On May 5th at 8 p.m., Kearny units were alerted to the possibility of a pedestrian struck in the 100 block of Kearny Ave. between Wilson Ave. and Hoyt St. Police Chief John Dowie arrived on the scene and did confirm that a pedestrian was struck and that the accident was serious in nature. Officers Dave Rakowski and John Fabula with Sgt. Anthony Limite all arrived on the scene along with the emergency squad. The woman, 79-year-old Ann Walsh had gotten head trauma after she was hit by a 24-year-old Union City female who had been attempting to back into a parking space. Through investigative work from Fabula and Rakowski, they were able to confirm that Walsh was behind the car, struck, and knocked onto the ground where she sustained head injury. Walsh was taken to University Hospitial where she was pronounced dead overnight. During the course of the investigation, it was found that the Union City female had been driving on a suspended lisence and was arrested and charged. The case is being followed up by the Hudson County Prosecutors Office as well as the Medical Examiner and the Kearny Traffic Bureau.
Here are other cases from the Kearny Police blotter this week.
On May 4, the Kearny Vice Squad in the middle of a distribution investigation observed and interrupted a hand-to-hand drug transaction around 5:30 p.m. in the area of Kearny Ave. and Duke St. The intended customer, 49-year-old Michael Alvez from Kearny, was intercepted n the process of buying a controlled substance from the alleged distributer, 45-year-old Horacio Reis from Harrison. During the course of the investigation, Kearny Police searched Reis’s residence and confiscated a signifigant amount of marijuana and cocaine along with a safe containing documentation that led them to believe he was involved in a drug distribution scheme. In his apartment, they found a glass jar containing 15 ziploc bags of marijunana, 1 sandwhich bag of cocaine and $600 cash believed to be from drug transactions. Alvez was charged with minor possession of a controlled substance and possession of paraphernalia. Reis was charged with possession of cocaine, distribution of cocaine, distribution of cocaine within 1000 feet of St. Cecilia’s School, distribution within 500 feet of a park, possession of cocaine with intent to distribute within 1000 feet of Holy Cross, possession of marijunana, distribution of marijuana, distribution of marijuana within 1000 feet of St. Cecilia’s School, distribution within 500 feet of a park, possession of marijuana with intent to distribute within 1000 feet of Holy Cross. Bail was set at $60,000.
The following day, Officer John Fabula was dispatched to the 600 block of Elm St. after receiving reports of people smelling marijuana in the air. Fabula followed his nose that led him to a ground level window to where the smell was the strongest. As he peered into one of the windows, he was observed by one of the occupants who ran and closed the blinds. Fabula walked to the front of the residence and is let into the building. The odor continues to get stronger as Fabula went into the kitchen. In the kitchen, he finds a garbage bag where he observed marijunana cigars in plain view. A 17-year-old male admits to Fabula that he did in fact purchase it. He was brought to headquarters and released to his parents. He was charged with possession of marijunana and possession of paraphernalia.
On May 6, Officer Jay Ward responded to an accident on John Hay Ave. and on his arrival, a concerned citizen sees a vehicle in a driveway and said it was the vehicle involved in the accident. Ward conducted an investigation and concluded tha the car was heavily damaged and was missing the front license plate. Ward then sees a man in the area who seems very concerned about what was going on. Ward then went up to the man, who had very bloodshot and watery eyes, admitted he was the owner of the car and produced the paperwork. The man, 68-year-old Manuel Costa, admitted to driving the car from the club. Ward then had Costa perform field sobriety tests, which were eventually stopped for safety reasons. He was taken to headquarters where he was charged with driving under the influence, careless driving, driving with a suspended license, failing to surrender a drivers license, and improper display of license plates. He was also found to have an active Kearny warrant for $150.
