Dominicans Don’t Play member held on attempted murder charge

The New Jersey and New York Dominicans Don’t Play street gangs were at war when a gunman walked up and opened fire on a surprised crew in Hackensack, starting a 13-month investigation capped by this week’s arrest of Manuel A. Falcon-Lopez of West New York.

Jerry DeMarco

05/30/2010 5:30 a.m.

Falcon-Lopez, 22, is charged with attempted murder and illegal weapons possession.

Falcon-Lopez

It’s the first major case brought down by the Bergen prosecutor’s office in tandem with Hackensack police since Chief Ken Zisa was suspended without pay for insurance fraud and misconduct.

According to witnesses, Falcon and a group of others came up on the Hackensack crew outside a house on Campbell Avenue on April 19, 2009.

Falcon fired off three shots, none of which, fortunately, hit anyone, said Bergen County Prosecutor John L. Molinelli.

Falcon, who lives on Park Avenue just off 55th Street, was arrested late Thursday at his job as a stock room clerk at the Home Depot on Bloomfield Avenue in Clifton by officers from the prosecutor‘s office and Hackensack and Clifton police departments.

He’s being held on $50,000 bail at the Bergen County Jail in Hackensack pending grand jury action.

Click here to follow Daily Voice Hackensack and receive free news updates.