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Saturday, apr 27
Tag:
Englewood, NJ
Police & Fire
Undocumented Englewood Resident Becomes Second Charged With Child Sex Assault This Week
Federal immigration agents seized a 49-year-old Mexican national who local authorities said sexually assaulted a pre-teen in Englewood. Abel Garcia Landeros became the second undocumented immigrant living in the city who was charged with a child sex crime this week. SEE: Guatemalan National Held By Feds Charged With Raping Pre-Teen In Englewood Landeros was charged with sexual assault and child endangerment by Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella’s Special Victims Unit after city police arrested him in Englewood. He'd just been booked into the Bergen County Jail on Thursday, April 25 whe…
Police & Fire
Guatemalan National Held By Feds Charged With Raping Pre-Teen In Englewood
A 21-year-old Guatemalan national seized by federal authorities has been charged with raping a pre-teen in Englewood last summer. Melvin Zacarias-Esquivel, who's been living in an apartment over a Colombian restaurant on West Palisade Avenue, remained in federal custody at the Elizabeth detention center on Friday, April 26, records show. Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said Friday that members of his Special Victims Unit charged Melvin Zacarias-Esquivel with aggravated sexual assault and child endangerment for forcibly having intercourse with the victim. They then served him with a c…
Police & Fire
Threatening Bathroom Graffiti Temporarily Closes Private Englewood School (
Update
)
𝗨𝗣𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘: Police were reviewing security video to determine who's responsible for a threat specifically mentioning Blacks and Hispanics that was found scrawled on a bathroom wall at Dwight-Englewood School. The K-12 school was closed on Wednesday, April 24, following the discovery earlier in the week of a message that investigators said threatens to "get even." The Bergen County Prosecutor's Office was alerted and police in Englewood are working the case, assisted by the county sheriff's forensics team, which collected evidence. "There's concern right now considering what just recently trans…
News
Officer Justified Shooting Knife-Wielding Englewood Man During Struggle
UPDATE: An Englewood police officer was justified in shooting a man who'd just stabbed three people, a grand jury ruled on Monday, April 22, following a state-required review. Chilling bodycam videos clearly show Englewood Police Officer Luana Sharpe and other officers were struggling over a knife with 22-year-old city resident Bernard Placide when she shot him on Labor Day 2022. A grand jury review was nonetheless required under New Jersey law because Placide died during an encounter with law enforcement. Evidence was collected by investigators with the state Office of Public Integrity an…
Police & Fire
Seen
HER? Concerns Grow Following Unconfirmed Call That Missing Englewood Woman Was Dead
𝗠𝗜𝗦𝗦𝗜𝗡𝗚: A caller's claim that a missing single mom had died hasn't been confirmed, said authorities in Englewood who've stepped up their search for her. Concerns initially were raised when Cynthia Anderson, 33, who'd recently been homeless, stopped communicating with friends, police said. They became extremely worried when none of them could find her, Lt. Fred Pulice said. "No one's been in touch with her for a while," the lieutenant said on Wednesday, April 17, nine days after Anderson was last heard from. "There's genuine concern." One of the friends got a call from a masked number tha…
Police & Fire
Heroes
: Englewood's Bravest Free Passenger From Overturned SUV, Police Say Driver Ran Light
Englewood firefighters freed a passenger in an SUV that got knocked onto its side after the driver ran a red light with her 5-year-old son in the back seat, authorities said. The 29-year-old Kia driver from Georgia was headed east on Van Nostrand Avenue crossing Grand Avenue when a Lexus SUV that had exited off northbound Route 4 rammed her vehicle around 11:30 a.m. Sunday, April 7, Police Lt. Fred Pulice said. Firefighters extricated a 48-year-old female passenger from Philadelphia, responders said. "Members used the Holmatro hydraulic rescue tools to remove the roof of the SUV while othe…
Real Estate
'Modern Day Marvel:' Look Inside Nearly $7M Bergen County Mansion
They call her the "Modern Day Marvel." The 14,000-square-foot Englewood mansion has hit the market at just under $7 million, listing agent Tony Nabhan of Keller Williams City Views Realty writes on the listing. The 420 Booth Ave. home is located in the East Hill section of the city and sits on a flat 1.54 acres. It was listed Friday, April 5. "This meticulously curated residence, crafted with sophisticated, clean lines provides an inviting atmosphere that effortlessly combines comfort and exquisite design, creating a remarkable retreat," the listing reads. "Every detail exudes …
Police & Fire
Englewood Man Charged With Sexually Assaulting Underage Teen
An underage teenager was sexually abused by a 24-year-old Englewood man multiple times over the past year, city police charged. Jowel G. Pinnock remained held in the Bergen County Jail on Tuesday, April 2, following his arrest the day before, records show. Pinnock had been "engaging in inappropriate sexual contact with a nonconsenting [teenage] female," Englewood Detective Lt. Fred Pulice said. "The acts occurred over the past year, beginning when the victim was 16 years of age," the lieutenant said. Pinnock is charged with three counts of aggravated sexual contact and one of child e…
Police & Fire
Ghoulish
: Englewood Pair Caught Burglarizing Bogota Home Where Military Vet, 74, Died In Fire
A rookie policeman and a veteran sergeant nabbed two Englewood men moments after they burglarized a home where a 74-year-old military veteran was killed in a fire four months ago, authorities said. Officer Anthony Montano and Sgt. Thomas Riedel were on patrol around 12:45 a.m. Wednesday, March 27, when they saw a 2008 Jeep Commander back out of the driveway of the River Road home where Gerald Gaimo died in an intense pre-dawn house fire last November, Lt. Geoffrey Cole said. The home had been boarded up following the fire, he noted.The Jeep driver suddenly turned the wrong way down a one-wa…
Police & Fire
Bergen Ex-Con Busted With Pistol Two Days After Prison Release
A Garfield ex-con was caught with a gun during a Little Ferry police stop just two days after he was released from prison, authorities said. Nazir R. Halloway, 26, spent a mandatory one year behind bars coincidentally after pleading guilty last year to unlawful possession of a handgun, records show. He was paroled on Monday, March 18, according to the New Jersey Department of Corrections. Little Ferry Lt. John Andronaco was on patrol when he spotted a 2020 Acura ILX with darkly-tinted windows in the parking lot of the Stagecoach Motel just off westbound Route 46 shortly after midnight Wedn…
Police & Fire
Close
CALL: Stolen Car Rams Englewood Police Cruiser
An Englewood officer escaped serious injury when a police cruiser was rammed by a driver in a stolen car, authorities said. Several occupants were in the 2019 Honda Pilot when a license plate reader flagged the vehicle – which had been reported stolen out of Elizabeth earlier that day -- shortly after 10:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 13, Deputy Police Chief Matthew de la Rosa said. Officers tried to stop the SUV on South Dean Street, but it sped off, the deputy chief said. The pursuit headed south on Broad Avenue, where the Pilot slammed into a cruiser, sending it spinning out, he said. The po…
Police & Fire
Bergenfield Widower, 94, Charged In Hit-And-Run Death Of Beloved Teacher From Dumont
UPDATE: A 94-year-old widower from Bergenfield was charged with the hit-and-run death of a teacher from Dumont, authorities confirmed on Friday. Ernest F. Hofmann was driving a 2002 Ford F-150 pickup that struck Elizabeth Feliciano-Rosa, 54, as she crossed Madison Avenue at Washington Avenue at 5:19 p.m. Thursday, March 14, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said. The victim was taken to Hackensack University Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead. Hofmann kept going, the prosecutor said. CPR was being conducted on the 44-year-old victim after she was struck at Washington &a…
Police & Fire
Compassionate, Committed, Adored: Englewood Teacher From Dumont ID'd As Fatal Hit-Run Victim
𝗨𝗣𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘: A shocked silence that gripped a downtown intersection was pierced by the anguished scream of a woman whose mother -- a popular school teacher in Englewood -- had just been struck and killed by a hit-and-run driver less than a mile from her Dumont home. A lifeless Elizabeth Rosa lay off the corner of Washington and West Madison avenues as the driver who hit her stopped and got out, according to a witness. He just as quickly got back into the red pickup truck and sped off, the witness said. ****** 𝗨𝗣𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘: A 94-year-old widower from Bergenfield was charged with the hit-and-run …
Police & Fire
Update
: Teaneck Woman Remains Hospitalized After Husband’s Suicide Fire Kills 2nd Victim
FOR THE RECORD: A Teaneck woman remained hospitalized weeks after her husband ignited a gasoline-fueled fire that killed himself and another woman in their basement apartment. Ranjodh Singh IV, 35, “purposely set fire to himself in the basement apartment” shortly after midnight Feb. 19, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said last week. “As a result, the fire spread rapidly through the basement and trapped the other two occupants of the apartment,” Musella said. He used an accelerant, the prosecutor said, which responders said was gasoline. Singh died before dawn. Single mom Manjin…
News
North Jersey Daycare Damaged By Flooding Sees Community Support
A New Jersey daycare that has always been there for people in need now needs help of its own. Last week, the Westside Infant Daycare in Englewood at 192 West Demarest Ave. suffered severe damage in flood. The flood destroyed cribs, toys, books and furniture and the daycare remains closed. A fundraiser has been set up to support the daycare. As of Friday, March 8, more than $2,000 has been raised. Vivi Nguyen, who organized the fundraiser, is a former graduate of the Westside Infant Daycare and Teen Parent Program and said she benefitted from the childcare and counseling they provided…
Police & Fire
Arson
? Body Found Following Fierce Fire In Ridgefield (
Update
)
𝗨𝗣𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘: A former bed and breakfast in Ridgefield had been leveled by fire when responders found the remains of a man wrapped around a support beam. “He must’ve been alive and trying to hold on when the floor above him collapsed,” said a firefighter who was at the predawn blaze at the former Toddle Inn on Broad Avenue on Wednesday, March 6. Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella identified the victim on Friday as 42-year-old Xavier Contreras. An Ecuadoran national, the homeless Contreras sometimes joined the groups of day laborers waiting for passing contractors in nearby Palisades Park, jus…
Sports
NJ Sportswriter Pens Book About Aaron Rodgers
To many, New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers is a total enigma. A Bergen County sportswriter is hoping to peel back the layers. Ian O'Connor, an Englewood native who lives in River Vale, is the author of "Out of the Darkness: The Mystery of Aaron Rodgers," which is set to be published in August. O'Connor has previously written biographies about coaching legends Bill Belichick and Mike Krzyzewski. The book dives deep into Rodgers' many news making events, from his opposition to the COVID vaccine to being estranged from his family, according to a synopsis. O'Connor tol…
Obituaries
Comedian Richard Lewis, North Jersey Native, Dies At 76
Richard Lewis, the iconic comedian who dressed in all black and was raised in Bergen County, died on Tuesday, Feb 27 from a heart attack, his publicist said. He was 76. Lewis lived in Englewood and was a 1965 graduate of Dwight Morrow High School. Getting into standup in the 1970s, he made numerous appearances on "The Tonight Show" and "Late Night With David Letterman," where he would vent about his various hangups, freely using his hands to make a point. Comedy Central named him one of the 100 Greatest Comedians Of All-Time. A Blast from the Past Lewis starred in several sitcoms, i…
Police & Fire
Fugitive From NYC Wanted For Murdering Fellow Out-Of-Stater In Englewood Captured In Colombia
The long arm of the law reached 2,400 miles to South America, where authorities arrested a fugitive wanted for shooting a Yonkers resident dead in Englewood late last summer. Joshua Alvarado, 29, of New York City was captured in Medellin last Saturday, Feb. 17, with assistance from U.S. Marshals and the Colombian National Police, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said. Alvarado is charged with murder, felony murder, armed burglary, aggravated assault and weapons offenses, among other counts, the prosecutor said. Englewood police responding to a 911 call to a residence on Mevan Avenue …
Obituaries
Charles Osgood, Former Host Of 'CBS Sunday Morning,' North Jersey Resident, Dies At 91
Charles Osgood, a fixture on "CBS Sunday Morning" for decades and a longtime resident of Bergen County, died on Tuesday, Jan. 23 at the age of 91 from dementia in Upper Saddle River, his family announced in an obituary shared by CBS News. Osgood, born Charles Osgood Wood III joined CBS News in 1971 and anchored the venerable Sunday morning broadcast for 22 years from 1994 to 2016. He also appeared on "CBS Morning News" and "CBS Evening News with Dan Rather," and hosted "The Osgood File" on CBS Radio. His signature signoff was "I'll see you on the radio." Our beloved former …
Police & Fire
Englewood Ex-Con Caught With Stolen Gun: Rochelle Park PD
An Englewood ex-con who was sentenced to probation just two months ago in connection with an assault was caught by Rochelle Park police with a stolen -- and loaded -- gun, authorities said. Officer Chris Kiszka stopped a Honda Accord on Essex Street around 12:30 a.m. Monday, Jan. 22, because passenger Zachary Anderson, 31, and two of his companions weren't wearing seatbelts, Police Capt. James M. DePreta said. Kiszka was joined by Sgt. Brian Gallina and Officers Jorge Orihuela and Anthony Ferrulli, the captain said. A perimeter sniff by a Bergen County Sheriff's K-9 led to a search that …
Schools
More Than 60K NJ Families Now Eligible For Free School Meals
A new law will make thousands of New Jersey students newly eligible for free school lunches and breakfasts. Gov. Phil Murphy signed a bill into law on Tuesday, Jan. 16, expanding the eligibility for free meals to more than 60,000 additional families. According to the Working Class Families Anti-Hunger Act, public and non-public schools in the National School Lunch Program or federal School Breakfast Program will provide meals to students in households with an income of up to 224 percent of the federal poverty level. The bill signing comes after Gov. Murphy renewed his push for f…
Weather
1.2K Without Power In Wayne (
Storm
Damage
Update
)
North Jersey residents are feeling the impact of this week's storm with thousands still without power and schools closed or delayed. In Bergen County, houses were hit on East Midland Avenue in Paramus and on Sunset Avenue in Englewood. A Mahwah police officer also escaped serious injury when a falling tree struck his cruiser. Route 17 was closed in both directions at various times in multiple spots, including in Hasbrouck Heights around 9:30 p.m., in East Rutherford just before midnight and in Rochelle Park about an hour later. A stretch of Route 46 in Lodi also was under water, as we…
News
NJ Makes It Easier To Get Off Treadmill Of Unwanted Gym Memberships
If you're ditching the gym because you've already given up on a New Year's resolution or you no longer need it to reach your goals, a new law in New Jersey will make it easier to cancel your membership. Gov. Phil Murphy signed a bill on Monday, Jan. 8, that aims to increase transparency for canceling gym memberships online. The law will require gym subscription services that can be entered into online to offer an online cancellation option. A gym's website must make an option to cancel a membership easily accessible, within a person's account profile, or through a termination emai…
Business
Popular Restaurateur Opening Bergen County Tequila Bar With 'Modern Twist'
A North Jersey restauranteur is expanding his empire with a tequila bar in Englewood. Ariel Espejo is opening Mexcal Tequila Bar at 24 N Van Brunt St. in the city sometime in February. Espejo, who runs Bent Hospitality with his partner, Michele Bittan, also runs Vida Garden, El Tango, Hidden Garden in Englewood and Tengo Steak in Moonachie. Mexcal Tequila Bar will offer almost 80 different kinds of tequila, along with Mexican cuisine like tacos, enchiladas while a DJ will be on hand during the weekend. Espejo felt Englewood was missing an establishment like Mexcal. "It's a convenient loca…
Police & Fire
Feds
: Serial Burglar Makes Bogus Calls To Divert Police Before Multiple NJ Drug Store Break-Ins
A hapless burglar tried to keep police in a half-dozen Bergen County towns busy with bogus calls of carjackings, kidnappings and other threats to try and buy himself time to break into local drug stores, federal authorities said. Michael J. Gynegrowski, 34, hit pharmacies in Cresskill, Hackensack, Oradell, River Vale and Teaneck, usually by breaking a window, they said. Six of a reported 10 attempts failed, but Gynegrowski did swipe a significant amount of Oxy, promethazine and other medications from an Englewood drug store, investigators told Daily Voice. Police in the various towns …
Police & Fire
Bias
Crime
: Englewood Man Attacks Couple Trying To Stop Vandalism Of Pro-Israel Sign: Leonia PD
A 23-year-old Englewood man assaulted a man and hit a woman who tried to stop him from vandalizing a pro-Israel sign on a Leonia street, authorities charged. The couple was headed across the Edgewood Road bridge over Route 95 shortly before 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 20, when they saw Keon Jordan Davis Williams damaging the sign, Leonia Police Chief Scott Tamagny said. They pulled over and exchanged words with him, the chief said. Davis-Williams then “knocked the driver’s cellphone out of his hand, damaging the cellphone, then assaulted the driver and struck the passenger when she attempted…
Police & Fire
Brawl At End Of Teaneck HS Basketball Game Versus Hackensack Brings Area Reinforcements
A wave of police from nearly a dozen area law enforcement agencies converged on Teaneck High School after a brawl erupted Thursday night at the end of a two-point boys basketball victory over Hackensack. A girls basketball game against both schools in Hackensack had been canceled following a fight there, which brought extra uniformed and plainclothes officers to the Dec. 14 match at Teaneck High School. At the end of the 54-52 boys game, the officers “observed several small fights erupt between groups of spectators,” Teaneck Police Chief Andrew McGurr said. There was also a report that a t…
Obituaries
Man Killed In Parkway Crash In Clifton Remembered
Andres Felipe Valencia-Castano, an Englewood resident, was killed on the Garden State Parkway in Clifton on Sunday, Dec. 3 when he was struck by a vehicle while parked on the shoulder. He was 33 years old. "Felipe was always found smiling and would do his best to always go out of his way to help others;" Samina Sanders, who organized a fundraiser for Valencia-Castano's family, said. "He was a kind-hearted gentle person and embodied a true team spirit. He will be missed and remembered very fondly." The fundraiser raised $11,404 before it stopped acting donations. Valencia-Castano leaves behi…
Police & Fire
Aide In Englewood After-School Program Charged With Sexually Assaulting Pre-Teen
A now-former aide with an after-school program in Englewood was arrested over the weekend and charged with sexually assaulting a preteen, authorities confirmed on Monday. Johnathan Jones, 21, “sexually assaulted a child under the age of 13 in Englewood while in a supervisory role,” Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said on Dec. 4. Jones, who lives in the Passaic County town of Bloomingdale, was employed by the city Recreation Department as an aide with the “SunFun at McCloud” After-School Program at the Dr. Leroy McCloud Elementary School on Tenafly Road, District Schools Supt. Dr.…
Police & Fire
Pickup Crash Kills Bergen Minivan Driver, 33, Parked Across Darkened Garden State Parkway:
Njsp
A 33-year-old driver from Englewood whose van was parked across the right lane and shoulder of the northbound Garden State Parkway in Clifton was killed when it was rammed by a pickup truck before dawn, State Police said. Andres Valencia-Castano, 33, of Englewood was behind the wheel of a Dodge minivan that was parked across the right lane and shoulder when it was struck at 3:47 a.m. just south of Exit 154 on Sunday, Dec. 3, NJSP Trooper Troy McNair said. Valencia-Castano was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash in the area of milepost 155.7, the trooper said. It wasn't imme…
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