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Paterson, NJ

Four Caught, PA Man Sought In Brutal Stabbing Death Outside NJ Bar Four Caught, PA Man Sought In Brutal Stabbing Death Outside NJ Bar
Four Caught, PA Man Sought In Brutal Stabbing Death Outside NJ Bar Authorities who’ve charged four men with the brutal murder of a man outside a Garfield bar last month turned to the public for help finding a fugitive gang member from Pennsylvania who sources said repeatedly stabbed the victim in the chest. Ricky “Angel” Vargas, 35, of East Stroudsburg, PA, and his four companions confronted Richard Franceschi, 31, of Hawthorne outside JoJo's Bar & Grill on Monroe Street before dawn this past Feb. 4, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said. Vargas had a knife and co-defendant Jayson William Rivera, 23, also of East Stroudsburg, had a handgun, the pr…
Midweek Downpours Expected To Bring 3 Inches Of Rain, Travel Delays To East Coast Midweek Downpours Expected To Bring 3 Inches Of Rain, Travel Delays To East Coast
Midweek Downpours Expected To Bring 3 Inches Of Rain, Travel Delays To East Coast A new storm system tracking along the East Coast is expected to drop several inches of rain on the region in the next two days, meteorologists say. Rainfall is expected to begin along the mid-Atlantic Tuesday night, Dec. 26, and make its way north through Pennsylvania, New Jersey and the New York City area on Wednesday afternoon, Dec. 27. Flooding and travel delays are to be expected from Virginia to New England, the Passaic, Ramapo and Raritan rivers in New Jersey most likely to experience flooding, according to AccuWeather. This is not good news for municipalities across Passaic County w…
Mid-Atlantic Crime Ring Arrests For Armed PA Jewelry Robberies, Carjackings Mid-Atlantic Crime Ring Arrests For Armed PA Jewelry Robberies, Carjackings
Mid-Atlantic Crime Ring Arrests For Armed PA Jewelry Robberies, Carjackings An indictment of 16 members of a violent mid-Atlantic crime ring has been unsealed and the federal agencies are naming names.  Of the 16, eight of the alleged crime ring members were arrested in the morning on Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2023, police in Fairfax County, Virginia announced later that day.  They were all arrested in connection to a violent crime spree that took place between Jan. 7, 2022, through Jan. 27, 2023.  The crime ring members were all from Maryland and the District of Columbia. They met with their accused leader – Trevor Wright, also known as “Taliban Glizzy” …
NJ Swimmer, 19, Goes Missing At Delaware Water Gap NJ Swimmer, 19, Goes Missing At Delaware Water Gap
NJ Swimmer, 19, Goes Missing At Delaware Water Gap Crews were continuing to search for a 19-year-old swimmer who went missing at the Delaware Water Gap. Witnesses said the Paterson man was trying to swim from the shoreline to the bridge abutments with three others when he began struggling in the current around 8 p.m. Thursday, July 13 at Karamac — located about a mile north of Route 80, in Warren County, officials said. Three other swimmers were later rescued by volunteer rescue team members from Portland Hook and Ladder Company out of Portland, PA. None of the swimmers were wearing a life jacket. The swimmer disappeared under the water, w…
These Maps Show Realtime Smoke, Air Quality As Canadian Wildfires Rage These Maps Show Realtime Smoke, Air Quality As Canadian Wildfires Rage
These Maps Show Realtime Smoke, Air Quality As Canadian Wildfires Rage Can't tell if it's smoke or cloudy skies above? The following realtime configurations and air quality maps won't have you guessing anymore. A realtime configuration from Fire Smoke Canada — the Canadian portal for information about wildland fire weather and smoke — shows exactly where each of the more than 150 wildfires are raging and predicts roughly how heavy the smoke will be and where. The New York Times, meanwhile, has a similar smoke forecast map that indicates light, medium, or high levels of smoke from the fires, based on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The rea…
NJ Rapper Fetty Wap Sentenced To 6 Years For Running Drugs NJ Rapper Fetty Wap Sentenced To 6 Years For Running Drugs
NJ Rapper Fetty Wap Sentenced To 6 Years For Running Drugs Paterson rapper Fetty Wap caught something of a break on Wednesday. A federal judge sentenced the platinum-selling rapper – whose real name is William Junior Maxwell II – to six years in federal prison on May 24 for his role in a drug-trafficking ring that flooded part of New Jersey and Long Island with cocaine, heroin, fentanyl and crack. Maxwell had been charged with conspiring to transport more than 100 kilos of the drugs there from the West Coast. Rather than risk the potential consequences of a trial, he took a deal from the government, pleading guilty in U.S. Eastern District Court …
Ex-Con Kidnapper Gets 43 Years, No Parole, For Rape, Arson, Assault Rampage Through NJ, NY, PA Ex-Con Kidnapper Gets 43 Years, No Parole, For Rape, Arson, Assault Rampage Through NJ, NY, PA
Ex-Con Kidnapper Gets 43 Years, No Parole, For Rape, Arson, Assault Rampage Through NJ, NY, PA UPDATE: An ex-con who kidnapped and raped his ex-girlfriend in Pennsylvania, then torched a used car dealership in Paterson and rammed a stolen SUV into police cars at both ends of the George Washington Bridge was sentenced to 43 years in federal prison. Luis Figueroa, 42, first took a plea deal from the government that called for him to serve 26 years in a federal penitentiary. Then he abruptly withdrew his plea, took his chances with a trial – and lost. Federal jurors in Newark convicted Figueroa in May 2022 of kidnapping, criminal sexual abuse, illegal gun possession and assaulting…
Undercover Fentanyl Bust Nets Mom, Son, Others In Poconos: DA Undercover Fentanyl Bust Nets Mom, Son, Others In Poconos: DA
Undercover Fentanyl Bust Nets Mom, Son, Others In Poconos: DA Four people are in police custody — including a mother and her son — after Monroe County authorities say they tried to sell fentanyl to an undercover police officer.  All four were arrested on Monday, April 10 following a months-long investigation that culminated with a controlled drug buy in Stroudsburg, said Monroe County District Attorney E. David Christine, Jr. in a statement.  Those charged are:  Zachary Herbst, 26, of East Stroudsburg Sheila Conway, 45, of Saylorsburg Justin Conway, 41, of Saylorsburg Robert Sampson, 46, no fixed address Justin Conway, 41, of Saylorsburg, and Ro…
Mom Found Burned Dead In Vacant Lot Had Been Staying In Poconos Weeks Before Her Killing Mom Found Burned Dead In Vacant Lot Had Been Staying In Poconos Weeks Before Her Killing
Mom Found Burned Dead In Vacant Lot Had Been Staying In Poconos Weeks Before Her Killing Known for 30 years as the "Girl with the Scorpion Tattoo," the unidentified victim found brutally murdered on Staten Island now has a name, and it turns out she'd been staying in the Poconos during the weeks leading up to her death, authorities said. Christine Belusko of Clifton was handcuffed, strangled, beaten and burned in a Staten Island lot, the Richmond County District Attorney’s Office said. In the weeks leading up to her killing, she had been staying at a Mount Airy Lodge near Mount Pocono, PA, authorities said. Now, investigators hope to find Belusko's daughter, Christa N…
BETRAYER OF THE BADGE: NJ Officer Admits Using Authority On Duty To Pressure Women Into Sex BETRAYER OF THE BADGE: NJ Officer Admits Using Authority On Duty To Pressure Women Into Sex
Betrayer OF THE Badge: NJ Officer Admits Using Authority On Duty To Pressure Women Into Sex UPDATE: A Vernon Township police officer who was accused of groping a Bergen County woman during a domestic violence call admitted abusing his authority on duty to force women to submit to his sexual advances. Emanuel Rivera, 38, acknowledged the “imbalance of power” between him and the women he was hitting on, New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin and Acting Sussex County Prosecutor Annmarie Taggart said in a joint statement. This left them unable to consent, he admitted, because of the “coercive, intimidating nature of such requests” coming from a uniformed police officer," the s…
Police: Mom Caught Shoplifting At NJ Walmart Deliberately Drop-Kicks Baby, Shows No Remorse Police: Mom Caught Shoplifting At NJ Walmart Deliberately Drop-Kicks Baby, Shows No Remorse
Police: Mom Caught Shoplifting At NJ Walmart Deliberately Drop-Kicks Baby, Shows No Remorse A woman caught shoplifting at a Bergen County Walmart deliberately drop-kicked her baby across the floor while being taken into custody, then showed no remorse afterward, authorities said. It's difficult to comprehend -- and even harder to stomach -- if you’ve seen the video, which captured the assault at the Route 46 store in Teterboro. Jamira McDaniel, 23, of Paterson had been escorted to the Walmart Asset Protection Office, where she “placed the child down in front of her and kicked the baby in the back” on Tuesday, Dec. 13, Moonachie Police Lt. Jeff Napolitano said. It sent the nearly …
Woman Instructed To Shoot Paterson Victim Misses, 2 Charged With Attempted Murder: Prosecutor Woman Instructed To Shoot Paterson Victim Misses, 2 Charged With Attempted Murder: Prosecutor
Woman Instructed To Shoot Paterson Victim Misses, 2 Charged With Attempted Murder: Prosecutor A Pennsylvania woman and a Newark woman have both been charged with attempted murder after one handed the other a gun, instructing her to shoot at a 31-year-old female victim who was not struck over the weekend in Paterson, authorities said. It started sometime before 3:40 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 6 near Wait and Wood streets in Paterson, when Abriyah Griffin, 25, of Newark, gave 31-year-old Lakenya Griffin, of Minersville, PA, the gun and told her to shoot the victim, Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes said. Lakenya fired the weapon but missed the victim, who fled the scene — fol…
Law Enforcement 'Supergroups' In NJ Unite To Fight Organized Violent Criminals Law Enforcement 'Supergroups' In NJ Unite To Fight Organized Violent Criminals
Law Enforcement 'Supergroups' In NJ Unite To Fight Organized Violent Criminals A collection of crime-fighting 'supergroups' nailed 42 defendants in a series of pinpointed attacks on organized gangs dealing drugs, packing weapons and waging street warfare in North Jersey, authorities announced. The Violent Crime Initiative, as it's called, targeted what had been thriving criminal organizations in Newark, Paterson and elsewhere, U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Philip R. Sellinger said. Shooting incidents statewide and in cities where the VCIs operate are “appreciably lower” than the year-to-date total from last year, including a 23% reduction statewide, a 30% reduction in …
PA Woman, 19, Shot In Paterson PA Woman, 19, Shot In Paterson
PA Woman, 19, Shot In Paterson A 19-year-old woman from Allentown, PA was hospitalized after being shot in Paterson on Saturday, Oct. 8, authorities said. The victim was already on her way to  Saint Joseph’s University Medical Center when police arrived at the shooting scene — North 9th Street and Belmont Avenue — around 9:40 p.m., Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes and Acting Paterson Police Chief Bert Ribeiro said. The investigation remains active and ongoing. More information will be released once it becomes available. The Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office asks anyone with additional information …
DMV Imposter Dupes Victims Out Of $1,500 To $2,000 Each, More Pawns Possible DMV Imposter Dupes Victims Out Of $1,500 To $2,000 Each, More Pawns Possible
DMV Imposter Dupes Victims Out Of $1,500 To $2,000 Each, More Pawns Possible A con artist impersonating a DMV employee took dozens of unsuspecting customers for a ride, fleecing them out of tens of thousands of dollars, before Lodi police put the brakes on the heartless scheme, authorities said. Mohammad A. Aburomi, 61, actually had his victims meet him at the agency's offices in Lodi and Wayne, where he promised to help them cut the line for payments of $1,500 to $2,000 each, investigators found. "He had a two-way radio and all the garb, including a black shirt that identified him as a DMV worker," Lodi Police Sgt. Dominic Miller said. "He even had applications tha…
NJ Rapper Fetty Wap Cops To Drug Conspiracy In Exchange For 5-Year Minimum In Federal Prison NJ Rapper Fetty Wap Cops To Drug Conspiracy In Exchange For 5-Year Minimum In Federal Prison
NJ Rapper Fetty Wap Cops To Drug Conspiracy In Exchange For 5-Year Minimum In Federal Prison Paterson rapper Fetty Wap must spend at least five years in federal prison in exchange for pleading guilty to his role in a multi-million-dollar drug trafficking ring, authorities said. The platinum-selling rapper – whose real name is William Junior Maxwell II – had been charged last year with conspiring to transport more than 100 kilos of heroin, fentanyl and cocaine from the West Coast for sale in New Jersey and on Long Island. Rather than risk a possible life sentence at trial, Maxwell took a deal from the government, pleading guilty in U.S. Eastern District Court in Central Islip, Long …
RELEASED: NJ Rapper, Associate Plead Guilty In Passaic Shooting, Freed Pending Sentencings RELEASED: NJ Rapper, Associate Plead Guilty In Passaic Shooting, Freed Pending Sentencings
Released: NJ Rapper, Associate Plead Guilty In Passaic Shooting, Freed Pending Sentencings A former Jersey City rapper who beat a murder rap in 2014 walked out of jail after cutting a deal with prosecutors for his role in a shooting in Passaic two years ago. He could be headed back to the joint for another 18 months, however. Video captured a celebratory welcoming committee greeting Albert Robinson outside the Passaic County Jail in Paterson after he and co-defendant Darnell Reeves were released. Robinson  – known as “Albee Al The Gladiator” – and Reeves had been held since September 2019 following their arrests on attempted murder charges, among other offenses, in a non-fatal …
Man Kidnaps, Sexually Abuses Mentally Impaired Woman, Shoves Her From Car: Authorities Man Kidnaps, Sexually Abuses Mentally Impaired Woman, Shoves Her From Car: Authorities
Man Kidnaps, Sexually Abuses Mentally Impaired Woman, Shoves Her From Car: Authorities A Kearny man kidnapped a mentally incapacitated Paterson woman he’d met online, had sex with her in his car, a nearby park and his apartment, then shoved her out of the vehicle when he realized her family was following him, authorities charged. A four-month manhunt ended when Horus G. Nunez-Velazquez, 35, was captured in Pennsylvania, Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes and Paterson Police Chief Ibrahim M. Baycora said in a joint announcement on Friday. Nunez-Velazquez “met the (32-year-old) woman online, picked her up from her residence and took her to a nearby park and subsequentl…
Fetty Wap Busted By Feds For Making Death Threat, Flashing Gun On Facetime While Free On Bond Fetty Wap Busted By Feds For Making Death Threat, Flashing Gun On Facetime While Free On Bond
Fetty Wap Busted By Feds For Making Death Threat, Flashing Gun On Facetime While Free On Bond Paterson rapper Fetty Wap is in custody again, this time for flashing a gun and threatening to kill a “rat” during a Facetime call while he was free on bond in another case, federal authorities said. The Dec. 11, 2021 video call violated conditions of the hip-hop artist’s release following a major drug bust late last year, they said, leading to his arrest in New Jersey on Monday, Aug. 8. As a result, federal authorities on Long Island asked a judge Monday afternoon to revoke his $500,000 bond and order that Wap – whose real name is Willie Junior Maxwell II – remain in custody during the ong…
MOSQUE ATTACK: Intruders Pelt NJ Worshippers With Rocks MOSQUE ATTACK: Intruders Pelt NJ Worshippers With Rocks
Mosque Attack: Intruders Pelt NJ Worshippers With Rocks Congregants were praying at a mosque in Paterson when three intruders suddenly burst in and threw rocks at them, authorities confirmed. One of the assailants held the door for the other two after nearly 100 worshippers had gathered at the Islamic Congregation of North Jersey on Preakness Avenue -- one of five services held each day -- shortly after 8:30 p.m. Monday. Two people were hit, but neither was seriously injured, authorities said Thursday. Mosque officials said they had no choice but to begin locking the doors after this week's bias attack, which followed another involving an intr…
FBI: Groomed-For-Sex Indiana Girl, 15, Rescued After Paterson Man Pays Uber To Bring Her To NJ FBI: Groomed-For-Sex Indiana Girl, 15, Rescued After Paterson Man Pays Uber To Bring Her To NJ
FBI: Groomed-For-Sex Indiana Girl, 15, Rescued After Paterson Man Pays Uber To Bring Her To NJ A 22-year-old Paterson man showered a 15-year-old Indiana girl he'd met online with money, gifts and compliments before paying an Uber driver to bring her to him for sex, federal authorities said. Arnold Castillo "groomed" the girl, gaining her trust and alienating her from her family and other support systems before convincing her to leave Lawrence, IN, for New Jersey, the U.S. Attorney's Office for Southern Indiana charged. Castillo "paid and arranged for an Uber driver to pick up the minor and transport her across state lines to him," alleges to an FBI complaint on file in U.S. District …
Video Shows Now-Former NJ Officer Beating Defenseless Suspect, Prosecutor Says Video Shows Now-Former NJ Officer Beating Defenseless Suspect, Prosecutor Says
Video Shows Now-Former NJ Officer Beating Defenseless Suspect, Prosecutor Says Body camera video proves that a now-former Paterson police officer beat a defenseless suspect with a flashlight and kneed him in the face in an apartment hallway, a grand jury indictment charges. Spencer Finch, 45, of Mahwah filed an official report maintaining that he needed to use force against what he claimed was a combative suspect, Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes said. The video from a fellow officer’s bodycam tells a different story, Valdes added. Finch – who was with the department for nearly 18 years -- is charged with aggravated assault, official misconduct, perjury, t…
'Drop The Gun!': Video Shows NJ Police Officer Shooting Fleeing Suspect 'Drop The Gun!': Video Shows NJ Police Officer Shooting Fleeing Suspect
'Drop The Gun!': Video Shows NJ Police Officer Shooting Fleeing Suspect Footage from the body camera of a Paterson police officer who shot a fleeing suspect during a foot chase was released by Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia Valdes on Friday. "Drop the gun!" Officer Jerry Moravek shouts several times as he chases Khalif Cooper, 28, down John Street around 3:30 a.m. June 11. Suddenly, two shots ring out and Cooper falls face down in the street. Moravek handcuffs Cooper, who repeatedly says, "I don't got no gun." "Shots fired," the officer says into his radio. "Send ALS [Advanced Life Support] and supervisors. Send ALS." Moravek repeatedly asks for an ambul…
SEEN HIM? Two Years Later, Missing NJ Man Still Hasn't Been Found SEEN HIM? Two Years Later, Missing NJ Man Still Hasn't Been Found
Seen HIM? Two Years Later, Missing NJ Man Still Hasn't Been Found Ruben Wilson had a habit of wandering off and sometimes traveling significant distances from his Englewood home despite dementia and other challenges. The 6-foot, 240-pound Wilson always turned up, though -- from as close as Teaneck, Hackensack and Tenafly, and as far as the Jersey Shore. He was once found with his dog in Englewood Cliffs. Another time, he drove nearly 70 miles to Wall Township. That changed after Wilson went missing more than two years ago. Ruben always enjoyed an early cup of coffee with his son, Shalom Kennedy, loved ones said. That didn't happen the morning of May 2…
Handcuffed Fugitive Who Jumped Into NJ River Was Wanted Out Of PA Handcuffed Fugitive Who Jumped Into NJ River Was Wanted Out Of PA
Handcuffed Fugitive Who Jumped Into NJ River Was Wanted Out Of PA A suspect who nearly drowned after jumping into the Passaic River while handcuffed was wanted in both Pennsylvania and Massachusetts, authorities said. Juan Castano, 29, of New York was a passenger in a car driven by a Paterson resident that Hawthorne police stopped in response to a call late Tuesday afternoon of two suspicious-looking men peering over the barbed wire fence of the Citywide Towing impound lot in Hawthorne. “People have previously jumped their fence and stolen vehicles that had been impounded due to being stolen,” Hawthorne Detective Lt. Matthew Hoogmoed said Thursday. Borou…
GUILTY: Kidnapping Rapist Who Cancelled Plea Deal Convicted In Rampage Through PA, NJ, NY GUILTY: Kidnapping Rapist Who Cancelled Plea Deal Convicted In Rampage Through PA, NJ, NY
Guilty: Kidnapping Rapist Who Cancelled Plea Deal Convicted In Rampage Through PA, NJ, NY An ex-con who kidnapped and raped his ex-girlfriend in Pennsylvania, torched a used car dealership in Paterson and crashed a stolen SUV into police cars on either side of the George Washington Bridge rolled the dice and lost. After originally pleading guilty to several charges, Luis Figueroa, 41, withdrew his plea and took his chances with federal jurors in Newark. They ended up convicting him following a two-week trial. So now, instead of the 26-year deal that he originally accepted from the government, Figueroa could be sentenced to nearly 50 years in federal prison. The rampage had an “…
Federal Jurors Convict Ex-Paterson Police Sergeant Of Civil Rights Violations Federal Jurors Convict Ex-Paterson Police Sergeant Of Civil Rights Violations
Federal Jurors Convict Ex-Paterson Police Sergeant Of Civil Rights Violations UPDATE: A federal jury convicted a now-former Paterson police sergeant of stealing money from a suspect, then lying on reports to protect himself and his department accomplices. The guilty verdicts against Michael Cheff, 51, of Oakland on Thursday followed a five-day trial in U.S. District Court in Newark. They also prompted a statement from Paterson Mayor Andre Sayegh: "Michael Cheff was fired [Thursday]. His trial revealed sickening and horrific acts committed by former officers who violated their oath to protect and serve. Paterson has taken significant steps to root out such conduct an…
NJ Funeral Home Provides Burial With Honors For One Of Last WWII Vets NJ Funeral Home Provides Burial With Honors For One Of Last WWII Vets
NJ Funeral Home Provides Burial With Honors For One Of Last WWII Vets TRIBUTE: A final farewell for one of the last remaining veterans of World War II's Normandy Invasions was all paid for when disaster struck. Eugene W. Dednam of Hackensack died last month, just weeks after turning 100. He had no known survivors. The Paterson funeral home that was chosen to someday handle Dednam's burial arrangements had since burned down, however. With it went the money that was paid in the late 1980s for his final rest. Then Brian and Deb Warner stepped in. “We feel that a wartime veteran can never truly be thanked for the sacrifices they make,” said Brian Warner, the e…
Man Found Guilty In Murder Of Berks County Air Force Veteran Man Found Guilty In Murder Of Berks County Air Force Veteran
Man Found Guilty In Murder Of Berks County Air Force Veteran A 29-year-old man was found guilty in the murder of a Berks County air force veteran, authorities said. Raphael E. Perez-Rodriguez, of Paterson, NJ, was convicted by a jury Thursday, April 20, of first-degree murder, burglary, robbery, and related charges in the killing of 76-year-old Dennis Fink, the Berks County DA's Office said. Perez-Rodriguez fatally stabbed Fink at his Bern Township home on July 17, 2020, prosecutors said. His sentencing is scheduled for Friday, April 22. Perez-Rodriguez had already been serving time for a 2020 incident in Reading in which he sho…
Troubled Man Jumps From Moving Vehicle On NJ Highway Troubled Man Jumps From Moving Vehicle On NJ Highway
Troubled Man Jumps From Moving Vehicle On NJ Highway UPDATE: New Jersey State Police identified a man who was seriously injured when he bailed from a moving vehicle on busy Route 287. Passenger David Chavez, 27, of Livingston "exited" a Kenworth tractor pulling a flatbed trailer as it headed south on the highway in Riverdale shortly before 6 p.m. Saturday, April 9, New Jersey State Police Sgt. Philip Curry said. Chavez's father, who was driving, told responders that his son "just opened the door out of nowhere" and pitched onto the highway's southbound side in Riverdale, one said. "Luckily he wasn't struck by anyone," a responder s…
Troubled Man Jumps From Moving Vehicle On NJ Highway Troubled Man Jumps From Moving Vehicle On NJ Highway
Troubled Man Jumps From Moving Vehicle On NJ Highway UPDATE: A troubled man was seriously injured when he bailed from a moving vehicle on busy Route 287, responders said. Passenger David Chavez, 27, of Livingston "exited" a Kenworth tractor pulling a flatbed trailer as it headed south on the highway in Riverdale shortly before 6 p.m. Saturday, April 9, New Jersey State Police Sgt. Philip Curry said. Chavez's father, who was driving, told responders that his son "just opened the door out of nowhere" and pitched onto the highway's southbound side in Riverdale, one said. "Luckily he wasn't struck by anyone," a responder said. Several passing d…