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Rochelle Park, NJ

DUI Jersey Shore Driver Found With Cocaine, Bogus Passports In Traffic Stop: PD DUI Jersey Shore Driver Found With Cocaine, Bogus Passports In Traffic Stop: PD
DUI Jersey Shore Driver Found With Cocaine, Bogus Passports In Traffic Stop: PD More than $32,000 in cash, cocaine, fake European passports and more were seized from an intoxicated driver and his New York passenger in a motor vehicle stop over the weekend in Bergen County, NJ, police said. George Lenard, 23, of Morganville, NJ, was stopped on West Passaic Street by Rochelle Park Police Officer Chris Kiszka around 11 p.m. Friday, Sept. 14, for erratic driving, RPPD Chief Dean Pinto said. Lenard quickly jumped into the backseat and pretended to be asleep, Pinto said. Meanwhile, the officer spotted open containers of alcohol in the center console, and Lenard ap…
Storm Update: Flooding, Crashes Close NJ Roads Storm Update: Flooding, Crashes Close NJ Roads
Storm Update: Flooding, Crashes Close NJ Roads Following fierce storms swept through the region Tuesday evening, Aug. 6, many roadways were still flooded and wet, making for treacherous commutes Wednesday, Aug. 7. As of 8 a.m., Route 17 north was closed in Hasbrouck Heights at Route 46 due to flooding. The borough's fire department shared scenes from local streets. Last night, members stood by at the firehouse in anticipation of the storm. For several hours, the department responded... Posted by Hasbrouck Heights Fire Department on Wednesday, August 7, 2024 Last night, members stood by at the firehouse in anticipation of the st…
Remains Of Maywood Man Missing Since 1982 Found In Bergen Creek Remains Of Maywood Man Missing Since 1982 Found In Bergen Creek
Remains Of Maywood Man Missing Since 1982 Found In Bergen Creek The last time his buddies saw Charles Murphy, former World Series MVP Reggie Jackson had returned to the Bronx, hit a home run and helped the California Angels beat their beloved Yankees. That was 42 years ago. Decades passed, then Doug Bishop showed up. Bishop's name may be familiar to some, thanks to the acclaim the diver received for his help finding the remains in a South Jersey river late last week of a Camden woman who'd gone missing 14 years ago. That was actually a side trip of sorts. Bishop and his non-profit United Search Corps had brought their sonar to New Jersey fo…
140 Shopping Carts Stolen From Rochelle Park ShopRite: Man, 77, Younger Pal Busted 140 Shopping Carts Stolen From Rochelle Park ShopRite: Man, 77, Younger Pal Busted
140 Shopping Carts Stolen From Rochelle Park ShopRite: Man, 77, Younger Pal Busted A 77-year-old Cuban national and a middle-aged accomplice from Newark were arrested after 140 shopping carts were stolen from the Rochelle Park ShopRite over the course of two weeks, authorities said. The carts began vanishing from the parking lot of the West Passaic Street supermarket on March 27, Rochelle Park Police Capt. James M. DePreta said.By early this week, 140 were gone, the captain said. Total value: $28,000 (or $200 per).  Reviewing surveillance video with supermarket security, Rochelle Park Detective Sgt. Jared Shatkin and Detective Nick Mercoun identified a distinctive r…
Naked Intruder Mops Floors In Private School: Rochelle Park PD Naked Intruder Mops Floors In Private School: Rochelle Park PD
Naked Intruder Mops Floors In Private School: Rochelle Park PD A homeless man with a criminal history was recorded on video entering a private school in Rochelle Park at night, stripping and then mopping the floors naked, authorities said. Chayson Ortiz, 30, is accused of trespassing at the Sage Day School both on Christmas Eve and Christmas. Ortiz "proceeded to de-robe and began cleaning and mopping the hallway floors while naked," Rochelle Park Police Capt. James DePreta said. He also rummaged through lost and found boxes, took a break in a teacher's lounge and washed his clothes in the mop bucket, the captain said. Detectives Sgt. Jared Shatkin qu…
Batch Of Bogus Bills Seized, Couple Busted In Rochelle Park Stop Batch Of Bogus Bills Seized, Couple Busted In Rochelle Park Stop
Batch Of Bogus Bills Seized, Couple Busted In Rochelle Park Stop More than $2,000 in counterfeit 20s and 50s apparently intended for a Bergen County shopping spree was seized by Rochelle Park police during a traffic stop, authorities said. Officer Chris Kiszka pulled over the Hyundai Genesis on dead-ended Lexington Avenue off Cliff Street after the driver committed multiple traffic violations shortly before 1 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 29, Capt. James M. DePreta said. Empty prescription bottles and other paraphernalia were in plain view, the captain said. The driver, Wade Wallace, 37, of Trenton also had a suspended license, DePreta said. A positive indicati…
Rochelle Park School Board Member Running For Municipal Office Busted For DWI Rochelle Park School Board Member Running For Municipal Office Busted For DWI
Rochelle Park School Board Member Running For Municipal Office Busted For DWI A Rochelle Park Board of Education member who's running for a seat on the Township Committee was busted for DWI earlier this month, police records show. Officers responding to a call found a Toyota SUV with a green light idling in a left-turn lane on Railroad Avenue shortly before 4 a.m. Oct. 7, according to a report filed by one of them. Jorge A. Martinez Jr. was alone in the vehicle and had his head down as they pulled, the officers said. Once they did, Martinez suddenly turned onto Rochelle Avenue headed north, they said. They pulled him over near the Rochelle Park firehouse. Mart…
UPDATE: Ramifications Follow Arrests Of Tenafly Council President And Son On Child Porn Charges UPDATE: Ramifications Follow Arrests Of Tenafly Council President And Son On Child Porn Charges
Update: Ramifications Follow Arrests Of Tenafly Council President And Son On Child Porn Charges Shock waves spread from one corner of Bergen County to another with the arrests of Tenafly Council President Jeffrey D. Grossman and his son on child pornography charges following a raid Thursday at the family home. Jeff Grossman, 65, is a longtime elementary school teacher in Rochelle Park. Steven Grossman, 24, is a substitute teacher in the same district. Both men “used the Internet to view, download and possess items depicting nude and/or sexually explicit prepubescent and pubescent children,” Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said. Their Oct. 11 arrests stem from an investigation …
Tenafly Council President And Son Jailed On Child Porn Charges Tenafly Council President And Son Jailed On Child Porn Charges
Tenafly Council President And Son Jailed On Child Porn Charges Tenafly Council President Jeffrey D. Grossman and his son, Steven, were both arrested and jailed on child pornography charges following a raid on the family home on Thursday. Shock waves were felt in the borough as well as in Rochelle Park, where Jeff Grossman, 65, is an elementary school teacher and his 24-year-old son a substitute teacher. Both men “used the Internet to view, download and possess items depicting nude and/or sexually explicit prepubescent and pubescent children,” Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said. Their Oct. 11 arrests stem from an investigation by members of Mu…
HELP WANTED: New School Resource Officer Sought In Rochelle Park HELP WANTED: New School Resource Officer Sought In Rochelle Park
Help Wanted: New School Resource Officer Sought In Rochelle Park Rochelle Park police are seeking a retired law enforcement officer to work in one of the township's schools. The recent promotion of Sgt. Chris Bermudez to lieutenant created the opening at the K-8 Midland School No. 1, Detective Capt. James DePreta said. The Special Law Enforcement Officer III would be paid $35 an hour for a part-time 40-hour workweek whenever school is officially in session, the captain said. The scheduled start time is early this September for the 2023-24 school year, he said. "Under the supervision of the chief of police and/or the chief's designee, the individual wor…
NJ Mayor Who Opposed Pride Flag Raising Ousted By Colleagues NJ Mayor Who Opposed Pride Flag Raising Ousted By Colleagues
NJ Mayor Who Opposed Pride Flag Raising Ousted By Colleagues A New Jersey mayor who allegedly called some fellow elected officials "not good Catholics" for supporting the raising of a rainbow flag during Pride Month was removed from office by members of his own party. The flag controversy ended up being the last straw for fellow Republicans who were already at war with now-former Rochelle Park Mayor Perrin Mosca over what they said was abusive behavior. Three who sit on the Township Committee voted 4-0 with Democrat Linda Boniface to oust Mosca earlier this week. Deputy Mayor Jennifer Appice took over as acting mayor following the work session vote …
Accused $550,000 Mortgage Fraud Schemer From Bergen Already Had A History, Records Show Accused $550,000 Mortgage Fraud Schemer From Bergen Already Had A History, Records Show
Accused $550,000 Mortgage Fraud Schemer From Bergen Already Had A History, Records Show Gerrmaioud Chape was no stranger to police and prosecutors in Bergen County. So it wasn’t surprising to some when county prosecutors charged him with stealing $525,000 from unwitting investors through mortgage fraud. Chape, 43, already had a petty criminal history that included arrests for speeding, shoplifting and drugs when Bogota police charged him in 2015 with pocketing $40,000 that a Colombian brother and sister saved to come to America. The money was supposed to be a down payment on a mortgage for the siblings’ new home, authorities said at the time, but Chape used it instead on pers…
Serial NJ Phony Fire Inspector Has Yet To Learn His Lesson, Police In DC Say Serial NJ Phony Fire Inspector Has Yet To Learn His Lesson, Police In DC Say
Serial NJ Phony Fire Inspector Has Yet To Learn His Lesson, Police In DC Say He's a little bit older and a little bit grayer, but Michael Carrion is the same phony fire inspector now that he was in 2018, authorities in Washington DC say. Carrion, who was being held at Riker's Island for a parole violation when he was being sought out of various New Jersey towns in 2018, is now wanted out of the nation's capital for pulling the same stunt that landed him in trouble with the law back then. CarrionMUGSHOT: Courtesy WAYNE PD This time, 56-year-old Carrion posed as a fire inspector at a DC bagel shop on April 21, and left with nearly $1,000 in cash, according to DC N…
These NJ Schools Are Closed, Delayed Due To Snow Tuesday, Feb. 28 These NJ Schools Are Closed, Delayed Due To Snow Tuesday, Feb. 28
These NJ Schools Are Closed, Delayed Due To Snow Tuesday, Feb. 28 The first winter storm of the season is causing a change in plans for New Jersey schools on Tuesday, Feb. 28. Some districts have delayed openings while others are closed completely. Here's a list of which school are closed or delayed for Tuesday, Feb. 28. Check your school/district's website for details. Bedminster: 10: 50 a.m. start Bellville: Delayed Bergen County Tech: Closed Bergenfield: 2-hour delay Bernards: 2-hour delay Bloomfield: Delay Bloomingdale: Closed Bogota: Delayed Butler: Closed Cliffside Park: 10 a.m. start Clifton: Delayed Closter: Delayed Cresskill: Delayed Demarest: …
WATCH: YouTube Video Shows Rapper Assaulting Bergen Shop Rite Worker, Harassing Customers WATCH: YouTube Video Shows Rapper Assaulting Bergen Shop Rite Worker, Harassing Customers
Watch: YouTube Video Shows Rapper Assaulting Bergen Shop Rite Worker, Harassing Customers One way to pretty much guarantee you'll be arrested is to record a crime and post it on YouTube -- in high def, no less. Just ask drill music rapper Nas Ebk. Nasir Valenzuela, who has produced prank videos that push the limits of legality, joined two accomplices in harassing and intimidating customers and employees at the ShopRite in Rochelle Park while recording it. Some of their targets laughed it off. At least one seemed intimidated. Others simply ignored them. One worker, in particular, wasn't having it, though. The video shows Valenzuela, 19, of the Bronx, snatching the stock cler…
Plump Fragrance Thieves Flee Bergen Mall Ulta In U-Haul, Store's 3rd Big Theft In Two Months Plump Fragrance Thieves Flee Bergen Mall Ulta In U-Haul, Store's 3rd Big Theft In Two Months
Plump Fragrance Thieves Flee Bergen Mall Ulta In U-Haul, Store's 3rd Big Theft In Two Months Whether the fragrances sold at Ulta stores achieve their purpose is open to question, but one thing's for sure: They attract thieves. For the second time this month -- and the third in nine weeks -- thieves hit the Ulta Beauty Store on the Maywood side of Bergen Town Center. This time it was women, two of them, both black, heavyset and wearing hats and masks, Maywood Police Chief Terence Kenny said. The getaway car? A U-Haul truck. The brazen pair fled south on Route 17 after snatching $3,500 worth of fragrances shortly after 11:30 a.m. Saturday, the chief said. Responding officers who …
REEL STORY: Ex-Con Nabbed With Gun Fished From Lake: Rochelle Park PD REEL STORY: Ex-Con Nabbed With Gun Fished From Lake: Rochelle Park PD
Reel Story: Ex-Con Nabbed With Gun Fished From Lake: Rochelle Park PD A Newark ex-con was carrying a gun that he'd apparently fished out of a lake when a Rochelle Park police officer pulled him over Sunday morning, authorities said. Officer Chris Kiszka called for a Bergen County Sheriff's K-9 Unit after stopping Lamont House, 31, for multiple motor vehicle violations on West Passaic around 10:30 a.m. Feb. 19, Lt. James DePreta said. A positive indication prompted a search that turned up a Hi-Point Arms .380-caliber handgun in the trunk, the lieutenant said. House was charged with various weapons offenses, including having a firearm in his possession as a co…
‘Polícia!’ Getaway Driver Shouts Before Colombian Burglary Crew Is Captured By Paramus PD ‘Polícia!’ Getaway Driver Shouts Before Colombian Burglary Crew Is Captured By Paramus PD
‘Polícia!’ Getaway Driver Shouts Before Colombian Burglary Crew Is Captured By Paramus PD A watchful neighbor gave Paramus police the drop on a Colombian burglary crew that had just broken into a local home, leading to four quick arrests, authorities said. “Polícia!” the getaway driver shouted into his cell phone as Officers Kevin Osback and Dan DiRienzo arrived at the Haywood Drive home shortly after 11:30 a.m. last Friday, Dec. 23, Deputy Police Chief Robert Guidetti said. The officers and several other colleagues converged on the block after a resident called to report two hooded bandits dressed all in black entering the rear of a neighbor’s home, the deputy chief said on Tue…
D-I-V-O-WTF? Man Jumps On Hood Of Car Driven By Estranged Wife Outside Route 17 Starbucks D-I-V-O-WTF? Man Jumps On Hood Of Car Driven By Estranged Wife Outside Route 17 Starbucks
D-i-v-o-wtf? Man Jumps On Hood Of Car Driven By Estranged Wife Outside Route 17 Starbucks Talk about an ugly separation: Anyone watching what became a bizarre mid-morning scene outside a Route 17 Starbucks had to be shaking their heads. As police told it: A man jumped on the hood of his sedan in an effort to stop his estranged wife and their son from stealing it as countless java junkies and bemused motorists looked on. The vehicle in question: A Ford Fusion. Joanne Schielzo, 55, of Garfield was "unsatisfied" with her husband getting the $25,000 sedan in their impending divorce, Rochelle Park Police Lt. James M. DePreta said. So she "concocted a plan to regain possession," th…
Police: Large-Scale Chilean Burglary Crew Member Caught In Rochelle Park Home, Others Sought Police: Large-Scale Chilean Burglary Crew Member Caught In Rochelle Park Home, Others Sought
Police: Large-Scale Chilean Burglary Crew Member Caught In Rochelle Park Home, Others Sought Police nabbed one Thanksgiving Day burglar inside a Rochelle Park home and were looking for another -- both of whom are believed to belong to a large-scale Chilean break-in crew. Victor Ramirez-Troncoso, 40, had only just arrived in the U.S. on Sunday, Nov. 20, Lt. James M. DePreta said. Officers from Rochelle Park, Paramus and Maywood converged on the Peek Street home after he and another burglar triggered interior motion cameras around 7:30 p.m. on the holiday, Lt. James M. DePreta said. Both were wearing gloves and masks and carrying flashlights, he said. A broken window led Officers B…
GOTCHA! Porch Pirate Pinched After Pilfering Package, Rochelle Park Police Say GOTCHA! Porch Pirate Pinched After Pilfering Package, Rochelle Park Police Say
Gotcha! Porch Pirate Pinched After Pilfering Package, Rochelle Park Police Say Porch pirating is in full swing as Christmas draws nearer, say Rochelle Park police who worked with their colleagues in Essex County to nab a suspect from South Jersey. A doorbell camera at a West Oldis Street home captured images of 21-year-old Leandro Malara of Gloucester City snatching a package, Lt. James M. DePreta said. Malara wore a distinctive Adidas-style tracksuit and left his four-door 2018 Maserati -- with stolen license plates--  running out front, he said. Detective Brian Cobb broadcast images of the package thief and was working soon after with his colleagues in Millbu…
Unique Tattoo Makes ID’ing Suspect In Tri-County Crime Spree Simple, Police In North Jersey Say Unique Tattoo Makes ID’ing Suspect In Tri-County Crime Spree Simple, Police In North Jersey Say
Unique Tattoo Makes ID’ing Suspect In Tri-County Crime Spree Simple, Police In North Jersey Say When it comes to distinguishing marks, it's tough to beat an enormous butterfly-skull neck tattoo. It helped police identify an 18-year-old Newark man charged with breaking into homes or vehicles in no fewer than three North Jersey counties. Authorities in Rochelle Park became the latest to charge Zaire Gaskins, with police in even more towns possibly following. ROCHELLE PARK: Gaskins and two accomplices tried taking a BMW from a residence on West Oldis Street on Sept. 18, Police Lt. James DePreta said. When they couldn’t find the keys inside the vehicle, one of them unsuccessfully tried t…
GONE IN 60 SECONDS: Catalytic Converter Thieves Caught On Video GONE IN 60 SECONDS: Catalytic Converter Thieves Caught On Video
Gone IN 60 Seconds: Catalytic Converter Thieves Caught On Video WATCH: Two thieves needed barely a minute to swipe a catalytic converter from a vehicle parked in a Bergen County resident's driveway, home security video shows. It begins when an Infiniti sedan pulls up to a home on East Passaic Street in Rochelle Park. Two passengers emerge wearing ski masks, hoodies and gloves. One of them has on a Reebok top and striped pants. The other carries what looks like a reciprocating saw with a light on the end. As his companion keeps a lookout, the tool wielder climbs under the front of the parked SUV, then reaches beneath the side. He emerges with the part…
Pre-Dawn Fire Destroys Lodi Home Pre-Dawn Fire Destroys Lodi Home
Pre-Dawn Fire Destroys Lodi Home Fire engulfed a home in Lodi overnight. No injuries were reported in the blaze, which apparently was ignited outside the rear of the 2½-story home on Blueridge Road shortly after 4 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 27. Firefighters were forced into an exterior attack as flames quickly spread through the house, collapsing the roof. The fire ignited out back of the Blueridge Road home in Lodi and spread quickly.Damien Danis for DAILY VOICE They were also hampered by early water issues. Even after the bulk of the blaze was knocked down, they were dousing flames past daybreak. Firefighters were for…
Ex-Cons Just Out Of Prison Charged With Carjacking Hackensack Driver In Rochelle Park Ex-Cons Just Out Of Prison Charged With Carjacking Hackensack Driver In Rochelle Park
Ex-Cons Just Out Of Prison Charged With Carjacking Hackensack Driver In Rochelle Park Two ex-cons who'd only just been released from prison carjacked a Hackensack driver outside a Rochelle Park supermarket, authorities charged. Anthony Aguilar, 24, of Garfield and Elijah Battle, 25, of Paterson were wearing masks when they accosted the driver and took his Audi in the parking lot of the D-Mart Indian-Asian Farmers Market on Rochelle Avenue around 8 p.m. June 16, they said Friday. The robbers abandoned the vehicle a couple of blocks away and fled in a red Toyota Rav 4 that had been reported stolen out of Paterson, investigators said. The victim sustained minor injuries. Mea…
Wanted Route 17 Driver Had Air Pistol, Ski Mask, More: Rochelle Park PD Wanted Route 17 Driver Had Air Pistol, Ski Mask, More: Rochelle Park PD
Wanted Route 17 Driver Had Air Pistol, Ski Mask, More: Rochelle Park PD A driver from Staten Island was caught with an air pistol, a ski mask and an outstanding warrant when Rochelle Park police stopped him on Route 17, authorities said. Officer Chris Kiszka pulled over the BMW with Florida transporter plates for multiple equipment violations on the southbound highway around 9:30 p.m. Tuesday, Lt. James M. DePreta said. The driver, 22-year-old Devonte Thomas, was unable to provide a valid registration or proof of insurance, he said. While Kiszka was dealing with him, backup Officer Jorge Orihuela spotted what looked like a handgun sticking out from beneath the…
Three Captured After Stolen SUV Rams Vehicles In Paramus Pursuit Three Captured After Stolen SUV Rams Vehicles In Paramus Pursuit
Three Captured After Stolen SUV Rams Vehicles In Paramus Pursuit BREAKING: Three suspects in a stolen SUV rammed multiple vehicles, including a Paramus police car, before officers from neighboring departments helped nab them as they fled, responders said. A female occupant of one of the civilian vehicles had to be hospitalized in the wake of the pursuit and crashes early Monday evening, all of which happened in a matter of minutes. The 2022 Mercedes GLS reportedly was stolen out of Manalapan around 7 p.m. Sunday. It was being tracked via GPS and had apparently been circling Newark before it was identified on Franklin Turnpike in Ridgewood on Monday. Par…
UPDATE: Senior Homeowner, Daughter's Fiancé Killed In South Hackensack House Fire UPDATE: Senior Homeowner, Daughter's Fiancé Killed In South Hackensack House Fire
Update: Senior Homeowner, Daughter's Fiancé Killed In South Hackensack House Fire UPDATE: An elderly homeowner and her daughter's fiancé died in an overnight house fire in South Hackensack, authorities confirmed. The Agar Place fire broke out in the rear of the 1½-story home shortly after 3 a.m. and instantly spread, responders and neighbors said. An off-duty South Hackensack police sergeant who lives next door to the victims tried to extinguish the flames with a garden hose, but the blaze spread too quickly. Firefighters had to beat back heavy flames and extreme heat, in fact, before finding 80-year-old homeowner Teresa Savino and Anton Pechal (Merkulov), 29. The…
Prank Call Of Man Who Shot Cheating Wife Brings Police, SWAT To Maywood Neighborhood Prank Call Of Man Who Shot Cheating Wife Brings Police, SWAT To Maywood Neighborhood
Prank Call Of Man Who Shot Cheating Wife Brings Police, SWAT To Maywood Neighborhood The latest in a growing number of "swatting" incidents unnecessarily brought a squadron of police and tactical team members to an otherwise quiet Maywood neighborhood just off Route 17. A phony caller told police he had just shot his wife twice in the chest and was holding his neighbor at gunpoint after finding them having an affair shortly before 3 p.m. Sunday, Maywood Police Chief Terence R. Kenny said. Borough police converged on West Magnolia Avenue with their colleagues from Rochelle Park. A Bergen County Regional SWAT team was summoned. Police got the shocked residents out unharmed, …
PARAMUS MALL BRAWL: Targeted Victim Beaten By Just-Released Ex-Con, Juvenile, Police Say PARAMUS MALL BRAWL: Targeted Victim Beaten By Just-Released Ex-Con, Juvenile, Police Say
Paramus Mall Brawl: Targeted Victim Beaten By Just-Released Ex-Con, Juvenile, Police Say A man was beaten, stomped on and bashed in the head with a chair during a vicous brawl Friday night in the food court of the Garden State Plaza in Paramus, authorities said. The melee ignited a panic, with people running for the exits -- and some wrongly telling police they heard gunshots -- around 7 p.m.  It also sent the 26-year-old victim from Paterson to the hospital with serious injuries, Police Chief Kenneth Ehrenberg said. Ehrenberg's officers were joined by colleagues from Rochelle Park, Maywood and Fair Lawn who converged on the mall and restored order quickly, witnesses said…
Crack Found, Dad Seized, Child Taken, Rochelle Park Police Say Crack Found, Dad Seized, Child Taken, Rochelle Park Police Say
Crack Found, Dad Seized, Child Taken, Rochelle Park Police Say A wanted Rochelle Park man was arrested and his young child placed with a guardian after police caught the dad trying to discard a bag of crack, authorities said. Sharod Naji Gandy, 33, had actually gone to Rochelle Park police headquarters on his own to file a police report on an unrelated matter on Sunday, April 17, Detective Lt. James M. DePreta said. He quickly ducked out, however, after officers did a quick computer check and learned that Gandy was wanted on an outstanding warrant, DePreta said. Officer Chris Kiszka found Gandy at a local hotel the very next night, the lieutenant said…