On April 4, at 6 p.m., pursuant to an ongoing narcotics investigation and armed with a search warrant from the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, Kearny vice detectives paid a visit to an apartment on the 300 block of Kearny Ave.
When the occupants refused to open the door, the officers employed a battering ram (a/k/a “knock, knock tool”) to gain entrance. Police said a search of the premises produced 96 grams of marijuana, a batch of marijuana cookies, a half-dozen psilocybin (psychedelic) mushrooms, 17 Xanax tablets, numerous empty plastic bags, a digital scale and $638 in cash.
Arrested were Christopher Reyes, 36, and Randy Valverde, 25, both of whom were charged with possession of more than 50 grams of pot, possession with intent to distribute, intent to distribute within 1,000 feet of a school (Kearny High) and 500 feet of a public library, possession of the mushrooms and prescription drug with intent to distribute and possession of drug paraphernalia.
In addition, police said, Valverde had outstanding warrants from East Newark, Belleville and West Caldwell. His bail was set at $10,000; Reyes’, at $5,000.
Other recent reports from the KPD blotter included the following:
April 6
Officer Ben Wuelfing, on patrol at 4 a.m., saw a Jeep make an illegal turn at Kearny and Bergen Aves. and stopped the vehicle at Halstead St. Police said the driver, Max Salazar, 41, of Kearny, was found to have a suspended license. He was also reportedly found to have a strong odor of alcohol about his person and to be unsteady on his feet. While Wuelfing was conducting field sobriety tests, back-up Officer Chris Medina observed an open bottle of beer in the Jeep, police said.
When Salazar “violently resisted arrest,” Wuelfing employed OC spray, to no effect, police said. Salazar then allegedly elbowed Medina in the chest, threw the bottle at him and kicked Wuelfing. When the cops had to wrestle the belligerent man to the ground, which was covered in shattered beer-bottle glass, Medina suffered lacerations to his hand, police said.
Salazar, who reportedly refused to take an Alcotest, was charged with two counts of aggravated assault on a police officer, resisting arrest, DWI, driving while suspended, possession of a weapon (the bottle) and having an open container of alcohol in a motor vehicle.
April 8
Officers Jordenson Jean and John Fabula, patrolling on the 200 block of Brighton Ave. at 3:15 p.m., observed Ruthann Hatfield, 48, whom they knew to be wanted and confirmed she had outstanding warrants from Cinnaminson and Moorestown. She was taken to headquarters for processing and the other jurisdictions were notified.
April 10
At 5 p.m., vice detectives saw Nestor Carr, 25, of Kearny operating a motor vehicle at Wilson and Highland Aves., confirmed that he had a suspended license and also learned he was the subject of a North Arlington warrant, police said. Carr was accompanied by Stacey Perez, 22, of Kearny, who reportedly had a warrant out of Kearny. Both were taken into custody.
–Karen Zautyk
