Police responded to Booth Park on July 24, at 4:59 p.m., after getting a call about a female who was screaming and running frantically in the park. The caller told police the female had possibly been attacked by bees.
Upon arrival, officers found the female sitting in her vehicle, conscious and alert. She told them she was walking her dog in the park when, suddenly, they were swarmed by bees.
Police said officers spotted a nest, at knee level from the ground in a nearby bush, with a piece of the nest broken off and on the ground.
After marking off the area with caution tape, police alerted the Parks Department about the incident and a parks crew was due to deal with the nest in the morning.
The female victim, who was examined by the Nutley Volunteer Emergency Response Service, told police she’d follow up with her personal doctor.
Other incidents logged by police during the past week included the following:
July 21
A resident of a senior citizen home was the would-be victim of an apparent attempted scam. Police said the resident got a call on their cellular phone from an unknown person who said their daughter had been kidnapped and would be killed unless her father came up with $1,500. The caller claimed to be the brother of someone who was involved in a motor vehicle accident with the resident’s daughter. Police said the resident called the daughter and learned she was fine and hadn’t been in an accident. After doing an internet search of the incoming phone number, police said they found multiple complaints logged about similar efforts to collect ransom payments for family members allegedly being held hostage. Efforts by police to reach someone through that number were unavailaing.
July 23
Someone used a paint marker to scrawl a derogatory message on the driver’s side portion of the front windshield of a vehicle parked on Oakridge Ave., police said. The incident was reported at 1:30 p.m.
At 3:15 p.m., a Wayne Place resident reported that someone had slashed flat the rear passenger side tire of their vehicle and left scratch marks on the vehicle’s rear panel.
At 6:57 p.m., a Washington Ave. business reported getting stuck with bad checks. The credit manager told police a customer who bought a vehicle gave two checks for $2,000 and $5,000 as a deposit that didn’t clear. After calling to verify the buyer’s place of employment, the manager was told the buyer isn’t currently working there. The buyer, who applied for a loan, has possession of the vehicle which is valued at $19,532. Police said the credit manager asked the buyer to return the vehicle or to make good on the $2,500 deposit. Police said they left a phone message for the buyer, who, they learned through the state Motor Vehicle Commission, has a suspended driver’s license. Police advised the credit manager to send a certified letter to the buyer to forward the money. The case is still open, police said.
July 24
At 8:45 a.m., police responded to a Nutley Ave. location on a call about a neighbors’ dispute. A resident griped that their backyard neighbor has been banging on their fence at all hours of the day and night and on this date, made the noise at 1 and 3 a.m. and again, just before officers arrived. The resident said the neighbor also harasses them with verbal tirades outside. Police cautioned the neighbor to cease the annoying behavior.
At 8:38 p.m., police responded to a Washington Ave. gas station where the attendant told them that after they’d pumped $38 worth of gas into a newer model Honda Civic with no plates, closed the gas cap and walked to the driver’s side window to collect the money, the driver took off, last seen heading south on Washington. The driver was described as a white female, possibly in her 20s, with shoulder-length hair. Police planned to review surveillance tape with the attendant to try and come up with an ID of the driver.
– Ron Leir
