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Ridge Road, Lyndhurst, NJ

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Bodycam Footage Shows Teen's Arrest After Route 3 Pursuit On Stolen Motorcycle Bodycam Footage Shows Teen's Arrest After Route 3 Pursuit On Stolen Motorcycle
Bodycam Footage Shows Teen's Arrest After Route 3 Pursuit On Stolen Motorcycle "What the hell's the matter with you?" was among the first questions a Lyndhurst officer had for an 18-year-old man who had been eluding him on a stolen motorcycle. The arrest was captured on body-worn camera footage, obtained via the Open Public Records Act and released by Transparency Bodycam on YouTube. The 22-minute video shows Lyndhurst Officer Michael LeStrange questioning then arresting Rozario Ymeraj, who racked up 21 summonses and faced criminal charges after a broad-daylight pursuit on Thursday, May 23, as reported by Daily Voice. The teen was operating the bike wi…

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by Cecilia Levine
Police & Fire
GOTCHA! Fleeing Check Forger Nabbed By Lyndhurst Patrol, Detectives: PD GOTCHA! Fleeing Check Forger Nabbed By Lyndhurst Patrol, Detectives: PD
Gotcha! Fleeing Check Forger Nabbed By Lyndhurst Patrol, Detectives: PD He showed the bank teller a driver's license with his photo on it. The name on the DL matched that on a $3,400 check he was trying to cash. But something didn't smell quite right. Lyndhurst police who responded to a call from the bank arrested Russel Fastnacht, 52, of Newark moments later. Officer Michael D’Alessandro was joined at the Citizen's Bank on Ridge Road by Detectives Tom McSweeney and Steve Batista shortly before 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 11, Detective Lt. Vincent Auteri said. "They were advised at that time that the suspect had fled the bank after being challenged by a bank…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
Driver Blacked Out At Intersection Had Coke, Smack In Car: Lyndhurst PD Driver Blacked Out At Intersection Had Coke, Smack In Car: Lyndhurst PD
Driver Blacked Out At Intersection Had Coke, Smack In Car: Lyndhurst PD An unlicensed Kearny driver was released after Lyndhurst police said they found him blacked out behind the wheel with cocaine in the car and empty heroin folds in his pocket. Detectives Matt Giunta and Tom McSweeney found traffic at a standstill in the area of Page Avenue and Ridge Road in the middle of the afternoon, Detective Lt. Vincent Auteri said. Drivers were maneuvering their vehicles around a 2002 Kia K5 that was stopped at the light, the lieutenant said. The detectives at first thought the sedan was disabled. Then they found 57-year-old Anthony DeSantis asleep at the wheel, with t…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
COP & CIRCUMSTANCE: Stolen Long Island Motorcycle Chase Gets NJ High School Senior 21 Tickets COP & CIRCUMSTANCE: Stolen Long Island Motorcycle Chase Gets NJ High School Senior 21 Tickets
COP & Circumstance: Stolen Long Island Motorcycle Chase Gets NJ High School Senior 21 Tickets A Lyndhurst High School senior who tried to elude a township police officer on a stolen motorcycle received 21 summonses -- and was charged criminally -- after he finally stopped, authorities said. Rozario Ymeraj, 18, was charged with eluding and receiving stolen property following the broad daylight chase into Rutherford last week. Lyndhurst Police Officer Michael LeStrange was directing traffic at Ridge Road and New York Avenue when he saw the motorcycle blow by several vehicles stopped at a light around 1 p.m. last Thursday, May 23, Detective Lt. Vincent Auteri said. Driving without a l…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
Lyndhurst Officer Intercepts Stolen SUV Headed Through Town Lyndhurst Officer Intercepts Stolen SUV Headed Through Town
Lyndhurst Officer Intercepts Stolen SUV Headed Through Town A Lyndhurst police officer nabbed a Newark woman driving a stolen car through town, authorities said. It was around 10 a.m. May 7 when Officer Michael Scalese spotted the 1999 Honda CRV -- reported stolen out of Jersey City that same day -- heading east on Kingsland Avenue over Ridge Road, Detective Lt. Vincent Auteri said.  An alert about the stolen vehicle had gone out just moments earlier, the lieutenant said. Elizabeth Machado Dearias, 35, was arrested, charged with receiving stolen property and released pending court action, Auteri said. Two females she was with were release…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
TEAMWORK: Lyndhurst Detectives, Off-Duty And Uniformed Officers Nab Teen Car Thieves TEAMWORK: Lyndhurst Detectives, Off-Duty And Uniformed Officers Nab Teen Car Thieves
Teamwork: Lyndhurst Detectives, Off-Duty And Uniformed Officers Nab Teen Car Thieves Lyndhurst police boxed in a pair of Passaic teens and quickly took both into custody as they tried to pass through town in an SUV stolen out of Clifton, authorities said. Officer Michael D’Alesandro, who'd just finished his shift, spotted the Acura MDX on Ridge Road, Detective Lt. Vincent Auteri said. Detectives Chris Cuneo and Nick Abruscato pulled up on the teens on Second Avenue, the lieutenant said. As soon as the lights on their police cruiser were activated, the pair bailed out and tried to run, he said. Coming from the other direction was Detective Matt Giunta, Auteri said. Abrusc…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
GROUP HUG: Lyndhurst Pupils Thank First Responders For Saving Their School GROUP HUG: Lyndhurst Pupils Thank First Responders For Saving Their School
Group HUG: Lyndhurst Pupils Thank First Responders For Saving Their School First responders can sometimes have thankless jobs -- but not in Lyndhurst, where they were applauded by a schoolful of grateful youngsters. The K-through-2nd graders from Washington School thanked Lyndhurst's local heroes for saving their school after a blaze broke out in the basement last month. Township police were first on the scene at the Ridge Road school shortly after 6 p.m. Sept. 16. Responding firefighters were met by high heat, as well as thick smoke that obscured all visibility, 1st Assistant Fire Chief Paul Haggerty said. National Fire Prevention Week brought the Washingto…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
Lyndhurst Police Officer Shot At By Enraged Resident Receives Bergen 200 Club's Highest Honor Lyndhurst Police Officer Shot At By Enraged Resident Receives Bergen 200 Club's Highest Honor
Lyndhurst Police Officer Shot At By Enraged Resident Receives Bergen 200 Club's Highest Honor Lyndhurst Police Officer Michael Clifford had a split-second to react when an enraged resident standing outside his home took a shot at the veteran lawman during what was supposed to be a welfare check. Clifford fired back and took cover. The sound of another gunshot followed. Clifford, discovering that the 36-year-old resident had shot himself, tried to resuscitate him to no avail. For his heroism that fall morning in 2021, Clifford has received the Valor Award from the 200 Club of Bergen County, one of the nation's largest groups of its kind. He's richly deserving of the honor, the Lyn…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
Lyndhurst Police Lieutenant Busts Pair In MV Stop Lyndhurst Police Lieutenant Busts Pair In MV Stop
Lyndhurst Police Lieutenant Busts Pair In MV Stop A Lyndhurst police lieutenant out on patrol found an unlicensed driver wanted on multiple warrants and a passenger carrying Ecstasy, authorities said. Lt. Paul Haggerty stopped their 1997 Ford Explorer – which had a cracked windshield and no front license plate -- at the corner of Ridge Road and Page Avenue, Detective Lt. Vincent Auteri said. Officers James Colacci and Brian Kapp arrived soon after, he said. The driver, Kevin Martinez, 25, of Newark, had outstanding warrants out of Toms River and Newark, the lieutenant said. His passenger, Sarah Hicks, 24, was caught with Ecstasy, Auteri …

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
GOTCHA: Citizens ID Assailant Who Broke Eye Socket Of Patron At Lyndhurst Wendy's: Police GOTCHA: Citizens ID Assailant Who Broke Eye Socket Of Patron At Lyndhurst Wendy's: Police
Gotcha: Citizens ID Assailant Who Broke Eye Socket Of Patron At Lyndhurst Wendy's: Police A 55-year-old fast-food customer had his eye socket broken when a Lyndhurst man nearly half his age sucker-punched him, authorities said. Eric Martinez, 28, fled the Wendy’s on Ridge Road after bashing the Belleville man in an entirely unprovoked attack as the victim waited online around 3:30 p.m. last Thursday, Sept. 14, Lyndhurst Detective Lt. Vincent Auteri said. Lynchurst Officer Joseph White retrieved surveillance images that were then published (see collage above), the lieutenant said. Soon calls began coming in. Police had obtained an arrest warrant when Martinez chose to surrender…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
Intense Fire Ravages Basement Classroom At Lyndhurst School Intense Fire Ravages Basement Classroom At Lyndhurst School
Intense Fire Ravages Basement Classroom At Lyndhurst School An early Saturday evening fire ravaged a basement classroom in a Lyndhurst grammar school. Firefighters responding to the Washington School on Ridge Road were met by intense heat and smoke that obscured all visibility shortly after 6 p.m. Sept. 16, 1st Assistant Fire Chief Paul Haggerty said. They kept the two-alarm blaze contained to the classroom with no injuries reported, he said. “An aggressive attack was to thank for avoiding what could have been a bad day here,” Haggerty said from the school. Fire officials and the township Office of Emergency Management have already begun mapping …

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
Lyndhurst Bicyclist Struck By Gel Pellet Fired By Van Passenger From Newark, Police Say Lyndhurst Bicyclist Struck By Gel Pellet Fired By Van Passenger From Newark, Police Say
Lyndhurst Bicyclist Struck By Gel Pellet Fired By Van Passenger From Newark, Police Say A Newark man admitted firing a pellet from a "gel blaster" gun that struck a Lyndhurst bicyclist in the face, authorities said. The 24-year-old victim flagged down Officer Vincent Dorio in the area of Valley Brook Avenue and Grant Avenue and said he'd been struck in the face while riding along Ridge Road, Detective Lt. Vincent Auteri said. A man sitting in a commercial-style van had fired the pellets, he said. Dorio broadcast a description of the van, which he and Sgt. Charles Giangeruso saw the driver park in front of a house on a residential street seconds later, the lieutenant…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
ID Thief With Bogus Docs Busted After Returning To Lyndhurst Bank That Rejected Him: Police ID Thief With Bogus Docs Busted After Returning To Lyndhurst Bank That Rejected Him: Police
ID Thief With Bogus Docs Busted After Returning To Lyndhurst Bank That Rejected Him: Police An ID thief who was prevented from opening an account at a Lyndhurst bank with bogus credentials was busted when he returned for another try two days later, authorities said. Devonte Jackson, 28, of the Bronx was denied service at the Citizens Bank on Ridge Road last Wednesday, June 28, because his identification was sketchy, Detective Lt. Vincent Auteri said. Jackson said he’d contact the bank at a later date and schedule an appointment to return with the proper credentials, the lieutenant said. He made the appointment and a bank employee called police. Jackson got a ride to the bank, we…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
GOTCHA! North Arlington, Lyndhurst Police Nab Armed Teen Trio Thanks To Residents' Calls GOTCHA! North Arlington, Lyndhurst Police Nab Armed Teen Trio Thanks To Residents' Calls
Gotcha! North Arlington, Lyndhurst Police Nab Armed Teen Trio Thanks To Residents' Calls North Arlington police teamed up with borough residents and their law enforcement colleagues in Lyndhurst to nab a trio of car burglars from Newark who they said were carrying a pair of handguns. North Arlington police issued an alert after getting calls from residents on Stover Avenue and Noel Drive, Capt. Robert Reilly said. Within minutes, Lyndhurst Police Officer Michael Carrino had their Altima stopped on Ridge Road. Azize Rahee Durant, 19, and his two passengers – one 16, the other 17 – were turned over to North Arlington police after they were found carrying the guns, one of which h…

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
Family Cat Killed In Lyndhurst House Fire Family Cat Killed In Lyndhurst House Fire
Family Cat Killed In Lyndhurst House Fire A family's cat died in a smoky basement fire in Lyndhurst, responders at the scene said. Borough firefighters assisted by their colleagues from North Arlington quickly doused the Forest Avenue blaze near Ridge Road, which broke out in the 2½-story, wood-frame house around 10:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 29. No injuries were reported. Lyndhurst firefighters assisted by their colleagues from North Arlington quickly doused the Forest Avenue blaze.Jo Fehl for DAILY VOICE There was extensive smoke damage, responders said. Authorities were investigating the cause, which they didn't believe was s…

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
Gang Of 5 Caught Trashing Lyndhurst School Gang Of 5 Caught Trashing Lyndhurst School
Gang Of 5 Caught Trashing Lyndhurst School Two adults and three juveniles broke in and trashed a former Lyndhurst school, then surrendered after police surrounded the building and threatened to send a dog in after them, authorities said. Only one member of the group, a 17-year-old boy, is from Lyndhurst, they said. The rest are from Passaic County. They climbed in through an unsecured window of the old Lincoln School on Ridge Road at Gutheil Place around midnight Sunday, Detective Lt. Vincent Auteri said. A passerby on Ridge Road heard the sound of breaking glass and called police, the lieutenant said. The group ignored orders to …

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
Impaired Pharmacist Had Bottles Of Unlabeled Pills, Front-End Damage, Lyndhurst Police Charge Impaired Pharmacist Had Bottles Of Unlabeled Pills, Front-End Damage, Lyndhurst Police Charge
Impaired Pharmacist Had Bottles Of Unlabeled Pills, Front-End Damage, Lyndhurst Police Charge A pharmacist from Passaic County whose luxury SUV had fresh front-end damage also was impaired and had several unlabeled bottles of prescription drugs in the vehicle when Lyndhurst police stopped him, authorities said. Paresh Gandhi, 51, of Totowa was trying to parallel park his Audi Q3 on Ridge Road when Summer Avenue when he was found by Officers Anthony Giaquinto and Michael Carrinoa as they responded to a call of a drunk driver around 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 18, Detective Lt. Vincent Auteri said. They and Carrino, Giaquinto and Officer Matt Dudek discovered a half-dozen plastic bottles of p…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Obituaries
Support Rises For Family Of Beloved Sussex County Dad Who Lost COVID Battle On Christmas Eve Support Rises For Family Of Beloved Sussex County Dad Who Lost COVID Battle On Christmas Eve
Support Rises For Family Of Beloved Sussex County Dad Who Lost COVID Battle On Christmas Eve Support is on the rise for the family of beloved Sussex County father John A. Anthony, who lost his battle with COVID-19 on Christmas Eve at the age of 46. Born in Jersey City, Anthony lived in Bayonne before moving to Lyndhurst and settling in Sussex in 2017, his obituary and Facebook pages say. Anthony worked for more than two decades in the food supplier industry as a transportation router — first at Sysco Foods in Jersey City, then Krasdale Foods in the Bronx, and most recently at Driscoll Foods in Wayne, his memorial says. Anthony was remembered as a talented left-handed guitaris…

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by Valerie Musson
News
Lyndhurst Man Fires Gun At Officer, Then Fatally Shoots Self, Responders Say Lyndhurst Man Fires Gun At Officer, Then Fatally Shoots Self, Responders Say
Lyndhurst Man Fires Gun At Officer, Then Fatally Shoots Self, Responders Say A disgruntled Lyndhurst man fired a shot at a borough police officer, then turned the gun on himself Sunday, multiple sources told Daily Voice. The 36-year-old resident was outside his Post Avenue home -- a block and a half off Ridge Road -- when the officer encountered him while responding to a 911 call of a domestic disturbance around 8 a.m., responders said. The resident, who records show had no criminal history, fired a round at the officer before apparently shooting himself, they said. He was pronounced dead at a local hospital a short time later. Daily Voice was temporarily with…

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
Lyndhurst PD: Car Stolen Out Of Connecticut Recovered Thanks To Speeding Westchester Driver Lyndhurst PD: Car Stolen Out Of Connecticut Recovered Thanks To Speeding Westchester Driver
Lyndhurst PD: Car Stolen Out Of Connecticut Recovered Thanks To Speeding Westchester Driver A speeding driver from Westchester was behind the wheel of a car stolen out of Connecticut when she was stopped by Lyndhurst police, authorities said. With patrols stepped up approaching Labor Day weekend, Officers Thomas Seickendick and Anthony Morreale spotted the Chevy Spark speeding north on Ridge Road around 4 a.m., Detective Lt. Vincent Auteri said. They followed the hatchback until the driver -- identified as Aminata Sangare, 22, of Elmsford -- stopped near Valley Brook Avenue, he said. Lt. Richard Holicki and Officers Elizabeth Hollenbeck and Michael Walker assisted after police le…

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
Driver Charged With Trying To Lure Lyndhurst Girl Says He 'Did Nothing Wrong' Driver Charged With Trying To Lure Lyndhurst Girl Says He 'Did Nothing Wrong'
Driver Charged With Trying To Lure Lyndhurst Girl Says He 'Did Nothing Wrong' A 15-year-old Lyndhurst girl kept walking when a driver pulled up and asked if she wanted a ride to the park. Moments later, she said, he approached her on foot. Police were called, but the stranger had gone. Later that day, Officer Matt Giunta stopped a Toyota Camry on Ridge Road that matched the vehicle described by the frightened girl. Giunta and backup Detective Nick Abruscato arrested the driver, whom the teen later identified as her stalker, Detective Lt. Vincent Auteri said. MD Sikder, 29, of Lyndhurst claimed he tried talking to the girl and “did nothing wrong,” Auteri said. He w…

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
Supermarket Worker From Kearny Struck By Jeep In Lyndhurst Supermarket Worker From Kearny Struck By Jeep In Lyndhurst
Supermarket Worker From Kearny Struck By Jeep In Lyndhurst A 50-year-old Lyndhurst supermarket employee from Kearny was struck and injured walking to work early Saturday, authorities said. The woman apparently had just gotten off a bus at the Kingsbridge train station and was crossing Ridge Road just north of Milton Avenue when she was thrown about 15 feet by a Jeep at 6:30 a.m., Lyndhurst Police Detective Lt. Vincent Auteri said. The 34-year-old driver from Fairfield told police he was coming over the crest of the bridge over the railroad tracks on northbound Ridge Road (Route 17) and “there she was.” The woman hit her head, had facial injuries a…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
MANHUNT: Police Flush Out Fleeing Ex-Con Stuck In Swamps Of Lyndhurst MANHUNT: Police Flush Out Fleeing Ex-Con Stuck In Swamps Of Lyndhurst
Manhunt: Police Flush Out Fleeing Ex-Con Stuck In Swamps Of Lyndhurst A Newark ex-con driving a stolen car tried to elude Lyndhurst police by dashing into the Meadowlands marshes during an overnight pursuit, but their colleagues from other towns helped capture him, authorities said. Elliot Taylor, 26, floored it after Lyndhurst Police Officer Brian Kapp pulled up behind the already-speeding 2005 Hyundai Elantra on Ridge Road around 3 a.m. Sunday, Detective Lt. Vincent Auteri said. Taylor made a quick right onto Valley Brook Avenue and raced down Disposal Road toward DeKorte Park, but the Hyundai bottomed out and began smoking, Auteri said. Taylor quickly pul…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
Police: Credit Card Con Artist Takes Advantage Of Kind-Hearted Lyndhurst Salon Owner Police: Credit Card Con Artist Takes Advantage Of Kind-Hearted Lyndhurst Salon Owner
Police: Credit Card Con Artist Takes Advantage Of Kind-Hearted Lyndhurst Salon Owner A woman who stiffed a kind-hearted Lyndhurst salon owner out of more than $600 by claiming that she had to go to her car to get her debit card was in the middle of a spree of cons, said police who caught her. Christina Riccardelli, 22 of Howell Township, gave detectives a full confession, they said – and then smiled for her mugshot. It began on Dec. 4, when Riccardelli told the owner of Hilights Salon on Ridge Road in Lyndhurst, Tricia DiFranco, that she was “desperate” to have her hair colored for her birthday. “Six hours & 30 ounces of color [later], she was so so happy,” said DiFran…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
Lyndhurst Police Stolen Car Chase Ends With Newark Crash, 3 Burglary Suspects Seized Lyndhurst Police Stolen Car Chase Ends With Newark Crash, 3 Burglary Suspects Seized
Lyndhurst Police Stolen Car Chase Ends With Newark Crash, 3 Burglary Suspects Seized A Lyndhurst police stolen car chase through Nutley and Belleville before dawn Wednesday ended with a crash off Route 21 in Newark and the arrests of three burglary suspects. Officer Rich Jasinski was on patrol on 10th Street when he saw a Honda Accord headed east on Kingsland Avenue tailgating another vehicle and going back and forth across the double-yellow line, Detective Sgt. Vincent Auteri said. Jasinski followed the Accord to Ridge Road, then onto Park Avenue and 8th Street before it returned to Kingsland headed west. Discovering that the sedan had been reported stolen out of Fairfiel…

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by Jerry DeMarco