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Police & Fire
Insurance Agent, Police Officer Teamed Up To Defraud Client: Morris County Prosecutor Insurance Agent, Police Officer Teamed Up To Defraud Client: Morris County Prosecutor
Insurance Agent, Police Officer Teamed Up To Defraud Client: Morris County Prosecutor A Bergen County insurance agent created false documents to help a Long Valley business owner defraud a client at his painting business, authorities in Morris County said. Michael McFadden, a 54-year-old New Milford resident and insurance agent at Insuranze Associates in Hasbrouck Heights, created false documents claiming Long Valley's Christopher Angst had a workman's compensation coverage policy, Morris County Prosecutor Robert J. Carroll and Morris County Chief of Detectives Robert McNally said. Angst, 48, is the owner of C&E Professional Painting in Long Valley, and a …

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by Sam Barron
Police & Fire
Parking Attendant From Wood-Ridge Busted On Child Porn Charges Parking Attendant From Wood-Ridge Busted On Child Porn Charges
Parking Attendant From Wood-Ridge Busted On Child Porn Charges A 22-year-old parking attendant from Wood-Ridge was charged with trafficking child porn. Galo Fernandez was taken into custody by members of the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Cyber Crimes Unit and borough police during a raid of his apartment in a two-family home on Wood Ridge Street just off Moonachie Avenue near southbound Route 17 on Wednesday, Sept. 13. An investigation that records show began in January found that Fernandez “used the Internet to view, download, possess, distribute, and share items depicting nude and/or sexually explicit prepubescent and pubescent children,” Bergen County …

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
Hasbrouck Heights PD: Driver In DWI Crash Had Kids With Him Hasbrouck Heights PD: Driver In DWI Crash Had Kids With Him
Hasbrouck Heights PD: Driver In DWI Crash Had Kids With Him A drunk driver had two children with him when he crashed into a parked car overnight on a Hasbrouck Heights street, authorities said. Corey Curry, 34, of Paterson was behind the wheel of a 2012 Infiniti that struck a parked car on Franklin Avenue shortly before 1:30 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 10, Hasbrouck Heights Lt. John Behr said. The uninjured youngsters -- both under 10 years old -- were picked up by a family member while police were dealing with him, the lieutenant said. Curry was arrested and charged with DWI, refusing to submit to a breath test, reckless driving, and having an open contain…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
SEE ANYTHING? Witnesses Sought In Route 17 Crash That Sent Pair To Hospital SEE ANYTHING? Witnesses Sought In Route 17 Crash That Sent Pair To Hospital
SEE Anything? Witnesses Sought In Route 17 Crash That Sent Pair To Hospital Two occupants were hospitalized after a crash on Route 17 that they told Hasbrouck Heights police was caused by a hit-and-run driver, authorities said. Police issued an alert for a dark sedan after the victims' Honda struck one guardrail and then another on the southbound highway near Williams Avenue shortly after 9:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 5, Lt. John Behr said. The driver and passenger, who were both out of the car when police arrived, told the officers they were struck by another vehicle that kept going south on the highway, the lieutenant said. Both were taken to Hackensack University Me…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
Mutual Aid Helps Boy, 4, From Family Of North Jersey First Responders Begin Cancer Fight Mutual Aid Helps Boy, 4, From Family Of North Jersey First Responders Begin Cancer Fight
Mutual Aid Helps Boy, 4, From Family Of North Jersey First Responders Begin Cancer Fight A 4-year-old boy who comes from a family of North Jersey first responders has headed into a battle with the additional love and support of friends, fellow public servants and others. Jonathan Benkovic has Wilms tumor. Also known as nephroblastoma, it's a pediatric cancer that often affects children 3 to 4 years old. Next week he'll begin chemotherapy treatments that are expected to last 30 weeks. A community of public servants are all pulling for Jonathan, who comes from a family of heroes. The sheriff’s PBA Local 134, along with police and firefighters in Hasbrouck Heights and Hackensack…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
Heavy-Duty Wreckers Remove Tipped Garbage Truck From Jammed Route 17 Heavy-Duty Wreckers Remove Tipped Garbage Truck From Jammed Route 17
Heavy-Duty Wreckers Remove Tipped Garbage Truck From Jammed Route 17 A group of heavy-duty wreckers was needed to right and remove a Hasbrouck Heights garbage truck that landed on its side on Route 17, jamming traffic. A load shift apparently was to blame. The borough driver was taken to the hospital as a precautionary measure following the crash on the highway's northbound side at Malcolm Avenue around 8:30 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 24, responders said. All northbound lanes were closed as Nick's Towing removed the rig using a trio of trucks. The load apparently shifted on northbound Route 17 at Malcolm Avenue around 8:30 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 24.Jennifer Rom…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
Warehouse Fire Off Route 46 Doused Warehouse Fire Off Route 46 Doused
Warehouse Fire Off Route 46 Doused A firefighter was hospitalized during a blaze Monday at a warehouse off Routes 17 and 46 in Hasbrouck Heights. The call came in around 1 p.m. Aug. 21 and followed another fire in a borough residence that was quickly extinguished with mutual aid at the scene from Little Ferry and Wood-Ridge firefighters. A welder's torch apparently ignited the warehouse fire in a trash compactor. Firefighters found workers trying to douse the flames when they arrived. A firefighter was taken to Hackensack University Medical Center with an unknown injury. Tony Greco took the photo and contributed to this st…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
Bergen Man, 71, Admitted Smothering Wife With Pillow, Tossing Her Valuables In Dumpster: Police Bergen Man, 71, Admitted Smothering Wife With Pillow, Tossing Her Valuables In Dumpster: Police
Bergen Man, 71, Admitted Smothering Wife With Pillow, Tossing Her Valuables In Dumpster: Police UPDATE: A 71-year-old Hasbrouck Heights man admitted smothering his wife to death with a pillow and then tossing some of her valuables in a Dumpster in Wood-Ridge as part of a staged home invasion, investigators said. Michael J. Manis killed 72-year-old Judith Manis on Friday, Aug. 10, but didn’t call police to their home at 110 Hamilton Avenue until 5:01 p.m. Saturday, they said. Claiming he’d only just arrived home, Manis told a 911 dispatcher that his wife “was deceased and that she was possibly beaten,” Hasbrouck Heights Police Detective Nicholas Brunetti wrote in a criminal complaint. …

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
Bergen Man Killed Wife, Staged Robbery In Hopes Of Cover-Up: Prosecutor Bergen Man Killed Wife, Staged Robbery In Hopes Of Cover-Up: Prosecutor
Bergen Man Killed Wife, Staged Robbery In Hopes Of Cover-Up: Prosecutor A 71-year-old Bergen County man has been charged with murder on accusations he killed his wife then tried to cover up the crime scene, authorities said. Michael Manis, of Hasbrouck Heights, called 911 saying he had just come home and found his wife dead at their Hamilton Avenue home, around 5 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 12, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said. An investigation found that Manis had actually killed his wife and then staged a robbery to cover up the homicide, Musella said. Manis was arrested and charged with first-degree murder, disturbing/desecrating human remains, hinde…

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by Cecilia Levine
Police & Fire
HERO: Nurse Comes To Rescue Of Bicyclist, 69, Suffering Medical Emergency In Bergen Park HERO: Nurse Comes To Rescue Of Bicyclist, 69, Suffering Medical Emergency In Bergen Park
Hero: Nurse Comes To Rescue Of Bicyclist, 69, Suffering Medical Emergency In Bergen Park UPDATE: An off-duty nurse helped rescue a 69-year-old bicyclist who suffered an apparent medical emergency in a Bergen County park, authorities said. Jacqueline Polentarutti was conducting CPR when Glen Rock and Paramus police and Bergen County sheriff's officers arrived at the bike path in Saddle River County Park near the Paramus border last Wednesday, Aug. 2. Glen Rock Police Officers Matt Stanislao, Sam Evans and Andrew Magro brought a defibrillator that was used in an effort to revive the victim, Police Chief Dean Ackermann said. Members of the Paramus Rescue Squad drove the unconsci…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
UPDATE: Driver Flees, Gets Into Other Car After Crash At Popular Route 46 Hot Dog Joint UPDATE: Driver Flees, Gets Into Other Car After Crash At Popular Route 46 Hot Dog Joint
Update: Driver Flees, Gets Into Other Car After Crash At Popular Route 46 Hot Dog Joint UPDATE: A driver who crashed a stolen car at a popular hot dog stand on Route 46 in Lodi on Wednesday drove a couple blocks further before getting into another car, police said. The 2023 Hyundai Elantra -- which had apparently been stolen out of Edison -- crashed at Hank's Franks shortly before 2 p.m. Aug. 2, local law enforcement officers said. The driver then headed east on Charlton Avenue before bailing out at the corner of Clark Street, they said. He then entered the passenger side of another vehicle in the area of the Boulevard Apartments and was gone. Police described him as black, …

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
CPR, Defib, Gator Used For Victim Of Medical Episode In Saddle River County Park CPR, Defib, Gator Used For Victim Of Medical Episode In Saddle River County Park
CPR, Defib, Gator Used For Victim Of Medical Episode In Saddle River County Park An off-duty nurse helped save the life of a 69-year-old bicyclist who was knocked unconscious in a fall at a Bergen County park, authorities said. Jacqueline Polentarutti was conducting CPR when Glen Rock and Paramus police and Bergen County sheriff's officers arrived at the bike path in Saddle River County Park near the Paramus border last Wednesday, Aug. 2. Glen Rock Police Officers Matt Stanislao, Sam Evans and Andrew Magro brought a defibrillator that was used in an effort to revive the victim, Police Chief Dean Ackermann said.  Members of the Paramus Rescue Squad drove the u…

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by Jerry DeMarco