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Monday, feb 3
Police & Fire
Ridgefield Park Officer Steven Fernandez Dies In Snowmobile Accident, Family Says
The Ridgefield Park Police Department is mourning the loss of one of its own. Officer Steven Fernandez died in a snowmobile accident in Vermont over the weekend, his family announced on Facebook. A Ridgefield Park native, Fernandez joined the police department in 2015, having also volunteered with the ambulance corps and with the village fire department. In 2023, Fernandez was appointed the department's LGBTQ+ liaison. "As the department’s first openly gay male police officer, I hope that I can help strengthen the relationship between law enforcement and the LGBTQ+ community," he said…
Police & Fire
Mayor Has Special Message For Killer Who Shot 9-Year-Old Boy In Newark
Authorities are searching for the person responsible for the fatal shooting of a 9-year-old boy outside his home in Newark on Friday, Jan. 31. The boy was exiting a vehicle with his father and sister at approximately 5:27 p.m. when he was shot on Osborne Terrace, a spokesperson for the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office said. A 36-year-old man, who does not appear to be related to the child, was also shot during the incident. Details of his injuries were not immediately available. Newark Mayor Ras J. Baraka expressed outrage over the tragedy, calling it “incomprehensible” and…
Police & Fire
'Compulsive' Sex Offender, Inmate Escapes During Transport To Hospital In Newark: State Police
The New Jersey State Police are asking for the public’s help in locating registered sex offender Nicholas Voutsas, who authorities said escaped from custody while being transported to University Hospital in Newark on Thursday, Jan. 30. Voutsas, 25, escaped from a New Jersey Department of Health medical transport van at approximately 9 a.m. while en route to the hospital, State Police said. The New Jersey Human Services Police Department has charged him with escape, authorities said. Voutsas is a Tier 2 sex offender, which is described as a "repetitive, compulsive" offender on the NJ Sex Off…
Police & Fire
Dodge Charger Driver, 28, Dies In NJ Tractor Trailer Crash: Cops
A 28-year-old woman died in a fiery tractor-trailer crash early Saturday, Feb. 1 in Somerset County, authorities said. The North Plainfield resident had been driving a 2020 orange Dodge Charger died on impact in the crash with a 2008 black Volvo tractor-trailer, the driver of which was not injured, Somerset County Prosecutor John P. McDonald said. The vehicles collided around 2:50 a.m. near South Middlebush Road and Jacques Lane, the prosecutor said. Emergency responders rushed to the scene, where they found the woman, dead on impact. She was the sole occupant, as was the tr…
Police & Fire
U.S. Marshals Capture Jersey City Murder Suspect in Florida: Authorities
A 26-year-old Jersey City man was arrested in Florida on Wednesday, Jan. 29 and charged with a fatal shooting that occurred last year, authorities said. On Sunday, Dec. 8, at 11:20 p.m., Jersey City police responded to a shooting on Fairview Avenue between John F. Kennedy Boulevard and West Side Avenue, and found Dushawn Bell, a 34-year-old Elizabeth resident, with a gunshot wound, Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez said. He was transported to Jersey City Medical Center where he died of his injuries, Suarez said. Zafarri Francis was apprehended in Ocala, Florida by United Stat…
Police & Fire
Prostitution Ring Courier Surveilled At Hotels Across NJ: Police
A 41-year-old Paterson man was arrested and charged on Thursday, Jan. 30 with working as a courier for a prostitution ring in Secaucus, authorities said. Roland Jiimenenz-Rodriguez was surveilled at various hotels/motels in Secaucus along with others in Bergen and Middlesex Counties, Secaucus Police Chief Dennis Miller said. Jiimenez-Rodriguez would meet with prostitutes at the hotels/motels to collect money from them and then deposit the illegal gains into a bank in Paterson, Miller said. Jiimenez-Rodriguez would then electronically disburse the funds, laundering thousands of d…
Police & Fire
Linden Man Sentenced For Masterminding Stolen Car Resale Scheme: Feds
A 27-year-old Linden man was sentenced on Wednesday, Jan. 29, to almost 5 years in prison for running a criminal conspiracy that resold stolen cars, authorities said. Nathaniel Bell was sentenced to 57 months in prison after previously pleading guilty in Newark federal court to conspiracy to receive stolen vehicles, five counts of altering or removing motor vehicle identification numbers (VINs) and one count of transportation of stolen vehicles, Acting US Attorney Victor Khanna said. Bell was the leader of a group that obtained stolen vehicles from New Jersey, New York, Florida, and ot…
Police & Fire
High-Speed Chase In Stolen Postal Vehicle: 4 Arrested In Essex County, Cops Say
Four suspects were arrested following a high-speed chase in Bloomfield that began after an armed robbery involving a stolen postal service vehicle last week, according to police. The incident unfolded on Wednesday, Jan. 29, at 11:45 a.m., when Bloomfield detectives spotted the stolen vehicle, which had been reported missing after an armed robbery on Saturday, Jan. 25, Bloomfield police said. Detectives initiated a pursuit when they observed the vehicle speeding through Bloomfield, police said. The chase continued into East Orange, where the vehicle collided with two cars, police said. No in…
Police & Fire
Cops ID Mom, Young Children Killed In Jersey City
Authorities have released additional details in the killings of a mother and her two young children in Jersey City on Wednesday, Jan. 29. Justicia para las mujeres, para mi prima, para una madre luchadora, una mujer trabajadora y dama llena de ilusiones …..... Posted by Jessica Urbano on Thursday, January 30, 2025 Napoleon Romero-Anduray, 31, is accused of stabbing Luisa Urbano, 31, her 9-year-old son, Juan Martin Urbano, and her 5-year-old daughter, Diana Ramirez, on Hutton Avenue, Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez said. Jersey City police were notified of a stabbin…
Police & Fire
Married NJ Cops Had Sex In Front Of Kids, Wife Appeared Naked In Photos With Youngsters: AG
A married law enforcement couple from Mercer County was arrested on Wednesday, Jan. 29, for having sex in front of children and recording it, court records show. Brian DiBiasi, 39 was charged with causing or permitting a child to engage in a sexual act that may be photographed, filmed or reproduced, engaging in sexual conduct that would debauch the morals of a child, possessing and distributing images of child sexual abuse, while his wife, Elizabeth, 42, is charged with engaging in sexual conduct that would debauch the morals of a child Both are being held in the Monmouth County Jail. On …
Police & Fire
Triple
Murder
: Three Dead Including Two Children In Jersey City, Mayor Says
Three people, including two children, were killed in a domestic violence incident in Jersey City on Wednesday, Jan. 29, authorities said. A woman and two children, 9 and 5, were killed by a man who then tried to stab himself at a residence on Hutton Street, Mayor Steve Fulop and the Hudson County Prosecutor's Office said. The man is in custody, Fulop said. Chaplains and social workers have been deployed to the neighborhood to work with family and neighbors, Fulop said. "This is just such horrible and sad news," Fulop said.
Police & Fire
U.S. Figure Skaters Among Dozens Believed Dead In DC Black Hawk, Plane Crash: Reports
Figure skaters, family members, and their coaches were among the 64 people believed dead in a crash between a military helicopter and American Airlines plane in Washington DC on Wednesday, Jan. 29, according to U.S. Figure Skating and rescue officials. At least 27 bodies had been recovered and officials said they did not believe there were any survivors in the crash near Reagan National Airport, Authorities have switched to a "recovery effort," with more than 300 responders battling frigid temps, wind, and icy waters for hours overnight, Fire and EMS Chief John A. Donnelly said o…
Police & Fire
Sayreville Homeowner Thwarts Burglary Attempt, 4 Jersey City Suspects Arrested
A Sayreville homeowner's quick thinking and police response led to the arrests of four Jersey City residents trying to break into their home earlier this week, police said. The incident occurred at approximately 8:20 p.m. on Rhode Street, on Tuesday, Jan. 28, when the resident reported multiple individuals attempting to enter his home through a back window, Sayreville police said. The suspects were apparently targeting the homeowner’s luxury vehicle, authorities said. The suspects fled before officers arrived, but the resident provided detailed descriptions. Officers canvassed the area and …
Police & Fire
Newark Man Stole $700K Worth Of Luxury Vehicles: AG
A 19-year-old Newark man was arrested and charged with running a residential burglary and auto theft ring throughout the state last year, authorities said. Samir White's crew targeted high-end vehicles throughout New Jersey and New York, Attorney General Matthew Platkin said. White and others used stolen vehicles to travel to target locations throughout Monmouth, Ocean, and Essex counties, where they forced entry into homes using a crowbar, removed expensive items and key fobs to vehicles, then stole the homeowner’s cars from the residence, Platkin said. The estimated value of vehicles…
Police & Fire
ShopRite Murder: Arrest Made In Newark Supermarket Parking Lot Killing
A 56-year-old Newark man was arrested and charged on Wednesday, Jan. 29 with fatally stabbing a man in a ShopRite parking lot on Monday, Jan. 27 authorities said. Julius Gaines fatally stabbed Rodney Mayes, a 56-year-old East Orange resident at the ShopRite at 206 Springfield Ave. following a verbal dispute, Essex County Prosecutor Theodore Stephens II and Newark Public Safety Director Emmanuel Miranda said. Gaines is charged with murder in the first degree, unlawful possession of a weapon and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, authorities said.
Police & Fire
Lockdown Lifted At Linden Elementary School After Attempted Carjacking: Police
Two juveniles were apprehended on Tuesday, Jan. 28 after an attempted lockdown caused a Linden elementary school to be briefly placed on lockdown, authorities said. At 8:30 a.m., officers responded to the 700 block of E. Curtis Street on reports of an attempted carjacking and School #1 was notified and placed on lockdown, Linden police said. Two juveniles wearing masks approached a vehicle as it was stopped along the curb, police said. The suspects opened the driver's side door, motioned as if they had a weapon, and ordered the driver to get out, police said. The driver ignored the su…
Police & Fire
Man Crawled Through Broken Window At Taco Bell, Stole Cash: Newark PD
A burglar is at large after they crawled through a broken window at Taco Bell and stole money on the early morning of Sunday, Jan. 19, authorities said. At 5:11 a.m., a man approached the drive-thru at Taco Bell at 52 Jones St., and used a rock to break the window, Newark Public Safety Director Emanuel Miranda, Sr. said. The man then crawled through the window, walked to the store’s back office, and stole a bag from inside a drawer containing $480.00 in cash, Miranda said. The suspect placed the bag inside his blue backpack before fleeing the store, walking northbound on Jones Str…
Police & Fire
West New York Man Convicted Of Beating Mother To Death: Prosecutor
A 37-year-old West New York man was found guilty of murder in the first degree on Monday, Jan. 27 after beating his mother to death in 2021, authorities said. On Thursday, Jan. 14, 2021 at 1:30 p.m., West New York police responded to 439 66th St. and were met by Emmanuel Gonzalez. His mother, Irma Gonzalez, 62, was unresponsive and pronounced dead at the scene, Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez said. The Regional Medical Examiner’s Office determined the cause of death to be blunt force trauma and manner to be homicide, Suarez said. Gonzalez will be sentenced in April, Suare…
Police & Fire
Man Tied Up, Held At Gunpoint During Home Invasion: West Caldwell PD
Three suspects are at large following a home invasion in West Caldwell that left a man tied up and held at gunpoint on the morning of Tuesday, Jan. 28, authorities said. At 4:36 a.m., officers responded to Lougheed Avenue on a report of a home invasion, West Caldwell police said. The resident of the home was awakened by the sound of forced entry through a rear sliding glass door, police said. Upon investigating the noise, the homeowner was confronted by three individuals armed with firearms on the first floor, police said. The suspects bound the homeowner’s wrists and ankles with tape and h…
Police & Fire
Newark Burglar Smashed Car Windows Over Three-Day Crime Spree: Police
A 55-year-old Newark resident was arrested and charged with burglary on Friday, Jan. 24 following a multi-day crime spree earlier this month, authorities said. On Wednesday, Jan. 15, Ferando Pinero entered a 2018 Dodge Grand by shattering the vehicle's rear window, Newark Public Safety Director Emanuel Miranda, Sr. said. The victim reported that four hand grinder machines were missing from inside the vehicle, Miranda said. Sometime between Thursday, Jan. 16 and Friday, Jan. 17, Pinero smashed the driver's side window of a 2017 Chevy Express Van, parked in the 100 block …
Police & Fire
Man Kidnaps, Sexually Assaults Teen Girl In Secluded Area Of NJ Mall: Prosecutor
A 23-year-old Bergen County man has been charged with kidnapping and sex offenses after authorities say he sexually assaulted a girl in a secluded area of the Willowbrook Mall. Denys Ludisaca, of Little Ferry, carried out the attack on the girl between 13 and 15 years old, Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes and Wayne Police Deputy Chief Joseph Rooney said. ALSO SEE: Girl's Accused Mall Abductor Has Lengthy Criminal History Across Bergen County, Records Show Police were notified of the incident on Jan. 11, and on Jan. 16, Ludisaca was identified as the attacker …
Police & Fire
Man Stabbed Dead In ShopRite Parking Lot: Essex County Prosecutor
A 56-year-old East Orange man was fatally stabbed at a ShopRite parking lot in Newark on the evening of Monday, Jan. 27, authorities said. At 7:17 p.m, police responded to 206 Springfield Ave. and found Rodney Mayes stabbed after a verbal dispute with another man, the Essex County Prosecutor's Office said. The suspect fled the scene, authorities said. Mayes was taken to University Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries, authorities said.. No arrests have been made and the investigation is ongoing, authorities said.
Police & Fire
Temple Freshman, Gymnast Dies After Fall From Light Post In Philadelphia
A Temple University freshman died after falling from a light pole in Philadelphia while celebrating the Eagles’ victory on Sunday, Jan. 26, school officials said. Tyler Sabapathy, 18, was critically injured over the weekend and later passed away on Monday, Temple University President John Fry said in a statement. “The loss of a promising 18-year-old man like Tyler is both tragic and traumatic. There are no words that can make sense of it, and the entire Temple community mourns his passing,” Fry said. Sabapathy, a Toronto native, was a first-year student in Temple’s College of Public Health…
Police & Fire
Armed NY Pair Terrorized Gas Attendants Across North Jersey: Prosecutor
A year-long investigation by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office has led to the arrests and indictments of two Westchester, NY men, in a series of armed robberies across three North Jersey counties, authorities said. Veron S. Brown, 26, and Ryan D. Servis, 25, of Mount Vernon, were identified as the masked men terrorizing gas station attendants across the region since January 2024, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said. The first incident occurred on Jan. 7, 2024, at 4:50 a.m., when Clifton Police responded to an armed robbery at a Route 3 gas station. Two masked men in a black …
Police & Fire
Essex County School Bus Company Hired Unqualified Drivers With Drug Problems: AG
A 66-year-old East Hanover man was sentence to five years in prison on Friday, Jan. 24 after previously pleading guilty to running a school bus company that failed to perform drug tests and background checks on drivers, authorities said. Ahmed Mahgoub was the owner of F&A Transportation, based in Essex County, New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin said. From 2016 through 2020, they secured contracts with school districts in Essex, Passaic, Morris and Union counties, Platkin said, totaling $3.5 million. An investigation by the Office of Public Integrity and Accountability revealed …
Police & Fire
Newark Man Gets 25 Years For Sexually Assaulting Stepdaughter: Police
A 37-year-old Newark man was sentenced to 25 years in prison on Friday, Jan. 24 after being convicted of sexually assaulting his stepdaughter, authorities said. The man's stepdaughter, 16, said the abuse began when she was 11 and continued until she was 14, Essex County Prosecutor Theodore Stephens, II. The man's name is being withheld to protect the identity of the victim, Stephens said. The sexual assaults occurred in the family home while the victim’s mother was at work, Stephens said. Upon learning of the abuse in November 2022, the family contacted the Newark Police Department and…
Police & Fire
Newark Warehouse Manager Set Fire In Boonton To Conceal Theft: Prosecutor
A 45-year-old Newark man was arrested and charged on Monday, Jan. 13 with setting fire to a warehouse he managed in Boonton last November, authorities said. At 8:13 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 3, first responders were at 95 Fulton St. for a commercial warehouse fire, Morris County Prosecutor Robert Carroll, Chief of Detectives Robert McNally, and Boonton Police Officer-In-Charge Captain Chris Petonak said. The two-alarm fire was observed in the warehouse area, as well as a separately secured area leased by a pharmaceutical supply company, authorities said. An investigation det…
Police & Fire
Two Jersey Teens Arrested For Stealing Car, Burglaries: Secaucus PD
Two teenagers from Jersey City were arrested and charged over the weekend with committing multiple thefts in Secaucus, authorities said. On Saturday, Jan. 11 at 5:30 a.m., officers responded to Mallard Place on a report of several individuals wearing ski masks in the process of burglarizing vehicles, Secaucus police said. When officers arrived, a Honda Pilot was driving at a high rate of speed and narrowly missed striking a marked police vehicle, police said. Officers observed the occupants wearing ski masks and the vehicle’s license plate, but lost sight of it almost immediately, due t…
Police & Fire
Text Threatening 'Schoolwide Attack' Prompts Investigation In Bloomingdale: Officials
The Bloomingdale School District and local police are investigating text message threats targeting a middle school. Around 11 p.m. Friday, Jan. 24, the district received reports of text messages sent from an unknown number threatening a schoolwide attack at Walter T. Bergen Middle School on Monday, Jan. 27, Superintendent Dr. Michael Nicosia said. Nicosia said that the Bloomingdale Police Department was immediately contacted, and an investigation was launched. The police are working closely with school administrators and continue to investigate the incident. While no details …
Police & Fire
Video Shows Thief Fire Off Text Before Swiping $7K Parrot From Bergen County Bird Store
In a bold and bizarre heist, a thief flew off with a $7,000 African Grey parrot from a Bergen County bird store, police said. View this post on Instagram A post shared by @dailyvoicenewjersey Brand-new video footage shows the thief swiping the bird from Birds by Joe 2 on Route 46 East in Saddle Brook around 4 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 23. A man in a dark Nike hoodie asked to see the prized parrot, and when the clerk obliged, he made his move, police said. Grabbing the cage, the suspect bolted out of the store, leaving staff—and the bir…
Police & Fire
NJ Driver With Glass Of Wine In Brand-New Volvo Was More 2X Legal Limit, Police Say (
Video
)
Bodycam footage shows the arrest of a 41-year-old Old Bridge woman who police say was more than twice the legal limit when they stopped her last month in Red Bank. The footage showing the Dec. 20, 2024 arrest of Dana Colonna in Red Bank has been published by Transparency Bodycam on YouTube. The video shows Red Bank Officer Christopher Fuentes initiating the stop near Volcafe on Bridge Ave., in which Colonna tells him that she was driving a brand-new Volvo and was fighting with her boyfriend. Colonna admitted to drinking alcohol earlier in the evening after visiting Gabriella’s Italian …
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