Dec. 7
At about 10 p.m., vice detectives saw three teenagers huddled together at the corner of Kearny Ave. and Afton St. and observed what they believed to be a hand-to- hand drug transaction. As the officers approached the trio, one of the teens, the apparent “customer,” ran north on the avenue with a detective in foot pursuit. The suspect got about a block before being apprehended and was reportedly found to be in possession of a plastic bag containing marijuana.
The 17-year-old Kearny resident, was charged with possession of pot, possession of drug paraphernalia and resisting arrest.
The alleged seller, a 16-year-old also from Kearny, was charged with drug possession and possession with intent to distribute.
Police Chief John Dowie said the third juvenile appeared to have been just a “casual observer” and was sent on his way. ••••••••••••••••••••••••
Dec. 8
Officer Derek Hemphill was dispatched to Devon and Dukes Sts. at 11:30 p.m. on the report of a fight among a large group of people in the street. He arrived to find several individuals trying to hold down one apparent combatant.
The officer tired to defuse the situation, but the man being held refused to calm down. Hemphill checked him for warrants and found he was wanted by Hillside and Union, Dowie said.
The 20-year-old Union resident, Gilberto Pascual, was transported to headquarters and held for bail.
Dec. 12
Kevin Smith, 18, of Kearny was arrested at 2:30 p.m. on the 100 block of Davis Ave. after P.O. John Fabula checked him for outstanding warrants and found he was wanted by Union County on a larceny charge, police said.
Smith was taken to headquarters and held for the Union County Sheriff ’s Office.
Dec. 13
P.O. Jay Ward was on patrol near Town Hall at 4:30 p.m. when he observed a juvenile vandalizing one of the town flower pots, yanking out the contents. When confronted by the cop about the floracide, the youth reportedly refused to identify himself or provide information on parental contacts, He was arrested for criminal mischief and taken to HQ where he was I.D.’d as a 16-year-old from Kearny and was turned over to his mother.
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At 5:30 p.m., on Duke St. near Davis Ave., vice detectives saw a Kearny man, described by police as a known drug offender, whom they believed had been involved in an earlier drug transaction. Confronted as he exited a car, the suspect, 47-yearold Sean Byrne, reportedly turned over six glassine envelopes of “Google” brand heroin. He was charged with possession of the drug and drug paraphernalia.
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A short time later, in the same area, Kevin Boutilette, 54, of Kearny was nabbed by the same detectives after they had observed an apparent hand-to-hand transaction and allegedly found him to be in possession of a plastic bag containing cocaine. He was charged with drug possession and possession of paraphernalia.
Dec. 15
At 2:15 a.m., Officers Ben Wuelfing and Joe Martin responded to the report of an assault on the 400 block of Kearny Ave. At the scene, they found a man who had been punched in the face and whose assailant had fled in a car. The agitated crowd included the victim’s sister, who reportedly refused the officers’ requests to go back into her house and then became combative with the cops. They handcuffed her, but she allegedly continued to resist and was finally subdued with OC spray.
Charged with disorderly conduct, aggravated assault on a police officer and resisting arrest was Carolina Diaz, 29, of Kearny.
Her brother, the punching victim, was advised on how to file a complaint against his assailant.
Dec. 16
At 6 p.m., P.O. Jay Ward was assigned to investigate a minor motor-vehicle accident on the 200 block of Kearny Ave. and reportedly smelled a strong odor of alcohol on one of the drivers, who subsequently failed balance tests, police reported. At HQ , the individual, Joao Dasilva, 49, of Kearny, allegedly refused to take an Alco test, and was charged with that and with driving while intoxicated.
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Officers Rich Pawlowski and Adriano Marques responded to a report of a disturbance in an apartment on the 400 block of Elm St. at 7:15 p.m.
When they knocked on the door, an individual inside assured them that everything was fine, but when they said they needed to confirm this, the response was, “Just f— –’ leave.” And other sentiments.
After initially refusing to open the door, police said, he eventually complied, but then wrenched away from the cops. He reportedly continued to flail at them, even after being peppersprayed and cuffed.
Arrested and charged with obstructing the administration of law and with resisting arrest was Christopher Beltran, 23, of Kearny.
