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Police & Fire
WILD WEST: Six Charged In Passaic Streetcorner Shootout WILD WEST: Six Charged In Passaic Streetcorner Shootout
Wild West: Six Charged In Passaic Streetcorner Shootout A shootout in Passaic led to the arrests of a Clifton teenager who authorities said fired the first shot and five rivals, three of whom they said shot back. Emmanuel Bernard, 18, fired a handgun at a Honda Accord as it drove past on Brinkerhoff Place near Van Winkle Avenue shortly before 6 a.m. June 18, Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes and Passaic Police Chief Luis A. Guzman said in a joint announcement. Three men then emerged from a Jeep Cherokee and fired at Bernard, they said, identifying the trio as Izaih Hernandez, 21, and Ernest Wilder, 20, of Passaic and Clifton resident …

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
UPDATE: Clifton Boy, 13, Hit By Car Remains In Coma UPDATE: Clifton Boy, 13, Hit By Car Remains In Coma
Update: Clifton Boy, 13, Hit By Car Remains In Coma A 13-year-old Clifton boy remained in critical condition after being thrown from his bicycle when he was struck by a vehicle in a city intersection. It was nearly 8:30 p.m. when Aqel Khalifeh headed down Fifth Avenue and was struck at the intersection of West 2nd Street near Main Avenue on Saturday, June 24, Clifton Police Detective Lt. Robert Bracken said. "The driver of the vehicle stopped immediately to render aid and police and fire department personnel responded a short time later," the lieutenant said. The eighth-grader at Christopher Columbus Middle School was taken to St. Joseph's…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Neighbors
Community Rallies Around Boy Critically Injured While Riding Bike Community Rallies Around Boy Critically Injured While Riding Bike
Community Rallies Around Boy Critically Injured While Riding Bike Agel Khalifeh, a 13-year-old Clifton resident and rising 8th grader at Christopher Columbus Middle School, is in a coma after he was hit by a car while riding his bike on Sunday, June 25.  Khalifeh suffered internal bleeding to the brain and stomach and has undergone multiple surgeries since the accident. A fundraiser has been created to assist Khalifeh's family with expenses and medical bills. As of Tuesday, June 27, more than $67,000 has been raised. "Aqel's recovery is going to be a long and challenging journey, not only for him but also for his family who are dealing with this trau…

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by Sam Barron
Police & Fire
Volunteer Responder In Bergen, Passaic Charged With Theft Volunteer Responder In Bergen, Passaic Charged With Theft
Volunteer Responder In Bergen, Passaic Charged With Theft A volunteer first responder in two counties was arrested on theft charges in Bergen, records show. Tyler M. Kotchkowski, 21, was charged last week with two counts of theft from the North Arlington Volunteer Emergency Squad, for which sources said he'd served as treasurer. An exact amount couldn't immediately be determined. Kotchkowski, a North Arlington native who moved to Clifton last summer, studied criminal justice at Bergen Community College, according to his LinkedIn profile. He'd been with NAVES since May 2021 and also a volunteer with the West Paterson Fire Co. 3 since June 2021, i…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
26 Catalytic Converters Stolen Overnight In Teaneck: One Caught, One Sought 26 Catalytic Converters Stolen Overnight In Teaneck: One Caught, One Sought
26 Catalytic Converters Stolen Overnight In Teaneck: One Caught, One Sought Two men were part of a quick-strike crew who stole 26 catalytic converters combined over two early mornings in Teaneck, said authorities who arrested one and are searching for the other. The crew, which is responsible for countless recent catalytic converter thefts throughout New Jersey, swiped nine of the devices in the northeast section of Teaneck on Jan. 21, followed by 17 more ten days later, Teaneck Police Chief Andrew McGurr said. The thieves trolled the area during the early morning hours in a stolen SUV bearing a bogus temporary registration tag, the chief said. Thieves have been …

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
Garfield Shooting: Repeat Offender From Elmwood Park Charged With Attempted Murder Of JC Man Garfield Shooting: Repeat Offender From Elmwood Park Charged With Attempted Murder Of JC Man
Garfield Shooting: Repeat Offender From Elmwood Park Charged With Attempted Murder Of JC Man UPDATE: Bergen County prosecutor’s detectives seized a repeat offender from Elmwood Park who they said shot a 26-year-old Jersey City man several times in a Garfield shopping center parking lot this past weekend. Joshua Casiano, 29, was already wanted on warrants out of Passaic and Clifton, records show, when investigators said he shot the victim and left him behind the Citizens Bank branch at the Mill Shoppes of Garfield just off River Drive late Sunday, June 18. The victim survived the 11:45 p.m. shooting and was reported by Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella to be in stable condition…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
SEE ANYTHING? Swastikas Spray-Painted Throughout Clifton Park SEE ANYTHING? Swastikas Spray-Painted Throughout Clifton Park
SEE Anything? Swastikas Spray-Painted Throughout Clifton Park Authorities turned to the public for help finding whoever was responsible for littering a Clifton park with spray-painted swastikas. Seven of the hateful symbols were found on benches, trees, a portable bathroom and the blacktop at Dunney Park on Cherry Street early Wednesday, June 21, they said. Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes and Clifton Police Department Chief Thomas Rinaldi didn’t release any further information in confirming the vandalism. “The investigation remains active and ongoing,” their release says. “More information will be released once it becomes available.” Val…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
Man Struck, Killed By Commuter Train In Clifton Man Struck, Killed By Commuter Train In Clifton
Man Struck, Killed By Commuter Train In Clifton A man was struck and killed in Clifton on Wednesday by a Rockland-bound commuter train, authorities confirmed. NJ TRANSIT Main Line Train #1113 had left Hoboken at 11:45 a.m. and was about to pass the Clifton station when the man was struck at 12:17 p.m. June 21, NJT Senior Public Information Officer Kyalo Mutumba said. Witnesses said the man was extricated and CPR was conducted, to no avail. There were no reported injuries to the 50 or so customers and crew onboard, Mutumba said. "Train traffic was temporarily stopped but has since resumed," he said shortly after 2 p.m. Transit police w…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
UPDATE: Garfield Shooting Victim Stable: Bergen Prosecutor UPDATE: Garfield Shooting Victim Stable: Bergen Prosecutor
Update: Garfield Shooting Victim Stable: Bergen Prosecutor UPDATE (June 22): Bergen County prosecutor’s detectives seized a repeat offender from Elmwood Park who they said shot a 26-year-old Jersey City man several times in a Garfield shopping center parking lot this past weekend. Joshua Casiano, 29, was already wanted on warrants out of Passaic and Clifton, records show, when investigators said he shot the victim and left him behind the Citizens Bank branch at the Mill Shoppes of Garfield just off River Drive late Sunday, June 18. The victim survived the 11:45 p.m. shooting and was reported by Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella to be in stable…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
NIGHTCLUB SHOOTING: Four Wounded In Clifton, Gunman At Large NIGHTCLUB SHOOTING: Four Wounded In Clifton, Gunman At Large
Nightclub Shooting: Four Wounded In Clifton, Gunman At Large UPDATE: Four people were wounded -- one seriously -- when gunfire erupted at a Clifton nightclub before dawn Friday, authorities confirmed. The gunman remained at large following the 2:47 a.m. June 16 shooting inside the Made In Miami Bar & Bistro on Harding Avenue, law enforcement sources told Daily Voice. Responding officers found a 32-year-old Clifton woman with a non-fatal gunshot wound. She was taken to St. Joseph's University Medical Center in Paterson. The woman was expected to survive, the same as three other victims who Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes and…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
Pedestrian Killed By Hoboken-Bound Commuter Train From Port J, NJ Transit Confirms Pedestrian Killed By Hoboken-Bound Commuter Train From Port J, NJ Transit Confirms
Pedestrian Killed By Hoboken-Bound Commuter Train From Port J, NJ Transit Confirms A Hoboken-bound NJ Transit train from Port Jervis struck and killed a pedestrian near the Paterson train station late Tuesday morning, the agency confirmed. Train #58 left Port J at 9:21 a.m. and was scheduled to arrive in Hoboken at 11:38 a.m., an agency spokesperson said around noontime June 13. It struck the pedestrian at 11:13 a.m., he said. No injuries were reported to the crew or 90 customers on board, the agency said. Service was temporarily suspended between Clifton and Paterson while NJT police investigated. Further details were forthcoming. CHECK BACK FOR MORE DETAILS

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by Jerry DeMarco
Obituaries
Longtime North Jersey Resident Piotr Grel Had 'Kind Heart, Willingness To Help Anyone,' 38 Longtime North Jersey Resident Piotr Grel Had 'Kind Heart, Willingness To Help Anyone,' 38
Longtime North Jersey Resident Piotr Grel Had 'Kind Heart, Willingness To Help Anyone,' 38 Beloved North Jersey resident Piotr Grel died Sunday, June 4 at the age of 38. Born in Bilgoraj, Poland, Piotr moved to the United States in 1991, growing up on Clifton and eventually settling in Wallington, his obituary says. Piotr spent several years working an HVAC Technician for Eco Flow in Wallington. He was known for his love of fishing and other outdoor hobbies. Piotr's leaves a legacy of altruism, compassion, and endless generosity for others, his obituary says: "Piotr will forever be loved and missed for his kind heart and willingness to help anyone. He was very passionate and …

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by Valerie Musson