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Wood-Ridge, Hasbrouck Heights police nab Florida fugitive in Christmas raid

EXCLUSIVE: Police from Hasbrouck Heights and Wood-Ridge teamed up to nab a fugitive ex-con wanted out of Florida for trying to strangle his estranged wife — twice — and assaulting her 14-year-old son.

Photo Credit: Courtesy WOOD-RIDGE PD
Photo Credit: Courtesy WOOD-RIDGE PD

U.S. Marshals were looking for Nicholas Schewe when he returned to the woman’s home in Hernando County on Dec. 14 and attacked her again before fleeing.

Schewe, who was also wanted by other jurisdictions, ended up hiding out with a woman who lives at the Avalon Bay Communities in the Westmont Station section of Wood-Ridge, Detective Joseph Rutigliano Jr. told CLIFFVIEW PILOT.

He was driving a white Volkwagen with Florida plates, Rutigliano said.

“Nick” Schewe mugshot distributed to police

Hasbrouck Heights Detective John Behr passed the information to his Wood-Ridge colleagues, who checked it out yesterday.

Officers Jeff Geisler and Mike Mueller spotted the vehicle and notified headquarters, which confirmed the warrant with the Marshals Service.

Behr and Hasbrouck Heights Officers Dussault and DeSimone then joined their Wood-Ridge colleagues at the scene.

Armed with assault rifles and service weapons, the officers approached the apartment and knocked on the door.

A woman answered, quietly let them in and told them that Schewe, 30, was in the bedroom.

He immediately surrendered, Rutigliano said.

Police also grabbed a second man, identified as John Phlug of Wood-Ridge, who Rutigliano said had 10 bags of heroin and was preparing to inject the drug.

Phlug (above, inset) was charged with possession of heroin, possession of drug paraphernalia, and possession of a syringe and released on a summons with a court date, Rutigliano said.

Schewe, who has string of drug and domestic assault convictions on his record, was brought to the Bergen County Jail, where he was picked up by U.S. Marshals earlier today.

MUGSHOTS: Courtesy WOOD-RIDGE PD

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