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False Public Alarm

Police & Fire
Man Placed Fake Explosive Device Near Lakewood Synagogue: Police Man Placed Fake Explosive Device Near Lakewood Synagogue: Police
Benjamin Gibber Arrested An Ocean County man was accused of strapping a fake explosive device to a utility pole near a synagogue, authorities said. Benjamin Gibber, 29, of Lakewood, was charged with third-degree creating a false public alarm. Lakewood police announced his arrest in a news release on Friday, Mar. 15. Officers responded to the pole near the intersection of Fourth and Forest avenues at around 7:45 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 19, 2023. The intersection is near the Satmar Shul synagogue. The state police bomb squad also responded to the scene. "After extraction, it was determined that the device was ine…

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by Chris Spiker
Police & Fire
Bicyclist, 3 Children Injured After South Jersey Crash With Hit-Run Driver With Trenton Warrant Bicyclist, 3 Children Injured After South Jersey Crash With Hit-Run Driver With Trenton Warrant
Bicyclist, 3 Children Injured After South Jersey Crash With Hit-Run Driver With Trenton Warrant A hit-and-run driver is in custody in Mercer County jail after a series of weekend crashes in Burlington County.  Three children and a woman were hurt Saturday, July 22 when a suspect wanted out of Trenton struck a bicyclist and shortly later had a three-car crash, a Mount Laurel police spokesman said. Christopher Lentz, 38, of Mount Laurel, continued driving after striking a woman on a bike at about 1 p.m. on Hainesport Road, said Patrolman Kyle Gardner, a police department spokesman.  He then crashed into a car with a mother and her three children a short distance away. He stop…

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by Jon Craig
News
NJ Mom Gets Life Without Parole For Death, Dismemberment Of Toddler NJ Mom Gets Life Without Parole For Death, Dismemberment Of Toddler
NJ Mom Gets Life Without Parole For Death, Dismemberment Of Toddler A 28-year-old mom from Cumberland County was sentenced to life in prison without parole in the death and dismemberment of her 23-month-old son, authorities said. Nakira M. Griner, of Bridgeton, was sentenced on Tuesday, Feb. 21, according to Cumberland County Prosecutor Jennifer Webb-McRae. Griner was previously found guilty on Jan 4 of first-degree murder, second-degree desecration of human remains, tampering with evidence, false public alarm and child endangerment. The verdict came after a two-week jury trial. Nakira GrinerInstagram @nikglowed_up The charges were based on events tha…

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by Jon Craig
News
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…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
Mom Convicted Of Killing, Dismembering Toddler In South Jersey Mom Convicted Of Killing, Dismembering Toddler In South Jersey
Mom Convicted Of Killing, Dismembering Toddler In South Jersey A Cumberland County jury found a mother guilty in the 2019 death and dismemberment of her 23-month-old child, according to the county Prosecutor Jennifer Webb-McRae. Nakira M. Griner, 28, of Bridgeton, was charged with murder and several other offenses after she initially reported that Daniel Griner Jr. was abducted while she was walking to the store. The jury found her guilty of all counts on Wednesday, Jan. 4: first-degree murder, second-degree desecration of human remains, second-degree child endangerment, fourth-degree tampering with evidence and second-degree false public alarm. …

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by Jon Craig
News
'Backpack About To Explode' Claim Leads To Man's Arrest In Toms River: Police 'Backpack About To Explode' Claim Leads To Man's Arrest In Toms River: Police
'Backpack About To Explode' Claim Leads To Man's Arrest In Toms River: Police A man was arrested for creating a false public alarm after saying his backpack was about to explode, authorities said. On Tuesday, Dec. 13, at approximately 1:25 p.m., Toms River police units were dispatched to 1786 Hooper Avenue for a welfare check of a reported adult male in his 50’s in emotional distress. Police said he stated that his "backpack was about to explode."  Out of an abundance of caution, the building was evacuated and employees and patrons were directed to an adjacent property.  The male suspect was detained by responding officers while K9 officers …

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by Jon Craig
News
Special Police Officer IDs Brooklyn Boy, 15, Who Threatened To Blow Up Lyndhurst High School Special Police Officer IDs Brooklyn Boy, 15, Who Threatened To Blow Up Lyndhurst High School
Special Police Officer IDs Brooklyn Boy, 15, Who Threatened To Blow Up Lyndhurst High School A sharp-eyed Lyndhurst special police officer nabbed a 15-year-old boy from Brooklyn who authorities said made a 911 call threatening to blow up the township high school. A Bergen County communications dispatcher told Lyndhurst police shortly after noon on Oct. 7 that an unknown caller using anonymizing technology claimed there was a bomb inside the high school, Detective Lt. Vincent Auteri said. The school was locked down and all 852 students, along with teachers and staff, were escorted out by Lyndhurst police. The Bergen County sheriff’s bomb and K-9 squads checked inside and out and d…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
US Marshals Nab NYC Woman Who Threatened Ex-Colleague, Central Jersey Employer: Prosecutor US Marshals Nab NYC Woman Who Threatened Ex-Colleague, Central Jersey Employer: Prosecutor
US Marshals Nab NYC Woman Who Threatened Ex-Colleague, Central Jersey Employer: Prosecutor A New York City woman was tracked down by US Marshals after she threatened to kill a former colleague and also made threats against the victim's new employer in Central Jersey, authorities said. Quanajah Pinnock, 27, had been calling her former colleague and sending threatening text messages directed at her and her new Branchburg employer, Somerset County Prosecutor John P. McDonald said. Officers began investigating at the victim's place of work on June 21, 12:15 p.m., when the incident was reported, McDonald said. Pinnock was subsequently charged with terroristic threats and false p…

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by Cecilia Levine
Police & Fire
Suspect 'Zoom-Bombed' High School Student's Virtual Memorial Service: Police Suspect 'Zoom-Bombed' High School Student's Virtual Memorial Service: Police
Suspect 'Zoom-Bombed' High School Student's Virtual Memorial Service: Police A suspect has been identified and charged in a Zoom attack on a virtual memorial service for a South Brunswick High School student, authorities said. The memorial service was being held for 17-year-old Emily Murillo who tragically died in January 2021, according to South Brunswick Police Chief Raymond Hayducka. Due to the coronavirus, the memorial service was broadcasted virtually.  During the service, an unknown person entered the Zoom and threatened to blow up the funeral home and make the casket turn to ashes. The suspect is a juvenile from North Jersey. “It was unspeakable …

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by Jon Craig
News
Former Paramus Student From Passaic Charged In Fake 911 Mall Shooter Call, Bogus School Threat Former Paramus Student From Passaic Charged In Fake 911 Mall Shooter Call, Bogus School Threat
Former Paramus Student From Passaic Charged In Fake 911 Mall Shooter Call, Bogus School Threat A recent graduate of a special needs high school in Paramus phoned in a pair of bogus reports -- one about an alleged threat at the school by a man with a knife and another that made it seem an active shooter was at the Garden State Plaza, authorities said. Alex Barrales, 18, of Passaic made both "swatting" calls on the same day -- May 13, Police Capt. Frank Scott said Monday. Barrales was arrested in Irvington late last week after Paramus Police Detective Joshua Capizzi identified him as the caller in both instances, the captain said. Barrales, who'd attended Windsor Preparatory High Sch…

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
18-Year-Old Jailed In Bogus Gun Threat Against NJ High School 18-Year-Old Jailed In Bogus Gun Threat Against NJ High School
18-Year-Old Jailed In Bogus Gun Threat Against NJ High School A college student from Bergen County was jailed in New York State after authorities said he phoned in a bogus gun threat to a New Jersey high school. Luke Natoli, 18, blocked the number he was calling from when he threatened to “bring a gun to a sport’s practice” on Tuesday afternoon, April 12, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said Wednesday. “First responders and school officials took measures to ensure the safety of the campus while members of [Musella’s] Cyber Crimes Unit and the Montvale Police Department initiated an investigation to trace the call,” the prosecutor said. It didn…

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
Police, SWAT Race To NJ Plant After Ex-Employee Threatens To Kill Everyone Police, SWAT Race To NJ Plant After Ex-Employee Threatens To Kill Everyone
Police, SWAT Race To NJ Plant After Ex-Employee Threatens To Kill Everyone UPDATE: An employee recently let go by a Bergen County ground beef and burger producer threatened to "kill everyone inside of the building" and told police that they'd "better get there" to stop him, authorities said. A SWAT team and colleagues from neighboring towns joined Carlstadt police at the Wonder Meats Inc. headquarters on Broad Street following the threats Tuesday evening, April 12. They later arrested ex-con Mark Brownridge, 46, at Penn Station in Newark with help from New Jersey Transit police after tracking him overnight on his cellphone. Brownridge, most recently of Hackensac…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
Fake Email Address Links Suspect With Courthouse Bomb Threat In Central Jersey: Prosecutor Fake Email Address Links Suspect With Courthouse Bomb Threat In Central Jersey: Prosecutor
Fake Email Address Links Suspect With Courthouse Bomb Threat In Central Jersey: Prosecutor A 30-year-old man from Union County has been charged in connection with a bomb threat at a courthouse in Central Jersey, authorities said. Tiago Santana-Silva of Elizabeth has been charged with creating a false public alarm and making terroristic threats, according to Middlesex County Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone, Middlesex County Sheriff Mildred Scott, and New Brunswick Police Director Anthony A. Caputo of the New Brunswick On Oct. 25, 2021, the Middlesex County Sheriff’s Department was made aware of a bomb threat concerning the Superior Courthouses located at 50 Paterson…

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by Jon Craig
News
Suspicious Device Left Near Ocean County Courthouse, Causing Public Alarm: Prosecutor Suspicious Device Left Near Ocean County Courthouse, Causing Public Alarm: Prosecutor
Suspicious Device Left Near Ocean County Courthouse, Causing Public Alarm: Prosecutor A 36-year-old man from the Jersey Shore has been charged with causing a false public alarm after placing a suspicious device near the Ocean County Courthouse, authorities said. David Giordano, of Toms River, was charged in the incident that occurred on Saturday, Feb. 6, according to Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer.  At approximately 9 p.m. that day, Toms River police were dispatched to Hooper Avenue and Washington Street for a report of a suspicious item in the roadway. Police found a car battery with a power inverter attached to it, Billhimer said…

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by Jon Craig
Police & Fire
'Give Me An Answer': NJ Town Council President Charged With Misuse Of 911 System 'Give Me An Answer': NJ Town Council President Charged With Misuse Of 911 System
'Give Me An Answer': NJ Town Council President Charged With Misuse Of 911 System The Council President for the Town of Phillipsburg has been charged after authorities say he created a false public alarm by contacting 911 for a non-emergency reason. Frank McVey, 56, submitted an Open Public Records Act (OPRA) request to the town’s business administrator on August 13, Warren County Prosecutor James L. Pfeiffer said in a Wednesday release. He then sent an email to several town employees stating, “maybe most of you… work Monday through Friday 7-3 but I don’t with this position. Somebody give me an answer and respect the $.35 an hour that I’m getting for this job.” “If I do…

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by Valerie Musson
Police & Fire
Brick Man Charged With Making Fake Bomb Threats That Evacuated Jenkinson Boardwalk Brick Man Charged With Making Fake Bomb Threats That Evacuated Jenkinson Boardwalk
Brick Man Charged With Making Fake Bomb Threats That Evacuated Jenkinson Boardwalk A 19-year-old Brick resident was charged with calling in the fake bomb threats that evacuated Jenkinson boardwalk earlier this month. Nkosi Jones called the main boardwalk office on June 3 and 4 reporting bomb threats that were later deemed unfounded, Point Pleasant police said. Jones was charged with two counts of false public alarm and two counts of terroristic threats. He was lodged in the Ocean County Jail pending court hearings. “I’d like to thank all of the surrounding agencies that responded on two separate occasions to assist our officers with evacuating and searching the boa…

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by Cecilia Levine
News
Paramus Medical Building Bomb Threat Blamed On CT Man Whose Ex-Pal Was Getting Procedure Paramus Medical Building Bomb Threat Blamed On CT Man Whose Ex-Pal Was Getting Procedure
Paramus Medical Building Bomb Threat Blamed On CT Man Whose Ex-Pal Was Getting Procedure A New Haven man called in a bomb threat to a Paramus medical office where a former friend was having a procedure, said authorities who arrested him. Anthony Spencer, 32, left “several threatening phone messages” at the northbound Route 17 medical office, Police Chief Kenneth Ehrenberg said. “During one of these phone calls he stated that there was a bomb in the building,” Ehrenberg said. “Responding police units searched the building and found no suspicious items.” Detective Sgt. Mike Cebulski identified and tracked down Spencer, who was “upset that a former friend of his was having a medi…

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
Toms River Man Threatened To Turn Town Hall 'Upside Down,' Prosecutor Says Toms River Man Threatened To Turn Town Hall 'Upside Down,' Prosecutor Says
Toms River Man Threatened To Turn Town Hall 'Upside Down,' Prosecutor Says An Ocean County man who allegedly threatened to turn Toms River Town Hall and the county Justice Complex "upside down" has been arrested, authorities said. The suspect posted YouTube videos that showed a bulldozer leveling public buildings in Colorado to accompany his threats, according to Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer. David Giordano, 36, of Toms River, was arrested on Monday and charged with terroristic threats and false public alarm, Billhimer said.  Giordano's charges were elevated to second-degree crimes since they allegedly were committed during a state …

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by Jon Craig
News
Franklin Lakes PD: Fleeing Suspect Reports Being Chased -- By Police Officer Franklin Lakes PD: Fleeing Suspect Reports Being Chased -- By Police Officer
Franklin Lakes PD: Fleeing Suspect Reports Being Chased -- By Police Officer A former Franklin Lakes resident who ran from a female police officer who was trying to stop him dialed 911 to report a woman chasing him with a gun, authorities said. Bradford Vance, 25, of the Kips Bay section of Manhattan walked out into the middle of Franklin Avenue and gave the middle finger to the drivers of two vehicles who had to brake to avoid hitting him, Capt. Robert Lyon said. Seeing this, uniformed Officer Stephanie Hallihan tried to stop Vance, who took off on foot into the Colonial Pointe apartment complex on Colonial Road, he said. Vance eventually was arrested and charged …

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
NJ Prosecutor: Man Makes 130 Fake Calls Claiming He Sexually Assaulted Kids NJ Prosecutor: Man Makes 130 Fake Calls Claiming He Sexually Assaulted Kids
NJ Prosecutor: Man Makes 130 Fake Calls Claiming He Sexually Assaulted Kids A security guard who claimed to be sexually assaulting children while on the phone with 911 dispatchers and crisis hotline counselors in New Jersey and New York was charged with causing a false public alarm, authorities said. John LaForgia, 36, of Staten Island made more than 130 bogus calls to law enforcement agencies and crisis hotlines in various jurisdictions, including Hackensack, Oakland, Ramsey, and Ridgewood, over the course of only two weeks, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said Monday. The former Lodi resident, who has no children of his own, apparently spent no time with …

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
Police: Drunk NJ Driver Deliberately Coughs On Officers During Stop, Says 'I Have Coronavirus' Police: Drunk NJ Driver Deliberately Coughs On Officers During Stop, Says 'I Have Coronavirus'
Police: Drunk NJ Driver Deliberately Coughs On Officers During Stop, Says 'I Have Coronavirus' A Wayne driver who crashed her car while drunk deliberately coughed on Hanover police and told them she had the coronavirus, said authorities who charged her. Lea Piazza, 28, failed a field sobriety test after crashing on Route 10 near Dryden Way just after 11 p.m., and was being processed by Hanover police when she began purposely coughing on officer Erick Magley last Thursday, Hanover police said. When the officer asked Piazza to cover her mouth and stop coughing on him due to concerns over the virus, she said: "Oh, by the way, I have the coronavirus and so do you now," police said  …

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by Valerie Musson
Police & Fire
Prosecutor: Boy, 16, Made Hackensack, Paramus School Bomb Threats Prosecutor: Boy, 16, Made Hackensack, Paramus School Bomb Threats
Prosecutor: Boy, 16, Made Hackensack, Paramus School Bomb Threats A 16-year-old boy called in several bogus threats of bombs at schools in Hackensack and Paramus last week, said authorities who took him into custody. The boy blocked his caller ID to place six calls to several area police apartments last Thursday and Friday, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said. The bogus theats brought Paramus and Hackensack police and firefighters, a Bergen County Regional SWAT team and the Bergen County Sheriff’s Bomb Squad to the sites, he said. It didn’t take long for Musella’s Cyber Crimes Unit to identify the caller, the prosecutor said. They took the boy i…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
'False Public Alarm': Bergen Homeless Shelter Bomb Scare Leads To Summons 'False Public Alarm': Bergen Homeless Shelter Bomb Scare Leads To Summons
'False Public Alarm': Bergen Homeless Shelter Bomb Scare Leads To Summons A man who authorities said frequents the Bergen County homeless shelter was charged with causing a false public alarm after reportedly saying he had a bomb stashed there. John Showers, 57, was at a local social services program in Bergenfield on Wednesday when he claimed he had a bomb in his locker at the shelter in Hackensack, said Derek Sands, Bergen County Sheriff Anthony Cureton's chief of staff. Showers, whose most recent fixed address was in Elmwood Park, was issued a summons and released pending a court date. He apparently was disgruntled when he made mention of the purported bomb a…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
UPDATE: Suspect In Custody In Bergen Homeless Shelter Bomb Scare UPDATE: Suspect In Custody In Bergen Homeless Shelter Bomb Scare
Update: Suspect In Custody In Bergen Homeless Shelter Bomb Scare UPDATE: A man who authorities said frequents the Bergen County homeless shelter was charged with causing a false public alarm after reportedly saying he had a bomb stashed there. John Showers, 57, was at a local social services program in Bergenfield on Wednesday when he claimed he had a bomb in his locker at the shelter in Hackensack, said Derek Sands, Bergen County Sheriff Anthony Cureton's chief of staff. Showers, whose most recent fixed address was in Elmwood Park, was issued a summons and released pending a court date. He apparently was disgruntled when he made mention of the purporte…

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by Jerry DeMarco