Tag:

Weapons Offenses

Paterson Pair Were Trying To Kill 46-Year-Old Man In Morning Shooting: Prosecutor Paterson Pair Were Trying To Kill 46-Year-Old Man In Morning Shooting: Prosecutor
Paterson Pair Were Trying To Kill 46-Year-Old Man In Morning Shooting: Prosecutor The two people responsible for a shooting Monday morning, Nov. 4, were arrested less than two hours later, authorities said. Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes said only that Jose Ortiz, 31, and Yesenia Adorno, 43, both of Paterson, were responsible for the shooting of a 46-year-old man that happened at North Main and Arch streets around 8:30 a.m. The victim survived and was hospitalized with injuries. Ortiz and Adorno were identified as suspects and arrested around 10:15 a.m. at North Street and Clinton Street, Valdes said. Ortiz, who was found in possession of an illeg…
2 Hours, 6 Armed Robberies: Newark Gunman Arrested In Paterson Crime Spree, Police Say 2 Hours, 6 Armed Robberies: Newark Gunman Arrested In Paterson Crime Spree, Police Say
2 Hours, 6 Armed Robberies: Newark Gunman Arrested In Paterson Crime Spree, Police Say A 25-year-old Newark man was arrested after committing a string of armed robberies in Paterson on Sunday, Oct. 6, authorities said. Between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., the Paterson Police Department said they received multiple calls regarding six different robberies that occurred in the vicinity of Summer Street, 22nd Avenue, Main Street, Paterson Avenue, and McBride Avenue.  In all of the robberies the suspect, later identified as Justin Rodriguez, brandished a semi-automatic handgun and demanded valuables from the victims, authorities said. The suspect made off with cash and sneakers from th…
NJ Town's Mayor Charged In High School Parking Lot Incident NJ Town's Mayor Charged In High School Parking Lot Incident
NJ Town's Mayor Charged In High School Parking Lot Incident The mayor of one New Jersey town is facing weapons offenses for an incident that happened in a high school parking lot, police said. Linwood police released a statement saying only that Erland V. Chau, 72, was charged with harassment, disorderly conduct, and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose stemming from an incident in the Mainland Regional High School on Oct. 1.  Chau is the mayor of Northfield. Police did not release further details in the incident, however, a report from the BreakingAC said Chau brandished a starter pistol during a confrontation with a …
Off-Duty Paterson Cop Held Stolen Gun As Pal Knocked Victim's Teeth Out At Lounge: Prosecutor Off-Duty Paterson Cop Held Stolen Gun As Pal Knocked Victim's Teeth Out At Lounge: Prosecutor
Off-Duty Paterson Cop Held Stolen Gun As Pal Knocked Victim's Teeth Out At Lounge: Prosecutor A 33-year-old Paterson police officer is facing charges for his role in an assault that happened at a local lounge, and a subsequent motor vehicle stop in which he was DUI, officials said. Valentin Torres was off duty when he was handed a gun by Jonathan Cristobal at Mancora Lounge around 2 a.m. on Aug. 23, Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes said. Cristobal punched the victim in the face, knocking out several teeth, Valdes said. As he did so, Torres had the gun in the front of his waistband, and at one point took out the handgun and held it in his right hand, the prosecut…
Arrest Made In Paterson Shooting, Prosecutor Says Arrest Made In Paterson Shooting, Prosecutor Says
Arrest Made In Paterson Shooting, Prosecutor Says A 21-year-old Paterson resident was arrested and charged on Wednesday, Sept. 25 for shooting a 56-year-old Paterson man in June, authorities said. At 10:51 p.m. on Friday, June 28, Paterson police responded to Mill Street and Market Street and found the victim, who was transported to a nearby hospital, Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia Valdes and Paterson Police Department Officer-In- Charge Isa Abbass said. An investigation determined Marquay Crawford was responsible for the shooting and he was arrested by New Jersey State Police in Elmwood Park. Crawford is charged with attempted mu…
Upper Saddle River Getaway Driver Arrested In Allendale Armed Robbery: Prosecutor Upper Saddle River Getaway Driver Arrested In Allendale Armed Robbery: Prosecutor
Upper Saddle River Getaway Driver Arrested In Allendale Armed Robbery: Prosecutor A 22-year-old Upper Saddle River man has been arrested in connection with a robbery last spring in Allendale. Francisco B. Verdugo drove Jahan A. Hendley to and from the scene on Monday, March 25, where Hendley robbed a victim at gunpoint, stealing marijuana, a bottle of liquor, and about $900 in cash from inside his apartment, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said.  While fleeing, Hendley pointed his gun at another victim who was unrelated to the incident but happened to be in the area of the apartment complex. Hendley was later arrested for an unrelated incident, and o…
Getaway Driver, Armed Robber Who Shot At Victims On Routes 17, 80 Arrested: Cops Getaway Driver, Armed Robber Who Shot At Victims On Routes 17, 80 Arrested: Cops
Getaway Driver, Armed Robber Who Shot At Victims On Routes 17, 80 Arrested: Cops Two men have been arrested in a shooting robbery in which the assailants fled the scene in a Route 17 parking lot parking lot onto Route 80, where one fired shots at the victim's vehicle following them authorities said. Shaheem A. Clark, 19, of Elmwood Park, has been identified as the gunman, while Jaquil M. Brown, 29, of Paterson,  was the getaway driver in the Sunday, July 21 incident that happened around 11:25 p.m., Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said. According to Musella, a group of friends had left a business on Route 17 in Lodi and got into a vehicle when a man on fo…
Cops ID Victim, Suspected Gunman In Deadly Paterson Shooting Cops ID Victim, Suspected Gunman In Deadly Paterson Shooting
Cops ID Victim, Suspected Gunman In Deadly Paterson Shooting Police have made an arrest in a Paterson shooting that left a 41-year-old man dead over Labor Day Weekend. Daquann Barnes, 37, of Paterson, is believed to have shot and killed Raheem Porter, who was found lying face down at Auburn and Ellison streets on Saturday, Aug. 31 around 2:45 a.m., Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes and Paterson Police Department Officer-In-Charge Isa Abbassi said. Porter was taken to Saint Joseph’s University Medical Center where he was pronounced dead. An investigation identified Barnes as the shooter, police said. He was arrested Monday, Sept. 2, an…
Ghost Gun, 10 Rounds Of Ammo Seized From Man Fighting With Spouse At Wildwood Motel: Cops Ghost Gun, 10 Rounds Of Ammo Seized From Man Fighting With Spouse At Wildwood Motel: Cops
Ghost Gun, 10 Rounds Of Ammo Seized From Man Fighting With Spouse At Wildwood Motel: Cops A 47-year-old man who tried to disarm police officers was found with 10 rounds of ammo, a ghost gun, and more during a domestic dispute at a Wildwood motel on Monday, Sept. 2, Labor Day, authorities said. Police were called to the AA Heart of Wildwood Motel at 3915 Ocean Ave., around noon, where a man later identified as Rakesh Patel had tried to kick open the lobby door while fighting with his spouse, Wildwood police said. While searching the area, officers saw Patel try to leave the scene in a vehicle parked nearby. Shortly thereafter, Patel began physically fighting two officers, w…
Ex-Con Wanted In Paterson Shooting Robbery Arrested In Haledon Ex-Con Wanted In Paterson Shooting Robbery Arrested In Haledon
Ex-Con Wanted In Paterson Shooting Robbery Arrested In Haledon Police have arrested a 34-year-old Paterson resident in a shooting robbery that happened last week. Jioni Rosado has been charged with attempted murder, robbery, and weapons offenses in the Aug. 23 incident at Highland and Sparrow streets, Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes and Paterson Police Department Officer-In-Charge Isa Abbassi said. Records show Rosado was charged with unlawful possession of a handgun 10 years ago. He was also charged with drug offenses that same year. Paterson police were called to the intersection for a shooting around 11:10 p.m. that day when they f…
NJ Actress, 32, Killed In Double Shooting Had Overcome Rare Disease NJ Actress, 32, Killed In Double Shooting Had Overcome Rare Disease
NJ Actress, 32, Killed In Double Shooting Had Overcome Rare Disease Carley Elbert was no stranger to pain. The 32-year-old New Jersey actress spent years of her life battling a rare illness, Mast Cell Disease. Elbert shared her struggles with the hundreds of people who followed her journey, spreading awareness about the illness in a Facebook group called Hope For Carley. Her last post in the group was a TikTok video she made last November. In it, Elbert celebrates being a Mast Cell Disease survivor, bouncing along to music in her car. While Elbert survived years of pain and hospitalizations, her life ended tragically and suddenly this week, when the Atlan…
Man Charged After Assaulting Two Men, Causing Heavy Bleeding: Bogota PD Man Charged After Assaulting Two Men, Causing Heavy Bleeding: Bogota PD
Man Charged After Assaulting Two Men, Causing Heavy Bleeding: Bogota PD A 22-year-old Teaneck man was arrested and charged with attempted murder after assaulting two men in Bogota on the morning of Wednesday, July 24, authorities said. At 7:41 a.m., officers responded to a report of two men fighting on the 400 block of River Road, Bogota police said. When they arrived on scene, police found two men bleeding heavily from multiple locations, officers said. Both men were transported to a nearby hospital, authorities said. Police determined Ahmad Alkandari attacked one of the victims at the 100 block of West Grove Street, authorities said. Alkandari was charged wit…
Gunman In Double Shooting That Wounded Clifton Woman, Paterson Man Held Pending Trial: Cops Gunman In Double Shooting That Wounded Clifton Woman, Paterson Man Held Pending Trial: Cops
Gunman In Double Shooting That Wounded Clifton Woman, Paterson Man Held Pending Trial: Cops A 36-year-old Paterson man has been charged with attempted murder and various weapons offenses for a July 3 double shooting, authorities announced. Daeron L. Jones is accused of shooting a 56-year-old Clifton woman and 35-year-old Paterson man at Broadway and Main Street around 4:05 p.m. Wednesday, July 3, Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes and Paterson Police Department Officer-In- Charge Isa Abbassi said.  The victims were taken to St. Joseph’s University Medical Center for treatment of non-fatal gunshot wounds. Members of the Paterson Police Department were able to fin…
Porch Pirates With 15-Round Magazine, Handgun Arrested In Undercover Operation In Wayne: Police Porch Pirates With 15-Round Magazine, Handgun Arrested In Undercover Operation In Wayne: Police
Porch Pirates With 15-Round Magazine, Handgun Arrested In Undercover Operation In Wayne: Police A pair of porch pirates form Newark repeatedly targeting a Wayne home were arrested during an undercover operation in which police found a handgun and 15-round magazine in their vehicle, authorities said. Steven Ariel Fong, 23 and Waldy Perez-Rivas, 20, have each been charged with with theft and weapons offenses, along with unlawful purpose and possession of a large capacity ammunition magazine following an undercover operation Friday, July 12, Wayne Police Cap. Dan Daly said. A Laurel Drive homeowner called police last Friday saying he had been awaiting a delivery of multiple cell pho…
UPDATE: Video Shows NJ Man Tapping On Car Window, Then Stabbing Woman At CNBC HQ: Police UPDATE: Video Shows NJ Man Tapping On Car Window, Then Stabbing Woman At CNBC HQ: Police
Update: Video Shows NJ Man Tapping On Car Window, Then Stabbing Woman At CNBC HQ: Police UPDATE: Surveillance cameras at CNBC corporate headquarters in Bergen County captured images of a Middlesex County man stabbing a woman in the parking lot, authorities said. The 30-year-old victim was leaving the Sylvan Avenue (Route 9W) facility shortly after 5:30 p.m. Friday, June 14, when Harshkuma H. Patel, 29, of Piscataway, approached her in the parking lot, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said. The accused assailant, who 'd previously been seen hanging around the area, tapped on the woman's car window in the CNBC parking lot, sources said. The victim, who didn't know Patel, op…
GOTCHA! Authorities Nab Accused Assailant, Police Rescue Stabbing Victim At CNBC HQ Lot GOTCHA! Authorities Nab Accused Assailant, Police Rescue Stabbing Victim At CNBC HQ Lot
Gotcha! Authorities Nab Accused Assailant, Police Rescue Stabbing Victim At CNBC HQ Lot UPDATE: Authorities captured a man who stabbed a woman in the parking lot of CNBC corporate headquarters in Englewood Cliffs, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella announced. The 30-year-old victim was leaving the Sylvan Avenue (Route 9W) facility shortly after 5:30 p.m. Friday, June 14, when Harshkuma H. Patel, 29, of Piscataway, approached her in the parking lot, the prosecutor said. The accused assailant, who 'd previously been seen hanging around the area, tapped on the woman's car window in the CNBC parking lot, sources said. The victim, who didn't know Patel, opened the window, …
Violent Robber Who Preyed On Prostitutes At Secaucus Hotels Captured, Police Say Violent Robber Who Preyed On Prostitutes At Secaucus Hotels Captured, Police Say
Violent Robber Who Preyed On Prostitutes At Secaucus Hotels Captured, Police Say One of two men who forced their way into motel rooms and robbed prostitutes and their customers in Secaucus was seized by police, authorities announced Friday. Kendall Smith, 32, of Jersey City and a second man committed at least three violent robberies beginning May 17 at the La Quinta Hotel, Secaucus Police Chief Dennis Miller said. Smith and his companion “forced their way into the victims’ hotel room while brandishing knives,” the chief said. “After a struggle, the suspects fled the area with some of the victims’ money, personal belongings and documents.” Two weeks later, they did the …
NABBED: Second Teen Wanted For Paterson Murder From Last Fall Captured In Pennsy NABBED: Second Teen Wanted For Paterson Murder From Last Fall Captured In Pennsy
Nabbed: Second Teen Wanted For Paterson Murder From Last Fall Captured In Pennsy 𝗨𝗣𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘: A 19-year-old fugitive wanted for killing a 23-year-old Morris County man and wounding two others in a hail of gunfire in Paterson last fall was captured in Pennsylvania, authorities announced on Thursday. The arrest of Brayan Caraballo follows the seizure of a 16-year-old boy three weeks after the Oct. 3 broad-daylight ambush at the corner of Broadway and Rosa Parks Boulevard. Jerrell Wright was pronounced dead at St. Joseph’s University Medical Center shortly after the 3:47 p.m. shooting, Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes and Paterson Police Department Officer-In-Charge…
UPDATE: Man Slain Near NJ City University Last Month Was Robbing Someone, Police Report UPDATE: Man Slain Near NJ City University Last Month Was Robbing Someone, Police Report
Update: Man Slain Near NJ City University Last Month Was Robbing Someone, Police Report A 24-year-old man who was shot and killed at an apartment building near New Jersey City University last month was robbing someone there at gunpoint at the time, authorities said. The development came to light with the arrests of two men who investigators said were involved in the April 30 holdup but not in the death of David Jones, 24. Jones had a gun in his hand and was wearing a ski mask when police found him in the foyer of the College Street building after midnight, according to a police complaint. He was pronounced dead a short time later at Jersey City Medical Center. Hudson Co…
MURDER: Ex-Con Charged With Cold-Blooded Killing Of Popular Paterson Street Vendor MURDER: Ex-Con Charged With Cold-Blooded Killing Of Popular Paterson Street Vendor
Murder: Ex-Con Charged With Cold-Blooded Killing Of Popular Paterson Street Vendor 𝗨𝗣𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘: A dragnet was tightening when an ex-con surrendered to Paterson police for shooting and killing a beloved street vendor in broad daylight, authorities said. Jimmy Mercedes, 39, was charged with murder and weapons offenses in the 10:22 a.m. May 5 shooting of 62-year-old Daryle Robinson Sr. Mercedes turned himself in at police headquarters around 8 p.m. Friday, May 10, Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes and Paterson Police Officer-In-Charge Isa Abbassi announced Saturday afternoon. Mercedes shot Robinson multiple times, they said, at East 24th Street and Broadway -- exactly …
MANHUNT ENDS: Pre-Dawn Paterson Stalker Abducted, Robbed And Fondled Women, Authorities Say MANHUNT ENDS: Pre-Dawn Paterson Stalker Abducted, Robbed And Fondled Women, Authorities Say
Manhunt Ends: Pre-Dawn Paterson Stalker Abducted, Robbed And Fondled Women, Authorities Say UPDATE: An intense manhunt ended with the arrest of a Paterson ex-con who authorities said abducted, robbed and groped women at gunpoint before dawn in remote areas. A 27-year-old victim had told city police she was accosted near the corner of Market and East 22nd streets around 6 a.m. April. 20 by an armed man who forced her to a remote area near train tracks, took her valuables, then fondled her before fleeing. Three days later, a 28-year-old woman reported a similar incident occurring in the same area shortly after 5 a.m. City police identified Diquan A. West, 32, as the assailant and t…
Blood Trail From Second Floor To Sidewalk Left By NJ Stabbing Victim: Police Papers Blood Trail From Second Floor To Sidewalk Left By NJ Stabbing Victim: Police Papers
Blood Trail From Second Floor To Sidewalk Left By NJ Stabbing Victim: Police Papers Newly-obtained documents paint a harrowing picture of a deadly New Jersey stabbing. Jason Torres, 32, left a trail of blood from the second floor of the home where he was stabbed to the sidewalk near Smith and Maple streets in Perth Amboy at approximately 9 p.m. Sunday, April 28, according to the affidavit for probable cause. The exact address of the stabbing was redacted from police documents, but says surveillance video shows two people leaving the side door of the address and two people leaving the front door, including the victim, before the 911 calls were placed. Jason Torres was…
Mahwah Officer Nabs Trio With Loaded Gun, Cocaine, More On Route 17: Police Mahwah Officer Nabs Trio With Loaded Gun, Cocaine, More On Route 17: Police
Mahwah Officer Nabs Trio With Loaded Gun, Cocaine, More On Route 17: Police Three Cuban nationals from out of the area were busted by a Mahwah police officer who stopped their tractor on Route 17 and found a loaded gun, cocaine and more, authorities said. Officer Nicole DiPasquale stopped the Peterbilt truck for multiple motor vehicle violations on the southbound highway shortly after 8 a.m. Saturday, April 27, Lt. Michael Blondin said. The occupants gave conflicting accounts of where they were coming from and headed to, leading to a search request that was granted by the driver, Karel Reza-Perez, a 39-year-old Louisville, KY, resident, the lieutenant said. The se…
NJ Killer With Manifesto, Step-By-Step Murder Plan Indicted By Grand Jury: Somerset Prosecutor NJ Killer With Manifesto, Step-By-Step Murder Plan Indicted By Grand Jury: Somerset Prosecutor
NJ Killer With Manifesto, Step-By-Step Murder Plan Indicted By Grand Jury: Somerset Prosecutor A Somerset County grand jury has indicted a 27-year-old man for the killing of a young woman in January. On Thursday, April 25, David C. Shroitman was indicted for the Jan. 30 murder of 27-year-old Mary Rose Fealey in Somerville, Somerset County Prosecutor John McDonald announced. Maryrose Fealey Maryrose Fealey Facebook Fealey, a Somerville resident, was found by Somerville police responding to a 911 call, outside a residential complex on North Bridge Street  She had been returning home from a local business, the passenger door of her car wide open with her belongings spread …
Police ID Woman, Montclair Officer Wounded In Shootout (UPDATE) Police ID Woman, Montclair Officer Wounded In Shootout (UPDATE)
Police ID Woman, Montclair Officer Wounded In Shootout (Update) Authorities have identified the alleged gunman and released details in a police-involved shooting Monday in Montclair. Maryann Swain, 39, a township resident, struck Montclair Police Officer Michael J. Medrano, 33, in the shoulder on the 100 block of Forest Street around 1:10 p.m. Monday, April 15, Essex County Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephens, II said. Medrano and other officers were responding to the scene on reports of an armed person and "were met with gunfire," Stephens said. Another Montclair officer returned fire, striking Swain, who suffered non-life-threatening injuries and wa…
Holiday Shooting That Wounded 3 In Paterson Committed By Two 16-Year-Olds, Authorities Charge Holiday Shooting That Wounded 3 In Paterson Committed By Two 16-Year-Olds, Authorities Charge
Holiday Shooting That Wounded 3 In Paterson Committed By Two 16-Year-Olds, Authorities Charge A Labor Day weekend shooting in Paterson that wounded three men last year was committed by two 16-year-olds, authorities said. A lengthy investigation led to the detentions of both boys, one from Paterson, the other from Clifton, for the Sept. 3 shooting, Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes and Paterson Police Department Officer-In-Charge Isa Abbassi announced. Delinquency complaints charge both with attempted murder and weapons offenses, they said. City police found two victims – one 28 from Elmwood Park and the other 33 from Paterson – while responding to a 2:40 a.m. call at Unio…
Woman's Throat Sliced In Cliffside, Man Charged With Attempted Murder Woman's Throat Sliced In Cliffside, Man Charged With Attempted Murder
Woman's Throat Sliced In Cliffside, Man Charged With Attempted Murder A woman narrowly escaped death when a man slit her throat in a horrific domestic assault during a gathering in Cliffside Park, authorities said. Ernesto Lara Rojo, a 49-year-old Cuban national who lives in West New York, was charged with attempted murder, aggravated assault and weapons offenses and sent to the Bergen County Jail early Monday evening, April 1. ICE immediately issued a detainer on Rojo so he can be brought before a federal immigration judge in Newark to determine his residency status in the United States, jail records show. Rojo was with a group of people in an apartment jus…
JC Man Surrenders After Stabbing Man Who Tried To Stop Him Breaking Into Cars: Hoboken PD JC Man Surrenders After Stabbing Man Who Tried To Stop Him Breaking Into Cars: Hoboken PD
JC Man Surrenders After Stabbing Man Who Tried To Stop Him Breaking Into Cars: Hoboken PD A 21-year-old Jersey City man was charged with attempted murder after stabbing an out-of-town man who tried to stop him from breaking into cars on a Hoboken street, authorities said. Randy Barrett Jr. stabbed one of four men who confronted him near the corner of Fourth and Jefferson streets around 4:15 a.m. March 16, city police said. Sgt. James Barbaro and Officer Aaron Font applied a chest seal and administered oxygen before Hoboken Volunteer Ambulance Corps members brought the victim to a local hospital with a collapsed lung, among other injuries. He survived and was released a few days…
Hoboken Man Charged With Murder In McGinley Square Triple Shooting Hoboken Man Charged With Murder In McGinley Square Triple Shooting
Hoboken Man Charged With Murder In McGinley Square Triple Shooting UPDATE: A Hoboken man was charged with murder and aggravated assault in a triple shooting in Jersey City earlier this month. Authorities confirmed on Wednesday, March 27, that Joseph Del Valle, 36, was arrested by members of the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office Homicide Unit the day before. He remained held in the Hudson County Correctional Facility along with a second accused gunman, Francisco Salcedo, 42, of Jersey City, they said. City resident Christoph Terrero Marte, 33, was gunned down on Jordan Avenue off Mercer Street near McGinley Square shortly before 6:30 a.m. March 9, Hudson C…
Tardy Rochelle Park Hotel Guest Busted With Cocaine, Pills, Knife: Police Tardy Rochelle Park Hotel Guest Busted With Cocaine, Pills, Knife: Police
Tardy Rochelle Park Hotel Guest Busted With Cocaine, Pills, Knife: Police A Rochelle Park hotel guest who overstayed his welcome was arrested after officers found cocaine and pills for sale in his room, authorities said. Police responding to a call of a guest not leaving by checkout time at the Ramada by Wyndham Hotel on West Passaic Street found Anwar Mnawer, 33, of the Bronx disoriented shortly after 1 p.m. Monday, March 18, Capt. James M. DePreta said. “In plain view inside the room, officers observed a large folding knife, prescription pills, a baggie containing a white powdery substance believed to be cocaine, and miscellaneous drug paraphernalia,” the …
Four Caught, One Sought In Brutal Stabbing Death Outside Garfield Bar Four Caught, One Sought In Brutal Stabbing Death Outside Garfield Bar
Four Caught, One Sought In Brutal Stabbing Death Outside Garfield Bar Authorities who’ve charged four men with the brutal murder of a man outside a Garfield bar last month turned to the public for help finding a fugitive gang member from Pennsylvania who sources said repeatedly stabbed the victim in the chest. Ricky “Angel” Vargas, 35, of East Stroudsburg, PA, and his four companions confronted Richard Franceschi, 31, of Hawthorne outside JoJo's Bar & Grill on Monroe Street before dawn this past Feb. 4, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said. Vargas had a knife and co-defendant Jayson William Rivera, 23, also of East Stroudsburg, had a handgun, the pr…