A simple matter of a double-parked car led to the arrest last week of a 23-yearold Perth Amboy man who had not only an outstanding warrant, but also a double identity, Kearny police reported.
The story began unfolding at 7:30 p.m., May 29, when Officer Daniel Esteves spotted an illegally parked Mitsubishi in the area of Windsor and Afton Sts., checked his mobile computer and found that the registered owner was wanted by Sayreville authorities, Chief John Dowie said. The man thought to be the owner/operator returned to the car with two other individuals but this time got into the passenger seat, and the vehicle drove away.
Esteves stopped it on Wilson Ave., asked the man for I.D. and was handed a New Jersey driver’s license in the name of Rafael Rodriguez — the same person with the Sayreville warrant, Dowie noted. The suspect was arrested and taken to headquarters, where he was found to be in possession of “conflicting documentation” regarding his identity, the chief said.
In addition to the Rodriguez license, he reportedly had: a N.J. identity card in the name Eduard Contreras; a District of Columbia I.D. card for Rodriguez; a U.S. Immigration green card for Contreras; a Visa debt card for Rodriguez; two Social Security cards, one in each name, and a Dominican Republic passport issued to Contreras. Dowie said it was determined that Eduard Contreras was his real name.
He was charged with four offenses involving false government documents and one count of impersonation relative to identity theft. Plus, he got a summons for being an unlicensed driver. And for double-parking.
Other recent reports from the Kearny police blotter included the following:
May 24
Officer Angelo Palagano and Sgt. Michael O’Neill, responding to a 3:45 a.m. report of a man and woman arguing in a car on the 200 block of Hickory St., found that the male party had three outstanding warrants — two from Newark and one from Passaic, police said. Juan Quinones, 22, of Belleville was arrested and, at 5:30 a.m., was turned over to Passaic authorities.
At 7:30 a.m., Officer Peter Jahera responded to a burglary report at a business on the 500 block of Schuyler Ave. where an employee had found that, sometime overnight, the front door had been kicked in and three boxes containing computer equipment were missing. The case is being investigated by the Detective Bureau.
May 25
Officer Esteves, patrolling on the 300 block of Kearny Ave. at 2:40 p.m., saw an occupied car in a prohibited area and asked the driver for credentials.
William Vlado, 62, of North Arlington was found to have a suspended license, police said. He was summonsed for that offense, for failure to surrender a suspended license and for improper parking.
At 8 p.m., Sgt. Peter Gleason and Officers Esteves, Jay Ward, Sean Kelly and Jose Resua were called to a Linden Ave. address on a report of a fight.
Reportedly battling in the backyard were two brothers, Michael Nee, 20, and Sean Nee, 22, both of Kearny. The cops separated the bloodied combatants and “attempted futilely” to determine what happened, Chief Dowie noted.
Ward was allegedly shoved by Michael and then by Sean, and when Kelly went to Ward’s aid, a struggle ensued involving all four, police said. The brothers were wrestled to the ground and taken into custody.
Meanwhile, in front of the residence, Esteves and Resua encountered William Nash, 23, of Kearny, who reportedly became hostile and combative when they tried to interview him and had to be tackled.
When all the dust settled, Michael Nee was charged with two counts of aggravated assault and one of resisting arrest; Sean Nee, with one count each of aggravated assault, simple assault and resisting arrest; and Nash with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest.
May 27
Officer Chris Levchak was monitoring traffic on the 800 block of Passaic Ave. at 4:30 p.m. when he observed a woman driving while talking on a cell phone. Stopping the car to issue a summons, Levchak found that driver Victoria Martinez, 46, of Harrison, had a suspended license, police said. She was charged with the cell phone violation, driving while suspended and failure to surrender a suspended license.
At 10:15 p.m., Officer Derek Hemphill responded to a complaint by a 22-year-old Kearny woman, who said she had been walking on Schuyler Ave., just north of Bergen Ave., when a Hispanic man in his 20s, sitting in a parked car — a dark, four-door vehicle — asked her for directions to Jersey City. As she approached the car, she saw that he was not wearing pants and was fondling himself, and she quickly left the area. Police said they have been checking with surrounding jurisdictions to see if they have had similar reports, but as of last Friday, it appears to have been an isolated incident.
May 29
At 8:30 p.m., vice detectives in the area of Elm St. and Seeley Ave. observed Daniel Ortiz, 37, of Kearny, who they had reason to believe might be in possession of cocaine, police said. While stopping his car, they reportedly saw him attempting to conceal something in his pockets. He was allegedly found to be in possession of two plastic bags of suspected coke and was charged with possession of the drug, of drug paraphernalia and of driving while in possession of a controlled substance.
– Karen Zautyk
