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Wednesday, jan 29
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Wednesday, jan 29
Police & Fire
Newark Man Stole $700K Worth Of Luxury Vehicles: AG
A 19-year-old Newark man was arrested and charged with running a residential burglary and auto theft ring throughout the state last year, authorities said. Samir White's crew targeted high-end vehicles throughout New Jersey and New York, Attorney General Matthew Platkin said. White and others used stolen vehicles to travel to target locations throughout Monmouth, Ocean, and Essex counties, where they forced entry into homes using a crowbar, removed expensive items and key fobs to vehicles, then stole the homeowner’s cars from the residence, Platkin said. The estimated value of vehicles…
Police & Fire
Pedestrian On Sidewalk Killed By Driver Who Veered Off Route 46, Police Say
A pedestrian on the sidewalk was struck and killed by a vehicle that veered off of Route 46 in Hackettstown Wednesday morning, Jan. 29, police said. The crash occurred around 10:52 a.m., when a 2018 GMC Canyon, driven by a 61-year-old Flanders man, veered off the road and hit a pedestrian walking on the sidewalk in front of the CVS Pharmacy on Main Street, according to the Hackettstown Police Department. The pedestrian was rushed to Hackettstown Medical Center, where they were later pronounced dead, police said. The victim's identity is being withheld pending notification of famil…
Police & Fire
California Woman Admits To $800,000 Fraud: Morris County Prosecutor
A 63-year-old California woman pleaded guilty on Tuesday, Jan. 21 to defrauding a Hanover Township resident out of more than $800,000, authorities said. In 2023, Anna Marie Bustamante posed as an authorized vendor when the victim sent her $806,727.92, via a bank account that was made to resemble the bank account of the authorized vendor, the Morris County Prosecutor's Office said. As part of her plea agreement with prosecutors, Bustamante is expected to be sentenced to 364 days in the Morris County Correctional Center as a condition of probation, authorities said. The victi…
Police & Fire
Man Kidnaps, Sexually Assaults Teen Girl In Secluded Area Of NJ Mall: Prosecutor
A 23-year-old Bergen County man has been charged with kidnapping and sex offenses after authorities say he sexually assaulted a girl in a secluded area of the Willowbrook Mall. Denys Ludisaca, of Little Ferry, carried out the attack on the girl between 13 and 15 years old, Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes and Wayne Police Deputy Chief Joseph Rooney said. ALSO SEE: Girl's Accused Mall Abductor Has Lengthy Criminal History Across Bergen County, Records Show Police were notified of the incident on Jan. 11, and on Jan. 16, Ludisaca was identified as the attacker …
Police & Fire
Man Stabbed Dead In ShopRite Parking Lot: Essex County Prosecutor
A 56-year-old East Orange man was fatally stabbed at a ShopRite parking lot in Newark on the evening of Monday, Jan. 27, authorities said. At 7:17 p.m, police responded to 206 Springfield Ave. and found Rodney Mayes stabbed after a verbal dispute with another man, the Essex County Prosecutor's Office said. The suspect fled the scene, authorities said. Mayes was taken to University Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries, authorities said.. No arrests have been made and the investigation is ongoing, authorities said.
Police & Fire
Temple Freshman, Gymnast Dies After Fall From Light Post In Philadelphia
A Temple University freshman died after falling from a light pole in Philadelphia while celebrating the Eagles’ victory on Sunday, Jan. 26, school officials said. Tyler Sabapathy, 18, was critically injured over the weekend and later passed away on Monday, Temple University President John Fry said in a statement. “The loss of a promising 18-year-old man like Tyler is both tragic and traumatic. There are no words that can make sense of it, and the entire Temple community mourns his passing,” Fry said. Sabapathy, a Toronto native, was a first-year student in Temple’s College of Public Health…
Police & Fire
Armed NY Pair Terrorized Gas Attendants Across North Jersey: Prosecutor
A year-long investigation by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office has led to the arrests and indictments of two Westchester, NY men, in a series of armed robberies across three North Jersey counties, authorities said. Veron S. Brown, 26, and Ryan D. Servis, 25, of Mount Vernon, were identified as the masked men terrorizing gas station attendants across the region since January 2024, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said. The first incident occurred on Jan. 7, 2024, at 4:50 a.m., when Clifton Police responded to an armed robbery at a Route 3 gas station. Two masked men in a black …
Police & Fire
Warren County Woman Dies After Two-Car Crash:
Njsp
A 68-year-old Warren County woman died in Leigh County, Pennsylvania on Sunday, Jan. 26 after sustaining injuries in a car crash on Tuesday, Jan. 14, authorities said. At 2:11 p.m., officers responded to a crash at the intersection of County Route 519 and County Route 620 in White Township, Jeffrey Lebron, a spokesman for the New Jersey State Police said. A Nissan Rouge was traveling south on County Road 519 approaching the intersection of County Road 620, Lebron said. A Dodge Ram was traveling north on County Road 620 approaching the intersection of County Road 519, Lebron said. &nb…
Police & Fire
Essex County School Bus Company Hired Unqualified Drivers With Drug Problems: AG
A 66-year-old East Hanover man was sentence to five years in prison on Friday, Jan. 24 after previously pleading guilty to running a school bus company that failed to perform drug tests and background checks on drivers, authorities said. Ahmed Mahgoub was the owner of F&A Transportation, based in Essex County, New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin said. From 2016 through 2020, they secured contracts with school districts in Essex, Passaic, Morris and Union counties, Platkin said, totaling $3.5 million. An investigation by the Office of Public Integrity and Accountability revealed …
Police & Fire
Warehouse Manager Set Fire In Boonton To Conceal Theft: Prosecutor
A 45-year-old Newark man was arrested and charged on Monday, Jan. 13 with setting fire to a warehouse he managed in Boonton last November, authorities said. At 8:13 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 3, first responders were at 95 Fulton St. for a commercial warehouse fire, Morris County Prosecutor Robert Carroll, Chief of Detectives Robert McNally, and Boonton Police Officer-In-Charge Captain Chris Petonak said. The two-alarm fire was observed in the warehouse area, as well as a separately secured area leased by a pharmaceutical supply company, authorities said. An investigation det…
Police & Fire
Dover Man Robbed Store: Denville PD
A 30-year-old Dover resident was arrested and charged with robbery on Saturday, Jan. 25 in Denville, authorities said. At 1:49 p.m., officers responded to the Union Hill Shopping Center on a report of an armed robbery, Denville police said. The suspect, Raul Green, was found with a large wad of cash, which he had taken from a retail store, police said. Green was ultimately arrested for robbery of the store and attempted robbery of additional stores, police said. No weapons were found on Green's person, police said. This incident is still under investigation, police said.
Police & Fire
Driver Airlifted After Crashing Into Truck On Route 78:
Njsp
A 41-year-old Ridgefield Park man had to be airlifted after crashing into a truck on Route 78 in Hunterdon County on the morning of Sunday, Jan. 26, authorities said. At 4:36 a.m., a tractor trailer was stopped on the right shoulder on Route 78 East in Clinton Township when a Ford Explorer struck its rear, Jeffrey Lebron, a spokesman for the New Jersey State Police said. The driver of the Ford sustained serious injuries and was airlifted to an area hospital, Lebron said. The crash remains under investigation, Lebron said.
Police & Fire
7 Injured After Van Crashes Into Police Car On Route 78:
Njsp
Seven people were hospitalized after a van crashed into a police car on Route 78 in Hunterdon County on Sunday, Jan. 26, authorities said. At 5:42 a.m., a Ford transit van was traveling eastbound in the center lane on Route 78 in Clinton Township while an unoccupied marked troop car with its emergency lights activated was parked diverting traffic due to a prior crash, Jeffrey Lebron, a spokesman for the New Jersey State Police said. The driver of the Ford failed to observe the troop car and subsequently struck its rear, Lebron said. As a result of the collision, the driver and six occupants…
Police & Fire
Text Threatening 'Schoolwide Attack' Prompts Investigation In Bloomingdale: Officials
The Bloomingdale School District and local police are investigating text message threats targeting a middle school. Around 11 p.m. Friday, Jan. 24, the district received reports of text messages sent from an unknown number threatening a schoolwide attack at Walter T. Bergen Middle School on Monday, Jan. 27, Superintendent Dr. Michael Nicosia said. Nicosia said that the Bloomingdale Police Department was immediately contacted, and an investigation was launched. The police are working closely with school administrators and continue to investigate the incident. While no details …
Police & Fire
NJ Driver With Glass Of Wine In Brand-New Volvo Was More 2X Legal Limit, Police Say (
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Bodycam footage shows the arrest of a 41-year-old Old Bridge woman who police say was more than twice the legal limit when they stopped her last month in Red Bank. The footage showing the Dec. 20, 2024 arrest of Dana Colonna in Red Bank has been published by Transparency Bodycam on YouTube. The video shows Red Bank Officer Christopher Fuentes initiating the stop near Volcafe on Bridge Ave., in which Colonna tells him that she was driving a brand-new Volvo and was fighting with her boyfriend. Colonna admitted to drinking alcohol earlier in the evening after visiting Gabriella’s Italian …
Police & Fire
Airport Bomb Threat, SWAT Standoff That Locked Down School Ends In Arrest Of NJ Man, 38
A bomb threat at Atlantic City Airport earlier this month led to a dramatic standoff and the arrest of a 38-year-old Egg Harbor Township man, authorities said. The incident began on Jan. 10, at approximately 6:56 a.m., when New Jersey State Police responded to a bomb threat at the airport in Egg Harbor Township, Atlantic County, NJSP Sgt. Jeffrey Lebron said. A thorough sweep of the terminal revealed no explosive devices. Investigators identified the suspect as Long Pham, who was charged with false public alarm and terroristic threats, both third-degree offenses, Lebron said. At…
Police & Fire
One Injured After Readington Home Engulfed In Flames: Police
One person was hospitalized after a home in Readington was engulfed in flames on the evening of Thursday, Jan. 23., authorities said. At 6:41pm, officers were dispatched to a fire in a residence on Roosevelt Road, Readington police said. The occupants of the home were able to remove themselves prior to the arrival of emergency services, police said. One of the occupants suffered minor injuries and was transported to Hunterdon Medical Center, police said. The residence remains uninhabitable as a result of the fire, police said. Fire companies from Whitehouse, Readington, Three Bridges…
Police & Fire
Cop Illegally Used Computer Database To Look Up Woman's Info: Monmouth County Prosecutor
A 29-year-old police officer in Monmouth County was arrested and charged on Thursday, Jan. 23, with using computer databases to look up personal information about a woman and then traveled to her home, authorities said. Joshua James, a Neptune Township officer, was working a detail outside a local elementary school earlier this month when he noticed a woman picking up her child, Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond Santiago said. He then looked up her license plate and home address in two law enforcement databases intended strictly for policing purposes, Santiago said. James then drove to the…
Police & Fire
Cop Illegally Used Computer Database To Look Up Woman's Info: Monmouth County Prosecutor
A 29-year-old police officer in Monmouth County was arrested and charged on Thursday, Jan. 23, with using computer databases to look up personal information about a woman and then traveled to her home, authorities said. Joshua James, a Neptune Township officer, was working a detail outside a local elementary school earlier this month when he noticed a woman picking up her child, Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond Santiago said. He then looked up her license plate and home address in two law enforcement databases intended strictly for policing purposes, Santiago said. James then drove to the…
Police & Fire
Former Cop Convicted Of Killing Vernon Husband In What He Once Called 'Freak Accident'
A 38-year-old former Tenafly police officer has been convicted of aggravated manslaughter in the fatal shooting of his husband, a retired NYPD officer in 2023 in Sussex County, authorities said. On Tuesday, July 25, 2023, Joseph Grieco and his husband, John Kelly had returned to their Vernon home from a night out with friends, Sussex County Prosecutor Carolyn Murray said. Griceo had consumed alcohol at the Vernon VFW earlier that night and continued to drink while at home with Kelly and friends, Murray said. Early the next day, Grieco retrieved his handgun and began to handle it, despite mu…
Police & Fire
Delivery Truck Overturns, Leaking Heating Oil: Vernon PD
A home heating oil delivery truck overturned in Vernon Township on Saturday, Jan. 18, authorities said. At 12:30 p.m., officers responded to a motor vehicle crash on County Route 515 near the Acme Plaza and found the truck overturned, police said. The driver of the tanker was able to safely exit the vehicle and was transported to the hospital to be treated for injuries sustained in the crash, police said. The fuel container affixed to the vehicle was damaged, which subsequently caused large amounts of home heating oil to leak onto the roadway, police said. Due to the fluid spill, Cou…
Police & Fire
Officer Hospitalized After Rescuing Husky That Fell Through Ice: Police
A husky is lucky to be alive after he was rescued after falling through the ice in Chester on Tuesday, Jan. 21. Police responded to a 911 call on Old Chester Road after the husky, Ghost, fell through the ice and was in distress, Chester police said. The two officers, Louis Capone and Sgt. Stephen Notte, crawled onto the ice to save Ghost, using a snare police. Capone fell into the freezing cold water but Sgt. Notte was able to pull both Capone and Ghost out of the water, police said. Notte likely saved Ghost's life, police said. Capone was brought to Morristown Memorial Hospital as a preca…
Police & Fire
Morris County Corrections Officer Drove Drunk In Two-Car Crash: Authorities
A Morris County corrections officer found himself on the other side of the law. Justin Jasiecki, 24, was arrested and charged with driving under the influence following a two-car crash in Denville on Friday, Jan. 17, Denville police said. At 11:23 p.m., officers responded to the crash on Route 53 and an investigation determined Jasiecki was under the influence of alcohol, police said. After failing field sobriety tests, Jasiecki was placed under arrest for the suspicion of driving while intoxicated, police said. The other driver was transported to Morristown Medical Center due to inj…
Police & Fire
Jeep Driver, 22, Airlifted After Being Struck Head-On By Ford F-250 In Route 31 Crash: Police
A 22-year-old Washington woman was airlifted to a hospital following a head-on crash in Raritan Township on the morning of Tuesday, Jan. 21 that left another driver injured, authorities said. At 11:53 a.m. authorities responded to 361 State Highway 31 for a crash between a Ford F-250 and a Jeep Liberty, after the Ford which was traveling northbound, veered into the southbound lane, striking the Jeep, Raritan Township police said. The driver of the Jeep was trapped in her vehicle and suffered severe head and neck injuries, police said. Emergency crews extricated her from the wreckage, a…
Police & Fire
NJ Teacher Allegedly Impregnated By 13-Year-Old Former Student Released From Jail: Report
Laura Caron, a 34-year-old teacher, charged with sexually assaulting a former student from when he was 11 years old, was ordered released from jail on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 6abc reports. The judge granted her release at a detention hearing, saying she was not a flight risk. She is ordered to have no contact with the victim, his family or any minors, besides her 5-year-old daughter, NJ Advance Media says. According to a criminal affidavit, Caron was 28 years old when she was impregnated by a 13-year-old former student. Caron, a Cape May Court House resident who teaches fifth grade at M…
Police & Fire
NJ Man Charged After Girlfriend Found Shot Dead In PA Hotel: Police Release Details
Authorities have revealed chilling new details about the murder of a Trenton woman found shot to death at a Pennsylvania hotel last week. Her boyfriend, who sparked a standoff in New Jersey hours later, has been charged with her killing, police said Tuesday, Jan. 21. Orenthia Upshur, 51, is accused of shooting 49-year-old Maisha Coon inside a rented room at the Sleep Inn on Street Road in Bensalem in the early morning hours of Wednesday, Jan. 15. The investigation began when a family member of Upshur’s walked into the Pennsylvania State Police barracks in Trevose at 5 a.m. that day. The r…
Police & Fire
Wrong-Way Driver Killed In Multi-Vehicle NJ Turnpike Crash: State Police
A wrong-way driver from New York was killed, and three others were injured in a multi-vehicle crash on the New Jersey Turnpike early Sunday morning, Jan. 19, New Jersey State Police said. Ramin Shakhgusegynov, 44, of Brooklyn, NY was driving a Volvo SUV southbound in the northbound lanes when he struck three vehicles at 4:20 a.m. on the northbound inner roadway near milepost 96.9 in Linden, NJSP Sgt. Charles Marchan said. The Volvo collided with a Jeep driven by a 64-year-old Carmel, NY man. A Honda minivan operated by a 38-year-old Carteret man, behind the Jeep. A Chevrolet …
Police & Fire
Passenger, 22, Killed In Route 80 Crash:
Njsp
A 22-year-old Union City man was killed in a single-vehicle crash on Route 80 early Saturday, Jan. 18, authorities said. A Honda driven by a 22-year-old Belleville man was heading west when it veered off the road and struck a tree in Knowlton near milepost 6.2 around 3:05 a.m., according to New Jersey State Police Sgt. Charles Marchan. The driver sustained minor injuries in the crash, while one passenger, a 19-year-old Passaic man, suffered moderate injuries. A second passenger, age 22, of Union City, died of his injuries, Marchan said. The victim's name was not released. The crash re…
Police & Fire
NJ Pastor Not Guilty Of 8-Year-Old Gretchen Harrington's Homicide In PA
Nearly 50 years after 8-year-old Gretchen Harrington was abducted and killed in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, David Zandstra, a former pastor accused of her murder, has been found not guilty. Court records updated on Saturday, Jan. 18, show Zandstra was acquitted of all charges following a trial on Friday, Jan. 17. The charges included Criminal Homicide, First-Degree Murder, Second-Degree Murder, and Third-Degree Murder. Additional charges, including Possession of an Instrument of Crime, were dismissed or withdrawn. David Zandstra, 83, originally from New Jersey and most recently of M…
Police & Fire
Daycare Teacher Gets Jail For Assaulting Toddler: Morris County Prosecutor
A 38-year-old daycare teacher received 90 days in jail on Friday, Jan. 17, after she pleaded guilty to assaulting a toddler in 2024, authorities said. Christina Susco, a Budd Lake resident and teacher at Mount Olive Child Care and Learning Center assaulted the toddler on Monday, March 25, 2024 Morris County Prosecutor Robert J. Carroll said. She pleaded guilty to endangering the welfare of a child, authorities said. Susco was sentenced to 90 days in the Morris County Correctional Facility and five years probation, authorities said. Susco is no longer employed at the day care center, authori…
Police & Fire
Multi-Million Diesel Fuel Theft Ring Busted in NJ: AG
A sophisticated operation that stole credit card information and used cloned cards to purchase diesel fuel, and then resold it for millions in illicit profits has been dismantled, authorities announced on Thursday, Jan. 16. The scheme involved 25 people and four companies operating in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York, Connecticut, and Massachusetts, New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin said. The enterprise used credit card skimmers installed at gas pumps to steal data and create cloned cards, Platkin said. The group used modified vehicles with auxiliary fuel tanks to store and tran…
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