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Robert Bracken

Police & Fire
MOMMY AND CLYDE? Getaway Driver, Son Swipe $100G Worth Of Bling From Jewelry Store: Clifton PD MOMMY AND CLYDE? Getaway Driver, Son Swipe $100G Worth Of Bling From Jewelry Store: Clifton PD
Mommy AND Clyde? Getaway Driver, Son Swipe $100G Worth Of Bling From Jewelry Store: Clifton PD A burglar broke into a Clifton jewelry store, swiped nearly $100,000 worth of bling and planned to flee in a getaway car driven by his 59-year-old mother before police arrived, authorities said. Officers responding to a burglar alarm at Morre Lyons Jewelers in the Richfield Shopping Center around 2:30 a.m. last Nov. 24 saw Iver Vera-Miranda of Clifton emerge from behind the store and then duck back inside, Detective Lt. Robert Bracken said on Friday, Jan. 5. Vera-Miranda, 30, had worked a Fuel 4 in Fair Lawn before he and another man were charged with swiping $11,000 from the station's safe…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
PANIC ATTACK: Clifton Thief Snatches Running SUV With Dog Inside PANIC ATTACK: Clifton Thief Snatches Running SUV With Dog Inside
Panic Attack: Clifton Thief Snatches Running SUV With Dog Inside Some anxious moments for a dog owner ended after an SUV stolen from outside a Clifton market was abandoned in Paterson. "Chico" was in the red Honda Pilot that was left running -- and quickly taken from -- outside the J&J Mini Market at the corner of Ackerman Avenue at Harrison Place shortly before 10 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 2, Clifton Police Detective Lt. Robert Bracken said. The thief apparently discovered the French bulldog sharing the ride and quickly bailed out after reaching Paterson. A safe and sound Chico was returned to his anxious owner a short time later, Bracken said. Police…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
REWARD INCREASED: Offer For Help Finding Missing Clifton Man Boosted To $2,000 REWARD INCREASED: Offer For Help Finding Missing Clifton Man Boosted To $2,000
Reward Increased: Offer For Help Finding Missing Clifton Man Boosted To $2,000 Family members said they last spoke with Edgar Pelaez of Clifton by phone on July 16, 2022. No one has seen nor heard from him since, police said. Authorities recharged the case on Wednesday, Aug. 30, increasing a reward for help finding the father of two to $2,000. Edgar, 39, was last known to be in the area of Hoover Avenue in Passaic, Clifton Police Detective Lt. Robert Bracken said. He'd also frequented Botany Village (Clifton) and Parker Avenue in Passaic. “His family is concerned for his welfare due to existing medical issues,” Clifton police had said after he'd been reported missin…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
Drowning Boy, 9, Resuscitated After He's Pulled From Pool At Boys & Girls Club Drowning Boy, 9, Resuscitated After He's Pulled From Pool At Boys & Girls Club
Drowning Boy, 9, Resuscitated After He's Pulled From Pool At Boys & Girls Club A drowning 9-year-old boy was resuscitated by staff members after being pulled from the pool at the Boys & Girls Club of Clifton on Thursday, responders said. The Morris Plains youngster may have had a medical emergency shortly after 2:30 p.m. July 6, they said. "Staff noticed immediately, pulled the child from the pool and conducted CPR," Clifton Police Detective Lt. Robert Bracken said. The child then began breathing again, the lieutenant said. He was conscious and alert after being taken to St. Joseph's University Medical Center, Bracken said.

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
UPDATE: Clifton Boy, 13, Hit By Car Remains In Coma UPDATE: Clifton Boy, 13, Hit By Car Remains In Coma
Update: Clifton Boy, 13, Hit By Car Remains In Coma A 13-year-old Clifton boy remained in critical condition after being thrown from his bicycle when he was struck by a vehicle in a city intersection. It was nearly 8:30 p.m. when Aqel Khalifeh headed down Fifth Avenue and was struck at the intersection of West 2nd Street near Main Avenue on Saturday, June 24, Clifton Police Detective Lt. Robert Bracken said. "The driver of the vehicle stopped immediately to render aid and police and fire department personnel responded a short time later," the lieutenant said. The eighth-grader at Christopher Columbus Middle School was taken to St. Joseph's…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
Passaic Ex-Con Hits Criminal Trifecta In Clifton Stop Passaic Ex-Con Hits Criminal Trifecta In Clifton Stop
Passaic Ex-Con Hits Criminal Trifecta In Clifton Stop An ex-con from Passaic ended up charged with a trio of significant offenses in a single traffic stop. Brian Deleon, 24, was driving a stolen 2020 Lexus wagon and carrying a defaced handgun loaded with hollow-point bullets when Clifton police stopped him on Sunday, June 3, Detective Police Lt. Robert Bracken said. Items used to sell drugs were spotted in the vehicle, leading to a search that found Deleon carrying the weapon, the lieutenant said. Deleon remained held Tuesday in the Bergen County Jail, charged with possessing a defaced handgun, possessing a firearm as a convicted felon and po…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
GOT 'EM! Teens From Elizabeth Nabbed After Ransacking Vehicles At Clifton Condo Complex GOT 'EM! Teens From Elizabeth Nabbed After Ransacking Vehicles At Clifton Condo Complex
GOT 'EM! Teens From Elizabeth Nabbed After Ransacking Vehicles At Clifton Condo Complex A crew of late-morning teenage car burglars who infiltrated a Clifton condo development were caught in Passaic, authorities said. Officers responding to calls from Evergreen at Clifton at Main Avenue and Felton Boulevard began checking local streets shortly before noon Saturday, May 13, Detective Lt. Robert Bracken said. Sure enough, they spotted all four black-hooded suspects in the area of Brook and Dakota streets in Passaic. The teens, all from Elizabeth, apparently were carrying valuables stolen from vehicles at Evergreen that had been left unlocked. Jayden Alzate, 19, and three j…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
Teen Driver, Passenger Switch Seats In Moving Vehicle During Clifton Pursuit Teen Driver, Passenger Switch Seats In Moving Vehicle During Clifton Pursuit
Teen Driver, Passenger Switch Seats In Moving Vehicle During Clifton Pursuit Two teenage drivers switched seats in a stolen vehicle while it was moving in a Clifton police pursuit, authorities said. Officer Mohammed Rayyan was on patrol on northbound Route 21 when he began following the 2018 Hyundai occupied by three juveniles shortly before 6:30 p.m. Sunday, May 14, Detective Lt. Robert Bracken said. The vehicle had been reported stolen out of Passaic days earlier, he said. The teens made it to Paterson, where "the driver and front seat passenger switched positions while the vehicle was continuing in motion," Bracken said. The driver then sped off and a pursuit b…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
Clifton Stolen Car Chase Ends In Newark Crash Clifton Stolen Car Chase Ends In Newark Crash
Clifton Stolen Car Chase Ends In Newark Crash A stolen car pursuit that began in Clifton ended with a crash in Newark and three occupants in the wind, authorities said. Clifton Police Officer Matthew Rugel was in the area of Broad Street and Elmwood Drive when he spotted the 2020 Audi, which had been reported stolen out of Hazlet and connected to subsequent crimes, shortly after 7 p.m. Tuesday, May 2. Rugel tried to stop the vehicle, but the driver sped off through the streets of Clifton and eventually onto eastbound Route 3, Detective Lt. Robert Bracken said. Witnesses said speeds reached 120 miles an hour as the pursuit continued on…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
Irate Owner Flips Out, Attacks 68-Year-Old Clifton Parking Enforcement Officer, Police Charge Irate Owner Flips Out, Attacks 68-Year-Old Clifton Parking Enforcement Officer, Police Charge
Irate Owner Flips Out, Attacks 68-Year-Old Clifton Parking Enforcement Officer, Police Charge A senior parking enforcer from Clifton was OK following an assault by an irate driver from Sussex County, authorities said. A 68-year-old parking enforcement officer with the city of Clifton had written a summons for a vehicle illegally parked on Madison Avenue when he was assaulted by the owner, police said. An irate Dimitrios K. Rezitis, 37, of Montague, "stepped on the officer's shoes, placed him in a bear hug, and threatened to kill the officer and his family," Detective Lt. Robert Bracken said. "The suspect then ripped the ticket book from the officer and removed all four copies of th…

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
Tap Tap Trap: Female Food Delivery Driver Escapes Knifepoint Robbery Attempt In Clifton Tap Tap Trap: Female Food Delivery Driver Escapes Knifepoint Robbery Attempt In Clifton
Tap Tap Trap: Female Food Delivery Driver Escapes Knifepoint Robbery Attempt In Clifton The tap-tap-tap that a female food delivery driver heard on her car window after being sent to a bogus address in Clifton was made by a teen with a knife who was looking to rob her, authorities said. The driver was already apprehensive when she couldn’t find the exact address, Clifton Police Detective Lt. Robert Bracken said. That’s because it was bogus, the lieutenant said. Suddenly, he said, the driver spotted a female standing in a nearby driveway trying to coax her out of her car. “When the victim refused, the female approached and attempted to forcefully gain access into the passenge…

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
21 Catalytic Converters Recovered, Gang Of Four Busted By Clifton PD 21 Catalytic Converters Recovered, Gang Of Four Busted By Clifton PD
21 Catalytic Converters Recovered, Gang Of Four Busted By Clifton PD GOTCHA! Clifton police recovered 21 catalytic converters while arresting four men who they said stole them. Officers responding to a theft in progress on East 4th Street stopped a fleeing Kia in Paterson and arrested the lone occupant, Pedro Mirben-Feliz, 26, of Brooklyn around 3:30 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 29, Detective Lt. Robert Bracken said. A second vehicle, an Acura TL, crashed on Route 3 in Secaucus, where police arrested three occupants -- driver Juan Ortegalazala, 29, of the Bronx and passengers Yheremy Santana, 22, and Angel Batista, 18, both of Jersey City,  the lieutenant said. Betw…

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
TWO-FER: Twin Clifton Police Pursuits End In Luxury Car Crashes TWO-FER: Twin Clifton Police Pursuits End In Luxury Car Crashes
Two-fer: Twin Clifton Police Pursuits End In Luxury Car Crashes Two Clifton police pursuits ended in crashes within moments of one another -- one involving a $200,000 Bentley stolen hours earlier from a car wash near the George Washington Bridge and another a Mercedes Benz that hit a patrol car in Newark, authorities said. Two bandits swiped the 2021 Bentley from Bridge Hand Wash & Detailing just off Lemoine Avenue in Fort Lee around 3 p.m. Monday, Nov. 28 after pulling up in a BMW that may also have been stolen, they said. Clifton police tried to stop the Bentley around 9:30 p.m. on westbound Route 3 near Broad Street, Detective Lt. Robert Bracken …

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
SEEN HIM? Muslim Boy, 15, From Clifton Has Been Missing Since April SEEN HIM? Muslim Boy, 15, From Clifton Has Been Missing Since April
Seen HIM? Muslim Boy, 15, From Clifton Has Been Missing Since April Police turned to the public for help finding a 15-year-old Muslim boy from Clifton who's been missing for more than three months. Veleriy Atajamov -- also known as "Nazeem" -- was reported missing by his family on April 28, Lt. Robert Bracken said. Nazeem fled a religious school that he attends at the Clifton Blue Mosque "for what are believed to be disciplinary reasons," Bracken said. "Since that time, numerous agencies have been searching for his whereabouts to no avail," the lieutenant said. Nazeem -- who was described as 6-foot-1 and 140 pounds -- was tracked to Brookly and may still …

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
SEEN THEM? Police Seek Help Finding Arsonists Who Set Fire At Clifton Gynecologist's Office SEEN THEM? Police Seek Help Finding Arsonists Who Set Fire At Clifton Gynecologist's Office
Seen Them? Police Seek Help Finding Arsonists Who Set Fire At Clifton Gynecologist's Office One of them wore a Spiderman mask, the other a mask of another character, Clifton police said. Both are believed responsible for an arson fire that severely damaged a medical office building. The blaze was started on the second floor of the building on Clifton Avenue near Paulison Avenue around 12:30 a.m. June 30. The site houses an OB-GYN and infertility clinic. Clifton firefighters doused the flames, after which evidence of arson was found, Detective Lt. Robert Bracken said. Police released an image of two people arriving just prior to the fire. ANYONE who might know who they are or w…

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
GOTCHA! Fugitive Accused Of Trying To Run Down Clifton Police Officer Captured In Belleville GOTCHA! Fugitive Accused Of Trying To Run Down Clifton Police Officer Captured In Belleville
Gotcha! Fugitive Accused Of Trying To Run Down Clifton Police Officer Captured In Belleville A fugitive wanted for hitting a Clifton police officer with his car was captured in Belleville by a Passaic County sheriff's detective and U.S. Marshals. Alberto Maymi-Sepulveda, 42, of Clifton, was exiting the Bank of America on Washington Street when Detective Luis Pagan and his federal companions snatched him up on Wednesday, Passaic County Sheriff Richard H. Berdnik said. Maymi-Sepulveda had eluded a manhunt for just over a month. Officers were responding to a June 18 report of a possible crime in progress on Valley Road near Gillies Street, Clifton Detective Lt. Robert Bracken said la…

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
FALSE ALARM: No Active Shooter At Costco In Clifton, Police Say FALSE ALARM: No Active Shooter At Costco In Clifton, Police Say
False ALARM: No Active Shooter At Costco In Clifton, Police Say A report of shots fired led to what turned out to be the unfounded fear of an active shooter at the Costco in Clifton. "It was a call of shots fired" on Sunday afternoon, March 20, Clifton Police Lt. Robert Bracken said. "Officers responded and did not find an active shooter," Bracken said. They were trying to determine whether there had, indeed, been any shots fired in the area, he said. A large law enforcement contingent converged on the Bridewell Place store off Route 3. Word spread rapidly on social media, fueling fears and further misinformation -- as well as a report of a TV crew in…

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
Child Bitten On Cheek, Adult On Arm By Dog In Clifton Child Bitten On Cheek, Adult On Arm By Dog In Clifton
Child Bitten On Cheek, Adult On Arm By Dog In Clifton A young child and an adult were hospitalized after being bitten by a dog Thursday in Clifton, authorities confirmed. The incident occurred at a private home on Knapp Avenue, just off Randolph Avenue, around 1 p.m., Police Lt. Robert Bracken said. The Shepherd mix bit the girl on the cheek and an adult on the arm, Bracken said. Both were taken to St. Joseph's Regional Medical Center, he said. Neither was considered seriously injured, the lieutenant said. Animal control officers were called, he said. INCIDENTS VIDEO/PHOTOS: Mark Rosetti (demonracer2 / YouTube)

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
SWAT STANDOFF: Stabbing Suspect Sets Fire, Tosses Furniture Out Window, Seized After Struggle SWAT STANDOFF: Stabbing Suspect Sets Fire, Tosses Furniture Out Window, Seized After Struggle
SWAT Standoff: Stabbing Suspect Sets Fire, Tosses Furniture Out Window, Seized After Struggle A suspect in a stabbing set fire to his clothes, then began tossing furniture at police cars out the window of his second-floor Clifton apartment Thursday before a Passaic County Sheriff's SWAT team stormed in and seized him, authorities said. Police tried negotiating with the combative 32-year-old tenant after they determined the fire was extinguished in the Lexington Avenue apartment above a city business, Detective Lt. Robert Bracken said. But he only "became more angry and began to toss chairs and other hard objects from the second-floor window, damaging patrol cars that were parke…

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
Robbers Pistol-Whip Clifton Motorist With Fake Gun, Police Nab Two Robbers Pistol-Whip Clifton Motorist With Fake Gun, Police Nab Two
Robbers Pistol-Whip Clifton Motorist With Fake Gun, Police Nab Two Clifton police charged two men with pistol-whipping another during a street robbery. His assailants rushed the 26-year-old victim as he got out of his car on Sheridan Avenue around 11 p.m. Tuesday, Detective Lt. Robert Bracken They fled with jewelry, a designer bag, and other valuables after hitting him with what turned out to be a fake gun, Bracken said. Responding officers converged on the scene and captured Modino Garcia, 19, of Clifton, the lieutenant said. The weapon and procceds were found in nearby yards, he added. Police identified a second suspected -- Devon Soto, 24, of Welling…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
NYC Passenger Seriously Injured When Police Pursuit Ends In Route 21 Crash NYC Passenger Seriously Injured When Police Pursuit Ends In Route 21 Crash
NYC Passenger Seriously Injured When Police Pursuit Ends In Route 21 Crash A passenger was seriously injured and the driver jailed when an overnight Clifton police chase Thursday ended in a rollover crash in Nutley. Officers Mohammed Rayyan and William Gibson were assigned to a DUI Enforcement Detail on Route 21 when they stopped a 2017 Audi A7 for traffic violations on Lexington Avenue shortly after midnight, Detective Lt. Robert Bracken said. The officers had just gotten out of their car when the driver hit the gas and sped off, Bracken said. As they chased the luxury sedan southbound on Route 21 into Nutley, the driver cut the lights, the lieutenant said. He …

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by Jerry DeMarco