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Passaic County Sheriff's Department

Police & Fire
1,000 THC Vapes, Edibles Plus $14,000 Cash Seized, Mini Mart Owner Busted: Passaic Sheriff 1,000 THC Vapes, Edibles Plus $14,000 Cash Seized, Mini Mart Owner Busted: Passaic Sheriff
1,000 THC Vapes, Edibles Plus $14,000 Cash Seized, Mini Mart Owner Busted: Passaic Sheriff Authorities seized nearly 1,000 THC vapes and edibles -- along with nearly $14,000 in cash -- while busting the owner of a North Haledon mini mart who they said sold the drug-infused products to underage buyers. Passaic County Sheriff Richard H. Berdnik said his department teamed up with Haledon and North Haledon police to investigate and then raid the Mini Mart Food Store at 845 Belmont Avenue. It began with tips from concerned citizens to North Haledon police, the sheriff said. Detectives watched as Manishkum Gandhi, 48, conducted what the sheriff said was an unlicensed, illegal operatio…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
UPDATE: Jurors Convict Bergen County Man Of Gunning Down Newly-Released Killer UPDATE: Jurors Convict Bergen County Man Of Gunning Down Newly-Released Killer
Update: Jurors Convict Bergen County Man Of Gunning Down Newly-Released Killer A 25-year-old South Hackensack man was convicted of gunning down a convicted killer who’d only just been released from prison after serving his time. Rather than accept a plea deal, Naszhere Marquette Jones took his chances with a jury – and lost – in connection with the March 2021 shooting death of ex-con Jaquan Harrison, 35, in Paterson. Jurors in Paterson found Jones guilty of reckless manslaughter and weapons offenses following a day and a half of deliberations, Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes said on Friday, Sept. 29. Harrison had spent more than four years in state prison…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
Two Pounds Of Deadly Fentanyl, Stolen Gun Seized From Storage Unit, Passaic County Sheriff Says Two Pounds Of Deadly Fentanyl, Stolen Gun Seized From Storage Unit, Passaic County Sheriff Says
Two Pounds Of Deadly Fentanyl, Stolen Gun Seized From Storage Unit, Passaic County Sheriff Says Nearly two pounds of fentanyl and a stolen handgun were found stashed in a storage unit by a Paterson man seized by Passaic County sheriff's detectives, authorities said. Narcotics investigators who arrested Silvio Mendez, 33, also found more than a pound of marijuana and a high-capacity magazine loaded with 17 rounds of 9mm ammo, Passaic County Sheriff Richard H. Berdnik said. The street value of the fentanyl alone is nearly $40,000, the sheriff said. The investigators conducted court-approved searches at Mendez's garden apartment on 27th Street, his Dodge Durango and a storage unit on Gr…

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
Passaic County Man Convicted Of $80,000 Back-To-Back Bank Robberies Passaic County Man Convicted Of $80,000 Back-To-Back Bank Robberies
Passaic County Man Convicted Of $80,000 Back-To-Back Bank Robberies A Passaic County man was convicted by a federal jury of robbing two area banks just weeks apart. Jurors found Jose Soto, 52, of Passaic guilty of robbing a PNC branch in Passaic of $35,000 and a Valley National Bank in Little Falls of $45,000 following a six-day trial in U.S. District Court in Newark. They also convicted Soto of conspiring with a Paterson man to commit the holdups and brandishing a firearm. Soto pointed a silver and black gun at customers and employees at the Main Street Valley National branch in Little Falls on Feb. 27, 2020, authorities said. His accomplice, Nicholas Or…

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
Passaic County Sheriff: Drug Detectives Nab Pair Of Older Dealers Passaic County Sheriff: Drug Detectives Nab Pair Of Older Dealers
Passaic County Sheriff: Drug Detectives Nab Pair Of Older Dealers Passaic County sheriff's detectives grabbed one Paterson man with several ounces of crack and another as he tried to flush more drugs, authorities said. Narcotics Bureau investigators followed and arrested Eric Seegers, 62, after watching Shawn Nero, 48, conduct business outside Nero's Madison Street apartment, Passaic County Sheriff Richard H. Berdnik said. Seegers was carrying 6½ ounces of crack and $1,400 in suspected drug proceeds, the sheriff said. The detectives then doubled back to Nero's. Seeing them at the door, he rushed back into the apartment and tried to destroy the remaining…

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
GOTCHA! Federal Marshals Nab South Hackensack Fugitive Wanted For Paterson Murder GOTCHA! Federal Marshals Nab South Hackensack Fugitive Wanted For Paterson Murder
Gotcha! Federal Marshals Nab South Hackensack Fugitive Wanted For Paterson Murder A fugitive from South Hackensack wanted for shooting and killing a Paterson ex-con earlier this year was carrying a gun with a high-capacity magazine when he was captured Friday morning in Middlesex County, authorities said. Jaquan Harrison had been out of prison barely six weeks after serving six years for manslaughter when he was gunned down by Naszhere M. Jones, 22, at the corner of North 6th and Clinton streets shortly after 1:30 p.m. March 3, they said. Harrison, 35, died of his wounds on March 7. Jones was identified as the shooter, Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes said in…

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
RECOGNIZE HIM? Sheriff Says Another Minor Found Sharing Sex Vids With Passaic County Predator RECOGNIZE HIM? Sheriff Says Another Minor Found Sharing Sex Vids With Passaic County Predator
Recognize HIM? Sheriff Says Another Minor Found Sharing Sex Vids With Passaic County Predator Authorities were trying to determine whether there were other victims of a Passaic County man who’s been jailed since last summer for having an underage boy send him sex videos and photos. Detectives from Passaic County Sheriff Richard Berdnik’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force were already familiar with Tekanand V. Singh, 29, of West Milford, who's remained jailed since they first arrested him last July. They recently learned from police in Boerne, Texas that another minor “met Singh on the internet and utilized a messaging application to communicate with him,” Berdnik said. Du…

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
Passaic County Pair Bagged $80,000 In Back-To-Back Bank Robberies Passaic County Pair Bagged $80,000 In Back-To-Back Bank Robberies
Passaic County Pair Bagged $80,000 In Back-To-Back Bank Robberies Two men nabbed by the FBI following bank robberies in Passaic and Little Falls just weeks apart were indicted by a federal grand jury in Newark. Nicholas Ortiz, 37, of Paterson, and Jose Soto, 49, of Passaic, have remained in federal custody since their March arrests for robbing a PNC branch in Passaic of $35,000 and a Valley National Bank in Little Falls of $45,000. One of them pointed a silver and black gun at customers and employees at the Main Street Valley National branch in Little Falls on Feb. 27, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito said. The other then "jumped over a teller counter …

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
GOTCHA! FBI Nabs Two In Passaic, Little Falls Bank Robberies GOTCHA! FBI Nabs Two In Passaic, Little Falls Bank Robberies
Gotcha! FBI Nabs Two In Passaic, Little Falls Bank Robberies The FBI nabbed two men who robbed banks in Passaic and Little Falls last month, federal authorities said Wednesday. Nicholas Ortiz, 37, of Paterson, and Jose Soto, 49, of Passaic, remained in federal custody and had closed-circuit appearances scheduled Wednesday afternoon with a U.S. District Court judge in Newark, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito said. Both are charged with holding up a Valley National Bank in Little Falls on Feb. 27. Soto also is charged with robbing a PNC branch in Passaic on Feb. 6 -- although authorities believe Ortiz participated. One of them pointed a silver and …

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
Paterson Man, 64, Convicted In Pedestrian Hit-Run Death Paterson Man, 64, Convicted In Pedestrian Hit-Run Death
Paterson Man, 64, Convicted In Pedestrian Hit-Run Death Jurors in Paterson convicted a city man in the hit-and-run death of a pedestrian a little over two years ago. A Superior Court judge scheduled a Feb. 28 sentencing for Jesus Herrera, 64, to consecutive terms for last week's convictions for knowingly leaving the scene of a fatal crash and endangering an injured victim, Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes said Tuesday. Herrera was driving a 1997 GMC Sierra truck that struck 48-year-old city resident Luis Arango in front of 910 Main Street and kept going around 9:15 p.m. Nov. 11, 2017, Valdes said. He later returned after a civilian w…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
Authorities: Undercover Paterson Police Work Both Sides Of Street, Bust 14 Hookers, 27 Johns Authorities: Undercover Paterson Police Work Both Sides Of Street, Bust 14 Hookers, 27 Johns
Authorities: Undercover Paterson Police Work Both Sides Of Street, Bust 14 Hookers, 27 Johns Female Paterson police posing as prostitutes bagged 27 johns, while their male colleagues snatched up 14 streetwalkers who offered them sex for money, authorities said. Citizen complaints about an open-air prostitution market drove ABC/Vice unit detectives to work both sides of the street, city Police Director Jerry Speziale said. They had help from the department’s Narcotics Division and the Passaic County Sheriff’s Department, as well as from counselors with the county prosecutor’s Human Trafficking Unit, he said. Substance abuse counseling also was provided, Speziale said. A total of …

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
Accused Gunman In Cold-Case Paterson Street Slaying Nabbed Arriving At Newark Airport From DR Accused Gunman In Cold-Case Paterson Street Slaying Nabbed Arriving At Newark Airport From DR
Accused Gunman In Cold-Case Paterson Street Slaying Nabbed Arriving At Newark Airport From DR A gunman who shot and killed a Paterson man on a city street four years ago before fleeing to the Dominican Republic was captured after he got off a flight at Newark Airport, authorities said. Ubaldo Nunez, 27, was quickly seized by members of U.S. Customs and Border Protection at the gate on Sunday, they said. Nunez gunned down 31-year-old Francisco Maldonado on East 19th Street in March 2015 and then fled the country, Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes and Paterson Police Chief Troy Oswald said in a joint announcement. Maldonado, also known as Jose R. Cabrera, underwent lengthy …

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
Fugitive Wanted In 2017 Paterson Street Slaying Nabbed Trying To Re-Enter US From DR Fugitive Wanted In 2017 Paterson Street Slaying Nabbed Trying To Re-Enter US From DR
Fugitive Wanted In 2017 Paterson Street Slaying Nabbed Trying To Re-Enter US From DR Federal agents were waiting at an Atlanta airport when a fugitive accused of gunning down a man on a Paterson street nearly two years ago tried to slip back into the country from the Dominican Republic, authorities said Tuesday. Elisaul Marte, 29, was seized by U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents after getting off a plane at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on Saturday, they said. He was being held pending extradition to New Jersey to face charges of murder and weapons possession in the slaying of 28 year-old Ramon Mosquea, whose was found slumped over the hood of his…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
'Operation Home Alone': 16 Nabbed, Including Ridgewood Officer, Trying To Meet Kids For Sex 'Operation Home Alone': 16 Nabbed, Including Ridgewood Officer, Trying To Meet Kids For Sex
'Operation Home Alone': 16 Nabbed, Including Ridgewood Officer, Trying To Meet Kids For Sex A Ridgewood police officer who is accused of arranging a meeting for sex with what he thought was a 15-year-old girl was one of 16 men who were nabbed in a similar undercover sting by state and local authorities, New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal announced Wednesday. Others include a barbershop owner from Passaic, a food delivery driver from Fairview, a supermarket employee/deejay from Hawthorne and two Garfield men – one of them a rideshare company driver and another a convicted sex offender awaiting sentencing on child porn possession charges. All thought they were communicatin…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
Clothing Store Fire That Cleared Wing Of Willowbrook Mall Apparently Electrical, Responders Say Clothing Store Fire That Cleared Wing Of Willowbrook Mall Apparently Electrical, Responders Say
Clothing Store Fire That Cleared Wing Of Willowbrook Mall Apparently Electrical, Responders Say Authorities were investigating a clothing store fire that cleared a wing of the Willowbrook Mall on Saturday -- although responders said it appeared to be electrical. No injuries were reported in the blaze, which broke out in a storage area just after 10:45 a.m. in the Hollister California store on the second floor, authorities said. “Significant smoke had spread to the nearby Bloomingdale’s store, and that wing of the mall was evacuated,” Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes and Wayne Police Chief James Clarke said in a joint release issued early Sunday afternoon. “An investig…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
Police: Previously Raided Wayne House Hit Once More, Brothers Busted With Drugs Again Police: Previously Raided Wayne House Hit Once More, Brothers Busted With Drugs Again
Police: Previously Raided Wayne House Hit Once More, Brothers Busted With Drugs Again Wayne police raided the same home for the second time in less than two years Friday, arresting two brothers and a third man while seizing cocaine, pot and hash, along with two security badges and a simulated tactical vest labeled “POLICE.” Nelphy Peralta, 21, also was charged with child endangerment for committing crimes with an underage youngster living in the house, Detective Capt. Laurence W. Martin said. Police arrested both him and his brother, 25-year-old Jewry Peralta-Reyes on drug charges following the 6:30 a.m. raid, Martin said. They also charged Raymond Morales, 26, who shares t…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
Paterson Trio Busted After Undercover Heroin, Cocaine Buys In Lodi, Elmwood Park Paterson Trio Busted After Undercover Heroin, Cocaine Buys In Lodi, Elmwood Park
Paterson Trio Busted After Undercover Heroin, Cocaine Buys In Lodi, Elmwood Park A pair of undercover drug buys in Lodi and Elmwood Park lead to the arrests of three Paterson men – two of whom Bergen County authorities said are dealers. It began when an undercover detective bought 150 envelopes of heroin from Xaxier M. Classen, 30, in Lodi last month, Acting Bergen County Prosecutor Dennis Calo said Tuesday. Another buy was set up a little over a week ago in Elmwood Park, where the detectives seized Classen and Juan Carlos Regaldo with 500 envelopes of heroin and more than a half-ounce of cocaine for sale, Calo said. With them was Ernesto Regaldo, who was also arrested…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Schools
More Than 15 Paterson Schools On Lockdown After Unknown Threats More Than 15 Paterson Schools On Lockdown After Unknown Threats
More Than 15 Paterson Schools On Lockdown After Unknown Threats More than 15 public schools and several area preschools were put on lockdown Wednesday morning in Paterson after threats against the high schools were discovered, district officials said. Eastside High School and John F. Kennedy High School were the first to be put into a shelter in place lockdown after school officials were alerted to threats made against them, superintendent Eileen Shafer said in a statement. Neighboring schools including the Edward W. Kilpatrick School, the Roberto Clemente School, the New Roberto Clemente School and more followed suit as a precaution. The nature of the…

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by Cecilia Levine
Police & Fire
UPDATE: Driver Captured, Charged In Route 46 Road Rage Shooting In Elmwood Park UPDATE: Driver Captured, Charged In Route 46 Road Rage Shooting In Elmwood Park
Update: Driver Captured, Charged In Route 46 Road Rage Shooting In Elmwood Park UPDATE: Passaic County sheriff's officers captured a driver who police said fired a shot into another motorist's door during a road-rage incident Thursday afternoon on westbound Route 46 in Elmwood Park. They also recovered the 9mm handgun that was used, Police Chief Michael Foligno told Daily Voice. Joseph Ortiz, 22, of Paterson, was turned over to Elmwood Park police following the shooting just before 3 p.m. near the intersection of the highway and Boulevard, Foligno said. Sheriff's officers found him on Canal Street in Paterson, the chief said. A short time earlier, Ortiz got into an a…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
UPDATE: Ex-Con Captured, Charged In Route 46 Road Rage Shooting In Elmwood Park UPDATE: Ex-Con Captured, Charged In Route 46 Road Rage Shooting In Elmwood Park
Update: Ex-Con Captured, Charged In Route 46 Road Rage Shooting In Elmwood Park UPDATE: Passaic County sheriff's officers captured a 22-year-old ex-con who police said fired a shot into another driver's door during a road-rage incident Thursday afternoon on westbound Route 46 in Elmwood Park. They also recovered the 9mm handgun that was used, Police Chief Michael Foligno told Daily Voice. A judge ordered that Joseph Ortiz of Paterson remain held in the Bergen County Jail on first-degree attempted murder, aggravated assault and various weapons charges -- including being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. Passaic County sheriff's officers found Ortiz on Canal…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
Passaic Man Charged With Shoplifting Had Arrest Warrant, Police Say Passaic Man Charged With Shoplifting Had Arrest Warrant, Police Say
Passaic Man Charged With Shoplifting Had Arrest Warrant, Police Say Three people arrested on shoplifting charges at the Fair Lawn CVS on the same day were all wanted by police on warrants.  The first incident took place on July 4 when Fair Lawn Police responded to the CVS at 18-35 River Road for a report of two men who had fled the store without paying for items, said Fair Lawn Police Sgt. Brian Metzler. While investigating the theft, Officer Stephen Buskiewicz approached two men matching the description on East 23rd Street in Paterson, but they fled on foot until eventually captured, Metzler said. Those captured included Sergei Derunets, 28, of Hackensack…

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by Kathy Reakes
Police & Fire
West Milford Body ID'd As Woman Missing After Car Crash West Milford Body ID'd As Woman Missing After Car Crash
West Milford Body ID'd As Woman Missing After Car Crash West Milford police on Wednesday confirmed that a body found in the township over the weekend was that of a  29-year-old woman who went missing after a crash nearby. The body was found Saturday “in heavy brush” near where Stephanie Bronaugh of Lafayette went missing on July 1, Detective Sgt. Joseph Walker said. "Clothing matching the description of the missing adult female were discovered with the remains," Walker initially said. On Wednesday, he wrote: "No foul play is suspected and the manner and cause of death are still pending." A medical examiner was conducting an…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
Fit Cops: Losing 100 Pounds Helped Saddle Brook Officer Find His Purpose Fit Cops: Losing 100 Pounds Helped Saddle Brook Officer Find His Purpose
Fit Cops: Losing 100 Pounds Helped Saddle Brook Officer Find His Purpose Graduating from the police academy in 2012 would be the first step Paterson native Rob Littlejohn, Jr. would take to better himself for his young and growing family. The next would be dropping nearly 100 pounds. Although doctors initially thought Littlejohn wouldn't even be able to complete the academy at 315 pounds, he did. And then went on to lose the weight and work for several local police agencies -- currently in his fourth year with Saddle Brook and sitting comfortably at 223 pounds. Littlejohn says leaving his dead-end job in banking and getting in shape has given him the life he's…

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by Cecilia Levine
Police & Fire
Oakland Police Officer Nabs Wanted Midland Park Man In Stop Oakland Police Officer Nabs Wanted Midland Park Man In Stop
Oakland Police Officer Nabs Wanted Midland Park Man In Stop OAKLAND, N.J. -- An Oakland police officer arrested an unlicensed driver after discovering he was wanted on an outstanding warrant out of Passaic County. Officer Michael Griffin stopped a car driven by Jay Faber, 47, of Midland Park, then ran a computer check, Lt. Christian Eldridge said Wednesday. Faber was taken into custody, processed and later turned over to the custody of the Passaic County Sheriff's Department -- only to have a judge order his release, under New Jersey's 2017 bail reform law, records show. Oakland police issued Faber a summons for driving with a suspended license.

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
Passaic Prosecutor: Four-County Stolen Car Ring Smashed, Nine Busted Passaic Prosecutor: Four-County Stolen Car Ring Smashed, Nine Busted
Passaic Prosecutor: Four-County Stolen Car Ring Smashed, Nine Busted PATERSON, N.J. – Nine men from Paterson were charged with burglarizing a Clifton auto dealer twice and stealing vehicles from eight other dealerships in four counties while using juveniles as accomplices, authorities announced Thursday. Among the victims were B&M Auto Mall in Clifton, which was broken into twice, as well as Lakeview Auto (also in Clifton) and Otocity in Totowa, a 131-count indictment returned by a grand jury in Paterson says. Also victimized in a 10-month spree that began in January last year were dealerships in East Brunswick, Jefferson Township, Neptune Township, Old …

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
SEEN HIM? Three Caught, One Sought In Armed Street Robberies SEEN HIM? Three Caught, One Sought In Armed Street Robberies
Seen HIM? Three Caught, One Sought In Armed Street Robberies UPDATE: The man accused of shooting baseball legend David “Big Papi” Ortiz has been wanted for a pair of street robberies in Clifton last year, Daily Voice has learned. https://dailyvoice.com/new-jersey/southpassaic/police-fire/man-accused-of-shooting-david-ortiz-was-wanted-in-clifton-street-robberies/770094/ ****** CLIFTON, N.J. -- Clifton police turned to the public for help Tuesday finding a man suspected of participating in a pair of street holdups. Rolfi Ferreira-Cruz, 23, of Paterson, was with a group of others who held up two men blocks apart last month, Detective Lt. Rob…

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by Jerry DeMarco