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Saturday, apr 27
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Westwood, NJ
Police & Fire
Alarm Malfunction Triggers Lockdown, Massive Law Enforcement Response At Westwood HS
An alarm system malfunction forced the lockdown Tuesday of Westwood Regional High School and brought a legion of law enforcement and tactical officers to Washington Township. The entire building was searched following the 11:07 a.m. lockdown, Washington Township Police Chief John Calamari said. The search confirmed there wasn't a threat of any kind and the lockdown was stepped down to a shelter in place. The system malfunctioned a second time after being reset, the chief said. An early 12:50 p.m. dismissal allowed technicians to investigate the cause, Schools Supt. Jill Mortimer said…
Police & Fire
Ex-Con Charged By FBI With Igniting Explosive Outside Passaic County ATM
A career criminal from Passaic County who's been busted dozens of times in North Jersey in just the past few years used an explosive device to damage an ATM, federal authorities charged. Nicolas Torres, 41, of Passaic, has amassed a lengthy rap sheet over much of his adult life, mostly involving business break-ins that local police and county prosecutors have dealt with. This time, though, the FBI's got him. Torres was captured on surveillance video igniting the device in front of the Chase Bank ATM on North 6th Street in Prospect Park in the early morning hours of July 5, 2022, U.S. Attor…
Police & Fire
Another Child, Another Sex Allegation Against Tri-County Educator From North Jersey
𝗨𝗣𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘: A veteran school administrator who was accused of having sexual contact with an underage student in Bergen County when he was a middle school band director there is now facing charges involving another underage teen in another county. Kurt Zimmerman, a 55-year-old married father of two, was working in the Morris Hills Regional District in Rockaway when he “engaged in sexual conduct with a juvenile student who was at least 16 years of age but under the age of 18,” Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said on Thursday, March 14. Zimmerman, currently of Rockaway, had worked in the di…
Lifestyle
Hudson County Favorite Son Bobby Cannavale Praised In Garden State-Centric Dramedy 'Ezra'
Actor Bobby Cannavale has a heartwarming New Jersey-based film premiering this spring that those who've seen it predict could be one of his best. In "Ezra," the pride of Hudson County plays Max, a stand-up comedian from the Garden State who lives with his father, portrayed by Robert De Niro. Max pursues his career while trying to co-parent his 11-year-old son with ex-wife (and Cannavale's real-life partner) Rose Byrne. Max lands a gig on Jimmy Kimmel's show in Hollywood, but the plane fare isn't comped. So he and young Ezra -- who has autism -- embark on a life-changing cross-country trip …
Police & Fire
Westwood Man Charged With Killing High Schooler From Park Ridge With Fentanyl-Laced Pill
𝗨𝗣𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘: A 17-year-old Park Ridge boy was killed by a single imitation painkiller laced with fentanyl that was given to him by a Westwood man who's been charged with causing his death. The boy thought he was taking an Oxycontin pill before he overdosed last Sept. 14, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said. Officers who responded to the emergency call administered Narcan, among other life-saving measures, the prosecutor said. The high school senior was pronounced dead a short time later. Detectives from the prosecutor’s Narcotic Task Force determined during a six-month investigatio…
Police & Fire
Westwood Mechanic, 31, Charged With 2007 Child Sex Assaults
A 31-year-old mechanic from Westwood was in his early teens when he sexually assaulted a much younger child, authorities charged. Nicholas Cavaniola is accused of sexually assaulting a pre-teen at least four years younger than him in Westwood twice in April 2007, according to Bergen County Jail records. There's no statute of limitations for criminal sexual assault cases in New Jersey. Prosecutors can bring a one at any point in time. Cavaniola was arrested in Hillsdale on Feb. 28 following an investigation begun by Westwood police and continued by members of Bergen County Prosecutor Mark M…
Police & Fire
Gotcha
! Police From Neighboring Towns, Sheriff's K9 Help Hillsdale PD Nab Career Criminal
Teamwork with their colleagues in neighboring Pascack Valley towns helped Hillsdale police capture a drug-addicted repeat offender as he fled yet another crime, authorities said. Ex-con Daniel Margulies, 32, of Teaneck bolted from the Walgreens at the Plaza at Hillsdale with several items late Sunday afternoon, Feb. 18, Officer Jordan Bruce reported. He made it to the train station when Bruce and Officer Sean Marro him moments later.The officers chased him down Broadway before Margulies began ducking through backyards, he said. To call Margulies “known to police” overstates the obviou…
Police & Fire
Wild
Chase
: Career Offender, 62, In Multi-Town Police Pursuit Caught After Blowing Two Tires
A wild police pursuit through several Bergen County towns ended with the arrest of a 62-year-old former repeat offender from Fair Lawn who authorities said stole the car from Englewood Hospital and Medical Center. Daniel McKay at one point tried fleeing on two flat tires before the stolen sedan broke down and he was arrested on Franklin Turnpike in Allendale, witnesses said. Upper Saddle River Detective Capt. Edward Kane said the Valentine's Day pursuit began after McKay pulled over on Lake Street and asked officers out on another call for directions shortly before noon. One of the officer…
Police & Fire
'Dear Delusional': Westwood Man, 69, Harassed Local Citizens With Anonymous Letters, Police Say
A 69-year-old Westwood man waged a harassment campaign against citizens who expressed their opinions about various causes in local newspapers, sending anonymous letters to their homes, authorities charged. Bruce Manning sent the "Dear Delusional" letters to citizens in town and in neighboring Washington Township, Westwood Police Chief Michael Pontillo said. "These unsolicited anonymous letters were delivered directly to the recipient victims' homes, which was of great concern to [them]," the chief said. Manning was arrested on Thursday, Jan. 25, and charged with harassment. He was then rel…
Police & Fire
Hospital ERs in Bergen, Montclair Closed By Nationwide Ransomware Attack
The latest in a continuing series of nationwide ransomware attacks closed two hospital emergency rooms in New Jersey. Authorities haven't disclosed what's been demanded by the cybercriminals who forced ambulances to divert to other hospitals from Pascack Valey Medical Center in Westwood and Mountainside Medical Center in Montclair beginning on Thanksgiving evening. Lab work, radiology, scheduling, billing -- basically anything involving computer software -- apparently were affected. "No one can use the computers in the buildings," a source said. "The hospitals are doing everything by paper…
Business
Westwood Latin Cafe Paying Homage To Chef's Late Parents Reopens Year After Fire
A Bergen County Latin restaurant is getting ready to reopen more than a year after an electrical fire devastated the kitchen. Mi Flor Latin Cafe in Westwood has been closed since the fire in October 2022. The eatery announced it would be reopening on Friday, Nov. 17. Mi Flor opened in 2021 and is run by chef Eliu Salguero, who was born and raised in Guatemala in a family of 16 children, and Dean Evans, who retired from UPS after 25 years of working in IT. "After recovering from COVID in March of 2020, and meeting up wit Eliu, I decided I need to keep busy," Evans said before opening …
Politics
Unofficial Results Of Bergen County Mayoral Elections (
Developing
)
The results of Bergen County's 38 mayoral races are rolling in. Votes were being counted in real time on the Bergen County elections website. Here is the vote count for the mayoral races as of 8 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 8, according to the county's election result website. ** NOTE: This is a developing story. Totals are not final ** Bergenfield: Arvin Amatorio (D)* — 100% of votes Bogota (replacing Claudia Lopez): Mary Ellen Murphy (D) — 54% Daniele Fede (R) — 46% Carlstadt: Lorraine Joewono (D) — 22% Robert J. Zimmerman (R)* — 77% Cliffside Park: Thomas Calabrese (D)* —…
Police & Fire
Loaded Gun Lost In Target, Ex-Con Owner Jailed: Closter PD
It’s not every day that a loaded gun turns up in the lost and found at Target. Surveillance video helped point Closter police to Tyshawn Culver, a 31-year-old convicted burglar from Westwood, soon after the gun was found on Tuesday, Oct. 24, Capt. Vincent Aiello said. Culver was arrested later that day in Englewood, the captain said. He was charged with unlawful possession of a handgun, possessing a handgun as a convicted felon and possession of both a large-capacity ammo magazine and hollow-nose bullets, Aiello said. Culver remained held Wednesday in the Bergen County Jail pending a firs…
Business
Jack's Cafe, Replaced By Popular Hot Dog Spot In Westwood, Returns As Pop-Up
Jack's is making a comeback. Jack's Cafe, the Westwood staple that closed after 16 years, is returning as a pop-up restaurant at B & M Meat Market at 146 Kinderkamack Road in Park Ridge on Saturday, Nov. 4. The restaurant will be takeout only and open Saturday through Tuesday. The cafe, which closed in 2022, was replaced by 1950 Originals, a hot dog eatery owned by the grandson of Callahan's. Jack's had planned a popup event at Luna's Outdoor Bar and Grille in Vineland last month but was forced to cancel.
Business
Grandson Of Original Callahan's Owner Sets Opening Date On New Westwood Hot Dog Shop
Hot dog fans have waited long enough. 1950 Originals, which is owned by Dan DeMiglio, the grandson of the original owner of Callahan's announced it is hosting its grand opening in Westwood on Sunday, Oct. 15 beginning at 11 a.m. “I’m so excited to start fresh with a brand new business — it’s like having a blank canvas," DeMiglio said in a statement when he announced 1950s Originals. "This is my chance to start over and dream bigger. "But to me, it’s not always about the brand name. It’s about the people on your team, and our team is truly incredible." DeMiglio revived Callahan's in Norwoo…
News
Teterboro Airport Noise Persists: Newly-Formed Group Pushes FAA For Alternate Flight Path
Residents who live near Teterboro Airport have had enough with the noise. More than 840 people in the Pascack Valley region, who have formed the group Taxpayers for Airport Noise Solutions, have signed a petition requesting the FAA to change the flight plans for flights into Teterboro Airport Runway 19, by having them fly over Route 17. Signers include the mayors of Emerson, Hillsdale, Montvale, Old Tappan, Oradell, Park Ridge, River Vale, Washington Township, Westwood, and Woodcliff Lake. Residents say this route avoids Hackensack University Medical Center and the Pascack Valley regio…
Business
Former Callahan's Owner Reveals New Westwood Eatery: 'My Chance To Start Over'
For hot dog fans in North Jersey, it's been a cruel summer. But after months of teasing, former Callahan's owner Dan DeMiglio has finally announced what his fans have been waiting for: 1950 Originals. DeMiglio's brand-new business is replacing Jack's Café in Westwood. “I’m so excited to start fresh with a brand new business — it’s like having a blank canvas," DeMiglio said in a statement. "This is my chance to start over and dream bigger. "But to me, it’s not always about the brand name. It’s about the people on your team, and our team is truly incredible." DeMiglio, who…
Schools
These Are The Top-Ranked Private High Schools In Bergen County, Website Says
We've seen the list of Bergen County's best public high schools, but what about the private ones? Niche has a report for that, too. The community and school ranking site has released its 2023 report of "Best Private High Schools in Bergen County." These five private schools, which all earned an A+, were ranked among the best in the county by Niche: No. 1: Dwight-Englewood School, Englewood No. 2: Primoris Academy, Westwood No. 3: Saddle River Day School, Saddle River No. 4: Bergen Catholic High School, Oradell No. 5: Academy of the Holy Angels, Demarest Going to…
Police & Fire
Fugitive Former Paramus Basketballer Turned Bail Reform Poster Boy Captured In Rockland
The increasingly violent criminal career of a former Paramus Catholic High School basketball player continued when he tried to carjack a woman in Park Ridge, then led police on a pursuit, authorities said. Police in the Rockland County town of Stony Point later captured Jordan Dufont, 23, after a foot chase, Park Ridge Police Chief Joseph Madden said on Thursday, Aug. 17. Dufont had only just been released on Aug. 3 after spending five weeks in the Bergen County Jail following another pursuit and a combative arrest off Route 17 in Paramus. Police in Park Ridge got a call this time shortly…
Police & Fire
Daughter Of Late Combat Veteran Jailed For Death Threats To Public Officials: NJ State Police
A grieving naval officer’s daughter from Bergen County who’s been involved in a court battle with the local veterans home made what New Jersey State Police allege were credible threats against two public officials following her father’s death. Amy Johnson, 54, of Westwood, had initially “voiced her dissatisfaction with the court’s decision" over a power-of-attorney request, says a State Police complaint filed in Superior Court in Hackensack. She initially left email and voice messages that the NJSP said mentioned two public officials by name and were “concerning, harassing and threatening i…
Police & Fire
Firefighters Quickly Douse Blaze In Hillsdale Home Under Renovation
Authorities are probing the cause of a pre-dawn fire Monday in a house undergoing renovations in Hillsdale. The call to the split-level residence on Kinderkamack Road at Lawrence Street came in at 5:11 a.m. Aug. 14, Hillsdale Fire Chief Dan Schuster said. It "burned through" to the second floor, the chief said in a release. "The fire was knocked down in less than 15 minutes and placed under control at 5:41 a.m.," Schuster said. No injuries were reported. ****** NOTE: A previous version of this story contained two errors, one about where the fire originated and the other about which dep…
Police & Fire
Paramus Police Nab Former HS Basketball Star-Turned-Repeat Offender Wanted In Multiple Towns
The criminal career of a former Paramus high school basketball star continued a violent trend when he fought with borough police who seized him on an out-of-town warrant, authorities said. Repeat offender Jordan David Dufont, 23, was wanted in Westwood on charges of harassment and witness tampering when officers from the borough and Emerson tried to stop his car around 12:30 a.m. Wednesday, June 28, they said. He sped off, however. An alert was issued for the 2016 Audi that the former Paramus Catholic High School shooting guard was driving, Paramus Police Chief Robert M. Guidetti said, bu…
Schools
New Oradell Biz Administrator With Regretful Past 'Deserves This Chance,' Board Prez Says
The president of the Oradell Board of Education said Monday that district officials are confident their new business administrator will succeed despite a regretful past. Peter Iapelli, who was appointed to the post earlier this month, "deserves this chance," Oradell School Board President Dorothy Watson-Nichols said, adding that the panel "conducted its due diligence" in hiring him. Iapelli made headlines when he was accused of cursing out and putting his hands on a 16-year-old coach in front of 75 or so people at a peewee flag football game in Westwood in September 2017. Iapelli, who’d b…
Police & Fire
Driver, 18, Plows Tesla Through Fence On Westwood Curve
An 18-year-old driver and her two young passengers got out OK after she crashed a Tesla sedan through a chain-link fence on a notorious Westwood curve. Two Emerson Towing employees had to remove a section of fence before they could tow the vehicle out and onto a flatbed following the crash where Mill Street makes a hard left into First Avenue around 5 p.m. Tuesday, May 23. The vehicle lost its front passenger tire in the mishap above Bogert Pond. The driver, 18, and her two young passengers got out OK after the Tesla sedan crashed through a chain-link fence in Westwood.Boyd A. Loving W…
Police & Fire
Driver Hospitalized After SUVs Collide In Westwood
Westwood firefighters freed a driver after his SUV got T-boned by another. The extricated driver walked to an ambulance under his own steam while bleeding from the head and was taken to a hospital following the crash at the corner of Kinderkamack Road and Westwood Avenue around 10:30 a.m. Sunday, May 7, responders said. The other SUV's driver was shaken but otherwise OK, a witness said. At the scene of the crash at Kinderkamack Road and Westwood Avenue mid-morning Sunday, May 7.Nancy Triggiani-Musco Police are investigating the cause. Nancy Triggiani-Musco took the photos. The BMW…
Business
Renowned Tattoo Artist Inks Up Bergen County With New Shop
Ray Mandal is bringing fresh ink to Bergen County with his new tattoo parlor. A lifelong artist who has tattooed surgeons, elected officials and police officers is celebrating the grand opening of Lighthouse Tattoo Parlor to Tenafly on Sunday, April 30. After working in graphic design for six years, he realized he wanted to find a new field and a friend recommend he become a tattoo artist. Though Mandal admits at first he was apprehensive. "I didn't want to mess up anybody," Mandal said. "It's quite a permanent thing." Mandal began an apprenticeship and was soon honing his craft. Today,…
News
SWAT Standoff In Westwood Ends With Arrest Of Shotgun-Toting Resident
A Westwood man was taken into custody after a brief standoff that began after police said he pointed a shotgun at someone on his street. The alleged victim told police that Brian McCarron had racked and pointed the weapon shortly after 10 p.m. Sunday, April 16, responders said. The reason was unclear. McCarron, in turn, told police that he was simply doing an armed "perimeter check" of his Fourth Avenue property, one responder said. Westwood Police Chief Michael Pontillo confirmed that responding officers surrounded the house after McCarron, 52, wouldn't answer the door. A Bergen County …
News
Kitchen Candle Fire Blows Through Roof Of Old Tappan Home
UPDATE: A candle ignited a blaze that ravaged an Old Tappan home near the Rockland County border on Friday, bringing firefighters from both sides of the state line, authorities said. The three-alarm blaze broke out in the kitchen of the 2½-story wood-frame home on Cheryll Lane near Old Tappan Road -- a little under a half-mile from Tappan, NY -- and quickly blew through the roof around 1:30 p.m. April 7, responders told Daily Voice. Firefighters had it knocked down in under an hour. Overhaul was completed by 3 p.m. Flames quickly spread, then blew through the roof of the home on Cheryl…
News
Rolling Into Pascack's ER After Crash
An ambulance didn't have far to go after collecting a driver involved in a rollover in Westwood. Members of Westwood Fire Department Rescue 17 extricated the driver through the SUV's roof following the crash on Old Hook Road at Charles Street right outside the entrance/exit for Hackensack Meridian Pascack Valley Medical Center shortly before 3:30 p.m. Friday, March 24. The Township of Washington Volunteer Ambulance Corps brought the victim into the emergency room. There was no immediate word on possible summonses or charges or the extent of injuries.
News
Video Helps ID Creators Of Swastika Found On Grounds Of Westwood School, Superintendent Says
Police investigating the discovery of a swastika on the grounds of a K-5 school in Westwood are reviewing video evidence, the district superintendent said. The symbol of hate was "created with twigs" and "was about one foot long by one foot wide," Westwood Regional Schools Supt. Jill Mortimer wrote in an email to parents on Monday, March 13. School officials immediately reported it to police, then worked with them to identify those responsible, Mortimer said. "There was video evidence," she added. Principals at other schools in the districts checked their grounds and didn't find anything …
News
Fund Launched For Children Of Deceased Retired Washington Township Detective
As the time for final goodbyes nears, many of those who knew and loved retired Washington Township Police Officer and U.S. Marine Corps veteran Heather Castronova are trying to do what they can for her two children. Toward that end, Laura Padilla has launched a GoFundMe campaign. Castronova, 44, died unexpectedly at her home in Allendale on Feb. 8, apparently as the result of a medical condition, those who knew her said. The Hackensack-born-and-bred Heather Cumming served in the Marines in Okinawa, Japan, as well as at Twenty Nine Palms, CA and Quantico, VA. She began a public service car…
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