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Bergen County

AGAIN? Another Alarm Malfunction Brings Massive Law Enforcement Response To Westwood HS AGAIN? Another Alarm Malfunction Brings Massive Law Enforcement Response To Westwood HS
Again? Another Alarm Malfunction Brings Massive Law Enforcement Response To Westwood HS The second alarm system malfunction at Westwood Regional High School in a little over two weeks created a confusing scene as parents and guardians were dropping off their children on Thursday. The system triggered a 7:43 a.m. May 2 lockdown, similar to what occurred on April 16, when the system malfunctioned twice, Westwood Regional Schools Supt. Jill Mortimer said. As before, a legion of tactical and other law enforcement officers converged on Washington Township -- among them, a Bergen County Regional SWAT team and police from the township, Westwood, Emerson, River Val…
Shot Fired In Photo Booth At Urban Air, Police Seize Boys 12, 15 Shot Fired In Photo Booth At Urban Air, Police Seize Boys 12, 15
Shot Fired In Photo Booth At Urban Air, Police Seize Boys 12, 15 A steel plate prevented a potential tragedy at Urban Air in South Hackensack when a loaded gun brought into a photo booth by two boys -- one 12, the other 15 -- went off, authorities said. "If not for the steel plate, the round could have gone through the machine and struck an innocent victim," South Hackensack Police Detective Sgt. James Donatello said.  The 6:30 p.m. shooting on Sunday, April 28, was another in a series of incidents that have recently drawn a massive law enforcement response to the all-ages Urban Air Trampoline & Adventure Park just off westbound Route 80. Surve…
UPDATE: Woman Shot Dead At Konica Minolta HQ, Killer Surrenders In Montclair UPDATE: Woman Shot Dead At Konica Minolta HQ, Killer Surrenders In Montclair
Update: Woman Shot Dead At Konica Minolta HQ, Killer Surrenders In Montclair UPDATE: An intense search for a man who authorities said shot and killed his girlfriend at their workplace in Ramsey on New Year's Eve ended when he surrendered to police, multiple law enforcement sources told Daily Voice. The body of 41-year-old Crystal (Camargo) Peterson was found shortly before 7:30 p.m. Sunday in a cafeteria area at Konica Minolta's headquarters just off Route 17 near the Rockland County border, sources with direct knowledge of the homicide said. She'd been shot in the head, they said. Charged with murder and possession of a firearm for an unlawful purpose was Lui…
Familiar Foe Nabbed With Knife Following Failed McDonald's Bathroom Robbery Bid: Hackensack PD Familiar Foe Nabbed With Knife Following Failed McDonald's Bathroom Robbery Bid: Hackensack PD
Familiar Foe Nabbed With Knife Following Failed McDonald's Bathroom Robbery Bid: Hackensack PD An ex-con with the proverbial arm's-length rap sheet unsuccessfully tried to rob a man at knifepoint in the bathroom of a Hackensack McDonald's, authorities said. Shajee Jackson, 30, wasn’t difficult to identify following the aborted holdup at the Essex Street eatery at 12:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 13. Calling him "known to police" would be an understatement. The 28-year-old victim told police Jackson followed him into the bathroom, then pulled a large knife, demanded money and threatened to stab him, the victim told police. The victim refused and his assailant fled empty-handed, said Capt…
Bergen Biz Partner Of Power 105.1 DJ Envy Busted By Feds In Multi-Million-Dollar Fraud Scheme Bergen Biz Partner Of Power 105.1 DJ Envy Busted By Feds In Multi-Million-Dollar Fraud Scheme
Bergen Biz Partner Of Power 105.1 DJ Envy Busted By Feds In Multi-Million-Dollar Fraud Scheme A New Jersey real estate investor and influencer who's business partners with Power 105.1 DJ Envy was seized early Wednesday by federal agents who charged him with orchestrating a multimillion-dollar Ponzi-like investment scheme. Promising returns that were too good to be true, Cesar Humberto Piña "exploited celebrity status and social media" to scam dozens of people out of millions of dollars, U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Philip R. Sellinger said on Oct. 18. Piña, 45, who lives in the suburban Bergen County town of Franklin Lakes, craftily "developed a devoted following" whom he then victi…
Fire That Destroyed, Damaged Vehicles On Route 46 Lot Deliberately Set By PA Man: Prosecutor Fire That Destroyed, Damaged Vehicles On Route 46 Lot Deliberately Set By PA Man: Prosecutor
Fire That Destroyed, Damaged Vehicles On Route 46 Lot Deliberately Set By PA Man: Prosecutor UPDATE: A pre-dawn fire that destroyed some vehicles and damaged others at a used car dealership on Route 46 in Lodi last month was intentionally set by a Pennsylvania man, authorities said. Jonathan Czyzewski, 37, of Levittown, PA remained held in the Bucks County Correctional Facility in Doylestown pending extradition to Bergen County. Czyzewski set fire to a 2011 Dodge Ram 1500 pickup truck at MFT Auction off Money Street at 4:40 a.m. July 30, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said. Flames engulfed the pickup and quickly spread to other vehicles on the lot, the prosecutor said. …
North Jersey Rallies Around Girl Injured, Orphaned In Earthquake North Jersey Rallies Around Girl Injured, Orphaned In Earthquake
North Jersey Rallies Around Girl Injured, Orphaned In Earthquake Rayen Bekri, a 13-year-old girl, was trapped in the rubble for six days following an earthquake in her native Turkey in February. Now living with family in Bergen County, the community has come together to help her. While trapped under six floors of a collapsed building, Bekri held onto her brother, though he did not survive. Bekri's mother also died in the earthquake, which killed nearly 60,000 people in Turkey and Syria.  Bekri was finally discovered, though her leg had to be amputated. Bekri's father had previously died in a war in Syria.  Rasha Kattan, Bekri's aunt, flew to T…
UPDATE: Paramus Motorcyclist Struck Near Home Dies, Driver Charged With Aggravated Manslaughter UPDATE: Paramus Motorcyclist Struck Near Home Dies, Driver Charged With Aggravated Manslaughter
Update: Paramus Motorcyclist Struck Near Home Dies, Driver Charged With Aggravated Manslaughter A Paramus man who was critically injured when he was struck by a car last weekend died, authorities confirmed on Friday, July 28. Charges against the intoxicated driver who hit him were upgraded, they said. Cody Cleary, 28, was on his 2015 Yamaha motorcycle when he was rammed from behind on Farview Drive -- practically around the corner from his family's home -- shortly before 1 a.m. Sunday, July 23, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella confirmed. Cleary -- whose brother, Michael, is a Paramus police officer -- was rushed to Hackensack University Medical Center. He remained in critical co…
ICE Seizes DWI Guatemalan Driver From Dumont Charged With Hitting Ridgefield Pedestrians ICE Seizes DWI Guatemalan Driver From Dumont Charged With Hitting Ridgefield Pedestrians
ICE Seizes DWI Guatemalan Driver From Dumont Charged With Hitting Ridgefield Pedestrians A Guatemalan national living in Dumont who authorities said was drunk when he hit two pedestrians with his sedan at a busy Ridgefield intersection  – seriously injuring one of them – was seized by ICE, records show. Responding officers seized Esvin Duarte-Simon, 33, at the scene of the crash at Bergen Boulevard and Edgewater Avenue shortly before 11 a.m. last Friday, July 14, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said. Duarte-Simon, who lives on East Madison Avenue and works as a laborer, had struck the two pedestrians with his 2013 Subaru Impreza, the prosecutor said. One was ta…
Burglar's Dozen: Repeat Offender Tied To 13 New Milford Vehicle Break-Ins Burglar's Dozen: Repeat Offender Tied To 13 New Milford Vehicle Break-Ins
Burglar's Dozen: Repeat Offender Tied To 13 New Milford Vehicle Break-Ins There's a reason they call it a crime of opportunity. More than a dozen vehicles that were left unlocked at the south end of New Milford had laptops, credit cards, IDs and other personal belongings stolen by a local repeat offender, authorities said. All of the 13 thefts occurred overnight on May 2, Police Capt. Kevin Van Saders said. Detectives identified Lashawn Ray, 26, conducted a warranted search of his home in town and arrested him on Thursday, May 11, after finding some of the stolen goods, the captain said. They charged Ray with nine counts of burglary and six counts of theft and …
Gunpoint Rapist Robbed, Kidnapped One Of His Saddle Brook Victims: Prosecutor Gunpoint Rapist Robbed, Kidnapped One Of His Saddle Brook Victims: Prosecutor
Gunpoint Rapist Robbed, Kidnapped One Of His Saddle Brook Victims: Prosecutor Authorities on Friday seized a former Montclair High School football star who they said kidnapped and robbed one of multiple rape victims at gunpoint in Saddle Brook. There may be other victims, they said. Fokam Parfait, a 25-year-old repeat offender, fled the kidnapping rape on a motorcycle last Friday, March 24, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said in announcing his arrest a week later. Investigators from his Special Victims Unit and Saddle Brook police found that Parfait had also sexually assaulted “multiple” victims while armed in the township. Parfait – who played safety and lin…
Human Fetal Remains Found At NY Pump Station, Authorities Urge Mother To Come Forward Human Fetal Remains Found At NY Pump Station, Authorities Urge Mother To Come Forward
Human Fetal Remains Found At NY Pump Station, Authorities Urge Mother To Come Forward Authorities promised anonymity to anyone who comes forward with information about human fetal remains found at a pumping station in Rockland County. A worker found the remains of the fetus -- believed to be a little over four months old -- in a catch drain at the facility on Convent Road in Nanuet shortly before 2:30 p.m. Monday, Jan. 9, Rockland County Sheriff Louis Falco said in a Tuesday morning release. The worker at first reportedly thought the 18-week-old fetal remains were parts of a doll. Falco said his officers and Clarkstown police responded to the pumping station, roughly two mi…
Undercover Unit Busts Burglars Hitting Fort Lee Shoppers' Cars Undercover Unit Busts Burglars Hitting Fort Lee Shoppers' Cars
Undercover Unit Busts Burglars Hitting Fort Lee Shoppers' Cars Two members of a Queens burglary crew who've been hitting Fort Lee shopping centers were hard at work when an undercover team of police caught them in the act, authorities said. Plainclothes Anti-Crime Unit officers and detectives have been keeping an eye on Plaza West on Bergen Boulevard amid a rash of thefts of purses from shopping carts and vehicles there and at Linwood Plaza, Capt. Edward Young said. They were secretly watching when a BMW X5 that had been flagged in a previous burglary pulled into a parking spot in the Plaza West lot around 4 p.m. Dec. 22, the captain said. The vehicle…
Guatemalan National From North Bergen Charged With Sexually Assaulting Fairview Child Years Ago Guatemalan National From North Bergen Charged With Sexually Assaulting Fairview Child Years Ago
Guatemalan National From North Bergen Charged With Sexually Assaulting Fairview Child Years Ago An unemployed Guatemalan national living in North Bergen molested a young Fairview child at least four times going back more than a decade, authorities charged. Eddy Chocoj, 34, has remained in the Bergen County Jail since his arrest on Monday, Nov. 21, records show. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) also placed a detainer on Chocoj on Tuesday. Such detainers are sought whenever local authorities jail immigrants who are suspected of illegally living in the United States. Chocoj is charged in Superior Court in Hackensack with multiple counts of sexual assault, along with one of…
Saddle Brook Police Chief Eyes Reinstatement, Restitution After Judge Stops Funeral Escort Case Saddle Brook Police Chief Eyes Reinstatement, Restitution After Judge Stops Funeral Escort Case
Saddle Brook Police Chief Eyes Reinstatement, Restitution After Judge Stops Funeral Escort Case Suspended Saddle Brook Police Chief Robert Kugler is seeking reinstatement, and restitution, following a judge's ruling that he was wrongly being prosecuted for assigning police escorts to processions from his family-owned funeral home. And despite having waited 18 months for vindication, Kugler isn’t angry. “I’ve turned the page,” he told Daily Voice. “I’m moving forward and expect to proudly return to be chief of police once again and serve my community and the general public. “It’s all I’ve ever wanted to do.” State authorities wrongly applied a borough ordinance meant to keep police …
Teaneck Resident, 69, Charged With Robbing Bank Right Down The Street Teaneck Resident, 69, Charged With Robbing Bank Right Down The Street
Teaneck Resident, 69, Charged With Robbing Bank Right Down The Street GOTCHA! A man who robbed a Teaneck bank of several thousand dollars lives right up the block, authorities said after he was taken into custody a short time later. Leo Richard Jones Jr., 69, was dressed all in black when he passed a note "threatening bodily injury" to a teller at the Chase Bank on Cedar Lane shortly after 2 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 19, Teaneck Deputy Police Chief Andrew McGurr said. No weapon was shown, the deputy chief said. A bank employee dialed 911 as Jones ran up the street toward the Cedar Lane garden apartment complex where he lives (at right in photo above), McGurr sai…
UPDATE: Police Nab Fleeing Suspects In Ramsey Condo Development UPDATE: Police Nab Fleeing Suspects In Ramsey Condo Development
Update: Police Nab Fleeing Suspects In Ramsey Condo Development Police converged on a Ramsey condo development and nabbed two men who bailed out of a stolen vehicle that they'd crashed just moments earlier. Anxious residents watched from their windows as police corraled the pair at the Washington Drive Homeowners condominiums on Wednesday, Oct. 5. Ramsey Police Chief Brian Lyman said one of his officers spotted a red Chevy Malibu -- reported stolen out of Long Island -- making several loops in the Interstate Shopping Center off southbound Route 17 around noon. "A check of the Maryland registration indicated the license plate did not match the vehicle i…
Unfounded Threat Clears Ridgewood Private School Unfounded Threat Clears Ridgewood Private School
Unfounded Threat Clears Ridgewood Private School A private school in Ridgewood was evacuated following what police said was an unfounded threat. The unspecified threat came in via email to The Holmstead School, a non-profit extended-year middle/high school on Hope Street, on Monday, Sept. 12, Capt. Forest Lyons said. Two Bergen County sheriff's dogs were brought in, along with a member of the sheriff's Bomb Squad, to help village police completely search the building, the captain said. Nothing of note was found and everyone was allowed to return about an hour later, Lyons said. Ridgewood police are investigating. Boyd A. Loving took th…
GOTCHA! Fleeing Fugitive Breaks Into Hackensack Apartment, Hides In Bathtub: Police GOTCHA! Fleeing Fugitive Breaks Into Hackensack Apartment, Hides In Bathtub: Police
Gotcha! Fleeing Fugitive Breaks Into Hackensack Apartment, Hides In Bathtub: Police A robber wanted by Hackensack police broke into an apartment and tried hiding in a bathtub as they chased him, authorities said. City police had been searching for Naim Moore, 20, ever since July 2, when he tried convincing a man on the street that he had a gun in his pocket and would shoot him in the face if he didn’t hand over money and pot, Detective Capt. Michael Antista said. The intended victim kept walking, then scared Moore off by calling 911, Antista said. Detective John Papanikolaou subsequently identified Moore as the would-be robber, the captain said. Fast forward to this past…
UPDATE: Arrests Made In Edgewater Shooting Of Critically Wounded Rapper 'Lil TJay' UPDATE: Arrests Made In Edgewater Shooting Of Critically Wounded Rapper 'Lil TJay'
Update: Arrests Made In Edgewater Shooting Of Critically Wounded Rapper 'Lil TJay' UPDATE: An ex-con from the Bronx shot rapper “Lil TJay” and a companion during a robbery attempt in Edgewater, authorities said. Mohamed Konate, 27, was being held pending extradition to Bergen County to face charges that include attempted murder, armed robbery and weapons charges, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella announced Wednesday night. Konate shot Tione Jayden "Lil Tjay" Merritt, 21, of the Bronx multiple times, leaving him with life-threatening injuries, and wounded Antoine Boyd, 22, also of the Bronx, at the Promenade a short distance south of the George Washington Bridge short…
Authorities: Convicted Pyro Calls In Lyndhurst Car Fire, Waits For Responders, Lands In Jail Authorities: Convicted Pyro Calls In Lyndhurst Car Fire, Waits For Responders, Lands In Jail
Authorities: Convicted Pyro Calls In Lyndhurst Car Fire, Waits For Responders, Lands In Jail A paroled arsonist was waiting when firefighters in Lyndhurst responded to his call of an SUV fire. It didn’t take long for investigators to charge him with setting it. Christopher Baulch, 43, has an extensive criminal history that includes prison time served for torching two occupied Lyndhurst apartment buildings in 2000 – one on Christmas Eve, the other on New Year’s Eve – and then trying to play hero, records show. “In both cases, he went to help the people,” the sentencing judge in Hackensack said at the time. Baulch -- formerly of Lyndhurst and currently of Wayne – also has a chi…
STANDOFF ENDS: Lyndhurst Resident Who Turned Flamethrower On SWAT Team Surrenders STANDOFF ENDS: Lyndhurst Resident Who Turned Flamethrower On SWAT Team Surrenders
Standoff Ends: Lyndhurst Resident Who Turned Flamethrower On SWAT Team Surrenders UPDATE: A Lyndhurst man was charged with two counts of attempted murder for firing a flamethrower at SWAT team members during a 21-hour standoff. Robert C. Condit, 51, was also charged with nine counts of possession of prohibited weapons and ammunition, aggravated assault, violating a court order, obstruction of the law and unlawful use of a body vest, among other counts, criminal records in Superior Court in Hackensack show. Condit, who reportedly was angered after a judge ordered him to surrender his weapons, remained held in the Bergen County Jail on Thursday, May 5, after an exhaustive…
UPDATE: New Milford High School Student Drowned Trying To Retrieve Ball For Soccer Players UPDATE: New Milford High School Student Drowned Trying To Retrieve Ball For Soccer Players
Update: New Milford High School Student Drowned Trying To Retrieve Ball For Soccer Players UPDATE: The body of a New Milford High School senior was removed from a borough pond hours after what witnesses said was a tragic accident. Clinten Ajit, 18, was doing a good deed when he went into the Hard Castle Pond behind the Dorchester Manor Apartments near the borough athletic fields around 7:15 p.m. Friday, April 22. "Some kids accidentally kicked a soccer ball in the water and [he] said he would get it for them," a responder said after police spoke with witnesses. "He didn't know how to swim and never came back up." Responding officers found Ajit's shoes on the bank, the ball floa…
ALL CLEAR: Bogus Call Locks Down Ramsey HS, Shelters Other Schools In Place ALL CLEAR: Bogus Call Locks Down Ramsey HS, Shelters Other Schools In Place
ALL Clear: Bogus Call Locks Down Ramsey HS, Shelters Other Schools In Place SWATTING AGAIN (UPDATE): A bogus call locked down Ramsey High School while sending at least one other area school into shelter, bringing a massive police response that stoked parents' fears. In the end, there was no shooter, no weapons, no arrests, no injuries. "Law enforcement investigated the threat with no credibility," read a 12:03 p.m. tweet from RHS on Thursday, April 7. "No report of any injury to students or staff. "RHS will be dismissing early today. Updates on dismissal procedures will be forthcoming." Meanwhile, RHS remained in lockdown status. An intensive search of the pr…
UPDATE: Ex-BF Cleared, Gang Member Charged With Stabbing Leonia Woman To Death UPDATE: Ex-BF Cleared, Gang Member Charged With Stabbing Leonia Woman To Death
Update: Ex-BF Cleared, Gang Member Charged With Stabbing Leonia Woman To Death UPDATE: A Paterson gang member now charged with killing a Leonia woman in the garden apartment she shared with her daughter ran out when he heard the girl wake up, then circled back as if he was just arriving, investigators said. Nile Diakos, 35, was recorded on phone calls and in texts admitting that he killed Alicia Arnone by stabbing her in the neck and chest last Saturday, March 26, according to court papers. Authorities originally charged her former live-in boyfriend, Andrae Daniels of Lodi, with killing Arnone, 35. But new information emerged that led them to drop murder charges aga…
Out-Of-State Teen Charged With Sexually Assaulting Underage Paramus Youngster Out-Of-State Teen Charged With Sexually Assaulting Underage Paramus Youngster
Out-Of-State Teen Charged With Sexually Assaulting Underage Paramus Youngster An out-of-state man sexually assaulted an underage Paramus teen multiple times, authorities charged. Elijah Hutchens, 18, of Huntsville, Alabama also had an unsecured gun within the victim’s reach, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said. Paramus police notified detectives from Musella’s Special Victims Unit of the alleged assault of the under-16 victim last Wednesday, March 16, the prosecutor said. Hutchens was in custody at Bergen New Bridge Medical Center in Paramus, although Musella didn’t explain why. He’s awaiting a first appearance in Central Judicial Processing Court in Hackens…
ICE Puts Hold On MS-13 Member Captured After Escaping NJ Police Station In Handcuffs ICE Puts Hold On MS-13 Member Captured After Escaping NJ Police Station In Handcuffs
ICE Puts Hold On MS-13 Member Captured After Escaping NJ Police Station In Handcuffs Many figured New Jersey's bail reform law would free a purported MS-13 gang member who escaped from a local police station before being captured in Rhode Island. Before that could happen, however, federal immigration authorities issued a detainer on Adilson Estrada-Garcia, a 24-year-old Guatemalan national living in Cliffside Park. Estrada-Garcia was brought to the Bergen County Jail in Hackensack on Thursday. Before he even saw a judge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement issued the detainer. Bergen County Sheriff Anthony Cureton has honored detainer requests for defendants who've be…
Popular NYC Pizzeria Opens In Bergen County Popular NYC Pizzeria Opens In Bergen County
Popular NYC Pizzeria Opens In Bergen County A popular Neapolitan pizzeria in New York City has expanded to Bergen County. Song ‘E Napule is now open on Park Avenue in Rutherford. The restaurant is run by Ciro Iovine, a self-described dreamer, and father of three. A pizza chef since 13, Iovine met his wife, Austria, after three years in New York. With help from his new love, and his brother, Giovanni, Song E Napule opened in January 2015. Click here to see the menu. Song ‘E Napule, 106 Park Ave., Rutherford.
Bergen County Jail Inmate Sexually Assaulted By Violent Paterson Ex-Con, Authorities Charge Bergen County Jail Inmate Sexually Assaulted By Violent Paterson Ex-Con, Authorities Charge
Bergen County Jail Inmate Sexually Assaulted By Violent Paterson Ex-Con, Authorities Charge An ex-con with a violent history sexually assaulted a fellow inmate in the Bergen County Jail, authorities charged. Nasir Newsome, 25, of Paterson was being housed in the Bergen County Jail under an overflow agreement with Passaic County authorities after being charged with resisting arrest earlier this year, records show. Passaic County is paying Bergen County a little over $100 a bed per night to house each of up to 200 inmates as a means of easing overcrowding while officials determine the fate of the aging jail in Paterson. Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said the county sheriff’…
Hackensack Man, 23, Charged With Child Sex Crime At Local Park Hackensack Man, 23, Charged With Child Sex Crime At Local Park
Hackensack Man, 23, Charged With Child Sex Crime At Local Park A 23-year-old Hackensack man was arrested following what authorities called a sexually inappropriate incident with an underage partner at a local park. Angel Jonathan Cadme-Avendano, who works as a technician for a biomedical engineering company in Allendale, was sent to the Bergen County Jail on Tuesday to await a first appearance in Central Judicial Processing Court in Hackensack. The NJIT graduate committed the offense at a Hackensack park last month with a minor who was between 16 and 18 at the time, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said. "Sexual contact" is defined under state la…
Bergen Prosecutor: Fair Lawn HS Teacher Had Sex, Shared Drugs With Student Bergen Prosecutor: Fair Lawn HS Teacher Had Sex, Shared Drugs With Student
Bergen Prosecutor: Fair Lawn HS Teacher Had Sex, Shared Drugs With Student UPDATE: A Fair Lawn High School graphic arts teacher had sex and shared drugs with a student, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said Friday. Detectives from Musella's Special Victims Unit were notified by the Institutional Abuse Investigation Unit of the New Jersey Department of Children and Family on Wednesday that Christine E. Knudsen, 44, had "engaged  in an inappropriate sexual relationship with a student at the school where she is employed," the prosecutor said. "An investigation by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office and the Fair Lawn Police Department revealed that Knudsen, of…