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There's Copper Theft, Then There’s Nearly 2 Tons That Police In One NJ Town Say This Guy Got
A thief was caught by a Leonia police officer with 1,800 pounds of copper wire worth more than $10,000 that authorities said he stole from Con Ed job sites in Manhattan.
Victor Mejia, 38, of Leonia “appeared nervous and gave a conflicting statement” about his travels after Officer Ryan Berger stopped him on Fort Lee Road by DeGraw Avenue around 10:30 a.m. Friday, July 14, Capt. Chris Garris said.
In the back of his vehicle was “a large item under a blanket,” the captain said.
When Berger asked about it, Mejia admitted what he’d done, he said.
It's mind-boggling, really. Depending on …
Colombian Nationals Nabbed After NJ Home Break-In Nets Jewelry, Furs, Cash, More
Three Colombian nationals remain in federal custody and a fourth has already been deported after the government said they stole jewelry, a Rolex, an antique rifle, furs and cash in a home burglary in Union County.
The quartet also took a stamp collection, luxury bags and more after breaking into the Cranford home shortly before 5 p.m. last Nov. 30, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger said.
They then loaded the valuables into a red Honda Accord that they'd driven there, an FBI complaint on file in U.S. District Court in Newark says.
Sellinger, who put the total value of the loss at more than …
Serial Porch Piracy: 40 Packages From Different Addresses Found In New Milford Traffic Stop
A traffic stop by a New Milford police officer turned up dozens of packages swiped from various victims' homes, authorities said.
Freddy Collado, 38, of Perth Amboy, was taken into custody after a computer check by Officer Daniel O'Neill found an outstanding traffic warrant following the Milford Avenue stop for tinted windows and no front license plate, Capt. Kevin Van Saders said.
Collado was carrying $2,600 in cash and had "numerous packages with different names and addresses," as well as brass knuckles, in the car, the captain said.
"In total, there were approximately 40 items located,…
1 Busted, 3 At Large After Depositing $30K Worth Of Bogus Checks, Flemington Police Say
One suspect was arrested and three remain at large after altering checks that were stolen from PO boxes and making more than $30,000 worth of fraudulent deposits, Flemington police said.
The investigation began on Saturday, June 11, when officers responded to a Flemington business to take a report of fraudulent checks, the department said in a release on Wednesday, Oct. 19.
The following four months resulted in the issuing of warrants for the arrests of Tre Greene, 19, Richard Rowe, 22, Quamae Osborne, 23, and a 17-year-old juvenile, police said.
Investigators found that three separate che…
NJ Man With Warrants, NY Driver Had Loaded Ghost Gun, Ammo In Stolen Truck: Police
A New York man and New Jersey man with several warrants out for his arrest were in a stolen truck without plates when they were found with a loaded handgun and hollow point bullets over the weekend in Hudson County, authorities said.
Secaucus Officer Salvatore Manente Jr. spotted the parked Penske moving truck, occupied by Fabian D. Soto, 30, of New York, NY, and Fatah Iarkane, 23 of Secaucus, around 12 a.m. on Sunday, Aug. 21, Chief Dennis Miller said.
Soto, the driver, handed the officer a Virginia license plate, but a check of the registration revealed it had been sto…
Cops Use ‘Find My iPhone’ To Nab Suspect Who Sped Off In Stolen Car During Morris County Stop
A suspect who fled from police in a stolen vehicle was later found with help from Apple’s “Find My iPhone” function.
Justin Leuzarder, 39, was stopped for speeding on Route 10 in Denville around 4:25 a.m. on Sunday, August 14, police said.
Leuzarder, of Morristown, sped away as the officer was heading back to his patrol vehicle, initiating a brief chase that was quickly terminated because his identity was already known, police said.
Leuzarder’s vehicle was found a short time later near Dover-Chester Road in Randolph, where it was found to have been stolen out of Sea Girt, police said.
Sev…
Paterson Passenger, 15, Caught With Stolen, Loaded High-Powered Handgun: Police
Paterson police found a 15-year-old city boy carrying a loaded gun during a traffic stop, authorities said. It had been reported stolen out of Morris County, they said.
Detectives Suquan Gary, Mustafa Dombayci, John Traynor and Kenneth Kerwin found the weapon after stopping a late-model Kia whose driver blew a stop sign in the area of Rosa Parks Boulevard and Keen Street, Public Safety Director Jerry Speziale said.
The boy, who was sitting in the back seat, was carrying a Brand Herstal FN Five-seveN 5.7x28mm pistol reported stolen out of Mount Olive, he said.
"The weapon is extremely …
Slew Of Illegal Firearms, 100K Ammo Rounds Found At Home Of Morris County Man: Prosecutor
A Morris County man is facing numerous charges after a search of his home turned up dozens of illegal firearms and more than 100,000 rounds of ammo, authorities announced.
Erik Vandevelde, 33, was arrested on Wednesday, June 8 and charged with receiving stolen property, possession with intent to distribute LSD, and possession of Ketamine, as well as 14 counts of certain persons not to have weapons, unlawful possession of a weapon, receiving stolen property, and numerous other drug and weapons charges, Morris County Prosecutor Robert J. Carroll said in a joint release with county officials on…
3 Charged With Attempted Murder In Union County Shooting
Three men have been charged with attempted murder in an April 2021 shooting in which they fired 35 rounds at their target while in a stolen car in Union County, authorities said.
Raheim Morgan, 19 of Dunellen, Ja’Son Spann, 19 of Plainfield and Demetrius Stephens 19 of Piscataway, were driving on Liberty and West 4th streets in Plainfield, on April 26 around 1:30 p.m., when they opened fire, Union County Prosecutor William A. Daniel said.
The victim was able to hide and take cover, ultimately emerging unharmed, authorities said. Once on scene, officers found numerous shell spent casings and…
PD: West Milford Woman Assaults Clifton Officer, Kicks Out Cruiser Window, Grabs Police Baton
A West Milford woman punched a Clifton police officer in the head and then kicked out the interior partition window of a patrol cruiser and grabbed a police baton after being handcuffed, authorities said.
Ashley Dennison, 33, was with Michael Rompa, 45, of Edison when officers investigating two suspicious vehicles in the Home Depot lot on Bloomfield Avenue spotted them, Detective Sgt. Robert Anderson said Thursday.
One of the vehicles was a 2021 GMC pickup reported stolen from East Windsor and the other a 2020 Chevy van reported stolen out of Edison, he said.
The couple ran, but Dennison w…
1,544 Heroin Folds, Four Guns Seized, 10 People Busted In Paterson East Side Drug Strikes
Paterson police seized 1,544 heroin folds, a quarter-pound of crack and cocaine combined and 428 illegal pills while arresting several accused dealers -- one of whom was carrying two stolen guns, authorities said.
Narcotics Division detectives watched Tuesday as Doyan D. McDermott, 37, and Jeffrey Taylor, 39, assisted by Huntier Small, 38, served late-morning and early-afternoon drive-up customers outside their East 29th Street home, city Public Safety Director Jerry Speziale said.
After about 4½ hours, the investigators moved in.
They grabbed Small and McDermott, then chased down Taylor, …
Elmwood Park PD: Wanted Paterson Man Nabbed With Stolen Gun, Hollow Points, Oxy
A wanted Paterson man was carrying a stolen gun loaded with hollow-point bullets when Elmwood Park police arrested him, authorities said.
Brandon Diaz, 21, was driving a 2005 Honda Accord with an expired registration when he was stopped over the weekend, Police Chief Michael Foligno said.
They quickly learned that Diaz was wanted out of Paterson for aggravated assault with a firearm, Foligno said.
The officers arrested Diaz on the outstanding warrant, then searched the car and found the 9mm Taurus pistol, reported stolen out of Georgia, the chief said.
Diaz remained held Monday in the Ber…
Route 287 Stop: Mahwah Officers Find 4 Guns, Ammo, Ski Mask, Cash Scattered In Sports Car
Two Mahwah police officers found a pair of North Carolina men carrying four guns, dozens of rounds of ammunition and more during a Route 287 stop, authorities said.
Officers Matt Buonacore and Frank Federico stopped the 2015 Dodge Challenger for several traffic violations on the southbound highway shortly after 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, Police Chief Stephen Jaffe said.
As driver Guilherme Desouza Mendes, 19, retrieved documents from the glove compartment, the officers noticed a box of ammunition, Jaffe said.
The passenger, Tyrone K. Williams, 20, “acknowledged to the officers [that] there was a…
