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Emerson, NJ

Police & Fire
AGAIN? Another Alarm Malfunction Brings Massive Law Enforcement Response To Westwood HS AGAIN? Another Alarm Malfunction Brings Massive Law Enforcement Response To Westwood HS
Again? Another Alarm Malfunction Brings Massive Law Enforcement Response To Westwood HS The second alarm system malfunction at Westwood Regional High School in a little over two weeks created a confusing scene as parents and guardians were dropping off their children on Thursday. The system triggered a 7:43 a.m. May 2 lockdown, similar to what occurred on April 16, when the system malfunctioned twice, Westwood Regional Schools Supt. Jill Mortimer said. As before, a legion of tactical and other law enforcement officers converged on Washington Township -- among them, a Bergen County Regional SWAT team and police from the township, Westwood, Emerson, River Val…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Business
27 NJ Boston Market Stores Issued Stop-Work Orders By Labor Department 27 NJ Boston Market Stores Issued Stop-Work Orders By Labor Department
27 NJ Boston Market Stores Issued Stop-Work Orders By Labor Department Boston Market stores across New Jersey owe its workers thousands of dollars in back wages, and the state's labor department is taking action. The NJDOL issued 27 stop-work orders to Boston Market locations throughout the state on Monday, Aug. 14 saying the rotisserie chicken franchise owes more than $600,000 in back wages to 314 employees. The investigation began after the NJDOL received a complaint from an employee at a restaurant in Hamilton last November. Since then, almost three dozen people have come forward, naming several other locations. Citations were issued for unpaid/late pa…

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by Sam Barron
Police & Fire
Teaneck Swindler Whose Family Helped Fleece Investors Of $4.7M Gets 8 Years In State Slammer Teaneck Swindler Whose Family Helped Fleece Investors Of $4.7M Gets 8 Years In State Slammer
Teaneck Swindler Whose Family Helped Fleece Investors Of $4.7M Gets 8 Years In State Slammer UPDATE: A Teaneck con man who was captured after trying to flee the country must spend the next three years in state prison for running a Ponzi scheme with family and friends that fleeced dozens of unwitting investors out of $4.7 million. Chander Singh, 46, reshaped a failed company into an unscrupulous criminal venture by soliciting loans from investors to buy distressed properties, authorities said. Singh promised double-digit returns from what would be renovations of the ratholes, which he found with the help of his parents and brother, all of whom worked as real estate agents, they said…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
Woman Helped Friend Hide Fetus In Wayne Home: Authorities Woman Helped Friend Hide Fetus In Wayne Home: Authorities
Woman Helped Friend Hide Fetus In Wayne Home: Authorities A woman and the friend who helped her hide a fetus in a storage container of a Wayne home are both facing criminal charges, authorities said. Nicole Tsentas, 33, of Emerson, gave birth to the baby who was not breathing in July 2020, Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes said. She brought it home, wrapped it in a blanket and placed it in her closet, Valdes said. Sometime thereafter, Tsentas confided told Amanda Walker, 36, of Wayne, about the baby, and she helped her move it to a  home in Wayne, putting it in a storage container in the basement, Valdes said. I…

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by Cecilia Levine
News
Pre-Dawn DWI Driver Registers .25 BAC In Fiery Garbage Truck Crash Pre-Dawn DWI Driver Registers .25 BAC In Fiery Garbage Truck Crash
Pre-Dawn DWI Driver Registers .25 BAC In Fiery Garbage Truck Crash A drunk driver whose car burst into flames after slamming into a garbage truck overnight in Emerson registered a preliminary blood-alcohol level more than three times the legal limit, authorities said. The 41-year-old Paterson driver told police he was heading home from work when his Nissan Altima slammed into the driver's side of the truck outside the Old Hook Farm on Old Hook Road at 4:15 a.m. Friday, April 22, Police Chief Michael Mazzeo said. The Altima's engine ignited, and flames quickly spread to the car's cabin and onto the truck, the chief said. The truck driver was OK, but the in…

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
A Life Full But Too Brief: Beloved NJ Firefighter, IT Whiz, Dies At 57 A Life Full But Too Brief: Beloved NJ Firefighter, IT Whiz, Dies At 57
A Life Full But Too Brief: Beloved NJ Firefighter, IT Whiz, Dies At 57 TRIBUTE: The holiday season at the Emerson Fire Department won't be the same without Mark Brackenbury. Little else in town will be, either. The lifelong firefighter died peacefully at his Jersey Shore home surrounded by loved ones on Sunday, March 13, following a battle with cancer. He was 57. A Queens native, Brackenbury earned bachelor's and master's degrees from Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken before becoming an accomplished IT director. He began his professional career in 1993 as an IT manager with Health Management Systems in New York before joining Pfizer in 2002. Bracke…

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
SWAT STANDOFF: Emerson Officer Talks Troubled Man, 27, Out SWAT STANDOFF: Emerson Officer Talks Troubled Man, 27, Out
SWAT Standoff: Emerson Officer Talks Troubled Man, 27, Out An Emerson police officer backed by a SWAT team and county negotiator talked a barricaded man out of his home. What originally came in as the possibility of weapons in the troubled 27-year-old man's home prompted borough police to summon Bergen County Regional SWAT team members and crisis negotiators just after 5:30 p.m. Monday. Officer Sean Croal got a rapport going with the man, said Police Chief Michael Mazzeo, who was among the other responding officers. Counseled by the negotiator, Croal convinced the troubled resident to come out of his room without incident about three hours later,…

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
ICY MORNING (UPDATE): One Dead, Highways Closed, Dozens Injured In North Jersey Crashes ICY MORNING (UPDATE): One Dead, Highways Closed, Dozens Injured In North Jersey Crashes
ICY Morning (Update): One Dead, Highways Closed, Dozens Injured In North Jersey Crashes UPDATE: One victim was confirmed dead and westbound Route 3 in East Rutherford was temporarily closed Wednesday morning following what was the most serious in a series of crashes on icy North Jersey roads. Here's a listing of incidents. Mark Kolta, 31, of North Bergen had been involved in an earlier chain-reaction crash on the Hackensack River bridge on westbound Route 3 shortly after 6:30 a.m., East Rutherford Deputy Police Chief Phillip Taormina said. He was struck in another pileup after getting out of his vehicle, the deputy chief said. Kolta was pronounced dead at a local hospital a …

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
MOBILE HOTSPOT: Burglars Smash Their Way Into Bergen Cellphone Store, 'Out In a Minute' MOBILE HOTSPOT: Burglars Smash Their Way Into Bergen Cellphone Store, 'Out In a Minute'
Mobile Hotspot: Burglars Smash Their Way Into Bergen Cellphone Store, 'Out In a Minute' Two burglars smashed their way into a cellphone store in an Emerson shopping center overnight, then fled with $6,000 worth of equipment, authorities said. Security video captured images of the pair, who threw a stone through the T-Mobile store's glass door at the ShopRite shopping center on Old Hook Road to get in around 2 a.m. Sunday. "They were literally in and out in a minute," Emerson Police Chief Michael Mazzeo said. Westwood police joined their Emerson colleagues at the scene. An alert also was broadcast to area law enforcement. Detectives were pursuing leads with help from the Berg…

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
Fire Strikes Family Of Late EMT From Emerson Fire Strikes Family Of Late EMT From Emerson
Fire Strikes Family Of Late EMT From Emerson The family of a beloved EMT who died last year suffered another tragedy when fire severely damaged their Emerson home earlier this week. Valderes “Val” Toulouzan-Vaporakis and her twin boys are physically OK. So are their cat and three dogs – one of whom was rescued from the fire and another who was found following an intense search. Firefighters prevented Tuesday's smoky blaze from causing major structural damage to the Sanford Avenue home. "As it turns out, their house was underinsured, making things even more difficult for them," said friend Lisa Leuck. "There are many repairs to be do…

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by Jerry DeMarco