Subscribe
69°
Man Who Smashed Into Paramus Pizzeria To Steal Cash 3X Already Freed From Jail, Cops Say
A Paramus man was jailed and released in connection with a series of burglaries targeting a local pizzeria, police said.
Ramon Fernandez Jr., 25, is accused of breaking into Ralphy’s Pizzeria, located in a Forest Avenue shopping center, on three separate occasions earlier this month, according to the Paramus Police Department.
The incidents occurred on March 4, March 5, and March 7 between approximately 9 p.m. and 9:30 a.m., when the suspect allegedly entered the business by smashing a rear window, authorities said.
During two of the break-ins, cash was taken from the register before the s…
Fugitive Found Hiding In Apartment, 2 Nabbed In ‘Tom Hardy’ Heroin Bust: Passaic County Sheriff
Three men were arrested in Paterson on fugitive and drug charges during separate operations on the same day, authorities announced.
On Friday, Sept. 19, around 9 a.m., detectives located Tieshmere Adams, 23, at an apartment on Lyons Street, Passaic County Sheriff Thomas Adamo said. Adams was wanted on a first-degree criminal warrant for narcotics charges, authorities said. He was arrested inside the residence without incident, according to the sheriff.
Later that day, detectives set up surveillance near West Broadway after receiving complaints from residents and business owners about open-a…
East Rutherford Resident, Essex Sheriff's Officer Arrested: Prosecutor
Three Essex County Sheriff’s officers have been charged with theft after allegedly taking high-end sneakers and a designer belt during a narcotics search in East Orange, authorities said.
The incident happened on Jan. 10, 2023, at the apartment of Kirk Mansook, 470 Park Ave., Essex County Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephens II said in a Friday, Aug. 29 announcement.
At the time, Officers Jimmy Rodriguez, 39, of Kearny; Fabian Caicedo, 45, of East Rutherford; and Erik Udvarhely, 44, of Belleville were assigned to the Sheriff’s Office Bureau of Narcotics, Stephens said.
Mansook was arrested on m…
Wayne Mello Appointed Acting Hudson County Prosecutor: Attorney General Platkin
A veteran prosecutor known for trying high-profile murder cases has been tapped to lead the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin announced on Saturday, Aug. 2.
Wayne Mello, who has served as Hudson County’s First Assistant Prosecutor since 2016, officially assumed the role of Acting Prosecutor on Thursday, July 31, according to Platkin.
He succeeds Esther Suarez, who retired Friday, Aug. 1, after nearly a decade in the post. Mello will now oversee about 70 assistant prosecutors and more than 100 detectives investigating violent crime, gun violence, narcotic…
Heroin, Crack, Gun Stolen In 2016 Found During Hackensack Raid, Arrest Made: Cops
A 44-year-old Hackensack man was arrested on multiple charges after police say they found heroin, crack, and a stolen handgun inside his home during a raid.
Richard T. Best was arrested following a raid of his Polifly Road apartment on Tuesday, July 22, Hackensack Police Chief Michael Antista.
Members of the Crime Suppression Bureau, led by Detective Lt. John Dalton, executed a court-authorized search, Antista said.
The apartment, located within a school zone, contained heroin packaged for street-level sales, a quantity of crack/cocaine, drug paraphernalia used to make and distribute …
Late-Night Burglary Attempt Leads To Police Chase: NJ Parolee Caught, Cops Say
Two suspects, including a New Jersey man already on parole and another in possession of narcotics, were arrested after allegedly attempting to burglarize a building in New York and leading officers on two separate chases, police said.
The incident began in Orange County just after midnight on Wednesday, April 2, when a concerned community member reported a suspicious man by a window near Third Street and Johnston Street in Newburgh, prompting a rapid police response, the City of Newburgh Police Department said on Thursday, April 3.
Officers arrived on the scene and, with h…
Cocaine Found On Lyndhurst Man During Traffic Stop, Cops Say
A traffic stop in Lyndhurst ended with a man behind bars after officers found suspected cocaine and drug paraphernalia in his vehicle, authorities said.
At approximately 3:46 a.m. on Tuesday, March 25, Officer Anthony Giaquinto pulled over a black Toyota SUV on Rutherford Avenue near Livingston Avenue for driving without a visible license plate, the Lyndhurst Police Detective Lt. Vincent Auteri said.
The driver, identified as Juan Martinez, 48, of Lyndhurst, appeared visibly nervous, Auteri said.
Officer Giaquinto was soon joined by Sgt. William Kapp and Officer Sal Wartel. The officers ob…
Hasbrouck Heights Pair Charged In Deadly Fentanyl Overdose In Hackensack
Two Hasbrouck Heights residents have been arrested and charged in connection with a deadly fentanyl overdose in Hackensack, authorities said.
Robert Wichowski, 31, and Xiomara Frias-Barbosa, 28, were taken into custody on Wednesday, March 5, following a months-long investigation into the Nov. 2, 2024, overdose death of a 54-year-old man at a private residence in Hackensack, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said.
Police responded to the home at 6:36 that night and found the victim unresponsive. He was pronounced dead at the scene, and authorities noted indicators of a possible drug…
20 Indicted In Fentanyl, Heroin Ring That Fueled Drug Use Across North Jersey: AG
Twenty people have been indicted in the sweeping takedown of opioid mills that fueled drug distribution across North Jersey, Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin announced Wednesday, March 5.
ALSO SEE: 23 People Arrested In Another Massive NJ Drug Bust — Fentanyl, Guns, Seized, Prosecutor Says
The indictment, handed down by a state grand jury, includes 53 charges ranging from racketeering and drug trafficking to weapons offenses and financial crimes. Authorities say the suspects were part of the Rodriguez, Sanchez, and Gutierrez Drug Trafficking Organization (DTO), which operated from A…
Bergen County Men Held Victim Hostage With Hypodermic Needle In Hotel Room For Hours: Cops
A man was allegedly held against his will inside a Secaucus motel room for more than two hours while one of his captors blocked the door with a hypodermic needle, police said.
Officers responded to the Rodeway Inn on Route 3 East on Sunday, March 2, at 3:19 p.m., after receiving a report of a victim being held hostage inside a room, according to Secaucus Police Chief Dennis Miller.
When police arrived, they found the man inside and immediately removed him to safety while detaining two men at the scene, authorities said.
Investigators determined that Kevin Bazemore, 44, of Hackensack, physi…
Man Sold Deadly Elixir To Lodi OD Victim, Prosecutor Says
A Lodi drug dealer is facing additional charges accusing him of selling one 62-year-old man the fatal elixir that killed him last year, authorities said.
Randy Lantigua, 26, of Lodi, was arrested on Thursday, Feb. 26, 2025, and charged with strict liability for drug-induced death in connection with the incident that killed James White in April 2024, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said.
On April 6, 2024, Lodi Police responded to a 911 call reporting an unresponsive man inside a private residence, officials said. Responding officers found White dead in a bedroom, showing signs of …
Prison For Man Who Went On Months-Long Crime Spree That Ended At AC Casino Spa: Prosecutor
A 34-year-old Atlantic City man was sentenced on Friday, Jan. 10, to five years in prison, after pleading guilty to a 10-month crime spree, authorities said.
From November 2023 until September 2024, Fernando Corriano was arrested for a variety of shoplifting, narcotics, and burglary offenses, the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office said.
On Monday, Nov. 6. Corriano was arrested for shoplifting from Boscov’s in Egg Harbor Township, authorities said.
On Tuesday, Dec. 12, Corriano was arrested in Atlantic City for the distribution of cocaine. after officers from the A…
NJ Police Sergeant Tests Positive For Meth, Took Drugs From Evidence Room: Prosecutor
A police sergeant in Hammonton is facing multiple charges after testing positive for methamphetamine and taking drugs from the department's evidence room, authorities said.
Detective Sergeant Robert Zbikowski, 45, of Hammonton, was charged on Monday, Nov. 25, with second-degree official misconduct, second-degree pattern of official misconduct, third-degree theft by unlawful taking, and two fourth-degree charges: tampering with physical evidence and obstruction of law, according to the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office.
In 2024, the Hammonton Police Department contacted the Atlantic County…
Mugshots Released: SWAT Raid Uncovers 28K Fentanyl Pills, Meth, Ghost Guns In Bergen County
A major drug bust in Bergen County led to the seizure of tens of thousands of fentanyl-laced pills, along with cocaine, methamphetamine, marijuana, and untraceable firearms, authorities said in announcing the arrests of the three men behind it.
Ramon Morillo, 39, of Fort Lee; Brandon Morillo, 31, of Lodi; and Joseph Diaz, 34, of Fort Lee, were arrested on Thursday, Nov. 7, following a months-long investigation conducted by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Narcotic Task Force, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said.
The investigation began in July 2024, when detectives identified Mo…
Paterson Drug Dealer Charged In OD Death Of Westwood Victim, 38, Prosecutor Says
A 39-year-old Paterson man has been charged with providing the drugs that allegedly resulted in a fatal overdose of a Westwood man in May, authorities said.
Jesus A. Cantillo is believed to have provided the drugs that led to the death of 38-year-old Lance Kerness, of Westwood, who was found unresponsive in a home on May 2, 2024, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said on Friday, June 28.
Kerness was pronounced dead at the scene, Musella said. Indicators of a possible drug overdose were noted, and detectives from the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Narcotic Task Force were no…
Bad Parking Job Leads Officers To 1,800 Ecstasy Pills, Cocaine On NY Man In NJ: Cops
A 29-year-old New York resident was arrested on Tuesday, Nov. 14 in Secaucus after a police dog sniffed out large quantities of ecstasy and cocaine on him, authorities said.
At 8:23 p.m., police saw Noah Gregg improperly park his 2009 Acura TL, Secaucus Police Chief Dennis Miller said. The license plate affixed to his vehicle was not on file, Miller said.
Gregg denied any knowledge of the vehicle despite being observed exiting it by police, Miller said. Police were suspicious and summoned Brix, the Secaucus Police K-9 to the scene, Miller said. Brix sniffed out that narcotics were in the ve…
Dealer, Deadbeat Dad, Child-Abusing Caretaker Busted In Raid: Passaic Sheriff
A dealer, a caretaker accused of child endangerment and a deadbeat dad all living in the same multi-family Paterson home were busted during a raid by Passaic County sheriff's officers, authorities said.
Narcotics detectives targeted Shawn E. Nero, 50, who they said was selling heroin and crack from the Harrison Street home between Carroll Street and Rosa Parks Boulevard.
Assisted by members of the sheriff's Warrant Squad, Mounted Division and ERT, they waited until Nero left the area, then stopped his car and arrested him on Thursday, Oct. 26, Passaic County Sheriff Richard Berdnik said.
…
Passaic Sheriff: Detectives Bust Duo With Heroin, Hundreds Of Pills For Paterson Street Sale
Two men were busted by Passaic County sheriff's detectives with a variety of street and prescription drugs for sale following complaints from neighborhood residents and business owners, authorities said.
The Bureau of Narcotics investigators watched as Darrel Battle, 50, and Corrie Brown, 27, slung drugs from a black Hyundai sedan outside Battle's Main Street apartment Thursday, Aug. 24, Passaic County Sheriff Richard Berdnick said.
The detectives arrested Battle and Brown, searched both, then searched the car, the sheriff said.
Berdnik said they found:
120 heroin folds;
68 Xanax pills;
…
