On July 21, at 2:30 a.m., police were dispatched to the Quick Chek on Kearny Ave. after it was reported that someone had kicked in the front door. Why? Who knows? The place was open at the time.
Officer Chris Levchak, the first to arrive, was told that the culprit was among a group of about 10 people who had just left the store. He searched the area and found them at Chestnut and Boyd Sts., police said.
One of the individuals who fit the description provided by the caller was taken back to the store, and the rest of the little mob followed. After viewing the security video, Levchak determined that the kicker was actually someone else – but someone who, conveniently, happened to be in the group that had returned, police said.
Arrested on a charge of criminal mischief was James Hems, 21, of Kearny.
This was not the end of the saga.
Police said the others in the crowd refused to disperse and swarmed the patrol cars that had reported to the store, taking photos of the vehicles. And one of the arrestee’s buddies, Reynaldi Domenech, 18, of Kearny, was taken into custody by Officer Jose Resua after allegedly trying to release Hems from the police car in which he was being held. Domenech was charged with disorderly conduct and obstructing the administration of law.
There was a third arrestee: Jazmeen Rivera, 22, of Harrison, who reportedly refused Officer Jay Ward’s orders to leave the area, refused to “cease and desist her disorderly and profane behavior,” and resisted being handcuffed, police said. She was charged with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest.
Other recent reports from the Kearny police blotter included:
July 21
Officer John Fabula was on patrol at Belgrove Drive and Afton St. at 7:30 p.m. when he saw a man engaged in a “heated argument” with a female. While quelling the dispute, police said, Fabula did a warrant check and confirmed that the man, Tristen Sanchez, 21, of Kearny, was wanted by North Arlington. Sanchez was arrested ,taken to headquarters and held for North Arlington authorities.
At 11:30 p.m., Officer Mike Santucci was dispatched to an apartment building on the 100 block of Kearny Ave. after a tenant had a disturbing encounter with someone who was not a resident. The tenant said he had left his flat briefly to let his dogs into the yard and returned to find a stranger inside talking to his 5-year-old daughter.
The tenant coaxed the other man back into the hallway, where the stranger became confrontational and pulled a knife, police said. The sudden appearance of the tenant’s dog persuaded the knife-wielder to leave, but not before identifying himself as “Cuppy” from Jersey City “and nobody to mess with.” He was last seen walking north on the avenue, drinking a beer.
The KPD is following up, working with Jersey City authorities to find out who uses the street name “Cuppy.”
July 22
Following up on a burglary at a business on the 100 block of Kearny Ave., Officer Vanessa Sevillano and Sgt. Michael Cardella went to the premises at 9 a.m. to interview an employee, Kristina Schumm, 27, who has addresses in both Kearny and West Orange. Schumm was found to be wanted on a Kearny warrant, was arrested on that and, following a search pursuant to arrest, was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia, police said.
July 23
At 5 p.m., Officer John Fabula and Sgt. Charles Smith were on Alexander Ave. when they stopped a car driven by a woman they knew to be wanted on a warrant from the Hudson County Sheriff ’s Office, police said.
Arrested on that warrant, and also charged with driving while suspended, was 42-year-old Kearny resident Susan Mazol. She was processed at HQ and held for the HCSO.
Officer Giovanni Rodriguez responded to Hollywood Liquors on Kearny Ave. at 9:25 p.m. on a report that a customer had stolen a $40 bottle of liquor after telling the proprietor, “Don’t try to touch me, man, or I’ll knock you out.” He was last seen running north on Kearny and then east on Quincy Ave. Police are reviewing security videos in an attempt to ID him.
July 24
A 14-year-old Kearny boy lost his cell phone to two bicycling bandits on the 300 block of Schuyler Ave. shortly before 4:30 p.m. Officer John Travelino responded to the report and broadcast a description of the robbers, who were spotted by Officer Jay Ward near Schuyler and Tappan St.
Travelino brought the victim to the area, and the boy ID’d the suspects. Two 16-year-old males from Newark were charged with the robbery. Police said the phone was not in their possession but KPD Juvenile Unit detectives are attempting to recover it.
At 7 p.m., Officer John Fabula responded to a “heated dispute” between two individuals in a Brighton Ave. building. A warrant check showed that one of the two, Edward Pancaro, 43, of Kearny, had a criminal warrant out of the Hudson County Sheriff ’s Office, a drug-related warrant from Howell Township, and another warrant from Lyndhurst, police said. He was processed at HQ and held for the HCSO.
July 25
At 6:45 p.m., HQ received several calls regarding a shoplifting that had escalated into a robbery at Seabra’s on Schuyler Ave. The thief had assaulted store personnel and fled on foot, north on Schuyler. Responding Officer Pat Becker broadcast the description of the suspect, who was spotted by Officer Frank West at Bergen and Schuyler – but then disappeared.
Following his police instincts, West surmised the guy had gone into CVS to try to blend in with the patrons. The officer found him in a store bathroom.
After being identified by Seabra personnel, 31-year-old Kearny resident Matthew Genovesi was charged with robbery and possession of hypodermic needles, police said. He was booked and sent to the Hudson County Jail on $25,000 bail.
At 9:40 p.m., the Vice Unit spotted a trespasser at Midland and Passaic Aves. and followed and confronted him at Kearny and Midland Aves. Ulises Rebozo, 39, of Kearny, was allegedly in possession of 16 glassine folds of heroin, 14 stamped “Satan,” two stamped “Payback.” He was charged with possession of heroin and paraphernalia. Proving once again what payback is.
– Karen Zautyk
