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It wasn’t much of a surprise to police who flushed Katherine Berg, 34, of Paterson, and Emin Goroveci, 37, of Succasunna from the woods behind the Wayne Inn that they were the ones who concocted the setup, given their drug-related, violent histories.
Three years ago, the pair robbed a Leonia man whom Berg met online of several valuables – including his car -- after she slipped the victim a mickey that knocked him unconscious for more than 24 hours.
SEE: Hookup Turns To Robbery After Leonia Man Is Drugged By Online 'Date'
Months earlier, Berg was arrested with two registered sex offenders and another convicted prostitute in a car stolen from a Bogota man who'd recently died.
SEE: Convicted Sex Offenders, Prostitute Caught With Dead Man’s Stolen Car
This time they set up and then robbed a would-be drug buyer of a pricey chain before fleeing out a motel window, Wayne Detective Capt. Dan Daly said.
The victim described the couple, noting that Goroveci had a busted-up right eye, the captain said.
Finding them wasn’t very difficult.
Officer Daniel McDermott checked a well-worn footpath into the woods behind the Route 23 motel, where he heard a branch break and saw tall grass moving.
Both Berg and Gorveci were carrying drugs and paraphernalia at the time, Daly said.
Berg “admitted that the pair had been living in the Wayne Inn for six months and that she was engaged in prostitution in exchange for drugs,” he said.
Back at the room, detectives found a .22-caliber handgun, ammo and more drugs, the captain said.
Berg and Goroveci were charged with drug and weapons counts – including each possessing a firearm as convicted felons – in addition to hindering apprehension, among other offenses.
Berg also was charged with engaging in prostitution.
Both were sent to the Passaic County Jail to await first appearances in Central Judicial Processing Court in Paterson.
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