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Police & Fire
Lyft Driver Kidnapped At Gunpoint In Newark, Forced To Make Several Stops Lyft Driver Kidnapped At Gunpoint In Newark, Forced To Make Several Stops
Lyft Driver Kidnapped At Gunpoint In Newark, Forced To Make Several Stops Police in Newark are looking for a group of people who forced a ride share driver at gunpoint to take them to various locations in the area before robbing the driver, Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose said.  The Lyft driver picked up a fare on the 700 block of S. 18th Street around 3:30 p.m. April 7. Three passengers, who may have been juveniles, entered the vehicle and one pulled the gun.  They first ordered the driver to take them to Capital One bank at 487 Springfield Ave., where two of the passengers entered as the third continued to hold the driver at gunpoint.  Ne…

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by Paul Milo
Police & Fire
Dozens Charged In Huge Tri-State Area Shoplifting Ring Dozens Charged In Huge Tri-State Area Shoplifting Ring
Dozens Charged In Huge Tri-State Area Shoplifting Ring A band of shoplifters targeting chain stores including Walgreens have been arrested after netting millions in goods, Jersey City police announced during a press conference Thursday afternoon.  The shoplifters filled bags with items purloined from the stores, which include locations in Bayonne and Jersey City, said Chief of Police Michael Kelly.  Twenty- three people have been charged so far but the investigation is continuing, authorities said.  The arrests were the result of undercover surveillance operations launched in Jersey City after police there learned of similar inc…

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by Paul Milo
Police & Fire
At Least Three Vehicle Thefts In Two Days; Clifton Police Nab Accused Thief At Least Three Vehicle Thefts In Two Days; Clifton Police Nab Accused Thief
At Least Three Vehicle Thefts In Two Days; Clifton Police Nab Accused Thief Clifton police nabbed a repeat offender in a minivan that he stole barely 24 hours after swiping two other vehicles, authorities said Friday. Officer Edward Welsh and Diorys Turbides stopped the Dodge minivan in the area of Lafayette Avenue and Oak Streeet in Passaic, Detective Lt. Robert Bracken said. The driver, 28-year-old Rafael Mora-Reynoso resisted at first but was quickly taken into custody, he said. He was charged with stealing the minivan from the 200 block of Clifton Avenue around 11:30 a.m. Feb. 11 and with taking a 2003 Hyundai from Walgreens on Main Avenue the day before – whi…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
Oakland PD: Police Nab ID Thief Who Bought $15,000 In Gift Cards With Victim's Credit Card Oakland PD: Police Nab ID Thief Who Bought $15,000 In Gift Cards With Victim's Credit Card
Oakland PD: Police Nab ID Thief Who Bought $15,000 In Gift Cards With Victim's Credit Card An identity thief ordered $15,000 in gift cards using an innocent victim's credit card – then was nabbed by Oakland police as he picked them up, authorities said. Sgt. Michael O’Neill and Officers Gary Fiore and Gary Gusterson were waiting when Gregory Gordon, 27, showed up at the local Walgreens to pick up the cards, which were shipped there via FedEx, Detective Lt. Christian Eldridge said. A Wanaque resident had alerted authorities after discovering bogus charges on his credit card, Eldridge said. Police then “coordinated with employees of Walgreens, who alerted [them] when an [Gordon] a…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
Two Caught In Wyckoff Two Caught In Wyckoff
Two Caught In Wyckoff A driver with a suspended license briefly lost Wyckoff police during what was supposed to be a traffic stop -- then was caught a short time later.An officer tried to stop the vehicle as it turned off Route 208 but lost sight of the car, which ended up at the Cedar Hill shopping center, Lt. Joseph Soto said. Police found the pair at the Walgreens in the shopping center, he said.The driver received a summons, the lieutenant said. Sicomac Elementary School was briefly sheltered in place during the search.

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
'Tis the Season For Porch Piracy, So Don't Be A Victim 'Tis the Season For Porch Piracy, So Don't Be A Victim
'Tis the Season For Porch Piracy, So Don't Be A Victim Porch piracy has become more rampant than ever, now that more than half of holiday season shoppers buy online. Not only that: Tens of millions of people each year have holiday decorations stolen. Yes, there are organized crews who follow delivery drivers and others who case specific neighborhoods, police say. But "it is most often a crime of convenience," Monica Eaton-Cardone, co-founder and COO of the risk-mitigation firm Chargebacks911, told InsuranceQuotes.com. "The thief sees a package sitting unattended and simply grabs it.” Nearly 26 million Americans had a holiday pac…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
Hillsdale PD: Shoplifter Strolled Out With Hand Basket, $2,500 Hidden Goods Hillsdale PD: Shoplifter Strolled Out With Hand Basket, $2,500 Hidden Goods
Hillsdale PD: Shoplifter Strolled Out With Hand Basket, $2,500 Hidden Goods HILLSDALE, N.J. – He was hardly discrete about it: A suspect picked up by a passing patrol officer near the Hillsdale train station was carrying a Walgreens shopping basket and $2,500 worth of stolen merchandise bulging from his pockets, police said. Officer Travis Woods was headed to the shoplifting call when he spotted Mark P. Zurich, 32, of Jersey City carrying the hand basket – with several of the stolen items sticking out of his jacket, Detective Bill Diedtrich said Thursday. Zurich was charged with shoplifting and sent to the Bergen County Jail before a judge released him a short tim…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
Ignore Your Bag While Shopping? Hillsdale Police Have A Surprise For You Ignore Your Bag While Shopping? Hillsdale Police Have A Surprise For You
Ignore Your Bag While Shopping? Hillsdale Police Have A Surprise For You HILLSDALE, N.J. – Shoppers in Hillsdale who leave their handbags, pocketbooks and purses unattended could be in for a surprise. Those who don’t have them stolen could find a postcard’s been secretly slipped into their bag. “You may see Hillsdale Police Officers lurking around ShopRite, Kings, Walgreens or any other shopping area in Hillsdale,” Detective Bill Diedtrich said Wednesday. “Except this time, they are looking for unattended bags and crimes of opportunity. “If the officers sees an inattentive person, he or she will slip a postcard sized card in their purse without being seen.” Po…

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by Jerry DeMarco