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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…
Brazen Burglar Hits 6 Bergen County Dunkin' Spots In Multi-County Spree: Prosecutor
A Newark man is behind bars after authorities say he went on a multi-county Dunkin’ burglary spree, swiping more than $18,000 in cash and leaving a trail of destruction behind.
Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella announced the arrest of 24-year-old Enajaim E. Bowman, who turned himself in on Tuesday, Feb. 25, after detectives tracked him down following weeks of investigation.
For nearly two months, Bowman prowled the overnight hours, prying open doors and smashing windows to loot cash registers, safes, and managers’ offices at Dunkin’ Donuts locations across Bergen, Middlesex, Morris, and…
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 …
Lodi Dad Killed On Route 46 Mourned As Loyal Friend
Shock and sadness spread following the death of a 37-year-old husband and father on Route 46 on Sunday, Feb. 9.
Adam Niesterowicz, 37, was struck by a 2023 Toyota in the westbound lanes while standing outside his 2015 Lexus around 11 p.m., Lodi Police Chief Donald Scorzetti said.
Niesterowicz was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver and passenger of the Toyota suffered serious but non-life-threatening injuries and were transported to the hospital for treatment.
A GoFundMe for Niesterowicz's wife, Justyna, and sons, Michael and Jacob, had raised more than $33,000 as of Tuesday, Feb. 11.…
Lodi Teacher Diana Pereira Dies, 42: 'Heaven Gained The Greatest Angel'
Diana Pereira, a longtime teacher in Lodi and Washington Township mother, died on Wednesday, Jan. 29, according to her obituary on the Di Chiara Funeral Home website. She was 42 years old.
Diana worked in the Lodi School District for 18 years as a teacher at the Hilltop Elementary School.
"Diana’s spirit was fulfilled when spending time with DJ, family, and friends, whether it was at the Caribbean Sea in Punta Cana, on the boat at Tice’s, or dancing to her favorite country and freestyle music," her obituary reads. "Diana had an infectious smile that would brighten any room she wal…
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…
Mom, Elmwood Park Kindergarten Teacher Nina Gumbman Dies, 32
Antonina "Nina" Gumbman (nee Cutrona) died on Wednesday, Oct. 30. She was 32 years old.
Nina was raised in Lodi and settled down in Hawthorne, where she lived with her husband, Keith, and their son, Nicholas, 3, according to her obituary on the Aloia Funeral Home website.
Nina worked as a Kindergarten teacher for 10 years, most recently in Elmwood Park at the 16 Avenue School.
A GoFundMe for Nina's husband and son had raised more than $20,000 as of Monday, Nov. 4.
"For over 10 years, Nina dedicated her life to teaching and inspiring countless students with her kindness, patience, and pass…
Preteen Sexually Assaulted By Bergen County Man, 33, Prosecutor Says
A 33-year-old Bergen County man has been arrested on child sex assault charges, authorities said.
Junior Reyes-Tejada, of Lodi, is accused of sexually assaulting a child under 13 years old in Lodi, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said.
The BCPO's Special Victims Unit was contacted on Wednesday, Sept. 25 regarding the accusations, Musella said.
Reyes-Tejada was arrested following an investigation and charged with first-degree aggravated sexual assault, second- degree sexual assault by contact, and second-degree endangering the welfare of a child. He was remanded to the…
Elmwood Park Gunman Who Robbed Victim Of Wristwatch At Gunpoint Arrested: Police
Two men have been arrested in a shooting robbery in which the assailants fled the scene in a Route 17 parking lot parking lot onto Route 80, where one fired shots at the victim's vehicle following them authorities said.
Shaheem A. Clark, 19, of Elmwood Park, has been identified as the gunman, while Jaquil M. Brown, 29, of Paterson, was the getaway driver in the Sunday, July 21 incident that happened around 11:25 p.m., Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said.
According to Musella, a group of friends had left a business on Route 17 in Lodi and got into a vehicle when a man on fo…
