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Paterson Police Department

UPDATE: Hackensack Man Charged With Murder Of Paterson Woman, 22, Gunned Down Outside Her Home UPDATE: Hackensack Man Charged With Murder Of Paterson Woman, 22, Gunned Down Outside Her Home
Update: Hackensack Man Charged With Murder Of Paterson Woman, 22, Gunned Down Outside Her Home Authorities on Wednesday captured one of a group of men who they said purposely shot and killed a 22-year-old Paterson woman last fall. Ex-con Christopher Thomas, 26, of Hackensack was charged with murder and weapons offenses, as well as with conspiracy, for his role in gunning down Mary “Tink” Taylor on Oct. 1, 2023 outside a bar across from the apartment building where she lived with her mom. Five men jumped into a car that sped off following the shooting shortly before 9:30 p.m. in the city’s Great Falls Historic District, witnesses told investigators. It wasn’t clear how many fired. A…
Boys — 15, 16 — Charged With Shooting 14-Year-Old Outside Paterson School Boys — 15, 16 — Charged With Shooting 14-Year-Old Outside Paterson School
Boys — 15, 16 — Charged With Shooting 14-Year-Old Outside Paterson School Two Paterson boys – one 15, the other 16 – are charged with shooting a 14-year-old outside a city grade school last fall. The victim was treated at St. Joseph’s University Medical Center after being wounded near the Halpine Street entrance to School #12 on Oct. 25. A lengthy investigation led to delinquency complaints signed this past week against both youngsters, Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes and Paterson Police Department Officer-In-Charge Isa Abbassi said in a joint announcement. The complaints allege what would be the adult equivalent of attempted murder and weapons offen…
UPDATE: Paterson Police Officer Indicted For Shooting Unarmed Man In Back As He Ran UPDATE: Paterson Police Officer Indicted For Shooting Unarmed Man In Back As He Ran
Update: Paterson Police Officer Indicted For Shooting Unarmed Man In Back As He Ran "Drop the gun!" a Paterson police officer shouts several times as he chases a fleeing man down a city street. Suddenly, two shots ring out and Khalif Cooper falls face down in the street. Officer Jerry Moravek, who fired the shots, handcuffs Cooper, 28, who is heard on a bodycam video telling him, "I don't got no gun." A grand jury agreed. Moravek was indicted in Trenton on criminal charges this week for shooting the unarmed Cooper, who was left paralyzed, in June 2022, state Attorney General Matthew Platkin announced on Thursday, Dec. 7. “Deadly force against a fleeing suspect must be u…
ARMED ROBBERY RAMPAGE: 3rd NJ Man Named In Violent Holdups ARMED ROBBERY RAMPAGE: 3rd NJ Man Named In Violent Holdups
Armed Robbery Rampage: 3rd NJ Man Named In Violent Holdups A third man who authorities said was involved in a terrifying string of armed robberies in Passaic County has been identified. Kareem Powell, 30, of Willingboro, was arrested by federal agents on Tuesday, Nov. 21, in connection with the August 2022 holdups, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced on Wednesday. He joins Carlos Diaz and Edward Porter, both 30 of Paterson, who’ve been in federal custody since last December. A new indictment names Powell while boosting the charges against the other two. The masked trio menaced customers with semiautomatic handguns -- ordering them to lie …
Paterson Woman Repeatedly Stabbed 5-Year-Old Granddaughter After Hearing Voices: Responders Paterson Woman Repeatedly Stabbed 5-Year-Old Granddaughter After Hearing Voices: Responders
Paterson Woman Repeatedly Stabbed 5-Year-Old Granddaughter After Hearing Voices: Responders A 51-year-old Paterson woman who responders said claimed to be hearing voices repeatedly stabbed her 5-year-old granddaughter, authorities confirmed. The child was rushed to St. Joseph’s University Medical Center with a police escort after being stabbed in the side at an apartment building at the corner of Carroll Street and Godwin Avenue shortly after 4 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 10, they said. Aurora Villacorta, who was hospitalized in custody, is charged with aggravated assault, child endangerment and various weapon offenses, Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes and Paterson Police Depa…
SHOOTING SPREE: Two Teens, Young Woman Dead In Trio Of Paterson Attacks SHOOTING SPREE: Two Teens, Young Woman Dead In Trio Of Paterson Attacks
Shooting Spree: Two Teens, Young Woman Dead In Trio Of Paterson Attacks UPDATE: Gunfire claimed the lives of two 19-year-old men and a 22-year-old woman in a daylong Sunday shooting spree in three different Paterson neighborhoods. It began when no fewer than seven shots were fired at the busy intersection of Park Avenue and East 22nd Street, cutting down one of the men, shortly after 6:30 a.m. Oct. 1. Police found him on the ground with multiple gunshot wounds, Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes and Paterson Police Department Officer-In-Charge Isa Abbassi confirmed. He was pronounced dead a short time later at nearby St. Joseph’s University Medical …
Summer Shootings In Paterson Plummet Amid NJ Police Takeover Summer Shootings In Paterson Plummet Amid NJ Police Takeover
Summer Shootings In Paterson Plummet Amid NJ Police Takeover Facts don't lie. Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin promised a reduction in crime in Paterson following the second-ever state takeover of a local police department in New Jersey's history. So far, he's delivering. Between Memorial Day and Labor Day -- a time when America's cities ordinarily suffer the most violence -- shootings in the Silk City plummeted by 41.2% compared with the same period last year, state officials reported. In that time, Paterson has also had the fewest summer shooting victims in five years, they said. Reported robberies decreased by nearly 38%. Aggravated assault…
Two Men From Paterson, One From Elmwood Park Wounded In Silk City Shooting Two Men From Paterson, One From Elmwood Park Wounded In Silk City Shooting
Two Men From Paterson, One From Elmwood Park Wounded In Silk City Shooting A Labor Day weekend shooting in Paterson sent three men to the hospital. Police found two victims – one 28 from Elmwood Park and the other 33 from Paterson – while responding to a 2:40 a.m. call Sunday, Sept. 3, at Kearney Street and Union Avenue. Both were taken to St. Joseph’s University Medical Center with wounds that weren’t considered life-threatening. Another man, 29, from Paterson apparently was wounded by gunfire a block and change down on Kearney Street, responders said. He arrived at St. Joe’s in a private vehicle with an injury that also wasn’t fatal, Passaic County Prosecutor …
Teen Dead, Man Wounded In Paterson's First Homicide In Nearly Two Months Teen Dead, Man Wounded In Paterson's First Homicide In Nearly Two Months
Teen Dead, Man Wounded In Paterson's First Homicide In Nearly Two Months A 19-year-old man was killed and an older man wounded in a hail of gunfire in a Paterson neighborhood that has seen more than its share of shootings. How many shooters were involved in the latest incident on Putnam Street near Rosa Parks Boulevard shortly before 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 23, wasn't immediately clear. Both victims were rushed via private vehicles to St. Joseph's University Medical Center, responders said. The younger one died in the emergency room, they said. The older one, 29, was in stable condition. Their identities weren't released. It had been exactly seven weeks sin…
Enraged Wrong-Way Driver Deliberately Rams Two Victims On Paterson Sidewalk: Authorities Enraged Wrong-Way Driver Deliberately Rams Two Victims On Paterson Sidewalk: Authorities
Enraged Wrong-Way Driver Deliberately Rams Two Victims On Paterson Sidewalk: Authorities An enraged Paterson man drove his car onto the sidewalk to deliberately hit two men after he cold-cocked one of them during a fight that turned physical, authorities said. What provoked the incident wasn’t disclosed by Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes and Paterson Police Department Officer-In-Charge Isa Abbassi in a release they issued announcing the arrest of Doretero Cruz, 53. They did say that Cruz got into his car and tried to run down both men -- one 30, the other 27 – after knocking one of them out with a punch in Paterson’s Sandy Hill neighborhood shortly after 1:30 a.m. J…
BAIL REFORM: Accused Felon Freed By Judge Guns Down Fellow Paterson Man, 22, Authorities Charge BAIL REFORM: Accused Felon Freed By Judge Guns Down Fellow Paterson Man, 22, Authorities Charge
Bail Reform: Accused Felon Freed By Judge Guns Down Fellow Paterson Man, 22, Authorities Charge Erlyn Nunez had spent all of five days in jail after being busted on a gun charge when a judge freed him earlier this year under New Jersey's bail reform law. Less than a month later, authorities said, he shot and killed a 22-year-old fellow Paterson resident. Nunez was originally arrested on a weapons charge in Paterson on April 21. A judge ordered him released from the Bergen County Jail on April 26, records show. On May 21, Paterson police responded to a reported shooting in the area of East 13th and River streets. They found a mortally wounded man whom authorities have, for some u…
Assailant Who Stabbed Man, Slashed Woman In Paterson Made Anti-Gay Slurs: Authorities (UPDATE) Assailant Who Stabbed Man, Slashed Woman In Paterson Made Anti-Gay Slurs: Authorities (UPDATE)
Assailant Who Stabbed Man, Slashed Woman In Paterson Made Anti-Gay Slurs: Authorities (Update) UPDATE: An assailant who stabbed a man and slashed a woman overnight in Paterson made several anti-gay slurs, authorities said. Damian Padilla, 42, was captured by Passaic County sheriff’s officers moments after a 35-year-old victim flagged down city police and told them he’d been stabbed on Fair Street shortly before 4 a.m. Tuesday, May 16. Also assaulted was a 41-year-old woman found around the corner with a slash wound on her left leg, responders said. Both victims were treated at St. Joseph’s University Medical Center, Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes and Paterson Police De…
Worshippers Seize Attacker Who Stabbed Imam During Prayer Service At Paterson Mosque (w/VIDEO) Worshippers Seize Attacker Who Stabbed Imam During Prayer Service At Paterson Mosque (w/VIDEO)
Worshippers Seize Attacker Who Stabbed Imam During Prayer Service At Paterson Mosque (w/Video) Sayed Elnakib was leading an early morning prayer service at the Omar Mosque in Paterson on Sunday when a man among the worshippers suddenly rushed forward and stabbed the beloved imam, surveillance video shows. The assailant, 32-year-old Serif Zorba, turned and bolted for the door, but the worshippers -- without regard for their own safety -- quickly converged on the assailant and held him for police. Elnakib, 65, sustained liver damage, a mosque spokesperson said, but he was expected to survive after being rushed into surgery at nearby St. Joseph's University Medical Center following the…
Distraught Man Holds Officers At Bay For Hours In First Paterson Standoff Since State Takeover Distraught Man Holds Officers At Bay For Hours In First Paterson Standoff Since State Takeover
Distraught Man Holds Officers At Bay For Hours In First Paterson Standoff Since State Takeover The first standoff in Paterson since the state attorney general's office took control of the police department ended peacefully last weekend when a distraught man wielding a knife surrendered after 6 ½ hours, authorities said. Paterson and New Jersey State police worked together to resolve the confrontation with no injuries at NJ TRANSIT's Market Street garage, New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin said on Friday, April 14 No charges were filed, either, because the incident was considered a mental-health crisis that “involved police action as part of law enforcement’s community caret…
NJ Attorney General To Take Over Paterson Police Operations, Live Stream Link Here NJ Attorney General To Take Over Paterson Police Operations, Live Stream Link Here
NJ Attorney General To Take Over Paterson Police Operations, Live Stream Link Here “There is no safety without trust,” New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin said in announcing a state takeover of the day-to-day operations of the Paterson Police Department and plans to include mental health professionals in responses to barricaded individuals there and statewide. Experience has shown that both moves are absolutely necessary at the moment, the state’s top law enforcement officer said. “There is a crisis of confidence in law enforcement in this city,” Platkin said, speaking outside the Frank X. Graves Jr. Public Safety Complex on Broadway on March 27. “Under these ci…
3 Paterson Officers Used 'Less Lethal Force' Before Two Shot Non-Violence Activist, AG Says 3 Paterson Officers Used 'Less Lethal Force' Before Two Shot Non-Violence Activist, AG Says
3 Paterson Officers Used 'Less Lethal Force' Before Two Shot Non-Violence Activist, AG Says UPDATE: Three Paterson police officers first employed “less lethal force” before two others shot and killed a local non-violence activist who was in the middle of a mental health crisis last week, the state’s top law enforcement official said Wednesday. Tensions were rising in the city as New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin formally identified Najee Seabrooks, who was killed during the nearly five-hour confrontation at his home last Friday, and the officers who were directly involved in a release on Wednesday. Mayor Andre Sayegh, who has been criticized by community leaders for …
14-Year-Old Boy Stabbed Dead Outside Paterson Eastside High School, 16-Year-Old Wounded 14-Year-Old Boy Stabbed Dead Outside Paterson Eastside High School, 16-Year-Old Wounded
14-Year-Old Boy Stabbed Dead Outside Paterson Eastside High School, 16-Year-Old Wounded A 14-year-old boy was stabbed dead in broad daylight Friday afternoon outside Paterson Eastside High School, in what tragically marked the first homicide in the city this year. A 16-year-old boy was hospitalized after he, too, was stabbed in the 3 p.m. incident on Park Avenue, authorities confirmed. Witnesses said police escorted the ambulance carrying the gravely injured boy to St. Joseph’s University Medical Center, where the younger boy later succumbed to his injuries. Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes and Acting Paterson Police Chief Bert Ribeiro confirmed the incident but di…
Paterson School Shooting Threats: Loaded Guns Found On Three Teens, One Of Them 15 Paterson School Shooting Threats: Loaded Guns Found On Three Teens, One Of Them 15
Paterson School Shooting Threats: Loaded Guns Found On Three Teens, One Of Them 15 A trio of teens were all found armed with loaded guns after a brawl broke out at JFK High School in Paterson and two juveniles threatened to shoot up the place, authorities said. Officers stationed at the school separated the students and found one of them, a 17-year-old, carrying a handgun, Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes and Acting Paterson Police Chief Bert Ribeiro announced Sunday, Dec. 18. A 14-year-old involved in the Friday morning hallway brawl was seized after he was “overheard by responding officers threatening to commit a shooting in the school,” they said in a prepar…
Accused Kidnapper Of Couple In Paterson Has Been Jailed Since Last Week, Authorities Reveal Accused Kidnapper Of Couple In Paterson Has Been Jailed Since Last Week, Authorities Reveal
Accused Kidnapper Of Couple In Paterson Has Been Jailed Since Last Week, Authorities Reveal Authorities revealed on Monday that one of several men who carjacked and abducted a couple in Paterson last week was actually captured in Bloomfield later that night. City resident Juan Montero-Pena, 30, was among several men who accosted the 38-year-old Paterson woman and her 47-year-old male companion from Long Island in the area of Jackson Street and Washington Avenue around 8 p.m. last Thursday, Dec. 1, authorities announced on Dec. 5. Bloomfield police located the vehicle and captured Montero-Pena in the area of Arlington and Watsessing avenues in their town shortly after 9:30 p.m., Pa…
Paterson Man, 34, Shot Dead Outside Church Paterson Man, 34, Shot Dead Outside Church
Paterson Man, 34, Shot Dead Outside Church A 34-year-old Paterson man was shot and killed steps from a city church early Sunday. The victim was brought via private vehicle to St. Joseph’s University Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead shortly after the 8 a.m. shooting, Dec. 4, on Jelsma Place near the Greater Bethel Church of Christ. Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes and Acting Paterson Police Chief Bert Ribeiro confirmed the killing but didn’t say whether the suspected shooter had been arrested or identified. The victim’s identity was temporarily being withheld pending notification of next of kin. Meanwhile, Va…
Paterson Ex-Con Admits Having Drugs, Gun When Detectives Busted In Paterson Ex-Con Admits Having Drugs, Gun When Detectives Busted In
Paterson Ex-Con Admits Having Drugs, Gun When Detectives Busted In UPDATE: A convicted pedophile from Paterson whose parole officers found large amounts of cash on top of his bed admitted on Thursday that he kept a loaded gun beneath it, authorities said. Jessie Mayfield, 59, told a judge he also had fentanyl for sale along with ilegal .22-caliber Ruger -- which, as a convicted felon, he was prohibited from owning, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger said on Nov. 17. Records show that Mayfield served three years and eight months in state prison for sexually assaulting a 6-year-old girl and 12-year-old boy and fondling two other girls, ages 5 and 6, in 2014. …
Passaic County Man Convicted Of $80,000 Back-To-Back Bank Robberies Passaic County Man Convicted Of $80,000 Back-To-Back Bank Robberies
Passaic County Man Convicted Of $80,000 Back-To-Back Bank Robberies A Passaic County man was convicted by a federal jury of robbing two area banks just weeks apart. Jurors found Jose Soto, 52, of Passaic guilty of robbing a PNC branch in Passaic of $35,000 and a Valley National Bank in Little Falls of $45,000 following a six-day trial in U.S. District Court in Newark. They also convicted Soto of conspiring with a Paterson man to commit the holdups and brandishing a firearm. Soto pointed a silver and black gun at customers and employees at the Main Street Valley National branch in Little Falls on Feb. 27, 2020, authorities said. His accomplice, Nicholas Or…
Deadliest Street Corner In Paterson? One Killed, One Wounded In Hail Of Gunfire Deadliest Street Corner In Paterson? One Killed, One Wounded In Hail Of Gunfire
Deadliest Street Corner In Paterson? One Killed, One Wounded In Hail Of Gunfire A man was gunned down and a woman wounded at what may well be the deadliest street corner in Paterson. It was the Silk City’s 19th homicide of the year, with nearly three full months to go. Police who responded to a shots-fired report near the intersection of Van Houten and Summer streets right behind the city public library said they found blood, numerous shell casings and vehicles riddled with bullets but no victims shortly after 10:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 1. That’s because both victims – a 42-year-old man and 49-year-old woman – had been taken to St. Joseph’s University Medical Center i…
Couple Found Shot Dead In Car In Paterson Couple Found Shot Dead In Car In Paterson
Couple Found Shot Dead In Car In Paterson A man and woman were found shot dead -- along with a gun -- in an SUV parked on a Paterson street Friday afternoon, responders said. The bodies were found in an older-model Chevy Traverse with Connecticut license plates parked on Getty Avenue between two strip clubs down the road from St. Joseph's University Medical Center at 11:40 a.m. Both were pronounced dead at the scene, Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes and Paterson Police Chief Ibrahim Baycora said in a brief news release. The presence of a gun suggested a possible murder-suicide, but it was too soon to tell. Detectives f…
WITHOUT A TRACE: Reward Posted In Search For Missing NJ Man Who’d Been Detained By Police WITHOUT A TRACE: Reward Posted In Search For Missing NJ Man Who’d Been Detained By Police
Without A Trace: Reward Posted In Search For Missing NJ Man Who’d Been Detained By Police Police in Haledon announced a $5,000 reward for information leading to what they called "the successful location and physical recovery" of a borough man who went missing six months ago amid what loved ones consider mysterious circumstances. Felix Joel DeJesus, 41, "was last seen congregating with five (5) civilians" in Westside Park behind John F. Kennedy High School in Paterson on Feb. 2, Haledon police said in announcing the reward on Tuesday, Aug. 9. He was wearing only a t-shirt and pants on what was a freezing evening in early February. Haledon police said they’d interviewed several …
Video Shows Now-Former Paterson Officer Beating Defenseless Suspect, Prosecutor Says Video Shows Now-Former Paterson Officer Beating Defenseless Suspect, Prosecutor Says
Video Shows Now-Former Paterson Officer Beating Defenseless Suspect, Prosecutor Says Body camera video proves that a now-former Paterson police officer beat a defenseless suspect with a flashlight and kneed him in the face in an apartment hallway, a grand jury indictment charges. Spencer Finch, 45, of Mahwah filed an official report maintaining that he needed to use force against what he claimed was a combative suspect, Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes said. The video from a fellow officer’s bodycam tells a different story, Valdes added. Finch – who was with the department for nearly 18 years -- is charged with aggravated assault, official misconduct, perjury, t…
Paterson Police Seized 3 Loaded Guns From Two Juveniles, One Adult Paterson Police Seized 3 Loaded Guns From Two Juveniles, One Adult
Paterson Police Seized 3 Loaded Guns From Two Juveniles, One Adult Paterson police seized three loaded guns – one of which had been stolen – in a trio of separate incidents just days apart. Two of those taken into custody were each 17 years old, city public Safety Director Jerry Speziale said. One of the juveniles bolted after seeing Detectives Yamil Pimienta, Muhammed Dombayci, Levis Qirjako, and John Rikowich approaching near the corner of Highland and Lyons streets, Speziale said. They chased the boy down and seized him behind a North York home near Sassafras Street, the director said. They then checked the route he took while fleeing through various …
CAPTURED! Lyndhurst Man Accused Of Gunning Down Paterson Woman, 25 CAPTURED! Lyndhurst Man Accused Of Gunning Down Paterson Woman, 25
Captured! Lyndhurst Man Accused Of Gunning Down Paterson Woman, 25 UPDATE: Federal authorities helped capture a Lyndhurst man who authorities said was involved in the shooting death of a 25-year-old Paterson woman late last year, authorities said. Kristian Gonzalez, also 25, “was one of the individuals responsible for the murder” of Jasmin Wel, Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes and Paterson Police Chief Ibrahim Baycora said in a joint release on Friday, April 15. Wel, who studied business marketing at William Paterson University, worked as a sales account manager for a company that makes fragrances and skin care products, according to her social …
Dealer Who Produced Deadly Opioids In Basement Across From Paterson Mayor's Home Gets 10 Years Dealer Who Produced Deadly Opioids In Basement Across From Paterson Mayor's Home Gets 10 Years
Dealer Who Produced Deadly Opioids In Basement Across From Paterson Mayor's Home Gets 10 Years A dealer who produced lethal opioids in a fortified basement drug mill across the street from the mayor of Paterson's house was sentenced to 10 years in state prison, authorities said. Silk City police had seized 17,000 folds of heroin and fentanyl -- as well as packaging and distribution materials -- while arresting Rafael “Chiquito” Brito and his girlfriend, Rosanny Prado, during a March 2020 raid on their East 36th Street residence across from Mayor Andre Sayegh's home. The drugs were linked to at least 10 overdose deaths of both local and suburban buyers, authorities said at the time. …
Stray Bullet Kills Paterson Teen Carrying In His Grandmother's Groceries Stray Bullet Kills Paterson Teen Carrying In His Grandmother's Groceries
Stray Bullet Kills Paterson Teen Carrying In His Grandmother's Groceries UPDATE: A college-bound Paterson teen was carrying in his grandmother's groceries when he was struck and killed by a stray bullet outside the family's home, loved ones said.  Robert Cuadra, 18, was hit when someone fired no fewer than 16 rounds on Godwin Avenue between Carroll Street and Rosa Parks Boulevard around 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, police said. Responding officers found the mortally wounded teen on the sidewalk in front of his house, Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes and Paterson Police Chief Ibrahim Baycora said in a joint announcement. An ambulance took Cuadra to St. Josep…
Paterson Officer Who Said She Was Forced To Retire After Shooting Settles With City For $185K Paterson Officer Who Said She Was Forced To Retire After Shooting Settles With City For $185K
Paterson Officer Who Said She Was Forced To Retire After Shooting Settles With City For $185K A former Paterson police officer who claimed she was forced to retire after shooting a civilian in a confrontation has settled a discrimination lawsuit against the city. Haydee Santana, 53, claimed she was treated differently from male colleagues in similar circumstances after she shot an unarmed man who authorities said charged at her in front of his children. Santana, who said she was forced to retire on a disability pension in 2018 after 24 years with the Paterson Police Department, settled her suit for $185,000, city officials confirmed. The civilian she shot, Larry Bouie, settled a su…