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71°
Friday, sep 13
Tag:
Law Enforcement
Police & Fire
Arrangements Set, Obituary Posted For Fairfield Officer James 'Jimmy' Ciampi
Arrangements have been finalized for Fairfield Police Officer James "Jimmy" Ciampi, who died Monday, Sept. 9, following a battle with cancer. He would have turned 32 in October. According to his obituary on the Ippolito-Stellato Funeral Home website, visitation will be held Thursday, Sept. 12 from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the funeral home in Fairfield. The funeral will be at 8:30 a.m. Friday, Sept. 13 at the funeral home, with a Funeral Mass set for 10 a.m., at the St. Thomas More R.C. Church. Ciampi graduated from West Essex High School before earning his bachelor's from Rutgers University…
Police & Fire
Sidewalk Pedestrian Airlifted After Being Struck By Man With History Of Careless Driving In NJ
A woman was flown to the hospital after a careless driver drove onto the sidewalk and struck her while she was walking her dog in an Ocean County town on Friday, Sept. 6, police said. Eugenio Carta of Berkeley Township was operating a 1999 Buick Sedan when he drove off the roadway, struck the victim walking her dog on the sidewalk, then came to rest after hitting a tree around 3 p.m. at the intersection on Doral Drive at Cohansey Drive, local police said. The woman suffered a head injury from the crash and was airlifted to Jersey Shore Medical Center where she was in critical but stable con…
Police & Fire
Teen Wanted In Fatal NJ Transit Station Shooting Caught In Poconos: US Marshals
A New Jersey fugitive wanted in a deadly train station shooting and a home invasion was arrested in northeastern Pennsylvania, authorities said. U.S. Marshals took 19-year-old Damian Bass into custody, Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond Santiago said in a news release on Friday, Sept. 6. Bass' last known address was in Fanwood. Bass was charged with first-degree murder and two weapons offenses. He was accused of shooting and killing 43-year-old James Hailey of Newark. Marshals from Brooklyn, NY, and Scranton captured Bass in Chestnuthill Township, PA, on Thursday, Sept. 5. "We s…
Police & Fire
Asbury Park Artist With 'Light-Filled Soul' Critically Stabbed On Labor Day: Fundraiser
An Asbury Park photographer was critically injured when she was stabbed while walking with a friend on Labor Day, according to a fundraising campaign. A GoFundMe page said Andrea Laign was the victim of the afternoon Asbury Avenue stabbing on Monday, Sept. 2. The fundraiser called her a "beloved member of our creative family" in the city. The GoFundMe had raised more than $4,200 from at least 59 donations as of Thursday, Sept. 5. "It is devastating that this sweet, talented, light-filled soul is a victim of such a violent crime," wrote Michaela Murray, the fundrais…
Police & Fire
Ghost Gun, 10 Rounds Of Ammo Seized From Man Fighting With Spouse At Wildwood Motel: Cops
A 47-year-old man who tried to disarm police officers was found with 10 rounds of ammo, a ghost gun, and more during a domestic dispute at a Wildwood motel on Monday, Sept. 2, Labor Day, authorities said. Police were called to the AA Heart of Wildwood Motel at 3915 Ocean Ave., around noon, where a man later identified as Rakesh Patel had tried to kick open the lobby door while fighting with his spouse, Wildwood police said. While searching the area, officers saw Patel try to leave the scene in a vehicle parked nearby. Shortly thereafter, Patel began physically fighting two officers, w…
Police & Fire
Man Wanted By US Marshals Captured During Traffic Stop In Morris County: Police
A 33-year-old man wanted by the U.S. Marshals was arrested following a traffic stop in Morris County, police said. Marcus Olivera-Leon, of Elizabeth, was stopped in an unregistered vehicle for having a brake light out on Augusta Street and Legion Place in Denville around 9:40 p.m. on Aug. 23, local police said. Olivera-Leon, had active warrants for his arrest, and had been wanted by the United States Marshals, according to police. Police said only that he was wanted for violating probation. Olivera-Leon was arrested and transported back to police headquarters. He was committed to the count…
Police & Fire
Boy Airlifted After Stepping On Hot Coals Illegally Dumped On NJ Beach, Officials Say
A boy was airlifted to a hospital after officials say he stepped on hot coals that had been illegally dumped on a New Jersey beach. Paramedics and EMTs from Sea Bright and Robert Wood Johnson were called to Sandy Hook near Guardian Park, where they found the boy with burns to both feet around 2:45 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 13, Gateway National Recreation Area spokeswoman Daphne Yun said. Witnesses said the child had stepped on hot coals that had been illegally dumped between rocks in the area, Yun said. The child was flown by Hackensack Meridian to a local burn center, and the area wher…
Police & Fire
Man, 30, Charged With Killing Dog In Hunterdon County: Prosecutor
A 30-year-old Hunterdon County man was arrested and charged after he fatally shot a pit bull on Monday, Aug. 12, authorities said. At 1:30 p.m., officers responded to Flemington Whitehouse Road in Readington Township on a report of a homeowner discharging a weapon, the Hunterdon County Prosecutor's Office and Readington Township Police Department said. The owner of the property reported a pit bull began attacking another dog and the pit bull was being aggressive toward her, authorities said. Craig Cooke, who was with the woman, then shot the pit bull, resulting in the pit bull's death, auth…
Police & Fire
NJ Victim Seriously Burned In Chemical Attack Carried Out By FL Pair Hired By Ex-BF: Cops
Three Florida residents are in custody after police said one paid two others to carry out a chemical attack on his ex-girlfriend in New Jersey, who was airlifted to a hospital with serious burns, police said. William DiBernardino, 49, of Boynton Beach, FL, recruited Jmarr McNeil, 39, and Betty Jo Lane, 38, in the Friday, July 26 incident in Monroe (Gloucester County), Police Chief Thomas Gilbert said. The 42-year-old victim was returning from work when the attack happened, police said. As she opened her car door, Lane threw a cup of a highly caustic acid on her, and she suffered burns acros…
Police & Fire
Two More Arrested In Plot To Murder Man On Jersey Shore, Prosecutors Say
Two more men were charged in a plot to shoot and kill another man in Jackson Township, authorities said. Noah Phelps of Monroe Township and Glenn Franzson of Jackson Township were arrested, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer said in a news release on Tuesday, Aug. 20. The two were facing charges in the shooting on Thursday, June 27. Jackson police responded to the shooting report on Larsen Road at around 12:20 a.m. and officers found a 27-year-old man with a gunshot wound to his face. He was treated at Jersey Shore University Medical Center and released from the N…
Police & Fire
'I'll Stab You In The F—ing Neck:' New Video Sheds Light On Fort Lee Woman's PD Involved Death
The New Jersey Attorney General's Office has released bodycam footage of the shooting of Victoria Lee on Sunday, July 28. The footage appears to confirm what 25-year-old Lee's family said in a statement last week: That she was holding a water jug when officers kicked in the door, shot, and killed her. But, what authorities had not said until releasing the footage is that when officers told Lee through her family's apartment door at The Pinnacle that they were going to break it down, she said: "Go ahead, I’ll stab you in the f—ing neck," which she can be heard saying in the bodycam foot…
Police & Fire
SUV Kills Motorcyclist During Route 80 Police Pursuit, AG Says
The New Jersey Attorney General's Office is investigating a pursuit in which the vehicle being pursued struck a motorcyclist, killing the operator. A New Jersey State Trooper began following an SUV on Route 80 east near milepost 11 around 10:20 a.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 13 in Hope Township, AG Matthew Platkin said The vehicle continued eastbound and left the interstate at Exit 12, exiting onto County Road 521 southbound, in Hope Township. The SUV subsequently passed another civilian vehicle on the left in the area of Dogwood Road and, while merging back into the southbound lane, collided with …
Police & Fire
South Jersey Man Uploaded Child Porn Videos To Internet, Prosecutors Say
A Willingboro man was accused of uploading child pornography videos to the internet, authorities said. Aaron Minor, 24, was charged with second-degree distribution of child sexual abuse material, second-degree possession of child sexual abuse material with the intent to distribute, and third-degree possession of child sexual abuse material. Burlington County Prosecutor LaChia Bradshaw announced Minor's charges in a news release on Monday, Aug. 12. The investigation began when state police received a tip about Minor from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Chi…
Police & Fire
Wanted NJ Child Abuser Busted With Police Uniform, Handcuffs In NY Traffic Stop, Cops Say
A man who had been wanted out of New Jersey on child abuse charges was arrested in a New York traffic stop last week, when authorities found him with police uniforms and handcuffs, they said. Joseph Zuziela, 43, of Branchburg, NJ, was stopped in Oceanside, NY on Thursday night, Aug. 8. Somerset County Prosecutor's Fugitive Task Force Unit Nassau County Police said officers stopped Zuziela’s vehicle at around 11:45 p.m. near Merrick and Oceanside roads. Inside, they reportedly found a trove of law enforcement paraphernalia, including police uniforms, handcuffs, a gold badge, brass knu…
Police & Fire
Why Sergeant Won't Be Charged In Crash That Killed 44-Year-Old Pedestrian: AG (
Video
)
Charges will not be filed against a police officer who last November struck and killed a 44-year-old man while on-duty in a patrol car, authorities said. Sgt. Richard Sbarra was on White Horse Pike (Route 30) in the Atco section of Waterford when he hit Christofe “Christopher” Wita, 44, of Berlin on Nov. 23, 2023, NJ Attorney General Matthew Platkin previously said. Bodycam footage and radio transmissions from the incident were released last month. On Monday, Aug. 12, Platkin said Sbarra would not be charged following an investigation by the Office of Public Integrity and Account…
Police & Fire
Cruel Man Who Hurled Dogs Over Fence Of NJ Animal Shelter Arrested, Police Say
The man seen hurling dogs over the fence of the Atlantic County Animal Shelter has been arrested, police said, Jahlil McNeal, 23, of Atlantic City, was identified by city police as the man captured in disturbing footage throwing dogs over the fence at the county animal shelter and leaving. McNeal has been charged with four counts of cruelty to animals, failure to provide care to animals, two counts theft of services, and witness tampering. McNeal first abandoned an animal at the shelter after hours on July 15, police said. ACPD's Humane Law Enforcement Officer, Matthew Schmidt, initia…
News
DUI Driver Strikes Officers During Traffic Stop On Route 78, 3 Hospitalized: Police
Two police officers were hospitalized after being struck by a DUI minivan driver while conducting a motor vehicle stop on Route 78 Friday, Aug. 9, authorities said. The New Providence Police Department said two of their officers were in marked police vehicles were emergency lights activated while stopped with a civilian vehicle on the westbound shoulder of the highway near mile post 43 in Berkeley Heights around 5 p.m. A westbound Honda Odyssey driven by Johnny Ho, 45, of Flushing, NY, struck the back of the New Providence patrol vehicle, causing a chain reaction crash with the next New Pro…
Police & Fire
South Jersey Corrections Officer Who Sexually Assaulted Girl Under 13 Sentenced: Prosecutors
A Cape May County corrections officer will spend more than a quarter-century in prison for sexually assaulting a girl younger than 13 years old, authorities said. Jonathan Perez, 35, of Woodbine, was sentenced on Thursday, Aug. 8 to 30 years in state prison, Cape May County Prosecutor Jeffrey Sutherland said in a news release. A jury convicted him on four charges on Friday, Apr. 12. The girl reported the abuse "over an extended period of time" to state police in Woodbine on Saturday, Feb. 11, 2023. Perez was arrested the next morning and a grand jury indicted him on…
News
Award-Winning NJ Police Officer Battles Cancer, Chief Pleads For Prayers
A police officer with roots in the New Jersey borough that he serves is battling cancer, and his chief is asking for prayers. James "Jimmy" Ciampi, of the Fairfield Police Department, was described by FPD Chief Anthony Manna as a "young, bright, and dedicated" officer. Ciampi is unable to come to work and remains focused on battling cancer, Manna said. Ciampi began his career with FPD as a Class II Special Officer in October 2016. A year later, he became a full-time officer. In 2022, Ciampi was assigned to the Essex County Auto Theft Task Force for six months "where he excelled at helping…
News
Toll Cheats Beware:
Papd
Ramps Up Crackdown With 4,800 Tickets Issued In NY/NJ This Year
Not so fast there, toll cheats. The Port Authority Police Department of New York and New Jersey is arresting toll cheats and issuing summonses at a record pace this year, and plans on ramping up its already-intense crackdown on sly motorists in the coming months, according to a news release issued Tuesday, Aug. 6. In the first six months of 2024, the PAPD has cited more than 4,800 motorists who owe a combined total of more than $4.2 million in unpaid tolls and fees, the agency said. Data from the PAPD show that the total number of summonses issued by its officers increased by 55 percent an…
Politics
NY County Criminalizes Mask Wearing Amid Bump In
Covid-
19 Cases
Lawmakers in a New York county approved a controversial bill criminalizing mask wearing amid a summer bump in COVID-19 cases. On Long Island, the Republican-controlled Nassau County Legislature passed the “Mask Transparency Act” by a vote of 12-0 on Monday night, Aug. 5. All seven Democrats abstained from voting. The bill makes it a misdemeanor for anyone 16 and older to wear a face mask in public spaces in the county. It also gives private businesses the right to prohibit masks on their premises. It grants exceptions for health or religious reasons, though that distinction will be determ…
Police & Fire
Former Bridgwater Officer, West Milford Special Officer Thomas Dinan Dies
Thomas Dinan, a police officer in West Milford, died on Tuesday, July 30, 10 days after his 66th birthday, the department announced. Dinan joined the West Milford Police Department in June 2018 as a Class II special officer, assisting with traffic details, township events, prisoner watches and transports and court security, police said. Prior to joining West Milford, Dinan spent 27 years in the Bridgewater Police Department, rising to the rank of lieutenant, before retiring in 2015 after serving as patrol officer, narcotics investigator, bias crimes officer and counterterrorism liaison, pol…
News
'I've Seen You Before,' Sex Offender Told Teen Victim He Stalked On Bergen County Streets: Cops
A sex offender convicted in both New Jersey and New York has been arrested once again, this time for stalking a 19-year-old woman in two Bergen County towns, police said. Blake Tannen, 34, of Saddle River, was charged with stalking on Saturday, July 27, the same day that a visibly upset 19-year-old woman approach Ridgewood Police Officer Schumann, while he was on patrol, Ridgewood Police Chief Forest Lyons said. Around 3:45 that afternoon, the woman told Schumann, who was on patrol, that she was walking to her car in Ramsey on July 18, when she noticed she was being followed by a man,…
News
Screaming NJ Man Who Asked Flight Attendant For Sex Indicted For Unruly Flight Behavior: Feds
A 26-year-old New Jersey man who asked a flight attendant for sex and tried to open the aircraft's doors multiple times has been indicted by a federal grand jury, authorities said. Eric Nicholas Gapco, of Delanco, a passenger onboard American Airlines flight #2101, assaulted and intimidated a flight attendant and aircraft crew members on July 18, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. The flight originated in Seattle en route to Dallas but was diverted to Salt Lake City where law enforcement arrested him. According to court documents, Gapco failed to follow instructions to remain in his …
Police & Fire
Intoxicated Driver Crashes Into Officer Head-On, Passenger Seriously Injured In NJ: Police
A 57-year-old Butler resident was driving while intoxicated when he drove head-on into a police car in Morris County on Friday, July 26, sending the officer and his own passenger to the hospital, authorities said. While Butler police were conducting speed enforcement, Charles Dampman was driving a black Ford Explorer when he entered the opposite lane of travel on Bartholdi Avenue and struck police officer Justin Brunda's parked vehicle head-on at a high rate of speed, officers said. Brunda was transported to a local hospital where he was later released, police said. Dampman's…
Police & Fire
'I Just Struck a Pedestrian': 911 Call Released In Deadly Cyclist Crash Involving Trooper
The New Jersey State Attorney General's Office released surveillance camera footage and police radio transmissions after a state trooper struck and killed a Morris County cyclist in February. At 6 a.m., on Monday, February 5, Kesene Grier was driving an unmarked police SUV when she struck Raul Diaz, a 59-year-old Long Valley resident in Hackettstown, the state attorney general's office said. Diaz was transported to Hackettstown Medical Center where he was pronounced dead, the state attorney general's office. "I just struck a pedestrian on a bike," Grier is heard saying on police radio…
News
NJ State Trooper Admits Punching Handcuffed Woman After She Spits At Troopers, Loses Job: AG
A New Jersey State Police trooper from Gloucester County has admitted punching a woman in the face with a metal flashlight in his hand while the victim was handcuffed in the backseat of a patrol vehicle, authorities said. The incident occurred after the drunken woman spat toward troopers following a trespassing complaint, according to Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin Trooper Nicolas J. Hogan, 28, of Gibbstown, pleaded guilty on Thursday, July 25 in Cumberland County to aggravated assault, Platkin said. Hogan entered into a consent order banning him for life from holding public offi…
News
Harrowing Bodycam Footage Shows NJ Gunman Firing Rapidly At Police Before He's Shot Dead
The New Jersey Attorney General’s Office has released footage from two police body-worn cameras capturing a shootout that left a 44-year-old man dead last March. Hamilton (Mercer County) officers were responded to an Orchard Avenue home for a domestic dispute just after 10 p.m. March 8, AG Matthew Platkin said. Hamilton Township Police Officers Derek Fiabane and Paul Piromalli were met with someone, apparently the 911 caller, who told officers that Vincent Correa was drunk and acting "a little bit out of control." They also said he was a hunter and had "a lot of guns" in the basement. Wit…
Police & Fire
'Hot Boys Mafia' Gangster Was Being Served In NJ Shooting That Injured Him, Detective: Cops
A Perth Amboy detective remains in stable condition after he was shot while executing an arrest warrant in Rahway on the evening of Wednesday, July 24, authorities said. At 8:32 p.m., the detective, who has not been identified, was shot by 20-year-old Rahway resident Angel Santiago, who is a suspect in an aggravated assault that occurred in Perth Amboy Tuesday, Union County Prosecutor William Daniel and Rahway Police Director Nicholas Breiner said. The detective was shot multiple times in the leg, while Santiago sustained a single gunshot wound to the lower leg, authorities said. …
News
Details Released: Perth Amboy Officer Shot In Rahway Was Serving Warrant, Officials Say
A Perth Amboy police officer is in stable condition after being shot in the line of duty in Rahway Wednesday evening, July 24, the New Jersey Attorney General's Office said. Rahway Mayor Raymond Giacobbe said the officer had been serving a search warrant alongside local police when the suspects tried to flee the scene. Reports say it happened along Broad Street. "During this incident, one suspect discharged a firearm, striking a Perth Amboy Police Officer in the leg," the mayor said. The officer was transported to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick with a no…
Police & Fire
Monmouth University Lockdown Order Lifted After Email Made Bomb, Shooting Threats
A lockdown order was lifted at Monmouth University after students were asked to shelter in place for several hours as investigators looked into a threat on campus, officials said. The university posted on Facebook about the main campus lockdown at 3:15 a.m. on Tuesday, July 23, as university police and other first responders checked various buildings. West Long Branch's emergency management office said there were no safety concerns outside university property in a Facebook post at 7:20 a.m. Monmouth president Dr. Patrick Leahy posted an update on the university's website after students were…
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