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Camelia Valdes

One Dead In Paterson Fire: Authorities One Dead In Paterson Fire: Authorities
One Dead In Paterson Fire: Authorities One person was killed in a two-alarm fire in an abandoned building in Paterson early Thursday, Feb. 29, authorities said.  At 3:30 a.m., firefighters were on scene at 69 Mercer St., Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia Valdes, Paterson Police Department Officer In Charge Isa Abbassi, and Paterson Fire Chief Alex Alicea said. Firefighters discovered the body on the second floor of the house after putting out the blaze, authorities said. The identity of the deceased has not been confirmed, authorities said. Paterson Mayor Andre Sayegh said the city is in mourning. "Our firefight…
JAW-DROPPER: Accused Killer Of Paterson Woman Found Bludgeoned, Shot Could Be Freed In 3 Years JAW-DROPPER: Accused Killer Of Paterson Woman Found Bludgeoned, Shot Could Be Freed In 3 Years
Jaw-dropper: Accused Killer Of Paterson Woman Found Bludgeoned, Shot Could Be Freed In 3 Years The accused killer of a woman whose body was found battered, bloodied and stuffed into a car parked on a Paterson street cut a plea deal that staggered the victim's loved ones. Now they want the Passaic County Prosecutor's Office investigated. Someone "should shed light on the lack of accountability the prosecutor's office takes for letting killers walk free in our community," said Sandra Williams. Williams was the one who'd called police and later found the body of her friend, 38-year-old single mom Stephanie DeJesus of Paterson, in the victims's Lincoln MKZ at the intersection of James S…
UPDATE: Lyft Driver Gets 7 Years For Fondling Pre-Teen Prospect Park Passenger Separate Times UPDATE: Lyft Driver Gets 7 Years For Fondling Pre-Teen Prospect Park Passenger Separate Times
Update: Lyft Driver Gets 7 Years For Fondling Pre-Teen Prospect Park Passenger Separate Times A former U.S. military member from Morris County who was convicted of sexually assaulting a Passaic County pre-teen while working as a Lyft driver was sentenced to seven years in state prison. Julio Mejia, 43, of Wharton also must register as a sex offender and remain under lifetime parole supervision, under the sentence handed down by Superior Court Judge Joseph A. Portelli in Paterson. Mejia rejected a plea deal after investigators said the underage Prospect Park girl told them he had sex with her after she took a Lyft ride in August 2019 and then again after several weeks of texting. He…
Details Emerge Around Widow Of NJ ‘Animal Whisperer’ Who Continued Vet Practice Without License Details Emerge Around Widow Of NJ ‘Animal Whisperer’ Who Continued Vet Practice Without License
Details Emerge Around Widow Of NJ ‘Animal Whisperer’ Who Continued Vet Practice Without License The widow of a revered North Jersey veterinarian known as the “animal whisperer” had help from two alleged co-conspirators from New York in continuing to operate her husband’s clinic without a license, it was recently revealed. Alia Muslih, 41, of Montclair originally was accused of posing as a veterinarian following her husband’s death in order to keep the Totowa Animal Hospital open. A massive 77-count grand jury indictment returned earlier this month in Paterson lays out additional details. Included are allegations that Muslih had help from Marco A. Gamarra, 64, of the Bronx and Yaser I…
WILD WEST: Three Wounded In Back-To-Back-To-Back Paterson Shootings WILD WEST: Three Wounded In Back-To-Back-To-Back Paterson Shootings
Wild West: Three Wounded In Back-To-Back-To-Back Paterson Shootings UPDATE: A man was shot in the chest on a Paterson street early Saturday, the morning after two others were wounded in separate shootings within one hour of each other. A 30-year-old delivery man was shot during an apparent robbery on East 23rd Street shortly after 10:30 p.m. Friday, April 7, Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia Valdes announced. He was brought to Joseph's University Medical Center with injuries that weren't considered life-threatening, she said. The second victim, a 40-year-old city man, wasn't so fortunate. He was in critical condition at St. Joe's after being shot multipl…
Body Recovered From Passaic River Near Spot Of Similar Call Days Earlier Body Recovered From Passaic River Near Spot Of Similar Call Days Earlier
Body Recovered From Passaic River Near Spot Of Similar Call Days Earlier Responders called to the Passaic River in Wayne for the second time in three days found a body this time. The report of "someone drowning or having drowned" in the river behind 271 Riverlawn Drive shortly before 7 p.m. Friday brought township police, firefighters and EMS, Chief Jack McNiff said. McNiff confirmed that a body was recovered nearly two hours later. The chief declined to provide further details, citing an investigation involving his department, detectives from the Passaic County Prosecutor's Office, forensics investigators from the Passaic County Sheriff's Office and the state…
RELEASED: NJ Rapper, Associate Plead Guilty In Passaic Shooting, Freed Pending Sentencings RELEASED: NJ Rapper, Associate Plead Guilty In Passaic Shooting, Freed Pending Sentencings
Released: NJ Rapper, Associate Plead Guilty In Passaic Shooting, Freed Pending Sentencings A former Jersey City rapper who beat a murder rap in 2014 walked out of jail after cutting a deal with prosecutors for his role in a shooting in Passaic two years ago. He could be headed back to the joint for another 18 months, however. Video captured a celebratory welcoming committee greeting Albert Robinson outside the Passaic County Jail in Paterson after he and co-defendant Darnell Reeves were released. Robinson  – known as “Albee Al The Gladiator” – and Reeves had been held since September 2019 following their arrests on attempted murder charges, among other offenses, in a non-fatal …
Body Of Man Chased By Police Pulled From Passaic River Two Days Later Body Of Man Chased By Police Pulled From Passaic River Two Days Later
Body Of Man Chased By Police Pulled From Passaic River Two Days Later The death of a man whose body was recovered from the Passaic River following a police chase was being investigated by county and state authorities, a family member said she was told. Meanwhile, she and other loved ones wait in anguish for answers. Everyone agrees that the body retrieved from the river below Route 21 Monday evening was that of Thadius Wilder, a 35-year-old father of five from Passaic. Wilder, who had a history of drug arrests, was last seen running from police on that very same highway on Saturday, said his sister, Amber Wilder-Hunter. Wilder-Hunter filed a missing person…
'Drop The Gun!' Video Shows Paterson Police Officer Shooting Fleeing Suspect In Foot Chase 'Drop The Gun!' Video Shows Paterson Police Officer Shooting Fleeing Suspect In Foot Chase
'Drop The Gun!' Video Shows Paterson Police Officer Shooting Fleeing Suspect In Foot Chase Footage from the body camera of a Paterson police officer who shot a fleeing suspect during a foot chase was released by Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia Valdes on Friday. "Drop the gun!" Officer Jerry Moravek shouts several times as he chases Khalif Cooper, 28, down John Street around 3:30 a.m. June 11. Suddenly, two shots ring out and Cooper falls face down in the street. Moravek handcuffs Cooper, who repeatedly says, "I don't got no gun." "Shots fired," the officer says into his radio. "Send ALS [Advanced Life Support] and supervisors. Send ALS." Moravek repeatedly asks for an ambul…
GUILTY: Pair Convicted Of Murder In Passaic Drive-By Shooting After COVID-Delayed Case Resumes GUILTY: Pair Convicted Of Murder In Passaic Drive-By Shooting After COVID-Delayed Case Resumes
Guilty: Pair Convicted Of Murder In Passaic Drive-By Shooting After Covid-delayed Case Resumes Two Passaic men were convicted of murder, among other charges, for the drive-by shooting death of a 23-year-old city resident after a previous attempt at prosecuting them was derailed by COVID. Jurors in Paterson found Nelson Vargas, 29, and Christopher Reynoso, 22, guilty of attempted murder, as well, for the wounding of another man in the shooting. Both Vargas and Reynoso were also convicted of conspiracy and weapons offenses. Hansel Castillo was gunned down outside a home on Federal Street on May 15, 2017. Both he and Bryan Cabrera, 20, of Woodland Park, who was wounded in the shooting…
North Jersey Strip Club Owner Charged With Sexually Assaulting Dancer North Jersey Strip Club Owner Charged With Sexually Assaulting Dancer
North Jersey Strip Club Owner Charged With Sexually Assaulting Dancer The Bergen County owner of a Paterson strip club sexually assaulted one of his dancers, authorities charged. John Acunto, 62, of Ho-Ho-Kus was arrested in connection with a series of incidents in a "VIP room" at Johnny A’s Hitching Post on Barclay Avenue just off Valley Road and Route 19, Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia Valdes said. Paterson police initially had responded to a report of a sexual assault at the club last Sept. 28, Valdes said. Members of her Sexual Investigations Unit then "collected evidence and interviewed the victim and witnesses" before charging Acunto with two counts…
Passaic Prosecutor Asked Employee To Process Risqué Photos Of Her And Husband, Lawsuit Claims Passaic Prosecutor Asked Employee To Process Risqué Photos Of Her And Husband, Lawsuit Claims
Passaic Prosecutor Asked Employee To Process Risqué Photos Of Her And Husband, Lawsuit Claims An employee claims Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia Valdes asked him to process inappropriate photos of her and her husband and then was retaliated against after he refused. Media specialist Henry Hernandez of Clifton contends his pay was docked, medical issues that put him at risk during COVID were ignored and he was isolated "both socially and professionally" following two refusals. Hernandez claims in a lawsuit filed in Superior Court in Paterson that he'd been considered an "exemplary employee" until Valdes asked him to process a disc of photos that contained images of the prosecuto…
Motorcyclist Killed In Route 20 Crash Motorcyclist Killed In Route 20 Crash
Motorcyclist Killed In Route 20 Crash A motorcyclist was ejected and killed overnight in a crash with at least one other vehicle on a stretch of Route 20 in Paterson, authorities said. Initial details were sparse other than that the crash occurred outside the Lowe's on the northbound side of McLean Boulevard shortly before 4:30 a.m. Saturday, April 16, and that the victim was pronounced dead at the scene soon after. Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia Valdes was expected to provide further details. CHECK BACK WITH US
Paterson Man Who Won New Trial For Child Sex Assaults Pleads Guilty For Much Less Prison Time Paterson Man Who Won New Trial For Child Sex Assaults Pleads Guilty For Much Less Prison Time
Paterson Man Who Won New Trial For Child Sex Assaults Pleads Guilty For Much Less Prison Time A Paterson man who saw his conviction for sexually assaulting three children overturned after he was sentenced to 45 years in prison took a guilty plea rather than face trial again. Now he’s looking at the possibility of freedom after only a third of that time. On the flip side, it spares the victims the trauma of having to testify. Jurors in Superior Court in Paterson originally convicted Victor Enamorado of three counts of sexual assault in 2015. That conviction was among dozens that were subsequently nullified after the state Supreme Court ruled in 2018 that a particular legal the…
Appeals Court Orders New Trial For Paterson Man Convicted Of Gunning Down Dad Of Six Appeals Court Orders New Trial For Paterson Man Convicted Of Gunning Down Dad Of Six
Appeals Court Orders New Trial For Paterson Man Convicted Of Gunning Down Dad Of Six A Paterson man’s murder conviction was overturned by an appeals court that ruled that certain evidence shouldn't have been presented at his trial. Charles M. Grant, 37, has been serving a life sentence for the shooting death more than three years earlier of Isaac "Blaze" Tucker, a 40-year-old father of six. Grant had eluded authorities for more than 2½ years after the February 2015 killing before U.S. Marshals tracked him nearly 150 miles to a small northeast Maryland town. No motive was established and no eyewitnesses were presented during his five-week murder trial in Superior Court in P…
POLICE SHOOTOUT: Judge Orders Accused Paterson Gunman Held After Wild Pursuit POLICE SHOOTOUT: Judge Orders Accused Paterson Gunman Held After Wild Pursuit
Police Shootout: Judge Orders Accused Paterson Gunman Held After Wild Pursuit UPDATE: A judge has ordered that a Paterson ex-con accused of exchanging gunfire with police while fleeing a shooting remain held pending trial. Jabor Taylor, 39, was arrested after detectives found his smashed-up Buick with a bullet hole in the rear windshield in East Orange following the Labor Day weekend incident, authorities said. It began when a 22-year-old city man was shot several times near the corner of East 22nd Street and 12th Avenue around 1 a.m. Sept. 4. The victim was being taken to St. Joseph’s Regional Medical Center when an officer tried to stop a vehicle of interest drive…
Passaic Man Accused Of Sexually Assaulting Child, 8 Passaic Man Accused Of Sexually Assaulting Child, 8
Passaic Man Accused Of Sexually Assaulting Child, 8 A 23-year-old Passaic man was accused of sexually assaulting an 8-year-old child. Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia Valdes said detectives from her Special Victims Unit began investigating after the victim’s mother contacted her office directly. They arrested Manuel Figueroa and charged him with aggravated sexual assault, sexual assault and child endangerment for an incident that the child said occurred at a home in Passaic between and March of this year, she said. Figueroa remained held in the Passaic County Jail pending court action, the prosecutor said.
Clifton Police Officer Indicted On Child Sex Assault Charges Clifton Police Officer Indicted On Child Sex Assault Charges
Clifton Police Officer Indicted On Child Sex Assault Charges Grand jurors in Paterson returned an indictment charging a Clifton police officer with several child sex abuse counts, authorities said Friday. Frank Castro-Ramirez, 40, has remained held in the Passaic County Jail ever since his June 3 arrest, records show. Special Victims Unit Assistant Passaic County Prosecutor Alyssa DiSturco secured the indictment charging him with two counts each of aggravated sexual assault, sexual assault, aggravated sexual contact and child endangerment Clifton police notified unit detectives of the allegations in late May, Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia Valdes…
'No Questions Asked': NJ Buys Back Nearly 1,000 Guns 'No Questions Asked': NJ Buys Back Nearly 1,000 Guns
'No Questions Asked': NJ Buys Back Nearly 1,000 Guns Authorities collected nearly 1,000 guns during no-questions-asked gun buybacks in Passaic, Essex and Atlantic counties, New Jersey’s top law enforcer said Thursday. They could soon be coming to a location near you. The firearms came in all sizes, calibers, makes, models and ages, from a pearl-handled derringer to a reported 27 assault weapons. The total also includes 487 handguns, 281 rifles and shotguns and 146 inoperable weapons and BB/pellet guns, New Jersey Acting Attorney General Andrew J. Bruck said. Bruck didn’t say how many of the 941 weapons surrendered during “Guns for Cash” eve…
NJ Woman Who Drowned Weeks-Old Puppy Gets 180 Days In Jail, Probation, Community Service NJ Woman Who Drowned Weeks-Old Puppy Gets 180 Days In Jail, Probation, Community Service
NJ Woman Who Drowned Weeks-Old Puppy Gets 180 Days In Jail, Probation, Community Service A Morris County woman will spend a little under six months in jail followed by five years probation after admitting Thursday that she drowned a 10-week-old puppy in a lake. Under her plea deal with the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office, Tonya Fea, 50, also can no longer own a dog and must continue counseling while completing 100 days of community service. Fea took the deal, pleading guilty to third-degree animal cruelty in Superior Court in Paterson on Thursday, rather than face trial. Fea “admitted under oath that on April 30, 2019, she submerged her golden retriever puppy in a pond loca…
Trucker Killed In Clifton Industrial Accident Trucker Killed In Clifton Industrial Accident
Trucker Killed In Clifton Industrial Accident A truck driver was killed when a load of pipe fell on him Thursday morning at an electrical construction company warehouse in Clifton, responders said. The mishap occurred at Thea Enterprises on Allwood Road shortly before 8 a.m., they said. Colleagues and responders conducted CPR after the out-of-state delivery driver was pulled out from under the load, which had fallen off a flatbed trailer, responders said. He was later pronounced dead at the hospital, they said. Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia Valdes was expected to release further information sometime Thursday. Clifton police …
Bicyclist, 32, Struck, Killed In Prospect Park Bicyclist, 32, Struck, Killed In Prospect Park
Bicyclist, 32, Struck, Killed In Prospect Park UPDATE: A bicyclist was struck and killed Wednesday afternoon in Prospect Park. The 32-year-old victim was struck after riding into the path of 2005 Toyota Corolla near the corner of North 8th Street and Brown Avenue shortly before 12:45 p.m., responders said. He was pronounced dead soon after, they said. "There was nothing we could have done to save him," one said. The 48-year-old Prospect Park driver wasn't immediately charged or summonsed, although Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia Valdes and Prospect Park Police Chief Ammen Matari said in a joint release. She "remained on scene,…
Judge Orders Clifton Officer Accused Of Child Sex Assault Held Pending Trial Judge Orders Clifton Officer Accused Of Child Sex Assault Held Pending Trial
Judge Orders Clifton Officer Accused Of Child Sex Assault Held Pending Trial UPDATE: A judge on Tuesday ordered that a Clifton police officer accused of sexually abusing a child remain jailed pending trial. Superior Court Judge Marybel Ramirez, sitting in Paterson, rejected defense attorney Joseph Afflitto Jr.'s bid to free Frank Castro-Ramirez, 39, from the Bergen County Jail. Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia Valdes said Clifton police notified her office’s Special Victims Unit of the allegations nearly three weeks ago. Prosecutor’s detectives then interviewed several witnesses and the victim, who “reported being sexually abused by Mr. Castro-Ramirez on numerous …
Indictment: Son Of Paterson Man Charged With Child Sex Assault Made Victim Change Story Indictment: Son Of Paterson Man Charged With Child Sex Assault Made Victim Change Story
Indictment: Son Of Paterson Man Charged With Child Sex Assault Made Victim Change Story UPDATE: The son of a Paterson man accused of sexually abusing a child was indicted on witness tampering charges, authorities said. Ramon Cabrera, 41, made the victim retract sex abuse allegations against Juan Cabrera-Gonzalez in a video that he recorded, an indictment returned by a grand jury in Paterson alleges. Cabrera’s father was charged with several sex-related offenses in May 2019 after detectives from the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office investigated a report by the state Division of Child Protection and Permanency that a child in his care was being sexually abused. The Special Vi…
Authorities: Perv Pic Taker In Route 3 Bookstore Bathroom Did Same To Girls At Paterson Home Authorities: Perv Pic Taker In Route 3 Bookstore Bathroom Did Same To Girls At Paterson Home
Authorities: Perv Pic Taker In Route 3 Bookstore Bathroom Did Same To Girls At Paterson Home A man caught secretly recording women in bathroom stalls at a Barnes & Noble on Route 3 in Clifton did the same with two children at a Paterson home, authorities said. Juan Mejia, 46, of Paterson was arrested in February 2020 after a woman alerted security officers at Clifton Commons who found him in the bathroom. An investigation by Clifton police and the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Sexual Investigations Unit found that Mejia “secretly recorded two women at separate times who were utilizing adjoining bathroom stalls,” an indictment returned by a grand jury in Paterson says. They also …
West Milford Man, Underage NY Boy Exchanged Sexual Videos, Photos, Indictment Charges West Milford Man, Underage NY Boy Exchanged Sexual Videos, Photos, Indictment Charges
West Milford Man, Underage NY Boy Exchanged Sexual Videos, Photos, Indictment Charges A Passaic County man who’s been jailed since last summer was indicted by a grand jury that said he exchanged sexually explicit videos and photos with a boy as he pursued an in-person meeting, authorities announced Thursday. New York State Police alerted detectives from Passaic County Sheriff Richard H. Berdnik’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force to Tekanand V. Singh, 29, of West Milford after they said they learned that he’d been communicating with the boy online. “During the course of their exchange, [Singh] directed the victim to send him sexually explicit images and videos,” Pa…
Prosecutor: Son Of Paterson Man Charged With Child Sex Assault Made Victim Change Story Prosecutor: Son Of Paterson Man Charged With Child Sex Assault Made Victim Change Story
Prosecutor: Son Of Paterson Man Charged With Child Sex Assault Made Victim Change Story The son of a Paterson man accused of sexually abusing a child was arrested on witness tampering charges, authorities said. Ramon Cabrera, 41, made the victim retract sex abuse allegations against Juan Cabrera-Gonzalez in a video that he recorded, Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia Valdes said Wednesday. Cabrera’s father was charged with several sex-related offenses in May 2019 after detectives from the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office investigated a report by the state Division of Child Protection and Permanency that a child in his care was being sexually abused, Valdes said. The Special…
Clifton Man Admits Threatening Paterson Police Chief Over Race, Religion Clifton Man Admits Threatening Paterson Police Chief Over Race, Religion
Clifton Man Admits Threatening Paterson Police Chief Over Race, Religion UPDATE: A Clifton man admitted that he sent Paterson’s first Muslim police chief threatening texts because of his race, religion and nationality, authorities said. Stefan Keco, 29, told a Superior Court judge in Paterson on Monday that he sent the texts to Chief Ibrahim Baycora on Feb. 26 “with the purpose to terrorize him and in reckless disregard of the risk of causing such terror,” Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia Valdes said. Baycora had been sworn to the position only a few weeks before receiving the threats. The threats “caused a disruption to the day-to-day operations of the poli…
Passaic Mom Charged With Beating Girl With Phone Charger Passaic Mom Charged With Beating Girl With Phone Charger
Passaic Mom Charged With Beating Girl With Phone Charger A Passaic woman beat a girl with a phone charger, leaving the 13-year-old victim with several “fresh and raised red welts" when she was found, authorities charged. Gaudencia Serapio, 31, was arrested following an investigation by members of Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia Valdes’s Special Victims Unit. City police notified them after responding to a call at Serapio's home earlier this month, Valdes and Passaic Police Chief Luis A. Guzman said Thursday. Doctors found bruises on the girl’s right thigh, they said, adding that detectives interviewed the girl and other witnesses. Serapip wa…
UPDATE: Deaf Man Shot Dead On Paterson Street Was Subject Of Viral Video Arrest UPDATE: Deaf Man Shot Dead On Paterson Street Was Subject Of Viral Video Arrest
Update: Deaf Man Shot Dead On Paterson Street Was Subject Of Viral Video Arrest A shooting victim killed Sunday night in a notorious drug-ridden Paterson neighborhood was identified as a deaf city man whose arrest three years ago sparked local outrage. Raaseon Adams, 45, was pronounced dead at St. Joseph's Regional Medical Center at 7:10 p.m. less than a half hour after he was shot on Summer Street near Hamilton Avenue, authorities said. They didn't say whether the shooter had been arrested or identified. A video of city police using force to arrest Adams in September 2018 produced a viral video and an investigation by the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office – in conju…
UPDATE: Deaf Man Shot Dead On Paterson Street Was Subject Of Viral Video Arrest UPDATE: Deaf Man Shot Dead On Paterson Street Was Subject Of Viral Video Arrest
Update: Deaf Man Shot Dead On Paterson Street Was Subject Of Viral Video Arrest UPDATE: A shooting victim killed Sunday night in a notorious drug-ridden Paterson neighborhood was identified as a deaf city man whose arrest three years ago sparked local outrage. Raaseon Adams, 45, was pronounced dead at St. Joseph's Regional Medical Center at 7:10 p.m. less than a half hour after he was shot on Summer Street near Hamilton Avenue, authorities said. They didn't say whether the shooter had been arrested or identified. A video of city police using force to arrest Adams in September 2018 produced a viral video and an investigation by the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office – …