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Public Safety

Mysterious Drones Are Flying Over North Jersey: What We Know Mysterious Drones Are Flying Over North Jersey: What We Know
Mysterious Drones Are Flying Over North Jersey: What We Know Authorities in North Jersey are investigating reports of drone activity observed by law enforcement, they said on Tuesday, Nov. 19. The drones posed no known threat to public safety, Morris County Prosecutor Robert Carroll said. Following the announcement, residents in other areas reported seeing the drones. Residents are urged to stay cautious about misinformation online.  “We encourage the public to be mindful that what they read online may not be accurate,” officials said. Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact their local police department directly. …
NJ Youth Soccer Coach Admits To Sexually Exploiting Players, Prosecutors Say NJ Youth Soccer Coach Admits To Sexually Exploiting Players, Prosecutors Say
NJ Youth Soccer Coach Admits To Sexually Exploiting Players, Prosecutors Say A Union Beach youth soccer coach admitted to molesting two players and sending sexual pictures to several others, authorities said. Ryan Gunsauls, 33, pleaded guilty during a hearing in superior court, Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond Santiago said in a news release on Monday, Nov. 18. The investigation began in May when a teen reported Gunsauls had asked for and shared sexually explicit material through a social media app. As the case developed, eight additional victims between 11 and 17 years old were identified. Gunsauls was held in the Monmouth County Correctional Institution an…
Reassuring Bergen County Dispatcher Erik Midgley, Man Of Many Talents, Dies Suddenly, 47 Reassuring Bergen County Dispatcher Erik Midgley, Man Of Many Talents, Dies Suddenly, 47
Reassuring Bergen County Dispatcher Erik Midgley, Man Of Many Talents, Dies Suddenly, 47 Erik J. Midgley, a dedicated Bergen County Public Safety dispatcher and lifelong community volunteer, passed away unexpectedly on Sunday, Nov. 10, according to his obituary on the Hunt-Stellato Funeral Home website. He was 47 years old. Known for his reassuring presence during emergencies, Erik spent many years as the calming voice on the other end of the line for those in crisis, his obituary says. His legacy includes years of volunteer work with the Palisades Park and Fairview Ambulance Corps. Erik worked as a public servant for more than 25 years, including 19 with the Bergen County…
Air Quality Levels Improve, 3,000-Acre Wildfire Still Raging In West Milford Air Quality Levels Improve, 3,000-Acre Wildfire Still Raging In West Milford
Air Quality Levels Improve, 3,000-Acre Wildfire Still Raging In West Milford A sprawling wildfire, now covering 3,000 acres, continues to burn through West Milford Monday, Nov. 11, however, air quality levels across the region have improved. The Jennings Creek Wildfire threatens 24 structures across both New Jersey and New York, including two homes in New Jersey, eight historic buildings in the Long Pond Ironworks Historic District, and 14 structures on East Shore Road in Greenwood Lake, NY, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service said. As of the latest update, the fire is only 10% contained, prompting officials to close East Shore and Beech Roads, along with all tr…
2,500-Acre Jennings Creek Wildfire Continues To Burn, Cannonball 3 Wildfire Mostly Contained 2,500-Acre Jennings Creek Wildfire Continues To Burn, Cannonball 3 Wildfire Mostly Contained
2,500-Acre Jennings Creek Wildfire Continues To Burn, Cannonball 3 Wildfire Mostly Contained A massive wildfire spanning 2,500 acres is burning through West Milford, NJ, and into Orange County, NY, threatening homes and historic sites as firefighters battle to contain it.  Known as the Jennings Creek Wildfire, the blaze has put two residential buildings in New Jersey and 14 structures on East Shore Road in New York at risk, along with eight historic buildings in the Long Pond Ironworks Historic District, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service said in the latest update Sunday morning, Nov. 10. Good Morning West Milford, Today Forest Fire will begin back burn operations in the …
18-Year-Old Parks Worker Dies Battling Wildfire At Sterling Forest 18-Year-Old Parks Worker Dies Battling Wildfire At Sterling Forest
18-Year-Old Parks Worker Dies Battling Wildfire At Sterling Forest A teenage New York State Parks and Recreation worker died battling one of the latest in a rash of wildfires in the region. Click here for a new, updated story - 18-Year-Old Killed In Wildfire At Sterling Forest Remembered As HS Baseball Standout The blaze broke out in Orange County at Sterling Forest State Park in Tuxedo on Saturday, Nov. 9, and spread into parts of neighboring New Jersey. He's been identified as 18-year-old Dariel Vasquez, police said. Vasquez suffered fatal injuries after a tree fell, according to the New York Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Pr…
Wildfire Smoke Blankets Bergen County As Pompton Lakes Blaze Grows To 100 Acres Wildfire Smoke Blankets Bergen County As Pompton Lakes Blaze Grows To 100 Acres
Wildfire Smoke Blankets Bergen County As Pompton Lakes Blaze Grows To 100 Acres Residents across North Jersey are facing worsening air quality due to smoke from a major wildfire burning in Pompton Lakes.  UPDATE: Unhealthy Air Quality Levels Reported In North Jersey As New 1,800-Acre Wildfire Rages Smoke from the Pompton Lakes wildfire. North Jersey Video Service or NJVS Dubbed the "Cannonball 3 Wildfire," the blaze has expanded to 100 acres with no containment, as per the latest update from the New Jersey Forest Fire Service. By late Friday night, Nov. 8, smoke from the raging Passaic County wildfire drifted as far as Fair Lawn, Hackensack, New Milfo…
Thomas Adamo Elected Passaic County Sheriff, Vows To Serve Community He Calls Home Thomas Adamo Elected Passaic County Sheriff, Vows To Serve Community He Calls Home
Thomas Adamo Elected Passaic County Sheriff, Vows To Serve Community He Calls Home Passaic County voters have chosen Democrat Thomas Adamo as their new sheriff, filling the position left vacant by the late Sheriff Richard Berdnik.  A lifelong Passaic County resident, Adamo won the election with 94,157 votes, while Maria Saracino, a detective captain with the county prosecutor's office, garnered 80,135. The role has been vacant since January when then-Sheriff Richard Berdnik died by suicide in the bathroom of a Clifton restaurant. Adamo’s career reflects his dedication and steady rise within law enforcement. Starting as a corrections officer with the Passai…
Girl Critical After Being Shot By Boy At Ridgefield Park Apartment Complex: Prosecutor (UPDATE) Girl Critical After Being Shot By Boy At Ridgefield Park Apartment Complex: Prosecutor (UPDATE)
Girl Critical After Being Shot By Boy At Ridgefield Park Apartment Complex: Prosecutor (Update) A 16-year-old boy has been charged in connection with a shooting that left a 15-year-old in critical condition Wednesday night, Nov. 5 in Ridgefield Park, authorities said. Police called to the garden apartments along Teaneck Road around 7:25 p.m. and found the girl with a gunshot wound to her back, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said. The girl was hospitalized where she remains in critical condition. The 16-year-old boy at the scene was arrested and charged following an investigation that found he had fired the gun. While initial reports said the shooting had been accidental, M…
Large Police Presence, 1 Arrest Closes Carlstadt Intersection Large Police Presence, 1 Arrest Closes Carlstadt Intersection
Large Police Presence, 1 Arrest Closes Carlstadt Intersection A large police presence was reported at a Carlstadt intersection with one person in custody Tuesday night, Nov. 5, authorities said. Carlstadt police released few details, saying only that that one person was arrested at 6th and Broad streets around 6:30 p.m. "If you are planning to travel in the area, we kindly suggest considering an alternate route," police said. "Thank you for your understanding." This is a developing news story.
Wires Left Draping Over Tractor Trailer, Cars In East Rutherford Crash Wires Left Draping Over Tractor Trailer, Cars In East Rutherford Crash
Wires Left Draping Over Tractor Trailer, Cars In East Rutherford Crash A tractor-trailer caused major damage and danger Monday morning, Nov. 4 in East Rutherford.  According to the fire department, the vehicle struck a pole at Paterson Avenue and Herman Street around 11:50 a.m. "The impact caused significant damage, resulting in additional telephone poles being affected and damage to other vehicles," the department said. The borough police and fire departments responded, as did the county's HazMat team and PSE&G. The roadway will be closed until PSEG crews can safely complete repairs. 
'Deranged' Man Attacks Nanny, Curses At Kids In Hoboken Park On Halloween: Police, Campaign 'Deranged' Man Attacks Nanny, Curses At Kids In Hoboken Park On Halloween: Police, Campaign
'Deranged' Man Attacks Nanny, Curses At Kids In Hoboken Park On Halloween: Police, Campaign A 31-year-old man was arrested after police say he was cursing at children and then attacked a nanny in a Hoboken park on Thursday, Oct. 31, Halloween, according to police and the nanny's family. Officers were called to Church Square Park around 12:30 p.m. where a man later identified Troy Timberlake had been cursing at children and elderly people, Hoboken City spokeswoman Marci Rubin. Timberlake then began hitting people, including a woman identified by a local family on a GoFundMe campaign as "B." "A deranged man assaulted her in broad daylight in front of many people and kids," the…
Man Who Accidentally Shot Himself Saved By 3 Paramus Officers Man Who Accidentally Shot Himself Saved By 3 Paramus Officers
Man Who Accidentally Shot Himself Saved By 3 Paramus Officers Three fast-acting Paramus police officers saved a 73-year-old man who accidentally shot himself Wednesday night, Oct. 30. The officers were called to the Summit Drive home around 10:40 p.m., where the man had shot himself in the leg, Paramus Police Chief Robert Guidetti said. Officers Nicholas Perna and Hugo Rodriguez forced their way into the home and applied a tourniquet to control bleeding, Guidetti said.  Officer Vincent Labarbiera then used Quick Clot to pack the entry wound and applied direct pressure, halting the bleeding until Paramus EMS arrived and transported the man to Hac…
Arsonist Charged With Starting Lyndhurst Brush Fire During Critical Time Arsonist Charged With Starting Lyndhurst Brush Fire During Critical Time
Arsonist Charged With Starting Lyndhurst Brush Fire During Critical Time A 27-year-old man has been arrested on accusations he started a brush fire over the weekend while the state was under a Stage 3 fire restriction in Lyndhurst, police said. Officers were called to the 600 block of Fourth Street on reports of a small brush fire around 4:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 25, Lyndhurst Police Detective Lt. Vincent Auteri said. The fire had already been extinguished by a local resident, but a witness said he saw a man start the blaze before walking away, Auteri said. The witness provided a detailed description of the suspect, whom responding officers were able t…
Throngs Of Unruly Teens Break Up NJ Haunted Hayride Event, Police Say Throngs Of Unruly Teens Break Up NJ Haunted Hayride Event, Police Say
Throngs Of Unruly Teens Break Up NJ Haunted Hayride Event, Police Say About 200 teens and young adults caused chaos at a PTA-sponsored hayride in Collingswood, authorities said. The large group was dropped off by several vehicles on the outskirts of Knight Park on Saturday, Oct. 19, the Collingswood Police Department said in a Facebook post. The teens and young adults started fighting each other, ran recklessly through the crowd, and cut in line for the Haunted Hayride. Officers at the event broke up the unruly teens and other Camden County police departments were called in to help. "To ensure the safety of those in attendance, the decision was mad…
Hudson County Officer In Deadly Secaucus Crash Won't Be Indicted: AG (VIDEO) Hudson County Officer In Deadly Secaucus Crash Won't Be Indicted: AG (VIDEO)
Hudson County Officer In Deadly Secaucus Crash Won't Be Indicted: AG (Video) A state grand jury declined to file criminal charges in the death of motorcyclist who was fleeing police in Secaucus in August 2023, authorities said. On Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2023, Hudson County Sheriff Officer Andrew Conti attempted to stop a motorcycle, operated by Reymis Geronimo-Segura, a 28-year-old North Bergen resident, for motor vehicle violations, State Attorney General Matthew Platkin said (click here for bodyworn camera footage of the incident). Conti observed the motorcycle in the area of Paul Amico Way and Seaview Drive, Platkin said.  Conti followed the motorcycle on Count…
Hackensack Shooting Under Investigation Hackensack Shooting Under Investigation
Hackensack Shooting Under Investigation Police in Hackensack are investigating a shooting on Friday, Oct. 4. Officers responded to Newman and Sussex streets at 9:30 p.m. on reports of shots fired, Hackensack Police Capt. Michael Antista said. No victims or witnesses were found upon arrival, and further investigation turned up a found shell casing, confirming that a shooting occurred. The Detective Bureau is conducting an investigation and no further information was available.
Man In NJ Police Station Calls 9-1-1 Over Scented Candle — And It Didn't Stop There, Cops Say Man In NJ Police Station Calls 9-1-1 Over Scented Candle — And It Didn't Stop There, Cops Say
Man In NJ Police Station Calls 9-1-1 Over Scented Candle — And It Didn't Stop There, Cops Say A 34-year-old Hudson County man was jailed after police said he walked into a local police station and called 9-1-1 over a scented candle, and continued with similar behavior until he was jailed later that day, police said. Alfredo Gonzalez, of Guttenberg, waltzed into the police station on Wednesday, Oct. 2 to speak with officials from the public safety office, Guttenberg police said. While inside, Gonzalez expressed concern over the lighting of a scented candle, police said. Gonzalez then called the county's emergency dispatch line, requesting North Hudson Regional Fire & Rescue to th…
Arsonist Set Fire To County Truck At Bergen Academies In Hackensack Arsonist Set Fire To County Truck At Bergen Academies In Hackensack
Arsonist Set Fire To County Truck At Bergen Academies In Hackensack A 26-year-old man has been charged with arson after setting two county-owned vehicles on fire in the parking lot of a private high school in Hackensack, authorities said. Patrick Fearon, previously of Hackensack and currently homeless, is believed to have set fires to the unoccupied Fort F350 pickup truck owned by the County of Bergen, which spread to another pickup truck, also owned by the county, in the parking lot of Bergen County Academies on Hackensack Avenue around 12:30 a.m. on Thursday, Sept. 19, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said. An investigation launched after the bl…
Teen Who Accidentally Shot Himself Last Year Arrested With Handgun, Extended Mag: Paterson PD Teen Who Accidentally Shot Himself Last Year Arrested With Handgun, Extended Mag: Paterson PD
Teen Who Accidentally Shot Himself Last Year Arrested With Handgun, Extended Mag: Paterson PD A 13-year-old boy who accidentally shot himself in the leg last year was found in possession of a semi-automatic handgun with an extended magazine on Friday, Sept. 27, Paterson police said. Detectives with the Community Stabilization Unit and Shooting Investigation Unit were conducting surveillance near Franklin and Mercer streets around 5:30 that evening when their attention was drawn to a male and a person of interest in a prior unrelated investigation, according to a spokesperson for the Attorney General's office, who oversees the Paterson Police Department.  Detectives re…
New Jersey Hospital Worker, Nursing Student Arrested In Dangerous Car Rally New Jersey Hospital Worker, Nursing Student Arrested In Dangerous Car Rally
New Jersey Hospital Worker, Nursing Student Arrested In Dangerous Car Rally An illegal car meetup with fires and a police officer nearly being struck has led to two more arrests — this time of people from outside the Philadelphia suburbs, police announced on Saturday, Sept. 28.  Alexis Boyce, 20 of Englishtown, NJ, turned herself into Philadelphia Police at 600 Arch Street at 11:15 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 27, and Albert Woynar, 18 of Pittsburgh, was arrested by Pennsylvania State Troopers later that day, Philadelphia Police detailed in the release. Both were wanted in connection with a 50-car meetup in the 7400 block of Bustleton Avenue on Saturday, Se…
Would-Be Jumper Hospitalized After Closing Lanes Of George Washington Bridge (UPDATE) Would-Be Jumper Hospitalized After Closing Lanes Of George Washington Bridge (UPDATE)
Would-Be Jumper Hospitalized After Closing Lanes Of George Washington Bridge (Update) A would-be George Washington Bridge jumper was hospitalized Tuesday night, Sept. 24, after bringing traffic along the bridge to a halt, authorities said. A spokesperson for the Port Authority Police Department confirmed the investigation but not have any further information as of 7:40 p.m. Wednesday morning, a spokesperson said that the incident was reported at 5:42 p.m. near the 179th Street ramp in the westbound lanes. All lanes along the ramp were closed. The man was removed and taken to a local hospital, the PAPD said. Traffic resumed at 7:24 p.m.
Woman Suffers Brain Bleed, Loss Of Teeth In Random Attack En Route To Work In Englewood: Police Woman Suffers Brain Bleed, Loss Of Teeth In Random Attack En Route To Work In Englewood: Police
Woman Suffers Brain Bleed, Loss Of Teeth In Random Attack En Route To Work In Englewood: Police A 31-year-old homeless man was lodged in the Bergen County Jail after authorities said he attacked a 61-year-old woman leaving her with a brain bleed and other injuries over the weekend in Englewood, police said. The victim, a 61-year-old Englewood resident was on her way to work when she was attacked by Kemarley McIntosh, a former city resident, at Forest Avenue and Overpeck Avenue around 6:30 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 21, Englewood Police Lt. Fred Pulice said. The two were complete strangers, police said. The woman's injuries included a brain bleed, a broken jaw, a broken finger, gashes t…
Bomb Scare Brings K9s, Major Police Presence To Bayonne Church, Pastor Says Bomb Scare Brings K9s, Major Police Presence To Bayonne Church, Pastor Says
Bomb Scare Brings K9s, Major Police Presence To Bayonne Church, Pastor Says A bomb scare brought a major police presence to a church in Bayonne over the weekend, according to the church's pastor. Rev. Raul Gaviola, the pastor at St. Henry RC Church on W. 29th Street, detailed the incident in a post on Facebook, saying it happened after the 5:30 p.m. Mass on Saturday, Sept. 21, as he was talking to parishioners. "I was informed by a police officer that they received a call that there would be an active shooting, and a pipe bomb going off at St. Henry at 7pm," the pastor wrote.  Gaviola said K9 units and the Jersey City bomb squad were called to the church, whi…
NJ Transit Driver Assaulted By 7 Juveniles In Paterson NJ Transit Driver Assaulted By 7 Juveniles In Paterson
NJ Transit Driver Assaulted By 7 Juveniles In Paterson A NJ Transit bus driver was hospitalized following an assault carried out by a group of juveniles in Paterson on Wednesday, Sept. 18, authorities said. An NJ Transit spokesperson said the attack happened just after 4:30 p.m. on the 171 line at the Broadway Bus Terminal. The operator was treated on scene by emergency medical personnel and taken to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The incident remains under investigation by NJT police.
PA Man Accused Of Drugging, Assaulting Women He Met On Sugar Daddy Site, DA Says PA Man Accused Of Drugging, Assaulting Women He Met On Sugar Daddy Site, DA Says
PA Man Accused Of Drugging, Assaulting Women He Met On Sugar Daddy Site, DA Says At least six women are known to have been sexually assaulted after going out with a man they met on an online dating site who ended up drugging them, District Attorney Jennifer Schorn and Bristol Township Police Chief Robert Coulton announced on Wednesday, Sept. 11.  Andrew Gallo, 40, of Copper Beech Lane, Bristol Township, was charged with five counts of rape by causing impairment, six counts of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, four counts of strangulation, two counts of selling or furnishing liquor or malt or brewed beverage to minors, and one count each of s…
Campfire Accidentally Sparked Huge Wildfire Near Jersey Shore Neighborhood: Investigators Campfire Accidentally Sparked Huge Wildfire Near Jersey Shore Neighborhood: Investigators
Campfire Accidentally Sparked Huge Wildfire Near Jersey Shore Neighborhood: Investigators An illegal and abandoned campfire started a massive wildfire that burned for three days in Ocean County, authorities said. Investigators determined the wildfire was accidentally started by "an unknown person(s) improperly extinguishing a campfire," Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer said in a news release on Wednesday, Sept. 11. The roughly 189-acre wildfire burned near Fishers Pit, a sand and gravel pit in the Bayville section of Berkeley Township. In its final update, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service said the wildfire was 100 percent contained a…
'Get In The Van,' Driver Told 11-Year-Old On Bergen County Street, Police Say 'Get In The Van,' Driver Told 11-Year-Old On Bergen County Street, Police Say
'Get In The Van,' Driver Told 11-Year-Old On Bergen County Street, Police Say Police are warning residents after a driver reportedly tried to get a child inside of his vehicle one night this week in Bergen County. Little Ferry police said that the 11-year-old boy was walking to a friend's house when the driver of a white van pulled up next to him on Lakeview Avenue and Grand Street around 7:20 p.m. Monday, Sept. 9. The van pulled up next to him and the driver said, "Get in the van," according to police. The boy ran home as the van sped away, police said. The driver was described as a black man in a red shirt with black gloves and red baseball cap. The passenger…
Sidewalk Save: Bodycam Footage Shows NJ Officers Saving Choking Baby Sidewalk Save: Bodycam Footage Shows NJ Officers Saving Choking Baby
Sidewalk Save: Bodycam Footage Shows NJ Officers Saving Choking Baby Newly-released body-worn camera footage shows two New Jersey police officers saving a choking baby. Hightstown Officers Daniel Abbatemarco and Kenneth Larsen responded to a call of a choking baby girl on March 31. Upon arrival, they were met by a man holding the girl. Larsen arrived on scene and quickly performed the Infant Heimlich Maneuver on the girl, who was breathing again in a matter of seconds. Meanwhile, Abbatemarco and Larsen comforted the man holding her and a woman crying at the scene. "She's breathing, she's clear," the officers say. "Let's let out a cry sweetheart!" …
Neighbors Evacuated In 22-Hour Standoff With Armed Man In Essex County: Police Neighbors Evacuated In 22-Hour Standoff With Armed Man In Essex County: Police
Neighbors Evacuated In 22-Hour Standoff With Armed Man In Essex County: Police A 34-year-old barricaded Irvington man was arrested on Thursday, Sept. 5 after a standoff that lasted nearly 24 hours, authorities said. At 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 4, Irvington police responded to the 300 block of Nesbit Terrace on a report of an armed person and encountered Karim Brunson, who proceeded to barricade himself in the home, Essex County Prosecutor Theodore Stephens, II and Irvington Public Safety Director Tracy Bowers said. Irvington officers secured the area and received assistance from the Sheriff’s Tactical Response Team, Stephen and Bowers said. Trained negotiators …
Woman Charged For Breaking Into Tiger Enclosure At NJ Zoo, Police Say Woman Charged For Breaking Into Tiger Enclosure At NJ Zoo, Police Say
Woman Charged For Breaking Into Tiger Enclosure At NJ Zoo, Police Say A Millville woman was accused of hopping a fence at a Bridgeton zoo and trying to pet a Bengal tiger, authorities said. Zyair Dennis, 24, was charged with one count of defiant trespassing, the Bridgeton Police Department said in a news release on Monday, Aug. 26. She was also cited for two violations of city ordinances about people climbing fences at Cohanzick Zoo. Investigators said Dennis went into the restricted area near the zoo's tiger and bear enclosures on Sunday, Aug. 18. Police began investigating after the city's recreation department received video from other …