Stole $4K In Merch From Lululemon: Closter PD
Two people are at large after stealing more than $4,000 in merchandise from Lululemon in Closter on Monday, Nov. 11, authorities said. At 3:15 p.m., officers responded to the Lululemon at Closter Plaza on a report of a shoplifting, Closter police said. The store manager said two men wearing black hoodies went to separate areas of the store pretending to browse around, police said. Once store employees turned their back toward them, they grabbed multiple men's clothing items displayed on the table closest to the entrance of the store and ran out with the items, police said. The two men stole…
Business
Bergen County Bites: Nine New Must-Try Restaurants Opening Near You
Two sushi spots, a Cajun hot pot eatery, and a cozy family-owned café. These are just a few of the exciting new restaurants that have recently opened — or are about to debut — in Bergen County. Here’s the lineup: Carlstadt: Meet Hot Pot, 508 Route 17, an authentic hotpot and cajun seafood/grill, now open. View this post on Instagram A post shared by MeetHOTPOT (@beijinghotpotnj) Closter: Sookae's Kitchen, 211 Closter Dock Road, artisanal catering and gourmet meals. Now open. Englewood: Sko Sushi, 41 Sylvan Ave., sushi by master s…
Police & Fire
Bergen County Rooftop Burglar Arrested By
Nypd
: Cops
A 40-year-old Westchester County, NY man was arrested in Bergen County, NJ after police linked him to a string of commercial burglaries, they said. Marlon A. Stewart, of Mount Vernon, burglarized three commercial properties from the roof in Closter overnight on Aug. 29, Closter Police Capt. Vincent Aiello said. In one incident, Stewart removed a large safe and threw it out of a second-floor window and into the borough parking lot, Aiello said. Following a lengthy investigation, Stewart was identified as a suspect in these burglaries, and others in CT and NY, the captain said. It was not im…
Business
Bergen County Restaurant Openings: What's Here, What's Coming
Sushi? Burgers? French pastries? No matter what your hankering, there's a good chance you can find the food you're looking for in Bergen County. Several new restaurants have opened this summer, with more on the way. Here's a rundown: Bullhorns Burger Grill, 91 Route 17 south, Liberty Commons, East Rutherford, now open Butterfish, 15 Franklin Pl., Rutherford: "Michelin-worthy" sushi, coming soon Dodona Cafe, 529 Anderson Ave., Cliffside Park: Albanian restaurant now open. Domoto by Domo, 570 Piermont Road, Closter: Sister restaurant of DOMODOMO, high-end Japanese food speciali…
Police & Fire
High-Speed BMW Pursuit Across NJ/NY Line Ends In Crash, Burglar Extricated, Police Say
A burglar whose co-conspirators bailed from the vehicle after a high-speed pursuit in New Jersey ended in a New York crash was arrested after he became trapped in the mangled BMW, police said. Christian Ochoa Moreno was behind the wheel of a gray BMW X5 with a Pennsylvania registration that nearly hit a Closter police car head-on, as the officer was responding to reports of a burglary in progress at 21 Kennedy Circle around 8:40 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 10, Closter Police Chief James Buccola said. Morena then sped off onto Eisenhower Road, then northbound onto Piermont Road, according …
Business
Career Comes Full Circle For 28-Year-Old Baker Opening Bergen County Cake Shop
After 10 years working at cake shops across the region, Bergen County's Lori Lupardi is opening one of her own. Lupardi, 28, has fond memories of baking with her mother and grandmother, particularly around holidays growing up in Closter. In her junior and senior years at Northern Valley Demarest, Lupardi had a baking internship in Dumont and was looking at colleges, when her mom pointed out she could go to school for baking. Lupardi ended up graduating with her bachelor's of science in baking and pastry arts from Johnson and Wales, and spent the following decade learning the trade. She fe…
News
Nearly 950 Hackensack Residents Without Power After Thunderstorms
A storm system that swept through the region Saturday afternoon, Aug. 3 left hundreds of North Jersey residents without power. As of 5:40 p.m., about 950 PSE&G customers in Hackensack did not have power, its website shows. In Closter, 145 Orange & Rockland customers were in the dark. In West Milford, more than 500 residents did not have power. Most of those customers were JCP&L. The storms, which brought temps down to the high-70s, had subsided as of press time.
Police & Fire
Update
: Fierce Fire Ravages $3M Tenafly Home
𝗨𝗣𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘: A fierce fire blew through a $3 million Tenafly home Friday night. Everyone got out OK and no injuries were reported after the fire ignited on the first floor near the back of the Hudson Avenue home off County Road shortly before 8:30 p.m. June 14. It quickly went to three alarms and then, later, a fourth for coverage. Firefighters had the bulk of the blaze knocked down within a half hour, then remained until 11 p.m. or so dousing hot spots. Although responders at the scene said an unattended candle appeared responsible, fire officials haven't yet posited a definitive cause. Mutu…
Police & Fire
Update
: Dogs Die In New Milford House Fire
Two dogs were killed in a New Milford house fire early Tuesday night, authorities said. The residents weren't home when the blaze broke out in the kitchen at the back of the Voorhis Avenue home and quickly spread shortly after 7 p.m., New Milford Police Chief Brian Clancy said. Borough firefighters were immediately joined by their colleagues from Oradell and River Edge, with New Milford Fire Chief Gerry Smithson operating as the scene commander, the chief said. They battled cluttered conditions along with the flames, he said. The blaze broke out in the rear kitchen at the Voorhis…
Police & Fire
Chemical Extinguisher Helps At Northvale Machine Shop Fire
Firefighters used a high-volume dry chemical extinguisher to help with a machine shop blaze in Northvale. The Livingston Street fire ignited shortly before 5 p.m. Thursday, May 16. The Paramus Fire Department’s Foam Unit provided a significant assist extinguishing flames on aluminum shavings that were placed in metal barrels and brought outside. Crews remained at the scene until about 7:30 p.m. Firefighters who went into the building were sent to a decon station due to burning metals and materials. Other mutual aid companies at the scene and in coverage included firefighters from Closter…
Police & Fire
Drug Den On Wheels: Closter Officer Stops Driver With Wide Assortment, Police Say
A Closter police officer found what amounted to a drug den on wheels when he stopped a driver just before midnight. It was two minutes before the calendar turned to Thursday, April 18, when Officer Anthony Lofaro stopped 22-year-old Mexican national Rafael Guerrero Gonzalez at the BP station on Closter Dock Road just off Piermont Road, Capt. Vincent Aiello said. Lofaro immediately smelled pot, the captain said. Inside the car, Aiello said, the officer found: 100 packaged liquid THC pods; a bag of raw mushrooms; a bag of crack; joints; pot candy, mushroom candy, liquid mushrooms, marijuan…
Police & Fire
Fired Bank Employee Steals $35,250 From Vault On His Way Out: Closter PD
A bank employee who'd just been fired bid goodbye to his co-workers, then walked into the vault and walked out with $35,250, Closter police said. Video cameras captured Marvin Herrera, 25, of New Milford gathering up the cash and stuffing it under his coat before leaving the PNC Bank branch in Closter Plaza last Wednesday, March 27, Capt. Vincent Aiello said. Police were called when the money was found missing, the captain said. They’d been searching for Herrera when he surrendered on Tuesday, April 2, Aiello said. He was issued a summons charging him with theft and was released pending a…
Police & Fire
Sticky-Fingered Traveler Prompts Warning In Bergen
A traveler from out of state wrought some havoc in the Pascack Valley before moving on, authorities said. Mircea Catalin Petrovici, 26, of Rancho Cucamonga, CA, is wanted by several North Jersey police departments, including those in Hillsdale and Emerson, as well as in nearby Closter and in South Plainfield. A wallet that a customer left in a cart at the Shop Rite in Hillsdale disappeared along with multiple credit cards, ID and cash, Police Chief Sean Smith said. Soon after, the thief tried using a Discover card to make a $2,598.98 purchase at an Apple store in Nanuet (Rockland County), …
Obituaries
Nicholas Lewis, Closter Native, Dies At 41: 'True Mensch'
Nicholas Lewis, a native of Closter, died unexpectedly on Saturday, Feb. 4, according to his obituary. A graduate of Northern Valley Regional High School in 2000, Lewis was a standout lineman for the Norseman, earning All-League and All-Bergen County honors as a sophomore, his obituary reads. I am sorry to share the very sad news, but the world lost a huge personality and great man over the weekend, Nick Lewis... Posted by John Shankman on Monday, February 5, 2024 A lawyer, Lewis recently had started his own law firm, Lewis Law, in Woodcliff Lake. He is survived by his…
Police & Fire
Illegal Border Crosser Seized By ICE After Punching Local NJ Officer In Face
A Guatemalan national who authorities said crossed the U.S. border illegally was seized by federal agents after he punched a Closter police officer in the face. Emiliano Cotzalo-Santiago, 24, was living in Palisades Park and working on a construction site in Closter when he began walking down the middle of Cedar Lane, obstructing traffic, Police Capt. Vincent Aiello said. This prompted calls to police. Cotzal-Santiago “attacked the first officer that he came in contact with by punching him in the face,” the captain said. A second officer sustained cuts on his hand as they attempted to han…
Police & Fire
'This Is Your Final Warning:' NJ Pair Set Off Bomb In Biz Associate's Driveway, Feds Say
While being interviewed by investigators, a New York resident got the following text message: "Knock knock, show up, and what do you think is next. This is your final warning.” The text was from Damjan Stanivukovic, a Closter resident, who was later arrested for exploding a bomb in the victim's New York driveway with help from Vladamir Radunovic, who has ties to Pompton Lakes, Clifton, and Paterson, according to court documents filed with the US District Court of the Southern District of New York. Stanivukovic and Radunovic were arrested Saturday morning, Jan…
Police & Fire
Bergen Teen Who Crashed Tesla Into Tree, Injuring 3 Classmates, Charged With Assault By Auto
A 17-year-old area boy was speeding when he crashed a Tesla into a tree in Closter earlier this month, seriously injuring three of his classmates, authorities confirmed on Wednesday. A delinquency complaint charges the driver with three counts of assault by auto in connection with the Model X crash, which occurred on Durie Avenue shortly before 6:30 p.m. Dec. 1, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said on Dec. 13. The crash comes coincidentally amid a recall of two million Tesla models Y, S, 3, and X produced between Oct. 5, 2012, and Dec. 7, 2023. The National Highway Traffic Safety Adm…
Sports
Meet Sportscaster Kenny Albert, Bergen County Resident, In North Jersey
Kenny Albert, a Closter resident, has called some of the biggest moments in sports and has plenty of stories to tell. Albert, the only sportscaster who does play by play for the NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL will be signing copies of his new book "A Mic For All Seasons" at Books and Greetings in Northvale on Thursday, Dec. 14 at 6 p.m. He previously held a book signing at Bookends in Ridgewood in October. In the book, Albert discusses growing up the son of iconic sportscaster Marv Albert and calling 3,000 games, including calling the 1994 Stanley Cup Final, Jose Bautista's bat flip home run in 2015…
Police & Fire
Repeat Embezzler Absconds To Germany With Bergen Realtor’s $600,000
A convicted embezzler who’d apparently made a fresh start fled to Germany with $600,000 of a Bergen County realtor and commercial property manager’s money, authorities said. Detectives in Closter were closing in on Klaus Brueggemeier, 57, of Demarest, when he absconded to Frankfurt and became a wanted man, Closter Police Capt. Vincent Aiello said on Tuesday, Nov. 21. Brueggemeier made headlines in 2009, when authorities charged him with embezzling $1.7 million from a high-end porcelain and glass company in Carlstadt. SEE: Company chief skims $1.7 million to buy himself the good life, autho…
Business
Bergen County's Newest Diner Sets Opening Date
In the land of diners, a new concept has opened in Bergen County. Country MKT Dinner, which is offering farm to table dining, will be opening in Closter. It appears to be replacing the shuttered Valley Diner, which occupied the space for more than 25 years. A grand opening is set for Sunday, Nov. 19. Since we're only a month away from the big opening, here's a little teaser of what we've got going on. 😉 Posted by Corey Hennig on Thursday, October 19, 2023 While the restaurant has not shared a menu yet, they are promising to deliver the usual diner staples like burgers and eggs. MKT…
Police & Fire
Loaded Gun Lost In Target, Ex-Con Owner Jailed: Closter PD
It’s not every day that a loaded gun turns up in the lost and found at Target. Surveillance video helped point Closter police to Tyshawn Culver, a 31-year-old convicted burglar from Westwood, soon after the gun was found on Tuesday, Oct. 24, Capt. Vincent Aiello said. Culver was arrested later that day in Englewood, the captain said. He was charged with unlawful possession of a handgun, possessing a handgun as a convicted felon and possession of both a large-capacity ammo magazine and hollow-nose bullets, Aiello said. Culver remained held Wednesday in the Bergen County Jail pending a firs…
Sports
Meet Sportscaster Kenny Albert In North Jersey
Kenny Albert, a Closter resident, has called some of the biggest moments in sports and has plenty of stories to tell. Albert, the only sportscaster who does play by play for the NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL will be signing copies of his new book "A Mic For All Seasons" at Bookends in Ridgewood on Monday, Oct. 9 at 7 p.m. In the book, Albert discusses growing up the son of iconic sportscaster Marv Albert and calling 3,000 games, including calling the 1994 Stanley Cup Final, Jose Bautista's bat flip home run in 2015 and the U.S. women's hockey shootout in the 2018 Winter Olympic gold medal game, acc…
Police & Fire
Labor Day Weekend Blaze Doused In Norwood
Firefighters made quick work of a Labor Day weekend blaze that spread to a Norwood resident's garage. The borough's bravest responded to the call at 5 Meadow Court at 2:24 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 2, after the contents of a trash can apparently caught fire. They were assisted by their colleagues from Closter, Harrington Park, Haworth, Northvale, Old Tappan, Orangeburg and Tappan. Firefighters had the two-alarm blaze knocked down and under control in under a half hour, keeping it from spreading from the garage into the house. Colleagues from surrounding towns provided substantial mutual ai…
Police & Fire
Multi-Million-Dollar Bergen Home Burglary: Three Captured In Celebrity Neighborhood Break-In
Law enforcers from several agencies helped capture a burglary trio from Delaware who authorities said targeted a multi-million-dollar home in an exclusive Bergen County neighborhood. It was shortly before 4:30 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 24, when the burglars apparently found an unlocked rear door to the Timberline Drive home off Route 9W in Alpine, in an area where Chris Rock, Lil Kim and other celebrities own estates. Police from surrounding towns, Bergen County sheriff's officers and others quickly converged on New Jersey's most affluent suburb, and the Delaware trio were all soon in custody. E…
Police & Fire
Fast-Moving Fire Destroys Harrington Park Home
A fast-moving pre-dawn fire destroyed a Harrington Park home. A couple who bought the Maryann Lane home just last month wasn't there when the blaze broke out at around 5 a.m., less than an hour before sunrise. It went two alarms on arrival as flames engulfed the two-story, wood-frame house. Burning electrical wires only made matters worse. Burning electrical wires made matters worse in the early-morning fire on MaryAnn Lane in Harrington Park.Harrington Park Volunteer Ambulance Corps Borough police and fire from Norwood, Northvale, River Vale, Closter, Old Tappan, Demarest, Alpine an…
Police & Fire
Bergen Detectives Nab Colombian Nationals Posing As Deliverymen In Multi-Town Burglary Spree
Detectives from the Bergen County prosecutor’s office nabbed three Colombian nationals who they said posed as delivery men during a burglary rampage through no fewer than nine area towns. Santiago Camargo-Rojas, 24, Steven Rugeles, 30, and Nicholas Buitrago-Grillo, 23, have all remained held in the Bergen County Jail since their arrests on Tuesday, July 18. ICE officials obtained holds on all three so that a federal immigration judge in Newark can determine whether all or any of them are living in the United States legally or must be deported. The trio targeted homes in affluent areas, of…
Business
Bricks 4 Kidz Uses Legos To Teach STEM In North Jersey
A new learning center in Bergen County has discovered an innovative method to help give kids a STEM education. Bricks 4 Kidz recently opened a learning center at 530 Piermont Road in Closter. The franchise has 10 locations throughout the Garden State and has learning centers nationwide. Brandy Sharrock and Charles Tsocanos oversee the Closter location with the goal of making STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) education fun. They offer afterschool programs, as well as summer camps and birthday parties, with getting to build Legos being the main attraction. "The kids are oft…
Police & Fire
Gotcha
! Police Converge, Burglary Duo Caught Redhanded In Northvale
Police from neighboring towns converged Thursday afternoon to capture a pair of burglars who broke into a Northvale home. A 911 call alerted police to a burglary in progress on Snedeker Place at 1:40 p.m. May 18, Northvale Police Chief Howard Ostrow said. Ostrow’s officers and their colleagues from Norwood were the first on the scene, the chief said. Norwood police immediately grabbed a suspect in the backyard of the burglarized home, Ostrow said. Northvale police chased down the other, he said. Both were brought to a nearby medical facility for evaluations, the chief said. Neither cou…
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