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Police & Fire
GOTCHA! Resident Carjacked Outside Hackensack HS, Suspect Captured In Middlesex County GOTCHA! Resident Carjacked Outside Hackensack HS, Suspect Captured In Middlesex County
Gotcha! Resident Carjacked Outside Hackensack HS, Suspect Captured In Middlesex County An Egyptian national who carjacked a motorist outside Hackensack High School resident was captured more than 30 miles away, authorities said. The 42-year-old victim from Hackensack told responding officers that he was assaulted and his 2012 Toyota Corolla taken around 9:45 a.m. on Labor Day, Sept. 4, said Hackensack Police Capt. Michael Antista, the officer in charge of the department. The victim refused treatment for minor injuries, the captain said. Meanwhile, a witness pursued the vehicle into Teaneck before losing it, he said. Detective Demetrius Carroll and Det. Sgt. Luis Dominguez r…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
Bergen County Home Invasion: Four Seized In Quick-Strike Raids In NJ, NY Bergen County Home Invasion: Four Seized In Quick-Strike Raids In NJ, NY
Bergen County Home Invasion: Four Seized In Quick-Strike Raids In NJ, NY GOTCHA! (UPDATE): An armed home invasion robbery in Maywood last November was cracked with the arrests of four men -- two of whom are from the Bronx and another from Westchester, authorities announced on Thursday. Three of the accused robbers forced their way into a Terrace Avenue home and demanded cash and valuables from the owner on Nov. 11, 2022, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said. “One of the men pointed a semi-automatic firearm at one of the residents,” the prosecutor said. The masked trio fled with $32,000 in cash, a Cartier watch, a pair of Dolce & Gabbana shoes and…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
UPDATE: Resident, 80, Hospitalized, Son Arrested In Destructive Rochelle Park Blaze UPDATE: Resident, 80, Hospitalized, Son Arrested In Destructive Rochelle Park Blaze
Update: Resident, 80, Hospitalized, Son Arrested In Destructive Rochelle Park Blaze An 80-year-old woman was hospitalized and her ex-con son arrested as firefighters doused a smoky Tuesday morning blaze that ravaged their Rochelle Park home. Carmine Covino, 55, was taken into custody after he interfered with responders trying to take his mother, Concetta, to Hackensack University Medical Center after she suffered smoke inhalation, Rochelle Park Police Lt. Edward Kukalski said. Covino, a registered sex offender with a lengthy rap sheet, "ignored several warnings" before officers were left no choice, the lieutenant said. Witnesses said Covino -- who Kukalski said sustained…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
Firefighters Douse Smoky Rochelle Park Blaze Firefighters Douse Smoky Rochelle Park Blaze
Firefighters Douse Smoky Rochelle Park Blaze An 80-year-old resident was hospitalized and her ex-con son arrested as firefighters doused a smoky Tuesday morning blaze that ravaged their Rochelle Park home. Carmine Covino, 55, was taken into custody after he interfered with responders trying to take his mother, Concetta, to Hackensack University Medical Center after she suffered smoke inhalation, Rochelle Park Police Lt. Edward Kukalski said. Covino, a registered sex offender with a lengthy rap sheet, "ignored several warnings" before officers were left no choice, the lieutenant said. Witnesses said Covino -- who Kukalski said sustai…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
Fire Doused At Elmwood Park Entertainment Company Fire Doused At Elmwood Park Entertainment Company
Fire Doused At Elmwood Park Entertainment Company Firefighters doused a basement blaze Tuesday at an Elmwood Park entertainment company. The fire at Sound Surge on Market Street ignited around 10:30 a.m. Aug. 1 and quickly went to three alarms as a precaution because of where in the building it was located, Elmwood Park Police Chief and Borough Administrator Michael Foligno said. "It was difficult to get to, but our firefighters did an excellent job of knocking it down quickly," he said. They had to back out after flames began climbing the interior stairs, but they still had the fire doused in barely a half-hour. No injuries were report…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
Wanted Out-Of-Town Couple In Stolen Minivan Nabbed By Maywood Officer Wanted Out-Of-Town Couple In Stolen Minivan Nabbed By Maywood Officer
Wanted Out-Of-Town Couple In Stolen Minivan Nabbed By Maywood Officer A Maywood police officer nabbed a wanted couple in a stolen minivan after they pulled into the parking lot of a closed car wash, authorities said. The Pontiac minivan had only just been reported stolen out of Paterson when Officer Alana Luna spotted it on Essex Street, Detective Sgt. William Phayre said. The driver – Chante S. Royal 23, of Newark – was carrying several crack pipes and empty wax folds with heroin residue, the sergeant said. Her passenger, ex-con James K. Bell-Sanders, 33, of Passaic, gave police a false name, but they quickly identified him – and discovered there was an act…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
Rochelle Park Stop: Trio From Hackensack, Bergenfield Seized With Drugs, Loaded Gun, Police Say Rochelle Park Stop: Trio From Hackensack, Bergenfield Seized With Drugs, Loaded Gun, Police Say
Rochelle Park Stop: Trio From Hackensack, Bergenfield Seized With Drugs, Loaded Gun, Police Say Two Bergenfield men and a driver from Hackensack were jailed after a Rochelle Park police officer stopped their sedan and found a loaded gun, ammo and prescription pills, authorities said. Officer Chris Kiszka pulled the Honda Accord over on Essex Street around 11:15 p.m. Thursday, July 13, Capt. James M. DePreta said. A consented search turned up the 9mm Taurus handgun, seven rounds of .40-caliber ammunition -- including hollow points -- along with small amounts of heroin, oxycodone and suboxone, the captain said. Arrested were the driver, Thomas Cabrera, 26, of Hackensack -- who was want…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
Lightning Strike Ignites Paramus House Fire Lightning Strike Ignites Paramus House Fire
Lightning Strike Ignites Paramus House Fire A lightning strike ignited a fire in a Paramus home Friday morning. The blaze damaged the second floor of the two-story, wood-frame home on Bullard Avenue, off Forest Avenue, after it broke out at around 8:15 a.m. July 14. Firefighters had it doused in under a half hour. No injuries were reported. Paramus police and members of their Emergency Services Unit, along with Paramus Rescue Squad joined other borough firefighters at the scene, with colleagues from surrounding towns providing coverage. These included responders from Fair Lawn, Maywood, Oradell, River Edge, Rochelle Park and Washi…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
Cyber Sleuths Bust Maywood Contractor With Child Porn: Bergen Prosecutor Cyber Sleuths Bust Maywood Contractor With Child Porn: Bergen Prosecutor
Cyber Sleuths Bust Maywood Contractor With Child Porn: Bergen Prosecutor A divorced contractor from Maywood was caught collecting child porn, authorities said. Keith J. Balasa, 55, was arrested during a raid of his Lafayette Avenue home on Friday, July 7, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said. Members of the prosecutor’s Cyber Crimes Unit found that Balasa “used the Internet to view, download and possess items depicting nude and/or sexually explicit prepubescent and pubescent children,” Musella said. He didn’t say what kind of images (videos or still photos) or how many were found. Records at the Bergen County Jail -- where Balasa remained Friday night pe…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
PRISONER ESCAPES: Passaic Dad, 20, Accused In Abduction Captured PRISONER ESCAPES: Passaic Dad, 20, Accused In Abduction Captured
Prisoner Escapes: Passaic Dad, 20, Accused In Abduction Captured UPDATE: A young dad from Passaic who escaped after being charged with parental abduction ended a manhunt when he surrendered late Monday, authorities confirmed. Isaiah Felix, 20, of Passaic had been arrested by Clifton police and charged with unlawfully entering a residence in town and taking his young son without permission on Sunday, July 2. Felix was arrested without incident after police found him with the boy at a relative's home a short time later, law enforcement sources told Daily Voice. The child wasn't in any danger, they said. Officers who took Felix to the Passaic County Jail h…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Events
Little Pete Comes Home: North Jersey Actor Hosting Book Signing Little Pete Comes Home: North Jersey Actor Hosting Book Signing
Little Pete Comes Home: North Jersey Actor Hosting Book Signing If you grew up watching Nickelodeon in the 90s, and come on, who didn't, this is the event for you. Danny Tamberelli, who played "Little" Pete Wrigley on "The Adventures of Pete and Pete" will be signing copies of his new book, "The First Date Prophecy," along with his wife Kate, at Bookends in Ridgewood on Thursday, June 29 at 6 p.m. Tamberelli grew up in Maywood and Wyckoff and graduated from Ramapo High School in 2000. "Pete and Pete", which aired in the early 90s on Nickelodeon, was filmed throughout North Jersey, mainly in Leonia. The novel is inspired by the Tamberelli's own love sto…

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by Sam Barron
Police & Fire
Paramus House Fire Doused Paramus House Fire Doused
Paramus House Fire Doused Firefighters doused a nighttime attic blaze in Paramus. No injuries were reported in the two-alarmer, which ignited in a two-story, wood-frame home on Terhune Avenue, just off Midland Avenue, around 9:30 p.m. Saturday, June 24. Firefighters had it knocked down in under a half hour and under control minutes later. Mutual aid responders included firefighters from Maywood, Rochelle Park, River Edge, Washington Township, Oradell and Fair Lawn.

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by Jerry DeMarco