Light Rain Fog/Mist 45°
News
Passaic Man Convicted Of Repeated Sex Assault On 16-Year-Old Child, Prosecutor Says Passaic Man Convicted Of Repeated Sex Assault On 16-Year-Old Child, Prosecutor Says
Passaic Man Convicted Of Repeated Sex Assault On 16-Year-Old Child, Prosecutor Says A 36-year-old Passaic man has been found guilty after a jury trial of sexually assaulting a 16-year-old child, authorities said. Sergio Bernal was found guilty of multiple counts of first-degree aggravated sexual assault and numerous other offenses, according to Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes. On August 5, 2020, Passaic police contacted the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victims Unit to report that a 16-year-old child had been sexually assaulted.  Prosecutors did not indicate whether the child was a girl or boy. Members of the Passaic County Prosecutor’s…

SHARE

by Jon Craig
Police & Fire
Man Sent Child Porn To Undercover Central Jersey Detective, Prosecutors Say Man Sent Child Porn To Undercover Central Jersey Detective, Prosecutors Say
Man Sent Child Porn To Undercover Central Jersey Detective, Prosecutors Say A Passaic man was accused of sending child pornography to an undercover Monmouth County investigator through a social media app, authorities said. Joseph Velazquez, 25, was charged with second-degree endangering the welfare of a child (distribution of child sexual abuse materials) and third-degree endangering the welfare of a child (possession of child sexual abuse materials). Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond Santiago announced the charges in a news release on Friday, June 21. An undercover detective from the county prosecutor's office was monitoring a group chat on the messenger app…

SHARE

by Chris Spiker
News
Paterson Sex Assault Suspect Arrested 1 Year Later, Ordered Held Pending Trial, Prosecutor Says Paterson Sex Assault Suspect Arrested 1 Year Later, Ordered Held Pending Trial, Prosecutor Says
Paterson Sex Assault Suspect Arrested 1 Year Later, Ordered Held Pending Trial, Prosecutor Says A 38-year-old Paterson man has been arrested for sexually assaulting a woman last year. A woman reported the alleged incident on June 17, 2023, saying she was sexually assaulted near 10th Avenue and East 26th Street the day prior, Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes said. Keshawn Harley was charged with sexual assault, aggravated assault, and was arrested exactly one year later near Park Avenue and East 22nd Street, Valdes said. He was also issued a disorderly persons offense of simple assault, Valdes said. The Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office has filed a motion fo…

SHARE

by Cecilia Levine
Police & Fire
US Marshals Arrest NC Dad Who Disappeared With Passaic County Baby Girl, Prosecutor Says US Marshals Arrest NC Dad Who Disappeared With Passaic County Baby Girl, Prosecutor Says
US Marshals Arrest NC Dad Who Disappeared With Passaic County Baby Girl, Prosecutor Says A 47-year-old North Carolina dad was arrested by members of the US Marshals Service after he failed to return a 10-month-old baby to her mother for days. Anthony Smith became the center of the investigation by Paterson police and the Passaic County Prosecutor's Office on May 28, when officers were dispatched to East 27th Street and 21st Avenue, on a report of a custody dispute, Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes said. There they were told that Smith was supposed to return the baby girl, his daughter, to her mother on May 26, pursuant to their court-ordered visitation…

SHARE

by Cecilia Levine
Police & Fire
CAUGHT: Couple Charged In Cold-Blooded Killing Of Paterson Man CAUGHT: Couple Charged In Cold-Blooded Killing Of Paterson Man
Caught: Couple Charged In Cold-Blooded Killing Of Paterson Man 𝗨𝗣𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘: A Paterson couple have been charged in connection with what authorities said was the premeditated cold-blooded shooting death of a 44-year-old city man earlier this month. Mathew X. Amaro, 27, shot Twahee Howard in the area of Chadwick and Weiss streets shortly before 9 p.m. June 2, authorities said. Howard, 44, was pronounced dead at St. Joseph’s University Medical Center of multiple gunshot wounds a short time later. Amaro is charged with murder, conspiracy, and drug and weapons offenses, Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes and Paterson Police Department Officer-In-Charge…

SHARE

by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
Feds: Trio Who Trafficked Ghost Guns Through Hudson, Passaic Sentenced To 4-To-6 Years Feds: Trio Who Trafficked Ghost Guns Through Hudson, Passaic Sentenced To 4-To-6 Years
Feds: Trio Who Trafficked Ghost Guns Through Hudson, Passaic Sentenced To 4-To-6 Years 𝗨𝗣𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘: Three members of a ghost gun trafficking network in Passaic and Hudson counties must spend from four to six years in federal prison before they'll be eligible for release, authorities announced. Ex-con Corey Jenkins Jr., 31, and Savion Clyburn, 21, both of Paterson, and Richard Mullane, 27, of Bayonne, were among the members of the D.I.Y. network that operated largely in both cities, U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Philip R. Sellinger said. They were targeted in an investigation in which the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) worked closely with vari…

SHARE

by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
NABBED: Second Teen Wanted For Paterson Murder From Last Fall Captured In Pennsy NABBED: Second Teen Wanted For Paterson Murder From Last Fall Captured In Pennsy
Nabbed: Second Teen Wanted For Paterson Murder From Last Fall Captured In Pennsy 𝗨𝗣𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘: A 19-year-old fugitive wanted for killing a 23-year-old Morris County man and wounding two others in a hail of gunfire in Paterson last fall was captured in Pennsylvania, authorities announced on Thursday. The arrest of Brayan Caraballo follows the seizure of a 16-year-old boy three weeks after the Oct. 3 broad-daylight ambush at the corner of Broadway and Rosa Parks Boulevard. Jerrell Wright was pronounced dead at St. Joseph’s University Medical Center shortly after the 3:47 p.m. shooting, Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes and Paterson Police Department Officer-In-Charge…

SHARE

by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
Reality Bites NJ ‘Real Housewives’ Ex Convicted Of Hiring Mobster To Beat Wife’s New Man Reality Bites NJ ‘Real Housewives’ Ex Convicted Of Hiring Mobster To Beat Wife’s New Man
Reality Bites NJ ‘Real Housewives’ Ex Convicted Of Hiring Mobster To Beat Wife’s New Man 𝗨𝗣𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘: Reality bit the ex-husband of “Real Housewives of New Jersey” cast member Dina Manzo when he was convicted Tuesday of getting a mob soldier to throw her new beau a beating. Restaurateur Thomas Manzo, 59, who lives in the affluent Bergen County suburb of Franklin Lakes, rejected a plea deal from federal prosecutors and took his chances with a jury. That didn’t go so good. Jurors in U.S. District Court in Newark convicted Manzo on June 4 of committing a violent crime in aid of racketeering, along with conspiracy and falsifying documents during a grand jury investigation. Althou…

SHARE

by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
GOTCHA! Gunman Who Terrorized Robbery Victims In Bergen, Passaic Captured In VA: Prosecutor GOTCHA! Gunman Who Terrorized Robbery Victims In Bergen, Passaic Captured In VA: Prosecutor
Gotcha! Gunman Who Terrorized Robbery Victims In Bergen, Passaic Captured In VA: Prosecutor 𝗨𝗣𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘: A 24-year-old fugitive from Elmwood Park who was wanted for a terrifying armed robbery spree in Bergen and Passaic counties was captured in Virginia, authorities announced Wednesday. Husem Nasri pistol-whipped an attendant at a Valero station on northbound Route 17 near Route 46 in Hasbrouck Heights shortly before 3 p.m. Feb. 5, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said. Less 20 minutes later Nasri pointed a gun at an attendant who locked himself in the Delta station at Van Houten and Broad avenues in Clifton – also near Route 46, the prosecutor said. Nasri fled empty-handed both …

SHARE

by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
Three Shot In Paterson, Two From Out Of State Three Shot In Paterson, Two From Out Of State
Three Shot In Paterson, Two From Out Of State A Paterson man and two out-of-towners were wounded in an overnight shooting as the holiday weekend began. The trio was struck in the area of East 30th Street and 18th Avenue shortly before 2 a.m. Saturday, May 25, Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes and Paterson Police Department Officer-In-Charge Isa Abbassi announced jointly. All three men arrived at St. Joseph’s University Medical Center in private vehicles – a 35-year-old city man and a Queens resident, 25, in one car and a 31-year-old victim described only as from New York in another, they said. None suffered life-threatening …

SHARE

by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
Young Paterson Teen Shot In Leg Young Paterson Teen Shot In Leg
Young Paterson Teen Shot In Leg A 13-year-old Paterson resident was shot in the leg, responders said. The Putnam Street teen told police the shooting occurred up the block near a train trestle at River Street around 5:15 p.m. Wednesday, May 22. Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes and Paterson Police Department Officer-In-Charge Isa Abbassi confirmed the shooting, noting that the juvenile was treated at St. Joseph’s University Medical Center. And that was it. There was no indication whether they know or believe someone shot the teen or that the wound was self-inflicted – and if so, how that could have happened. …

SHARE

by Jerry DeMarco