On Thursday, May 24, Officer Dave Rakowski responded to a motor vehicle accident on Rutland Ave. around 10 a.m. and upon arrival, realized the accident had been a hit and run. An investigation into the accident determined that a red car had struck a white car and fled the scene. Rakowski put out a broadcast to be on the lookout for the car, which had fled the scene going westbound on Rutland. Minutes later, Officer Jack Grimm advised that he had a vehicle matching the description on the corner of Bergan Ave. and Afton St. Rakowski responded to the scene to interview the female motorist, who gave conflicting stories about where she had been. She was administered sobriety tests after smelling alcohol on her breath. In the officer’s opinion, she did not perform these satisfaactually and was placed under arrest. Kearny resident Kathleen Kuziel, 45, was charged with reckless driving, leaving the scene of an accident, failing to report an accident, driving while intoxicated, refusing to take an alcohol test, and failure to exhibit a driver’s license.
Two days later, Officer Jay Ward was on patrol in the 500 block of Kearny Ave. around 4:40 p.m. when he approached a man who was drinking in public. When he went to approach the man, he found that the man was wanted by the Hudson County Sheriff’s Office. Michael Burke, 37, of Kearny was taken into custody and held for pickup by Hudson County Sheriffs.
Later on May 26 around 11:30 p.m., Officer Dean Gasser was sent to the area of Wilson Ave. near Winsor St. on a report of a stabbing. He arrived on the scene to find nobody stabbed, but that a confrontation had taken place and one of the individuals pulled a knife and fled the scene. After obtaining a description, Officers Tom Sumowski and Ben Wuelfing found the individual. Det. Ray Lopez responded to the scene and began a search of the area for the knife, which he eventually found under a parked car on Winsor St. A 15-year-old Kearny Juvenile was taken into custody and charged with aggravated assault and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose.
Overnight on the 28th at 1:45 a.m., Officer Chris Medina was on patrol in the area of Midland Ave. and Elm St. when he observed a vehicle traveling westbound swerving from side to side. The vehicle eventually turned off midland and onto Devon St. where it picked up speed. Medina stopped the car on Quincy Ave. and Chestnut St. When Medina asked the driver for credentials, he detected a strong odor of alcohol and the man had slurred speech and bloodshot eyes. Officer Jay Balogh arrived as backup. Given the individual’s state of intoxication, he was placed under arrest. A search of the man, 22-year-old Edwin Torres of Kearny, turned up a pack of Marlboro cigarettes found to contain hand-rolled cigarettes and another bag of suspected marijuana. Torres was charged with possession of marijuana, possession of paraphernalia, driving while intoxicated, careless driving, refusing to submit to an alcohol test, and possession of a controlled substance within a motor vehicle.
The next day, Officer Mike Santucci responded to a loud music complaint on the 500 block of Forest St. around 2:30 a.m. and found that loud noises including music and loud laughing and talking to a group near a fire pit in the rear of the home. This was the third time that Santucci had been to the same location in a four-hour period and Santucci had put the individuals on notice a few times. As Santucci approached the group, they began to protest, saying they could hang out and play their music all they wanted. Santucci then called the Fire Department to extinguish the fire. Officer John Treveino also arrived as backup and helped issues to all the people involved.
Finally, Officer Pat Becker was on foot patrol on May 29 around 3:30 p.m. in the area of Afton St. and Kearny Ave. when he observed an intoxicated male. Becker went to see what condition the man was in and as Becker got closer, the man, 26-year-old Sidnei Antunes of Kearny, began to yell at Becker, saying he couldn’t do anything to him. Antunes was unruly in front of sever pedestrians, so Becker put Antunes under arrest. Antunes fought back against Becker before Becker took a stronger stance and took Antunes to the ground to handcuff him. Officer Sean Kelly arrived as backup. Antunes complained of shoulder pain and was examined by EMS at headquarters. Antunes persisted to the point that he was taken to the hospital for an additional examination. He was returned to headquarters and found to have two outstanding warrants from East Newark and Harrison. Antunes was charged with Disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, along with the two outstanding warrants.
