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Police & Fire
Alligator Captured In Central Jersey Alligator Captured In Central Jersey
Alligator Captured In Central Jersey The elusive alligator that kept a Central Jersey park closed for more than a week was captured about 400 yards from where it was first spotted Wednesday, Aug. 30, authorities said. On Thursday night, Sept. 7, officers from the Piscataway Police Department found the 4-foot-long gator near 2nd Avenue, in the roadway in front of a home around 10:10, Middlesex police said. The alligator was subdued and restrained by Piscataway Patrol Officer Ian Paglia until the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection's Fish & Wildlife Division took custody of it, Piscataway police said. This lo…

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by Jon Craig
Police & Fire
'Altared' State: NJ Sisters Admit Staging Sham Marriages To Keep Non-Citizens In US 'Altared' State: NJ Sisters Admit Staging Sham Marriages To Keep Non-Citizens In US
'Altared' State: NJ Sisters Admit Staging Sham Marriages To Keep Non-Citizens In US UPDATE: Two sisters from Newark admitted obtaining phony marriage licenses and staging bogus wedding ceremonies, receptions and other events in an elaborate scheme to help undocumented non-citizens avoid deportation, federal authorities said. Regina Johnson, 59, and her sister, Andrea Torres, ran the sham scam for nearly three years, recruiting and paying U.S. citizens to pose as spouses, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger said. Their clients: non-citizens looking to remain in the country despite the lack of legal status or proper documentation. As part of the fraud, the sisters "…

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
NJ Beach Town Looks To Close Beaches Early Due To Wild Teens, New Curfew Enacted NJ Beach Town Looks To Close Beaches Early Due To Wild Teens, New Curfew Enacted
NJ Beach Town Looks To Close Beaches Early Due To Wild Teens, New Curfew Enacted Those under 18 years old will need adult supervision after midnight in one New Jersey beach town. Wildwood this week passed a new ordinance that requires juveniles to be accompanied by a parent or guardian between midnight and 6 a.m. unless they're going to or coming from work or a local business. A proposed ordinance suggests closing beaches from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. for everyone, in the interest of public safety. According to the ordinance, it's all because of the rowdy teens that gathered in the city on the Fourth of July Weekend. The teens were rioting, engaging in "criminal mischief," and…

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by Cecilia Levine
Police & Fire
Falling Tree Limb In Fair Lawn Knocks Elmwood Park Man Off Ladder Falling Tree Limb In Fair Lawn Knocks Elmwood Park Man Off Ladder
Falling Tree Limb In Fair Lawn Knocks Elmwood Park Man Off Ladder A 60-year-old Elmwood Park man cutting down a tree on a residential Fair Lawn street was struck by a falling limb and knocked off a ladder, authorities said. The victim complained of leg and shoulder pain after falling 20 or so feet shortly after 1 p.m. Thursday, July 20. Members of the Fair Lawn Ambulance Corps took him to Hackensack University Medical Center, Police Sgt. Eric Eleshewich said. Borough police and Fair Lawn Rescue members also responded, the sergeant said.

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
3 Feet High And Flooding: Motorist Rescued From Partially Submerged Sedan In Glen Rock (PHOTOS) 3 Feet High And Flooding: Motorist Rescued From Partially Submerged Sedan In Glen Rock (PHOTOS)
3 Feet High And Flooding: Motorist Rescued From Partially Submerged Sedan In Glen Rock (Photos) A firefighter and two police officers helped a woman out of a sedan that got stuck in floodwaters beneath a Glen Rock train trestle. Firefighter Ryan Jennings and Special Police Officer James Harte were both driving down Maple Avenue when they spotted the vehicle with the driver still in it. The recent torrential downpours flooded the stretch beneath the NJ TRANSIT tracks on Maple Avenue near the borough train station around noontime Tuesday, June 27, leaving the vehicle stranded in three feet of water. Glen Rock Motor Unit Police Officer Adam Pyatak went in, as well, and together the tri…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
Strange Tape On Car Sends 2 NJ Residents To Hospital — Now Police Are Warning Drivers Strange Tape On Car Sends 2 NJ Residents To Hospital — Now Police Are Warning Drivers
Strange Tape On Car Sends 2 NJ Residents To Hospital — Now Police Are Warning Drivers Police are warning people to be aware of strange objects being placed on their vehicles after a recent incident in Atlantic County. At 1:49 p.m. on May 19, a woman flagged down a Linwood police officer to report an incident. She said that she and her sister had found a blue piece of painter's tape on the rear window of her vehicle, police said. Based on how both women were feeling after touching the tape, they believed they may have been exposed to a dangerous substance, Linwood police said. To be safe, both women were taken to Shore Medical Center for evaluation, police said.  No w…

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by Jon Craig
Police & Fire
UPDATE: State Authorities Leave Review Of Armed Gunman's Shooting By Passaic PD To Prosecutor UPDATE: State Authorities Leave Review Of Armed Gunman's Shooting By Passaic PD To Prosecutor
Update: State Authorities Leave Review Of Armed Gunman's Shooting By Passaic PD To Prosecutor UPDATE: State authorities signaled their faith Thursday that the wounding of an armed man by a Passaic police officer on Wednesday was what everyone involved agrees was a clean shoot. A mandatory review of the incident that is required of New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin has been left in the hands of Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes, the prosecutor herself said on May 11. Officers responding to a call of a man shooting a gun in the area of Passaic Avenue and Lackawanna Place near the train station encountered the suspect shortly before 6:30 p.m. May 10, Passaic Mayor …

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
SWAT Standoff: Elmwood Park Man Throws AC Unit, Flaming T-Shirts Out Window Before Surrender SWAT Standoff: Elmwood Park Man Throws AC Unit, Flaming T-Shirts Out Window Before Surrender
SWAT Standoff: Elmwood Park Man Throws AC Unit, Flaming T-Shirts Out Window Before Surrender A three-hour SWAT standoff ended overnight when a barricaded Elmwood Park man with a violent history -- one that includes fighting with police -- agreed to surrender. Syed Uddin, 37, of Franklin Street was "shouting obscenities on the porch of the residence and appeared to be under the influence of some type of substance" when police arrived shortly before 9:30 p.m. Sunday, May 7, Elmwood Park Police Chief Michael Foligno said. They tried talking with him, but Uddin ran inside, locked the door and continued shouting at them from a second-floor window while bashing the wall with a metal obj…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
Two Guns, Five Arrests In Less Than 24 Hours: Paterson Crime Crackdown Continues Two Guns, Five Arrests In Less Than 24 Hours: Paterson Crime Crackdown Continues
Two Guns, Five Arrests In Less Than 24 Hours: Paterson Crime Crackdown Continues Paterson police took two guns off the street, arrested four young men and seized a juvenile in a span of less than 24 hours, authorities said. It began when a colleague alerted a detective sergeant and two detectives who were on patrol to a man carrying a handgun. The pair recovered the weapon and took Tysaun Beach, 18, into custody on 12th Avenue, New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin and NJ State Police Major Frederick Fife said in a joint announcement. Two other officers patrolling downtown the same day spotted Cameron Louzan, 20, who was wanted for a carjacking and weapons off…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Obituaries
Newark Police Lieutenant Dies Suddenly, 47 Newark Police Lieutenant Dies Suddenly, 47
Newark Police Lieutenant Dies Suddenly, 47 Richard Weber, a longtime police lieutenant in Newark who lived in North Caldwell, passed away suddenly on Monday, May 1, the city announced.  Weber began his career with the Newark Police Division in January 1999 and he served in numerous law enforcement units including the Safe City Task Force to the 3rd Precinct, Narcotics, 4th Precinct Detective Bureau, Community Focus Division, and most recently in the Criminal Intelligence Section of the Newark Police Major Crimes Division. “Lieutenant Weber was a highly respected public servant, a devoted brother, and a trusted friend to all. We off…

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by Sam Barron
News
Runaway Englewood SUV Severely Injures Hackensack Man, Plows Into Building Runaway Englewood SUV Severely Injures Hackensack Man, Plows Into Building
Runaway Englewood SUV Severely Injures Hackensack Man, Plows Into Building UPDATE: A 61-year-old Hackensack man was severely injured in Englewood on Thursday by a runaway SUV that then sped backward down the street before plowing entirely into the headquarters of a global produce importer. The victim was removing equipment from the rear of the 2000 Ford Explorer, which was parked on Chester Place, when the accident occurred shortly after 4:30 p.m. April 6, Englewood Police Lt. Fred Pulice said. The vehicle continued west down Chester Place, crossed Grand Avenue and rammed into the ESU Farm building, the lieutenant said. Englewood firefighters and police were …

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
Overnight Fire In Fair Lawn Serves As Reminder About Chimney Safety Overnight Fire In Fair Lawn Serves As Reminder About Chimney Safety
Overnight Fire In Fair Lawn Serves As Reminder About Chimney Safety A pre-dawn chimney fire doused by Fair Lawn's bravest serves as a critical public safety reminder. Fire from a chimney extended into the walls on the first floor of the Saddle River Road home shortly before 1 a.m. Sunday, March 26, Fire Chief Jake Mamo said. Mamo, who transmitted a general alarm, said firefighters quickly knocked down the blaze and opened the walls to check for any extension. No injuries were reported. The Fair Lawn Rescue Squad, Volunteer Ambulance Corps and Police Department all assisted, the chief said. Mutual aid for coverage was provided by Elmwood Park and Saddle Br…

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by Jerry DeMarco