Feb. 1
At 10:58 a.m., police said a patrol officer in an unmarked car near Hamilton St. and Davis Ave. observed a male and female participate in what appeared to be a drug transaction, with the female allegedly passing cash to a 16-year-old boy who handed the female an unknown object and quickly walked away east on Hamilton. After calling for backup, the officer approached the teen and briefly struggled with him before taking him into custody. Searching the boy, police said they found a prescription bottle containing five clear plastic baggies of suspected marijuana and three glassine bags of suspected heroin which they seized. After getting the boy’s mother’s consent to search the boy’s bedroom, police said they recovered drug paraphernalia and multiple small empty clear plastic baggies intended for distribution. The teen was later released to his parent by county juvenile authorities, pending charges being filed.
At 11:45 p.m., police were sent to the 600 block of Frank E. Rodgers Blvd. North on a report of a small child walking in his pajamas. A witness told police she saw a small child wearing pajamas and sneakers walk out from a rear alleyway between two buildings. Police, hoping to check apartments, located an open door in the rear of one of the buildings. Meanwhile, police said, a man came walking across the street and entered the alleyway and, as he entered the rear, he told officers he was the child’s father and was babysitting for the child while the child’s mother was out. Police said they arrested the man, identified as Francisco Lucero, 30, of New York, after a computer check revealed that Lucero had outstanding warrants from Kearny and Passaic. Police said they returned the child to his mother.
Feb. 2
At 1:55 p.m., police were sent to the Hampton Inn on a report of a motor vehicle theft. The victim told police he’d parked his red Ford F250 in the hotel parking lot in front of the building at 6:30 p.m. the previous night and when he returned the next day, it was gone.
Feb. 5
At 7:45 p.m., police were dispatched to Hamilton and Third Sts. on a report of a robbery. The victim told police she was walking west on Hamilton with her two young children when she was approached by a male who had exited a double-parked vehicle on Hamilton, 100 feet of east of Third, and yelled, “Don’t move, give me everything!” The victim said the male then grabbed her purse and began pulling it. After refusing to give it up, the victim told police she was struck twice in the face and nose by the male with a closed fist, causing swelling. The male then ran back to his vehicle, empty-handed, and drove off east on Hamilton, then south on Rodgers Blvd., police said. The suspect was described as black, in his mid-20s, weighing 180, about 6 feet, skinny build, wearing a dark hood jacket, dark pants and black hat. His car was listed as a beige or brown 4-door Acura SUV with newer rims on the tires and yellow headlights with Massachusetts plates.
– Ron Leir
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Kevin A. Canessa Jr. is the editor of and broadcaster at The Observer, an organization he has served since 2006. He is responsible for the editorial content of the newspaper and website, the production of the e-Newspaper, writing several stories per week (including the weekly editorial), conducting live broadcasts on social media channels such as YouTube, Facebook, and X, including a weekly recap of the news — and much more behind the scenes. Between 2006 and 2008, he introduced the newspaper to its first-ever blog — which included podcasts, audio and video. Originally from Jersey City, Kevin lived in Kearny until 2004, lived in Port St. Lucie. Florida, for four years until February 2016 and in March of that year, he moved back to Kearny to return to The Observer full time. Click Here to send Kevin an email.