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Park Ridge, NJ

Westwood Man Charged With Killing High Schooler From Park Ridge With Fentanyl-Laced Pill Westwood Man Charged With Killing High Schooler From Park Ridge With Fentanyl-Laced Pill
Westwood Man Charged With Killing High Schooler From Park Ridge With Fentanyl-Laced Pill 𝗨𝗣𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘: A 17-year-old Park Ridge boy was killed by a single imitation painkiller laced with fentanyl that was given to him by a Westwood man who's been charged with causing his death. The boy thought he was taking an Oxycontin pill before he overdosed last Sept. 14, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said. Officers who responded to the emergency call administered Narcan, among other life-saving measures, the prosecutor said. The high school senior was pronounced dead a short time later. Detectives from the prosecutor’s Narcotic Task Force determined during a six-month investigatio…
Bergen Dad, Son Busted Again, This Time In $2.5M Jersey Shore ‘Fix-and-Flip’ Scheme Bergen Dad, Son Busted Again, This Time In $2.5M Jersey Shore ‘Fix-and-Flip’ Scheme
Bergen Dad, Son Busted Again, This Time In $2.5M Jersey Shore ‘Fix-and-Flip’ Scheme It seemed state and federal prosecutors had thrown all they could at a Bergen County father and son for a series of multi-million-dollar investment scams. But state authorities announced a new indictment against both men on Monday, Nov. 6. This time, George Bussanich, Sr., 65, of Park Ridge, and George Bussanich, Jr., 43, of Upper Saddle River, are charged with defrauding investors and mortgage lenders out of more than $2.5 million through a “fix and flip” investment scam involving Jersey Shore real estate. Victims believed they were funding the purchase, renovation, and resale of four…
10 Packed Into Pickup Chased Down By Police, Rush-Hour Traffic Stopped On GS Parkway 10 Packed Into Pickup Chased Down By Police, Rush-Hour Traffic Stopped On GS Parkway
10 Packed Into Pickup Chased Down By Police, Rush-Hour Traffic Stopped On GS Parkway Nearly a dozen people packed into a pickup truck stopped weekend rush-hour traffic on the Garden State Parkway after they tried to run from a brigade of area police. A few in the group of mostly juveniles were reportedly seen dashing north on the southbound Parkway toward the New York State border before police nabbed them shortly after 4:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 18. Montvale police seized two adults and eight minors with help from New Jersey State Police, Bergen County sheriff's officers and colleagues from Park Ridge, Saddle River, Upper Saddle River and Woodcliff Lake, Montvale Police C…
WATCH: Park Ridge Special Officer Snatches Child Before She's Pinned By Moving Car (Video) WATCH: Park Ridge Special Officer Snatches Child Before She's Pinned By Moving Car (Video)
Watch: Park Ridge Special Officer Snatches Child Before She's Pinned By Moving Car (Video) It happened in a blink. A young Park Ridge schoolgirl had just emerged from an SUV and was behind the vehicle as the driver put it into reverse. Fortunately, the child had a guardian angel -- Mike Stallone, a special law enforcement officer with the Park Ridge Police Department who'd just been assigned to West Ridge Elementary School. Stallone rushed forward and scooped up the youngster before she could be crushed between two vehicles, Capt. Joseph Rampolla said. A surveillance camera captured the moment (click below). Police and school districts have been working together to assign…
These NJ Schools Are Closed, Delayed Due To Snow Tuesday, Feb. 28 These NJ Schools Are Closed, Delayed Due To Snow Tuesday, Feb. 28
These NJ Schools Are Closed, Delayed Due To Snow Tuesday, Feb. 28 The first winter storm of the season is causing a change in plans for New Jersey schools on Tuesday, Feb. 28. Some districts have delayed openings while others are closed completely. Here's a list of which school are closed or delayed for Tuesday, Feb. 28. Check your school/district's website for details. Bedminster: 10: 50 a.m. start Bellville: Delayed Bergen County Tech: Closed Bergenfield: 2-hour delay Bernards: 2-hour delay Bloomfield: Delay Bloomingdale: Closed Bogota: Delayed Butler: Closed Cliffside Park: 10 a.m. start Clifton: Delayed Closter: Delayed Cresskill: Delayed Demarest: …
Woman Arrested After Shooting Threat Locks Down Popular Bergen County Restaurant Woman Arrested After Shooting Threat Locks Down Popular Bergen County Restaurant
Woman Arrested After Shooting Threat Locks Down Popular Bergen County Restaurant UPDATE: A woman who police said forced the temporary lockdown of a busy Bergen County restaurant during dinner this weekend was identified as a Westchester County resident. Diana Dealem-Calderon, 39, left Fire & Oak in Montvale after threatening to shoot someone during an argument, Police Chief Doug McDowell said. Montvale police took her into custody a little over a mile away at the Woodcliff Lake Hilton, with help from their law enforcement colleagues there, the chief said. No one was injured and no weapons were involved, but the incident did produce some anxious moments. The call i…
Employee Molests Underage Girl In Back Area Of Krauszers In Park Ridge: Authorities Employee Molests Underage Girl In Back Area Of Krauszers In Park Ridge: Authorities
Employee Molests Underage Girl In Back Area Of Krauszers In Park Ridge: Authorities An employee fondled and kissed the breasts of an underage girl in the back of a Krauszers in Park Ridge after giving her THC pens, authorities charged. Sharath K. Reddy, 27, of New Milford didn't know the girl and a female friend who'd entered the Park Avenue convenience store around 5 p.m. Friday, Jan. 6, they said. After locking the front door, Reddy led them to an "isolated area" in back of the store, an investigator wrote in a criminal complaint on file in Superior Court in Hackensack.  "A subsequent interview was conducted with the defendant where he admitted to fondling and kiss…
Social Studies Teacher Sues Local Bergen County District Over Suspension For Hitler Assignments Social Studies Teacher Sues Local Bergen County District Over Suspension For Hitler Assignments
Social Studies Teacher Sues Local Bergen County District Over Suspension For Hitler Assignments A Bergen County grade-school social studies teacher who was indefinitely suspended over assignments about Adolf Hitler and Nazi Germany claims the district superintendent told him that he’d upset “Jewish people” in town and then ordered him to “fix” it. In a lawsuit filed against the Woodcliff Lake School District, Robert Welsh of Park Ridge says he was made a “scapegoat” amid complaints from parents because he’s a “socially conservative Christian in a community with a large Jewish population.” Welsh, 53, wrote a letter to the parents explaining why he considered the lesson necessary and ap…
Unruly Youths Quieted By Toms River Police On Holiday Weekend Unruly Youths Quieted By Toms River Police On Holiday Weekend
Unruly Youths Quieted By Toms River Police On Holiday Weekend Toms River police said they had two incidents over the Fourth of July weekend involving unruly youths at Silver Beach. On Sunday, July 3, at approximately 11:30 p.m., officers responded to the beach, in the area of East Colony Road and South Surf Road for a report from private security of roughly 40 to 50 young adults refusing to leave. Upon officers arrival, the group was advised to disperse and did so without incident, police said. While walking back down the street, an officer heard a male within a small group begin to shout obscenities. Residents from several houses came …
NJ 'Mentalist' Actor John Zderko Dies NJ 'Mentalist' Actor John Zderko Dies
NJ 'Mentalist' Actor John Zderko Dies New Jersey native John Zderko died Thursday, May 26 after a battle with cancer. He was 60 years old. Known for his roles in "Criminal Minds," "The Mentalist" and "9-1-1 Lone," Zderko grew up in Park Ridge and later moved to California. He graduated from from UC Irvine but went back to UCLA for acting classes as he built he career, according to his bio on IMDB. Zderko is survived by his sister, Karen, brother-in-law Steve and nephews Jason and Jeff.
Feds: NJ Steel Drum Company Owner Admits Conning MD Manufacturer Out Of $20M Feds: NJ Steel Drum Company Owner Admits Conning MD Manufacturer Out Of $20M
Feds: NJ Steel Drum Company Owner Admits Conning MD Manufacturer Out Of $20M The owner of a New Jersey-based steel drum wholesaler admitted he conned a Maryland-based manufacturer out of nearly $20 million, federal authorities said. Anthony P. Urcioli, Sr., 78, of Park Ridge, conspired with an employee of a New York company to produce bogus invoices for more drums than his Tunnel, Barrel & Drum Co, Inc. had delivered to the company's facility in Harford County, MD, U.S. Attorney for Maryland Erek L. Barron said. Urcioli, who's TBD's owner and president, split the excess funds he received with the employee -- who, in turn, gave 25% to a co-worker, Barron said.  …
GHASTLY BERGEN CRASH: Driver, 22, Ejected Through Moonroof, Debris Field Covers 500 Feet GHASTLY BERGEN CRASH: Driver, 22, Ejected Through Moonroof, Debris Field Covers 500 Feet
Ghastly Bergen Crash: Driver, 22, Ejected Through Moonroof, Debris Field Covers 500 Feet A 22-year-old driver was ejected through the moon roof of his Jeep in a horrific overnight crash in Park Ridge that left a debris field of more than 150 yards, authorities said. The 2021 Grand Cherokee was headed north on Spring Valley Road when it left the roadway and slammed into a large tree at the north corner of Alberon Drive shortly before 2 a.m. Tuesday, Park Ridge Police Capt. Joseph Rampolla said. The impact jettisoned the Jeep across the road, where it flipped over, spun and severed a utility pole, knocking it over, Rampolla said. The Elmwood Park driver, who was alone in the veh…
NJ Starbucks Worker Fired After Barista Spit In Officer's Coffee: Report Says Citing Suit NJ Starbucks Worker Fired After Barista Spit In Officer's Coffee: Report Says Citing Suit
NJ Starbucks Worker Fired After Barista Spit In Officer's Coffee: Report Says Citing Suit A longtime Starbucks manager in New Jersey says in a newly-filed lawsuit against her former employer she was fired following the arrest of a barista who spit into a police officer’s drink. Kelly Hansen-Grosman, 49, of Hewitt, was the store manger in Park Ridge in 2019, when then 21-year-old barista Kevin Trejo -- whom she supervised -- was caught spitting in an officer's drink, NorthJersey.com reports citing the suit. Hansen-Grosman said she was subsequently pressured into showing text messages between her and the investigating police detective. After refusing to let supervisors screenshot …
Police: Rockland Brothers Seized In Montvale After Pointing Fake Gun, Throwing Fireworks On Bus Police: Rockland Brothers Seized In Montvale After Pointing Fake Gun, Throwing Fireworks On Bus
Police: Rockland Brothers Seized In Montvale After Pointing Fake Gun, Throwing Fireworks On Bus UPDATE: An extremely tense situation ended safely when police in Montvale seized two underage Rockland brothers who they said threatened passengers on a commuter bus with a fake gun and fireworks. Police stopped the Monsey Trails bus on Chestnut Ridge Road around 10 p.m. Thursday after receiving multiple calls that one of the Monsey brothers – ages 14 and 16 – pointed a pistol at fellow passengers, Montvale Police Chief Joseph Sanfilippo said. The pair also threw lighted fireworks at them, the chief said. Fellow officers from Woodcliff Lake, Upper Saddle River, Park Ridge, Hillsdale, and R…
North Jersey Man Brings Halloween Dreams To Life With Homemade Haunted House North Jersey Man Brings Halloween Dreams To Life With Homemade Haunted House
North Jersey Man Brings Halloween Dreams To Life With Homemade Haunted House Halloween Night looks a lot like Matt Kaprielian's childhood dream. The Park Ridge resident has smoke blowing across the lawn and animatronic skeletons rattling a cemetery gate. He has a casket from an actual funeral home and a mannequin painted to look like a corpse inside.  Kaprielian's got tombstones and rats, jack-o-lanterns and ghouls. And most importantly, Kaprielian has hundreds of trick-or-treaters. The 30-year-old New Milford native grew up helping his mom transform their house for spooky season. They made the decorations themselves and spent days perfecting them, hanging them up…
Montvale Mom Who Produced 'Little Steven's Underground Garage' Passes At 36 Montvale Mom Who Produced 'Little Steven's Underground Garage' Passes At 36
Montvale Mom Who Produced 'Little Steven's Underground Garage' Passes At 36 TRIBUTE: When loved ones say their final goodbyes to Jenna Antonacci of Montvale on Friday, they will no doubt recall how much she loved -- and at one time lived -- music. Antonacci had worked in her mid- to late-20s as a producer for the wildly popular "Little Steven's Underground Garage," created by longtime E Street Band guitarist Steven Van Zandt on Sirius XM. She immersed herself in communicating with bands, managers and labels to organize appearances, among other tasks, and worked directly on the program hosted by Andrew Loog Oldham, the former manager and producer for the Rolling St…
'I Shot My Parents': Bogus Call Brings Police From Several Bergen Towns 'I Shot My Parents': Bogus Call Brings Police From Several Bergen Towns
'I Shot My Parents': Bogus Call Brings Police From Several Bergen Towns A caller had just told a Montvale police dispatcher that she'd just shot her parents. Law enforcement colleagues from Hillsdale, Park Ridge and Woodcliff Lake immediately mobilized to assist their Pascack Valley colleagues Saturday night. Officers went to the parents' house and didn't find anyone home. They checked out at least one other claim the caller made that was bogus, too. "It was called in from out of state," Police Chief Joseph Sanfillipo said. "An investigation is ongoing." Authorities don't consider "swatting" pranks amusing. Summoning police from surrounding towns, depl…
New Fraud Cases Name Relatives Of Imprisoned Father, Son Scammers From Mahwah, Saddle River New Fraud Cases Name Relatives Of Imprisoned Father, Son Scammers From Mahwah, Saddle River
New Fraud Cases Name Relatives Of Imprisoned Father, Son Scammers From Mahwah, Saddle River It seemed that state and federal prosecutors had thrown all they could at Bergen County’s George Bussanich and his son for a series of multi-million-dollar investment scams the past several years. But state authorities announced a new case Friday that also includes Bussanich's daughter and son-in-law as co-defendants. George Bussanich Sr., 62, of Park Ridge is already serving a 27-month federal prison stretch in Allenwood, PA for defrauding mortgage lenders and is due for release in 10 months. His son, George Bussanich Jr., 41, of Saddle River is up for parole this November from an eight-y…
Libyan Charged In Airline Bombing That Killed 270, Including 119 From Daily Voice Area Libyan Charged In Airline Bombing That Killed 270, Including 119 From Daily Voice Area
Libyan Charged In Airline Bombing That Killed 270, Including 119 From Daily Voice Area Federal authorities announced charges Monday against an accused Libyan terrorist on the 32nd anniversary of the Flight 103 bombing over Scotland that killed 270 people. Abu Agila Mohammad Masud is charged with terrorism-related crimes in the 1988 bombing over the village of Lockerbie that killed 190 Americans in all, Attorney General William Barr said Monday. The victims in modern-day history’s worst attack on Americans before 9/11 included 33 New Jerseyans and 61 New York State residents, as well as 11 from Massachusetts, nine from Pennsylvania and five from Connecticut (see list below). …
Pascack Valley Crash: Pedestrian Struck By Fellow Rocklander's Sedan Pascack Valley Crash: Pedestrian Struck By Fellow Rocklander's Sedan
Pascack Valley Crash: Pedestrian Struck By Fellow Rocklander's Sedan A pedestrian sustained hip and facial injuries when she was struck by a sedan driven by a fellow Rockland County resident Monday morning in Park Ridge, authorities said.  The 50-year-old New City woman was crossing Madison Avenue going south when the 40-year-old driver from Monsey made a left turn from Hawthorne Avenue headed east and struck her with is 2010 BMW 750 at 9:16 a.m., Capt. Joseph Rampolla said. Tri-Boro Ambulance took the victim to Hackensack University Medical Center. The driver, whose front-end grill was damaged from the impact, remained at the scene and was expect…
NEW RANKINGS: These New Jersey Towns Named Among Safest In State NEW RANKINGS: These New Jersey Towns Named Among Safest In State
NEW Rankings: These New Jersey Towns Named Among Safest In State A new report from AdvisorSmith ranked the crime rates of hundreds of municipalities across New Jersey to determine the safest small, midsize and large cities. The study — which analyzed a total of 37 large cities, 200 midsize cities and 247 small cities — used data from the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting Dataset to calculate and compare crime levels, putting more weight on serious and violent crimes like murder, rape and assault. The analysis found the safest small, midsize and large cities to be Matawan, Warren Township and Middletown, respectively. The average crime score for the large ci…
Driver Dead, SUV Found In Hackensack River In River Vale Driver Dead, SUV Found In Hackensack River In River Vale
Driver Dead, SUV Found In Hackensack River In River Vale A popular Hillsdale firefighter was found dead in his SUV Thursday in the upper Hackensack River in River Vale, the apparent victim of a heart attack. John Inserra, 48, was married with three young children -- two boys and a girl. He coached and was extremely active in local youth sports, including softball and wrestling. Inserra was reported missing after he headed to the a gym in Norwood early Thursday and wasn't heard from again, close friends said. His phone was pinged to the area of Rivervale Road and Piermont Avenue in River Vale several hours later. Officers from both towns respon…
Police: Bergen Worker Caught Spitting In Officers’ Coffee Police: Bergen Worker Caught Spitting In Officers’ Coffee
Police: Bergen Worker Caught Spitting In Officers’ Coffee An employee at a Park Ridge Starbucks was caught spitting into police officers’ orders, authorities said. Kevin Trejo, 21, of Westwood was arrested Monday and charged with assaulting a law enforcement officer with bodily fluid, tampering and creating a hazardous condition, Police Chief Joseph Madden said. Authorities “received information that an employee of a local coffee shop was spitting in the drinks of law enforcement that patronized the establishment,” Madden said. Police quickly arrested Trejo, who the chief said bragged about what he'd done. Trejo also was fired from his job at th…
HERO: Visiting Doctor Rescues Drowning Boy, 3, At Bergen County Hotel Pool HERO: Visiting Doctor Rescues Drowning Boy, 3, At Bergen County Hotel Pool
Hero: Visiting Doctor Rescues Drowning Boy, 3, At Bergen County Hotel Pool Fate intervened this weekend when an emergency room doctor revived a drowning 3-year-old boy pulled from a hotel pool near the New Jersey/New York border. Police who responded within a minute to the call of an unresponsive child at the Courtyard by Marriott on Chestnut Ridge Road in Montvale at 4:20 p.m. Saturday found Dr. John Blundell of Buffalo reviving the New York City boy, Police Chief Joseph Sanfilippo said. "Officers administered oxygen and worked to calm the child," Sanfilippo said. Officers from Woodcliff Lake and Park Ridge also responded to assist, he said. Tri-Boro Volunteer…
Police Investigating Reports That Pace Coach From NJ Hit Freshman In Face With Bat Police Investigating Reports That Pace Coach From NJ Hit Freshman In Face With Bat
Police Investigating Reports That Pace Coach From NJ Hit Freshman In Face With Bat Police are investigating an incident in which a Pace University baseball coach from North Jersey accidentally whacked a freshman player in the face with a bat during a locker room tirade after a loss, then allegedly failed to call an ambulance and instead stormed into his office. Someone familiar with the incident involving Pace Baseball Coach Hank Manning alerted Mount Pleasant police on June 3, nearly two months later, Police Chief Paul Oliva told Daily Voice. "We're looking into it," Oliva said. Pace Athletic Director Mark Brown didn't immediately return a request from Daily Voice for c…
Officials: Nearly 40 Percent Of NJ's Coronavirus Deaths In Nursing Homes Officials: Nearly 40 Percent Of NJ's Coronavirus Deaths In Nursing Homes
Officials: Nearly 40 Percent Of NJ's Coronavirus Deaths In Nursing Homes Nearly two of every five coronavirus deaths in New Jersey have been in the state's long-term care facilities, authorities said. Of the 3,840 Garden State residents killed by COVID-19, a total of 1,530 -- almost 40 percent -- died in long-term care facilities in New Jersey, officials said on Friday afternoon. And 868 of those LTC patient deaths were in four NJ counties: Bergen, Essex, Middlesex and Morris. (See county details of COVID-19 nursing home patients at bottom.) More than 300 New Jersey residents died of COVID-19 since Thursday, but social distancing continues to save many more…
33 Deaths Reported At Park Ridge Nursing Home Amid Coronavirus Pandemic 33 Deaths Reported At Park Ridge Nursing Home Amid Coronavirus Pandemic
33 Deaths Reported At Park Ridge Nursing Home Amid Coronavirus Pandemic A reported 33 people have died at a Park Ridge nursing home since the coronavirus pandemic began while 21 others who’ve tested positive for COVID-19 were transferred to a facility in South Jersey. Of the dead at Atrium Post-Acute Care of Park Ridge, 19 reportedly tested positive for the virus. At least 21 others who were confirmed positive were transferred to an Atrium post-acute care facility nearly 120 miles away in the Gloucester County town of Woodbury, a spokeswoman for the parent company told NorthJersey.com. Coronavirus-like symptoms have also put three quarters of the remaining res…
17 Bodies Reportedly Found Packed Into North Jersey Nursing Home Morgue 17 Bodies Reportedly Found Packed Into North Jersey Nursing Home Morgue
17 Bodies Reportedly Found Packed Into North Jersey Nursing Home Morgue Authorities were investigating the discovery of 17 corpses stuffed into a small morgue at one of New Jersey’s largest nursing homes. "We will follow the facts wherever they go," state Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal said Thursday, without elaborating. Andover police responding to a tip reported the discovery in a morgue built for four at the Andover Subacute and Rehabilitation Center in Sussex County on Easter Sunday and into Monday. “They were just overwhelmed by the number of people who were expiring,” Andover Police Chief Eric Danielson told The New York Times. How many of the victim…
Maywood Hall Of Famer Thomas Wright, 93, Dies Maywood Hall Of Famer Thomas Wright, 93, Dies
Maywood Hall Of Famer Thomas Wright, 93, Dies TRIBUTE: Longtime Maywood local theater writer and director Tom Wright died at a Bergen County nursing home this past week of what loved ones said was complications from the coronavirus. The Bronx-born Thomas James Wright, who would have turned 94 this Thursday, was a mainstay in Maywood, where he relished writing and directing of shows for charitable organizations, including the Our Lady Queen of Peace Church CYO and several other churches in Bergen County. He coordinated performances for more than 65 years, including last fall, with the Maywood Senior Citizens and the “Country Supper” a…
Coronavirus Concerns Postpone Bergen's Roches, Hoboken's Bongos At Montclair's Outpost Coronavirus Concerns Postpone Bergen's Roches, Hoboken's Bongos At Montclair's Outpost
Coronavirus Concerns Postpone Bergen's Roches, Hoboken's Bongos At Montclair's Outpost Two native North Jersey musical legends had their upcoming back-to-back shows at the popular Outpost in the Burbs in Montclair postponed because of coronavirus concerns. Park Ridge’s Suzzy Roche and her daughter Lucy Wainwright Roche are having their March 19 show rescheduled. So are the Bongos, the most popular band to come out of Hoboken’s thriving alternative scene. Outpost organizers said they’re working with the Bongos to reschedule their March 20 and the Roches to move theirs (the same goes for Alex Cuba, a Cuban-Canadian singer-songwriter who’d been booked for April 4). “While this…