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Upper Saddle River, NJ

UPDATE: Car Thieves In Fiery Utility Pole Crash That Closed Route 17 Are Both 15 UPDATE: Car Thieves In Fiery Utility Pole Crash That Closed Route 17 Are Both 15
Update: Car Thieves In Fiery Utility Pole Crash That Closed Route 17 Are Both 15 The driver and passenger in a stolen Range Rover that hit a utility pole, rolled over and ignited a cluster of fires during a pre-dawn police chase Friday on Route 17 are both 15-year-old juveniles from Newark, authorities said. The Range Rover and a silver Porsche Panamera were both stolen from the garage of a Carlton Road residence in Wyckoff after the thieves broke into the home and found the keys shortly before 4:30 a.m. Dec. 8, Wyckoff Police Lt. Joseph Soto said. Paramus police who heard an alert from their Wyckoff colleagues spotted both vehicles minutes later heading east on Route 4…
NJ Dad, Son Busted Again, This Time In $2.5M Jersey Shore ‘Fix-and-Flip’ Scheme NJ Dad, Son Busted Again, This Time In $2.5M Jersey Shore ‘Fix-and-Flip’ Scheme
NJ Dad, Son Busted Again, This Time In $2.5M Jersey Shore ‘Fix-and-Flip’ Scheme It seemed state and federal prosecutors had thrown all they could at a Bergen County father and son for a series of multi-million-dollar investment scams. But state authorities announced a new indictment against both men on Monday, Nov. 6. This time, George Bussanich, Sr., 65, of Park Ridge, and George Bussanich, Jr., 43, of Upper Saddle River, are charged with defrauding investors and mortgage lenders out of more than $2.5 million through a “fix and flip” investment scam involving Jersey Shore real estate. Victims believed they were funding the purchase, renovation, and resale of four…
10 Packed Into Pickup Chased Down By Police, Rush-Hour Traffic Stopped On GS Parkway 10 Packed Into Pickup Chased Down By Police, Rush-Hour Traffic Stopped On GS Parkway
10 Packed Into Pickup Chased Down By Police, Rush-Hour Traffic Stopped On GS Parkway Nearly a dozen people packed into a pickup truck stopped weekend rush-hour traffic on the Garden State Parkway after they tried to run from a brigade of area police. A few in the group of mostly juveniles were reportedly seen dashing north on the southbound Parkway toward the New York State border before police nabbed them shortly after 4:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 18. Montvale police seized two adults and eight minors with help from New Jersey State Police, Bergen County sheriff's officers and colleagues from Park Ridge, Saddle River, Upper Saddle River and Woodcliff Lake, Montvale Police C…
NJ Broker Loses Registration, Fined $150G For Going Rogue With Hudson Valley Tequila Startup NJ Broker Loses Registration, Fined $150G For Going Rogue With Hudson Valley Tequila Startup
NJ Broker Loses Registration, Fined $150G For Going Rogue With Hudson Valley Tequila Startup A former New Jersey broker-dealer agent from Rockland County had his registration revoked and was fined $150,000 for steering clients to a Hudson Valley tequila startup whose founder went to federal prison. Michael W. Mandel of Suffern sold the securities in the form of ownership interests in "6 Degree Tequila" via unauthorized private transactions, state Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin said.  Records show Mandel was working at the time as an agent and investment adviser representative for two New Jersey broker-dealers -- Royal Alliance Associates in Old Tappan and, later, LPL Fina…
Former NJ High School Standout Chosen In First Round Of MLB Draft (Don't Look, Yankee Fans) Former NJ High School Standout Chosen In First Round Of MLB Draft (Don't Look, Yankee Fans)
Former NJ High School Standout Chosen In First Round Of MLB Draft (Don't Look, Yankee Fans) There was joy even in Yankeeville -- aka North Jersey -- when Mahwah High School standout Kyle Teel was selected 14th in the 2023 Major League Baseball draft by the Boston Red Sox. “It’s a dream come true,” Teel said during a virtual news conference after he was drafted on Sunday, July 9. “I’ve always wanted to be a pro baseball player, and I’m so excited and ready to get to work.” It was no surprise to those who know Teel, a consensus 1st team All American at the University of Virginia who won awards as the best collegiate catcher in the game and was New Jersey's Player of the Year in 202…
Convicted Repeat NJ Child Sex Offender Released After Only 19 Months Is Busted Again Convicted Repeat NJ Child Sex Offender Released After Only 19 Months Is Busted Again
Convicted Repeat NJ Child Sex Offender Released After Only 19 Months Is Busted Again That didn't take long. A convicted sex offender from Bergen County who was released earlier this year after serving less than two years for exchanging nude photos with children moved into a Route 17 motel and was right back at it in no time, authorities said Friday. Frank Cirino, 69, has a history of similar behavior dating back to 2007. In one instance, Bergen County detectives said they caught him posing as a 14-year-old female online to exchange graphic photos with underage girls. Paramus police said he was viewing similar images in his car the following year while parked at the Fashion…
NJ Man Admits Conning Seniors Out Of $1.6M While Awaiting Sentencing For Similar Scam NJ Man Admits Conning Seniors Out Of $1.6M While Awaiting Sentencing For Similar Scam
NJ Man Admits Conning Seniors Out Of $1.6M While Awaiting Sentencing For Similar Scam A Bergen County man admitted in federal court that he ran a mail-fraud scheme that conned senior citizens out of more than $1.6 million while awaiting sentencing for his role in a similar fraud, authorities said. Ryan Young, 40, of Upper Saddle River, had pleaded guilty in February 2018 to participating in a large-scale international mail-fraud scheme that fleeced victims of $50 million. The scammer sent fraudulent prize notification letters to victims in the U.S. and other countries falsely claiming that they’d won money or valuable prizes, such as luxury cars, federal authorities said. V…
Woman Arrested After Shooting Threat Locks Down Popular North Jersey Restaurant Woman Arrested After Shooting Threat Locks Down Popular North Jersey Restaurant
Woman Arrested After Shooting Threat Locks Down Popular North Jersey Restaurant UPDATE: A woman who police said forced the temporary lockdown of a busy Bergen County restaurant during dinner this weekend was identified as a Westchester County resident. Diana Dealem-Calderon, 39, left Fire & Oak in Montvale after threatening to shoot someone during an argument, Police Chief Doug McDowell said. Montvale police took her into custody a little over a mile away at the Woodcliff Lake Hilton, with help from their law enforcement colleagues there, the chief said. No one was injured and no weapons were involved, but the incident did produce some anxious moments. The call i…
Meet Newest RHONJ Cast Member, Bergen County CEO Jenn Fessler Meet Newest RHONJ Cast Member, Bergen County CEO Jenn Fessler
Meet Newest Rhonj Cast Member, Bergen County CEO Jenn Fessler A new cast member has been announced ahead of the season 13 premiere of The Real Housewives of New Jersey, officials confirm. Jenn Fessler, co-founder and CEO of F. Major, will be introduced in the housewives cast as a friend of Margaret Josephs.  View this post on Instagram A post shared by Jennifer Fessler (@jennfessler) Fessler will appear alongside returning Housewives Dolores Catania, Teresa Giudice, Melissa Gorga, Margaret Josephs, and Jennifer Aydin. Jackie Goldschneider will be back as a friend. The Texas native, now based in Upper …
Fire Sweeps Through NJ Home Fire Sweeps Through NJ Home
Fire Sweeps Through NJ Home A raging fire ravaged a Mahwah home. The fire ignited in the attached three-car garage and raced through the nearly $1.5 million home set back off a long driveway near Young World Day School on Wyckoff Avenue shortly before 2:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 1. The owner quickly got out and watched in anguish as firefighters battled the three-alarm blaze. They went to an exterior operation, heavily dousing the flames with a trio of aerials in front and back before moving inside of the 4,200-square-foot home after the second-floor ceiling collapsed.  The fire was declared under control shortly aft…
Community Staggered By Death Of NJ Student-Athlete In House Fire Community Staggered By Death Of NJ Student-Athlete In House Fire
Community Staggered By Death Of NJ Student-Athlete In House Fire The death of a Bergen County teenager in a house fire has staggered many in the community where she was raised, as well as others from area towns and beyond. Riley Boyle, 17, of Allendale was a stellar student-athlete who maintained a 4.0 Grade Point Average, as many who spoke of her pointed out. She was, as one put it, "an incredible role model for her peers." ****** Riley's family released a statement through attorney Ronald Dario:  "Our hearts are broken as we struggle to make sense of this terrible tragedy. Our only solace is in the outpouring of love from the community that shows u…
LOCAL TRAGEDY: Teenage Girl, Pets Killed In North Jersey House Fire LOCAL TRAGEDY: Teenage Girl, Pets Killed In North Jersey House Fire
Local Tragedy: Teenage Girl, Pets Killed In North Jersey House Fire An apparently accidental weekend fire that claimed the life of a Bergen County teenager has staggered many in the community where she was raised, as well as others from area towns and beyond. Riley Boyle, 17, was in the shower when the fire broke out close to the rear entrance of the 2½-story Bonnie Way home around 5:30 p.m. Saturday, responders said. The flames quickly spread to a rear hot tub room and a pergola-covered porch, trapping the victim in a bathroom just above the blaze, they said. The fire began in the rear of the Allendale home.Damien Danis for DAILY VOICE The Northern Hi…
Bergen County Native Kevin Holdefehr, 22, Dies In Las Vegas Motorcycle Crash Bergen County Native Kevin Holdefehr, 22, Dies In Las Vegas Motorcycle Crash
Bergen County Native Kevin Holdefehr, 22, Dies In Las Vegas Motorcycle Crash New Jersey native Kevin Holdefehr died in a Las Vegas motorcycle accident on Saturday, March 26. He was 22 years old. The Allendale native was on his Kawasaki when he struck a Hyundai Sonata that turned out of a driveway and came directly in his path, 8newsnow reports.  moved to Las Vegas in 2020, after he went to Montana to finish high school and fell in love with the outdoors, his obituary says. He took pride in his job as a Technical Specialist for REI (Recreational Equipment, Inc.) in Las Vegas, but previously worked at the Paramus store. "Fearless" was among many of th…
Cancer-Fighting NJ Police Departments Unite For Stricken Mom, Young Son Cancer-Fighting NJ Police Departments Unite For Stricken Mom, Young Son
Cancer-Fighting NJ Police Departments Unite For Stricken Mom, Young Son North Jersey single mom Joanne Bastante-Howard worked tirelessly for years to help provide critical resources for kids who, like her young son, John, have Down syndrome. Bastante-Howard, a former advertising and marketing whirlwind, was personally responsible for raising hundreds of thousands of dollars to help obtain critical medical, education and therapeutic services for those in need through the non-profit she founded, America's Special Kidz (A.S.K.). Parents of children with a wide range of circumstances -- including autism spectrum disorders, cerebral palsy, and mitochondrial disease…
North Jersey House Guest Severely Burned By Sterno Flame Taken To Barnabas North Jersey House Guest Severely Burned By Sterno Flame Taken To Barnabas
North Jersey House Guest Severely Burned By Sterno Flame Taken To Barnabas An Upper Saddle River house guest was hospitalized with burns over most of his back after a Sterno flame ignited his shirt, authorities said. The 61-year-old man was attending a get-together on Riverview Terrace when he backed into a Sterno used to heat a food tray shortly after 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 1, Police Capt. Edward Kane said. "His clothing caught fire, causing burns to the majority of his back," Kane said. The victim was alert and conscious while being taken to Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston by the Upper Saddle River Volunteer Ambulance Corps with medics on boar…
NJ Dad Driving Kids To School Hit Head-On By Heroin User, Police Say NJ Dad Driving Kids To School Hit Head-On By Heroin User, Police Say
NJ Dad Driving Kids To School Hit Head-On By Heroin User, Police Say A heroin user from Passaic was behind the wheel of a sedan that crossed into oncoming traffic and slammed head-on into an SUV driven by an Upper Saddle River dad taking his two kids to school, authorities said. The father and children – 11 and 9 years old – were all taken to Hackensack University Medical Center following the crash on West Saddle River Road just south of Holly Drive at 7:44 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 24, USR Police Capt. Ed Kane said. Their injuries were believed to be minor, he said. Police found heroin in the four-door Chevrolet Cruze driven by former Piermont and Sparkill,…
NJ Dad Driving Kids To School Hit Head-On By Heroin User, Police Say NJ Dad Driving Kids To School Hit Head-On By Heroin User, Police Say
NJ Dad Driving Kids To School Hit Head-On By Heroin User, Police Say A heroin user was behind the wheel of a sedan that crossed into oncoming traffic and slammed head-on into an SUV driven by an Upper Saddle River dad taking his two kids to school, authorities said. The father and children – 11 and 9 years old – were all taken to Hackensack University Medical Center following the crash on West Saddle River Road just south of Holly Drive at 7:44 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 24, USR Police Capt. Ed Kane said. Their injuries were believed to be minor, he said. Former Rockland resident Elisabeth Feddeck, 41, of Passaic, who was driving the four-door Chevrolet Cruze…
GOTCHA! Trio Of Broad-Daylight NJ Car Thieves Captured Following Crash GOTCHA! Trio Of Broad-Daylight NJ Car Thieves Captured Following Crash
Gotcha! Trio Of Broad-Daylight NJ Car Thieves Captured Following Crash Three car thieves from Newark were captured thanks to a Saddle River resident who suspected something sinister, along with force-multiplying officers from neighboring towns who responded instantly, authorities said. Car thefts not only have skyrocketed recently throughout New Jersey the past few months -- they also occur during the day now, all because of new rules that prevent police pursuits. What local law enforcement officers can rely on, however, are their colleagues and their citizens. This played out in Saddle River -- an affluent suburban town off Route 17 near the New York State b…
PD: NY Brothers Seized After Pointing Fake Gun, Tossing Fireworks On NJ Bus PD: NY Brothers Seized After Pointing Fake Gun, Tossing Fireworks On NJ Bus
PD: NY Brothers Seized After Pointing Fake Gun, Tossing Fireworks On NJ Bus UPDATE: An extremely tense situation ended safely when police in Montvale seized two underage Rockland brothers who they said threatened passengers on a commuter bus with a fake gun and fireworks. Police stopped the Monsey Trails bus on Chestnut Ridge Road around 10 p.m. Thursday after receiving multiple calls that one of the Monsey brothers – ages 14 and 16 – pointed a pistol at fellow passengers, Montvale Police Chief Joseph Sanfilippo said. The pair also threw lighted fireworks at them, the chief said. Fellow officers from Woodcliff Lake, Upper Saddle River, Park Ridge, Hillsdale, and R…
Cancer-Fighting NJ Police Departments Unite For Stricken Mom, Young Son Cancer-Fighting NJ Police Departments Unite For Stricken Mom, Young Son
Cancer-Fighting NJ Police Departments Unite For Stricken Mom, Young Son North Jersey single mom Joanne Bastante-Howard has worked tirelessly for years to help provide critical resources for kids who, like her young son, have Down syndrome. Bastante-Howard, a former advertising and marketing whirlwind, is personally responsible for raising more than $100,000 to help obtain critical medical, education and therapeutic services for those in need through the non-profit she founded, America's Special Kidz (A.S.K.). Parents of children with a wide range of circumstances -- including autism spectrum disorders, cerebral palsy, and mitochondrial disease -- have turned t…
Cancer-Fighting NJ Police Departments Unite For Stricken Mom, Young Son Cancer-Fighting NJ Police Departments Unite For Stricken Mom, Young Son
Cancer-Fighting NJ Police Departments Unite For Stricken Mom, Young Son North Jersey single mom Joanne Bastante-Howard has worked tirelessly for years to help provide critical resources for kids who, like her young son, have Down syndrome. Bastante-Howard, a former advertising and marketing whirlwind, is personally responsible for raising more than $100,000 to help obtain critical medical, education and therapeutic services for those in need through the non-profit she founded, America's Special Kidz (A.S.K.). Parents of children with a wide range of circumstances -- including autism spectrum disorders, cerebral palsy, and mitochondrial disease -- have turned t…
Massive Route 287 Tanker Truck Explosion Kills Driver, NJSP Confirms Massive Route 287 Tanker Truck Explosion Kills Driver, NJSP Confirms
Massive Route 287 Tanker Truck Explosion Kills Driver, Njsp Confirms UPDATE: A 59-year-old gasoline tanker driver from Paterson was killed in a massive fireball during a crash on Route 287 near the New York State border in Mahwah early Saturday, New Jersey State Police confirmed. A series of explosions were heard after the rig rolled and burst into flames on a notorious stretch of the southbound highway near Route 17 and the New York State Thruway at 6:47 a.m., NJSP Sgt. Alejandro Goez said. Firefighters used foam to douse the blaze while also extinguishing flames that extended into the woods along the mountain. Thick, black smoke could be seen for miles. …
Runaway Pickup With Kids Inside Slams Into North Jersey Restaurant Runaway Pickup With Kids Inside Slams Into North Jersey Restaurant
Runaway Pickup With Kids Inside Slams Into North Jersey Restaurant A possible tragedy was avoided when a pickup truck with two kids left inside slammed into the front of a restaurant in Montvale. An Upper Saddle River resident had parked the 2020 Chevy Silverado in front of the Chipotle at The Shoppes at DiPiero Farm when it rolled forward and struck a parked vehicle around 9 p.m. Wednesday, Police Chief Joseph Sanfilippo said. A 13-year-old who was waiting in the truck with a 9-year-old old tried to stop the pickup but apparently put it in reverse instead, Sanfilippo said. The truck rolled backwards through the parking lot before crashing through the fro…
North Jersey Music Instructor Charged With Sexual Conduct With Minor North Jersey Music Instructor Charged With Sexual Conduct With Minor
North Jersey Music Instructor Charged With Sexual Conduct With Minor UPDATE: A music teacher from Wayne had "sexually inappropriate conduct" with an underage Ho-Ho-Kus teen, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said Thursday. Kyle Kubicki, 29, formerly of Mahwah, remained held in the Bergen County Jail pending a first appearance in Central Judicial Processing Court in Hackensack following his arrest Tuesday. He's charged with providing obscenity to a minor and child endangerment through sexual conduct for "engaging in sexual conversations with a child under the age of 18 and also providing pornographic materials" to the youngster "for the purpose of sexual…
North Jersey Music Instructor Charged With Sexual Conduct With Minor North Jersey Music Instructor Charged With Sexual Conduct With Minor
North Jersey Music Instructor Charged With Sexual Conduct With Minor A music teacher from Wayne had "sexually inappropriate conduct" with an underage Ho-Ho-Kus teen, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said Thursday. Kyle Kubicki, 29, formerly of Mahwah, remained held in the Bergen County Jail pending a first appearance in Central Judicial Processing Court in Hackensack following his arrest Tuesday. He's charged with providing obscenity to a minor and child endangerment for "engaging in sexual conversations with a child under the age of 18 and also providing pornographic materials" to the youngster "for the purpose of sexual gratification," Musella said. …
NJ Insurance Underwriter To Stars Jailed On Child Porn Charges NJ Insurance Underwriter To Stars Jailed On Child Porn Charges
NJ Insurance Underwriter To Stars Jailed On Child Porn Charges UPDATE: A Bergen County-based insurance underwriter for entertainers, athletes and corporate executives was released pending court action on child porn charges, authorities said. Matthew Heitman, 33, was arrested Thursday during a raid of his Hackensack home, Prosecutor Mark Musella said. The former Upper Saddle River resident "used the Internet to view, download, and possess more than 1,000 digital files and distributed multiple digital files depicting nude and/or sexually explicit prepubescent and pubescent children," the prosecutor said. Heitman was discovered during a "months-long Inte…
NJ Insurance Underwriter To Stars Jailed On Child Porn Charges NJ Insurance Underwriter To Stars Jailed On Child Porn Charges
NJ Insurance Underwriter To Stars Jailed On Child Porn Charges UPDATE: A Bergen County-based insurance underwriter for entertainers, athletes and corporate executives was released pending court action on child porn charges, records show. Matthew Heitman, 33, was arrested Thursday during a raid of his Hackensack home, Prosecutor Mark Musella said. The former Upper Saddle River resident "used the Internet to view, download, and possess more than 1,000 digital files and distributed multiple digital files depicting nude and/or sexually explicit prepubescent and pubescent children," the prosecutor said. Heitman was discovered during a "months-long Internet…
Bergen County Con Man Who Lived Large Off $5M Of Victims' Money Gets 51 Months In Fed Pen Bergen County Con Man Who Lived Large Off $5M Of Victims' Money Gets 51 Months In Fed Pen
Bergen County Con Man Who Lived Large Off $5M Of Victims' Money Gets 51 Months In Fed Pen A Bergen County con man bought a new car, joined a private club, gambled big, traveled wide -- and more -- with nearly $5 million that he'd swindled from prospective investors. Now he's headed to federal prison. A U.S. District Court judge in Newark sentenced Matthew O’Callaghan, 43, of Upper Saddle River via videoconference Thursday to a plea-bargained 51 months -- a little over four years -- in a federal penitentiary.O'Callaghan “impersonated two bank executives interested in funding syndicated loans for global companies,” Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig said. Referring to…
NJ: Financial Advisor Siphoned $1 Million From 98-Year-Old Widow's Account NJ: Financial Advisor Siphoned $1 Million From 98-Year-Old Widow's Account
NJ: Financial Advisor Siphoned $1 Million From 98-Year-Old Widow's Account A financial adviser from Mahwah pocketed nearly $700,000 and diverted another $300,000 or so of a 98-year-old widow’s money, said state authorities who stripped him of his ability to operate any longer in New Jersey. John Joseph Cahill, 71, used the woman’s bank account to write and cash $693,990 worth of checks, state Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal said Friday. Cahill also used the account to pay his daughter, his wife, and various others more than $300,000 to provide unexplained services to the woman, the attorney general said. Cahill had been granted power of attorney for the victim,…
'Firefighting Royalty': NJ Legend Larry Rauch Dies 'Firefighting Royalty': NJ Legend Larry Rauch Dies
'Firefighting Royalty': NJ Legend Larry Rauch Dies He was the very definition of “class act,” a father figure and mentor to a multitude who made protecting others their mission. You couldn't help but love him. “Firefighting royalty” one colleague said Monday after learning that retired veteran fire chief and academy instructor Larry Rauch had died a week and a half shy of his 79th birthday. Rauch, the Bergen County Fire Academy’s head instructor for several decades, fought fires for nearly 50 years in Upper Saddle River. He lived there most of his life before moving to Manchester in 2019 with his beloved wife of 58 years, Sherry, who died…
Bergen County Con Artist Admits Funding Lavish Lifestyle With $5M Of Other People’s Money Bergen County Con Artist Admits Funding Lavish Lifestyle With $5M Of Other People’s Money
Bergen County Con Artist Admits Funding Lavish Lifestyle With $5M Of Other People’s Money A Bergen County con man admitted duping lenders and corporations out of nearly $5 million that he used to live the high life. Matthew O’Callaghan, 43, of Upper Saddle River told a federal judge in Newark via video conference that he “impersonated two bank executives interested in funding syndicated loans for global companies,” U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito said. Referring to himself as “Edward Tierney” and “Michael Nash,” O’Callaghan submitted several bogus documents to the victim while using email addresses that appeared legitimate, false email signature blocks for the aliases that bo…