BREAK IN, RINSE, REPEAT: Recidivist With 30-Year Sheet Busted For Burglaries In 4 Bergen Towns BREAK IN, RINSE, REPEAT: Recidivist With 30-Year Sheet Busted For Burglaries In 4 Bergen Towns
Break IN, Rinse, Repeat: Recidivist With 30-Year Sheet Busted For Burglaries In 4 Bergen Towns It never ends with some guys. Mark C. Todd, most recently of Hasbrouck Heights, just turned 50 amid what has been a three-decade-long string of burglaries, thefts and police pursuits in nearly a dozen Bergen County towns. It got to the point that detectives from Maywood, Carlstadt and Hasbrouck Heights all went together to arrest the ex-con at his home last Friday morning, April 12. He was charged with break-ins in Maywood, Carlstadt, Elmwood Park and Fair Lawn. Tood has remained held in the Bergen County Jail this past week based on the likelihood that he’ll be returned to prison. He sp…
GOTCHA! East Orange Fugitive Caught, Charged With Shooting Prospect Park Woman On New Year's GOTCHA! East Orange Fugitive Caught, Charged With Shooting Prospect Park Woman On New Year's
Gotcha! East Orange Fugitive Caught, Charged With Shooting Prospect Park Woman On New Year's State and federal authorities captured a 23-year-old fugitive from East Orange who was wanted for shooting a woman on New Year’s Day in Paterson. It was just before 5 a.m. this past Jan. 1 that the 25-year-old victim from Prospect Park arrived at St. Joseph’s University Medical Center via private vehicle.  She’d been shot near the corner of Market Street and East 33rd Street, Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes and Paterson Police Department Officer-In- Charge Isa Abbassi said in a joint announcement. Eudys Santios-Toribio was subsequently identified as the shooter and a manh…
Passaic County Jail Officer Admits Bringing Inmate To 'Blind Spot' For Beating By Colleagues Passaic County Jail Officer Admits Bringing Inmate To 'Blind Spot' For Beating By Colleagues
Passaic County Jail Officer Admits Bringing Inmate To 'Blind Spot' For Beating By Colleagues 𝗨𝗣𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘: A Passaic County correctional officer admitted that he brought an inmate to a "blind spot" at the county jail so two colleagues could beat him for squirting one of them with urine. Officer Lorenzo Bowden, 39, initially agreed with Sgt. Jose Gonzalez and Sgt. Donald Vinales not to talk after they'd received federal grand jury subpoenas two years ago this month, U.S. Attorney Philip Sellinger said. Bowden eventually had a change of heart. The pretrial detainee was "transported through an area of the PCJ that does not have a video surveillance camera, which correctional officers …
NJ Teacher Who Posed As Woman To Lure 70 Boys Into Sending Him Nudes Gets 17½ Years: Feds NJ Teacher Who Posed As Woman To Lure 70 Boys Into Sending Him Nudes Gets 17½ Years: Feds
NJ Teacher Who Posed As Woman To Lure 70 Boys Into Sending Him Nudes Gets 17½ Years: Feds UPDATE: It's a measure of how despicably and disgustingly a former Union County grade-school teacher and youth soccer coach from Morristown abused dozens of boys he'd met online that a plea bargain got him "only" 17½ years in federal prison. Steven Brooks, 37, must serve at least 85% of the negotiated sentence handed down in federal court in Newark on Thursday, April 18, for posing as a woman to lure at least 70 underage boys into sending him nude photos and videos. That means he'll be in his early 50s before he'll be eligible to experience freedom again. FBI agents who investigated Brooks…
North Bergen Man Charged With Collecting Child Porn: Prosecutor North Bergen Man Charged With Collecting Child Porn: Prosecutor
North Bergen Man Charged With Collecting Child Porn: Prosecutor A 25-year-old North Bergen man was caught collecting pornographic images of children, authorities said. Nicholas Sanchez, 25, was taken into custody by members of the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force following an investigation, they said. He's charged with child endangerment through the possession of sex abuse material, Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez said. A tip last December led task force members to an account controlled by the defendant on an online server that Suarez said contained “child sex abuse material.” She didn't say whether …
6-Car Crash Kills 41-Year-Old On Garden State Parkway: State Police 6-Car Crash Kills 41-Year-Old On Garden State Parkway: State Police
6-Car Crash Kills 41-Year-Old On Garden State Parkway: State Police A 41-year-old North Carolina man was killed in a multi-car crash on the Garden State Parkway in Essex County early Wednesday, April 17, authorities said. Tarron Francis was heading north in a Nissan SUV when he was struck by a Dodge passenger vehicle around 12:45 a.m. in Irvington, said Jeffrey Lebron, a spokesman for the New Jersey State Police. The impact caused a chain reaction crash involving four other vehicles, two Toyota SUVs, a GMC SUV and a Kia passenger vehicle, Lebron said. Francis died as a result of the crash, and the driver of the Dodge sustained moderate injuries and was tak…
NJ HS Teacher Accused Of Sexually Assaulting Student Freed From Jail Until Trial NJ HS Teacher Accused Of Sexually Assaulting Student Freed From Jail Until Trial
NJ HS Teacher Accused Of Sexually Assaulting Student Freed From Jail Until Trial A Mercer County high school teacher accused of sexually assaulting a student several times at a Monmouth County wildlife preserve was released from jail to await her trial, authorities said. A judge denied a request on Wednesday, Apr. 17 to keep 37-year-old Jessica Sawicki of Point Pleasant Beach in jail through her trial, a Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office spokesperson said. She was charged with five counts of second-degree sexual assault and five counts of second-degree endangering the welfare of a child. Sawicki was arrested on Monday, Apr. 8, according to an affidavit obtai…
Bergen Man Charged With 2010 Pre-Teen Sex Assault Bergen Man Charged With 2010 Pre-Teen Sex Assault
Bergen Man Charged With 2010 Pre-Teen Sex Assault A Midland Park man was charged with sexually assaulting a pre-teen in Wyckoff in 2010. Donato Avolio, now 35, was in his early 20s when he sexually assaulted the youngster, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said. Wyckoff police notified his Special Victims Unit of the allegation on March 27, Musella said. An arrest warrant was drawn up the following day charging Avolio with second-degree sexual assault of a victim under 13, he said. A manhunt that lasted nearly three weeks ended with the single, Italian-born Avolio’s arrest in Clifton on Tuesday, April 16, the prosecutor said. He has…
License Permanently Stripped From NJ Doc Who Let 20-Year-Old ER Patient Die License Permanently Stripped From NJ Doc Who Let 20-Year-Old ER Patient Die
License Permanently Stripped From NJ Doc Who Let 20-Year-Old ER Patient Die UPDATE: An ER doctor had her medical license permanently revoked by the state of New Jersey for allowing a 20-year-old patient to die on her watch and then trying to cover it up, authorities said. Shar Kennett, 66, of Wayne was on duty in the emergency room at Overlook Medical Center in Summit when the patient was brought in with urgent "respiratory distress" on June 29, 2017, Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin said. Kennett failed to examine him and didn't order any diagnostics, "despite his parents' urgent requests for assistance," Platkin said on Thursday, April 18. The patient died in…
Sixth Defendant Charged In Armed Edgewater Robbery Being Held In Westchester Sixth Defendant Charged In Armed Edgewater Robbery Being Held In Westchester
Sixth Defendant Charged In Armed Edgewater Robbery Being Held In Westchester 𝗨𝗣𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘: The broad-daylight holdup of an Edgewater shopper last fall was committed by an armed robbery crew that included a Bronx man who was arrested this week in Westchester, authorities said. Jose A. Santana Torres, 22, and his partners followed the victim from Hudson County to an unidentified shopping center on River Road in last Oct. 24, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said. Two of them approached the victim and stole a watch at gunpoint while a third member of the crew served as lookout. The robbers then hopped into getaway vehicles driven by companions. The mid-afternoon holdu…
Feds: NJ Longshoreman Gets 2½ Years For Ducking Taxes On $2.5M Of Income Feds: NJ Longshoreman Gets 2½ Years For Ducking Taxes On $2.5M Of Income
Feds: NJ Longshoreman Gets 2½ Years For Ducking Taxes On $2.5M Of Income A Port Newark mechanic who was convicted of ducking taxes on $2.5 million of income was sentenced to nearly 2½ years in federal prison. Jonathan Michael, 55, of Springfield had filed returns and paid his taxes without fail for decades, the U.S. Department of Justice said in a release. In 2014, however, he gave his employer in the machine shop at the Port Newark Container Terminal a bogus W-4 form, claiming that he was exempt from any federal income tax withholding from his pay, federal authorities said. The IRS notified Michael in 2016 that he wasn't entitled to exempt status, but he wrote…
SEEN HER? Concerns Grow Following Unconfirmed Call That Missing Englewood Woman Was Dead SEEN HER? Concerns Grow Following Unconfirmed Call That Missing Englewood Woman Was Dead
Seen HER? Concerns Grow Following Unconfirmed Call That Missing Englewood Woman Was Dead 𝗠𝗜𝗦𝗦𝗜𝗡𝗚: A caller's claim that a missing single mom had died hasn't been confirmed, said authorities in Englewood who've stepped up their search for her. Concerns initially were raised when Cynthia Anderson, 33, who'd recently been homeless, stopped communicating with friends, police said. They became extremely worried when none of them could find her, Lt. Fred Pulice said. "No one's been in touch with her for a while," the lieutenant said on Wednesday, April 17, nine days after Anderson was last heard from. "There's genuine concern." One of the friends got a call from a masked number tha…
Clifton Man Used Messenger Service To Meet Kids For Sex: Morris County Prosecutor Clifton Man Used Messenger Service To Meet Kids For Sex: Morris County Prosecutor
Clifton Man Used Messenger Service To Meet Kids For Sex: Morris County Prosecutor A 41-year-old Clifton man was arrested and charged after he used a messenger service to make plans to meet children for sex in Morris County, authorities said.  Last month, Brian Stewart engaged in sexual communications with two children on KIK Messenger and made plans to meet up with them in Boontown Township for the purpose of having sexual intercourse, Morris County Prosecutor Robert Carroll said. Stewart used the handle "Brian Being Brian" on KIK, authorities said. He was charged with two counts of luring, four counts of attempted aggravate sexual assault, attempted endangerin…
Jersey Shore Reservist Admits Scamming Grieving Army Families Out Of $3.7M In Death Benefits Jersey Shore Reservist Admits Scamming Grieving Army Families Out Of $3.7M In Death Benefits
Jersey Shore Reservist Admits Scamming Grieving Army Families Out Of $3.7M In Death Benefits UPDATE: A ruthless now-former military reservist from Monmouth County admitted scamming the survivors of soldiers killed in war out of $3.7 million. Caz Craffy, 41, of Colts Neck, used his role as a counselor with the United States Army to pocket $1.4 million by exploiting the grief of Gold Star families, U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Philip R. Sellinger said. Craffy – who’s also known as “Carz Craffey” – “used lies and deception” to defraud two dozen families of what he told them were investments, the U.S. attorney said. For many, it was the only money they had. Whenever a member of the a…
Scooter Rider Killed In Jersey Shore Crash Involving Police Officer, State AG Says Scooter Rider Killed In Jersey Shore Crash Involving Police Officer, State AG Says
Scooter Rider Killed In Jersey Shore Crash Involving Police Officer, State AG Says A man riding a motorized scooter was killed in a multi-vehicle crash on Route 35 in Monmouth County that involved a local police officer, state authorities said. The crash occurred on the highway's southbound side near Sunset Avenue in Ocean Township shortly after 9 p.m. Monday, April 15, New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin said on Tuesday. The identity of the scooter rider, who was pronounced dead at the scene, was temporarily being withheld, as was the name of the on-duty Ocean Township officer, Platkin said. Neither the officer nor anyone else involved in the crash was injured, …
NJ Teacher Admits Having Unprotected Sex With Student 5X Or More: Affidavit NJ Teacher Admits Having Unprotected Sex With Student 5X Or More: Affidavit
NJ Teacher Admits Having Unprotected Sex With Student 5X Or More: Affidavit A Mercer County high school teacher admitted to sexually assaulting a student multiple times times in a vehicle at a Monmouth County wildlife preserve, according to police paperwork obtained by Daily Voice. Jessica Sawicki, 37, of Point Pleasant, was arrested on Monday, Apr. 8, and charged with five counts of second-degree sexual assault and five counts of second-degree endangering the welfare of a child. New Jersey Fish and Wildlife officers found Sawicki and the victim "in states of undress" in the back of the victim's car at Assunpink Wildlife Management Area in Upper…
Alarm Malfunction Triggers Lockdown, Massive Law Enforcement Response At Westwood HS Alarm Malfunction Triggers Lockdown, Massive Law Enforcement Response At Westwood HS
Alarm Malfunction Triggers Lockdown, Massive Law Enforcement Response At Westwood HS An alarm system malfunction forced the lockdown Tuesday of Westwood Regional High School and brought a legion of law enforcement and tactical officers to Washington Township. The entire building was searched following the 11:07 a.m. lockdown, Washington Township Police Chief John Calamari said. The search confirmed there wasn't a threat of any kind and the lockdown was stepped down to a shelter in place. The system malfunctioned a second time after being reset, the chief said. An early 12:50 p.m. dismissal allowed technicians to investigate the cause, Schools Supt. Jill Mortimer said…
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…
Small Plane Crashes Off Runway In Sussex County (UPDATE) Small Plane Crashes Off Runway In Sussex County (UPDATE)
Small Plane Crashes Off Runway In Sussex County (Update) A pilot got out OK after his Cessna crashed nose-first off the runway Tuesday morning at Sussex Airport, the FAA confirmed. The single-engine 150 crashed at the privately-owned 96-acre airport on County Road 629 in Wantage around 11:45 a.m. April 16. Only the pilot was aboard. Only the pilot was aboard. Colesville Fire Company New Jersey State Police and local firefighters responded. The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the cause. Colesville Fire Company took the photos and contributed to this story. Colesville Fire Company
SEE ANYTHING? Motorcyclist Severely Injured By Route 4 Hit-And-Run Driver SEE ANYTHING? Motorcyclist Severely Injured By Route 4 Hit-And-Run Driver
SEE Anything? Motorcyclist Severely Injured By Route 4 Hit-And-Run Driver A motorcyclist suffered severe injuries when he was struck on Route 4 in Paramus Tuesday afternoon by a driver who sped off, authorities said. The 57-year-old victim from Wood-Ridge was headed east in the highway's right lane when a dark sedan exiting Arcadia Way hit him shortly after 1:30 p.m. April 16, Paramus Police Chief Robert Guidetti said. The motorcyclist was taken to Hackensack University Medical Center with extensive injuries, the chief said. Police, meanwhile, issued a Be On the Lookout alert for the sedan, which responders said should have side damage. The motorcyclist, 57, …
Bayonne Man, 38, Charged With Sexually Assaulting Four Underage Girls Bayonne Man, 38, Charged With Sexually Assaulting Four Underage Girls
Bayonne Man, 38, Charged With Sexually Assaulting Four Underage Girls A 38-year-old Bayonne man was charged with sexually assaulting four underage girls. Anthony Lashley, 38, assaulted the teens “on multiple occasions between 2017 and 2024 in Jersey City and Bayonne,” Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez said on Tuesday, April 16. All four were under 18 at the time, the prosecutor said. Authorities arrested Lashley this past Feb. 22 in connection with two alleged victims, Suarez said. An investigation turned up two more, she said, for which he was charged on April 9. Suarez didn’t say why she waited a week to announce it. Lashley, meanwhile, remained he…
Shooting At Notorious Paterson Street Corner Wounds Out-Of-Towner, 42 Shooting At Notorious Paterson Street Corner Wounds Out-Of-Towner, 42
Shooting At Notorious Paterson Street Corner Wounds Out-Of-Towner, 42 Another shooting at one of Paterson’s most dangerous street corners sent a 42-year-old Newark man to the hospital. Shots rang out at Godwin Avenue and Carroll Street shortly after 10:30 p.m. Monday, April 15. As officers were arriving at the scene, a private vehicle was taking the victim to St. Joseph’s University Medical Center with non-fatal gunshot wounds, Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes and Paterson Police Department Officer-In-Charge Isa Abbassi said in a joint release Tuesday. Valdes and Abbassi didn’t say whether any suspects had been arrested or identified.
College Student From Morris County Killed In I-295 Crash (UPDATE) College Student From Morris County Killed In I-295 Crash (UPDATE)
College Student From Morris County Killed In I-295 Crash (Update) Authorities have identified the 20-year-old driver killed in a single-vehicle crash on Interstate 295 in Mercer County. Samuel Beale, of the Kenvil section of Roxbury, was driving a Nissan SUV northbound near milepost 60.6 in Hamilton shortly before 8 p.m. Sunday, April 14, when he veered off the highway to the left and struck a concrete bridge support and guardrail, New Jersey State Police said. Beale was pronounced dead at the scene, State Police said. Beale was a sophomore economics major at Rider University in Lawrenceville, according to his LinkedIn.com profile.
Dumont Man Seized After SWAT Standoff Following Series Of Threatening Messages, Chief Says Dumont Man Seized After SWAT Standoff Following Series Of Threatening Messages, Chief Says
Dumont Man Seized After SWAT Standoff Following Series Of Threatening Messages, Chief Says A Dumont man was seized following a brief SWAT standoff after he threatened borough police, authorities said. Michael D. Tolan, 49, was upset by two motor vehicle summonses he received on Saturday, April 13, Dumont Police Chief Brian Joyce said. He then contacted Dumont Municipal Court and left nine voicemails “voicemails threatening to do harm to former and current members of the Dumont Police Department,” the chief said. A Bergen County Regional SWAT team and Cresskill police joined their Dumont colleagues at Tolan’s Magnolia Avenue home on Saturday. “After a brief standoff, Mr. Tolan …
Bronx Tax Preparer 'The Magician' Busted By IRS In Record $100M Fraud Bronx Tax Preparer 'The Magician' Busted By IRS In Record $100M Fraud
Bronx Tax Preparer The Magician Rafael Alvarez IRS Fraud A Bronx tax preparer known as "The Magician" was arrested by IRS agents for a $100 million tax fraud that federal authorities said was one of the largest ripoffs of its kind. Rafael Alvarez, 60, submitted thousands of bogus tax returns over a 10-year period, Southern District of New York U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said. It was one of the single biggest tax ripoffs by a single tax preparer in history, federal authorities announced on "Tax Day" Monday, April 15. And it allowed Alvarez to pull in $15 million in revenue in just three years, Williams said. It also won Alvarez his sleight-of…
NJ Turnpike Crash Damages Elizabeth Overpass Sending Debris Onto Streets Below, Officials Say NJ Turnpike Crash Damages Elizabeth Overpass Sending Debris Onto Streets Below, Officials Say
NJ Turnpike Crash Damages Elizabeth Overpass Sending Debris Onto Streets Below, Officials Say A vehicle collided with an overpass in Elizabeth sending debris flying onto the streets below, officials said. The crash occurred on the New Jersey Turnpike above Elizabeth Avenue Monday evening, April 15. Police said it forced the closure of Elizabeth Avenue at 4th Street.  The roadway reopened early Tuesday morning, officers said. No injuries were reported, authorities said. 
'Vibrant Spirit': Death Of Ridgefield Girl, 15, Leaves 'Profound Void' In 2 Communities 'Vibrant Spirit': Death Of Ridgefield Girl, 15, Leaves 'Profound Void' In 2 Communities
'Vibrant Spirit': Death Of Ridgefield Girl, 15, Leaves 'Profound Void' In 2 Communities UPDATE: The death of a 15-year-old Ridgefield girl who was struck while riding a scooter near her home leaves a "profound void," said the schools chief in Clifton, where her father works. Serenity Law was struck at the intersection of Shaler Boulevard and Edgewater Avenue in Ridgefield shortly after 7:30 p.m. Sunday, April 14, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said. She was pronounced dead at Hackensack University Medical Center a short time later, the prosecutor said. Although Musella referred to the incident as a "pedestrian death," law enforcement sources confirmed that the teen was…
POLICE SHOOTOUT: Montclair Officer, Suspect Both Shot In Exchange Of Gunfire, Prosecutor Says POLICE SHOOTOUT: Montclair Officer, Suspect Both Shot In Exchange Of Gunfire, Prosecutor Says
Police Shootout: Montclair Officer, Suspect Both Shot In Exchange Of Gunfire, Prosecutor Says A police officer and suspect were both injured in a shooting on Monday, April 15, authorities said. An individual in a residence began shooting at a police officer on the 100 block of Forest Street, Thomas Fennelly, a spokesman for the Essex County Prosecutors Office said. The officer was hit but was able to return fire, striking the suspect, Fennelly aid. The officer and suspect were transported to a nearby hospital with non-life threatening injuries, Fennelly said. The Essex County Prosecutor’s Office is investigating, Fennelly said. 
HEROES: Detectives Revive Man Who Collapsed At Hudson Prosecutor’s Office HEROES: Detectives Revive Man Who Collapsed At Hudson Prosecutor’s Office
Heroes: Detectives Revive Man Who Collapsed At Hudson Prosecutor’s Office A visitor who suffered a medical emergency at Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office was revived by a group of detectives, authorities said. Prosecutor’s Detectives Stephen King and Salvatore Benanti, and Jersey City Police Detective Scott Rogers found the man without a pulse in the sixth-floor lobby of the Hudson County Administration Building. Prosecutor’s Detectives Risheem Whitten, Kristen Mikulak and Daniel Bellini “quickly joined their colleagues to provide immediate, life-saving medical assistance,” Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez said. The victim regained a pulse within minutes a…
GOTCHA! Fleeing Car Thief, 16, Captured By Paramus PD With Assist From Law Enforcement Partners GOTCHA! Fleeing Car Thief, 16, Captured By Paramus PD With Assist From Law Enforcement Partners
Gotcha! Fleeing Car Thief, 16, Captured By Paramus PD With Assist From Law Enforcement Partners Paramus police captured a 16-year-old Newark boy after he'd popped the ignition cylinder on an SUV parked in the owner's driveway. Officers Slavko Bajovic and Ryan Cottrell were responding to a call from the owner of the Bullard Road home when they saw the teen run from the 2017 Hyundai Tucson to a Sonata parked nearby shortly before 6 a.m. Sunday, April 14, Police Chief Robert Guidetti said. Guidetti's officers got help establishing a perimeter from a Bergen County Sheriff's K-9 unit and police from Bergenfield, River Edge and Rochelle Park police, Guidetti said. Bajovic found the Sonata …
Broom Beatings Among Horrific Abuse By Atlantic City Mayor, Wife Against Teen Daughter: Police Broom Beatings Among Horrific Abuse By Atlantic City Mayor, Wife Against Teen Daughter: Police
Broom Beatings Among Horrific Abuse By Atlantic City Mayor, Wife Against Teen Daughter: Police The mayor of Atlantic City and his wife, the superintendent of the city's public school district, have been accused of physically and emotionally abusing their teen daughter, including an incident that left her unconscious, authorities said. Mayor Marty Small Sr., 50, and Dr. La'Quetta Small, 47, were slapped with several charges via summonses on Monday, Apr. 15, the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office said in a news release. The couple was charged with second-degree endangering the welfare of a child. Mayor Small was also charged with third-degree terroristic threats, third-degre…