Aug. 1
At 1:30 a.m., Officer Derek Hemphill responded to the report of a hit-run accident on the 200 block of Argyle Place and found that parked vehicles had been struck. Back-up Officer Ben Wuelfing followed a trail of tire marks and and automobile fluids to Schuyler and Laurel Aves., where he located a “heavily damaged” Nissan SUV and detained two individuals. Wuelfing determined that one, Damaso Castill, 22, of Kearny, had been the SUV’s driver and he was charged with DUI, leaving the scene of an accident and refusing to take an Alcotest.
Sgt. Peter Gleason and Officers John Travelino and Jay Ward answered a request for assistance from an NJ Transit bus driver at 9:30 p.m. at Seeley and Kearny Aves. Police said the driver had ejected an unruly passenger who, upon exiting the bus, kicked out windows in the door and fled. Ward located the suspect at W. Bennett Ave. and Pleasant Place and returned him to the bus for identification. Stephen Scrupski, 52, of Newark was charged with criminal mischief and on an outstanding warrant from Harrison.
Aug. 2
Officers Jordenson Jean and Chris Levchak responded to an accident on Fish House Road at 5 p.m. and found an overturned Honda Civic. The driver, Paul Brusca, 47, of Hoboken, was removed from the car with the assistance of Kearny firefighters and was transported to University Hospital in Newark. He was charged with DUI, reckless driving and having open containers of alcohol — reportedly vodka and Miller High Life and Steel Reserve beer — in a vehicle.
Officer Ward arrested Cassandra Schmidt, 32, of Kearny for DWI and reckless driving after her Ford SUV hit a parked car on the 500 block of Schuyler Ave. shortly after 7 p.m., police said. Schmidt was also issued a summons for DWI with a minor, an 8-yearold, in the vehicle, police said.
Aug. 3
At 6:45 p.m., Officer Daniel Esteves was on patrol at Harrison and Schuyler Aves. when he saw a Jeep travelling at a high rate of speed illegally pass another vehicle. Stopping it near Walmart, he found that the driver, Anthony Williams, 27, of Newark, had a suspended license, police said. Williams was charged with that offense, careless driving and failure to exhibit documents.
Officer Richard Carbone stopped a VW at Johnston Ave. and Chestnut St. at 8:30 p.m. for failure to signal a turn. Driver Walid Helmy, 20, of Kearny was charged with that violation and with driving while suspended.
Aug. 4
Officer Steve Hroncich responded at 10 a.m. to a business on Hackensack Ave. in South Kearny, where a fence surrounding the property had been cut and batteries had been stolen from several trucks. The case was turned over to the Detective Bureau for further investigation, including viewing of security videos.
At 8:15 p.m., Officer Jean, on patrol near 150 Kearny Ave., saw Carlos Narvaez, 32, of Harrison drinking alcohol in public, police said. A warrant check showed Narvaez had three: two from Harrison and a no-bail assault warrant from the Hudson County Sheriff’s Office. He was taken to KPD headquarters and remanded to the Hudson County Jail.
Aug. 5
Officer Esteves was dispatched to Walmart at 7:30 p.m. after store security reported they had in custody an alleged shoplifter who refused to identify himself. Upon seeing the cop, suspect Christopher Brown, 24, of Newark, became more cooperative, police said. A warrant check showed he had two from Newark and one each from East Orange and Hillside. He was arrested and the other municipalities were notified.
Aug. 6
At 1 a.m., alarms were activated at Kearny High School. Officers Wuelfing and Glen Reed checked the property with a school custodian who had been dispatched by the alarm company, and a 17-year-old Newark youth was found hiding in an electrical panel room. Police said he smelled strongly of fresh paint, there was a can of red spray paint in the area and a utility box bore the spray-painted word “Goon.” (We don’t get it, either.) He was charged with burglary, criminal mischief, violation of curfew and unlawful possession of prescription drugs.
Police said the custodian, upon viewing security footage, saw that the teen had an accomplice. Det. Michael Farinola of the Juvenile Bureau identified and later took into custody a 15-year-old Kearny female, who was charged with burglary and conspiracy.
Officer Travelino was dispatched to the 300 block of Davis Ave. at 7:15 p.m. after a concerned citizen reported someone using a CDS in a driveway.
Travelino found Raymond Velastegui, 23, of Kearny in the process of placing synthetic marijuana into a hollowed-out blunt cigar, police said. Velastegui was charged with possession of CDS and drug paraphernalia.
Aug. 7
Pursuant to an ongoing investigation, Det. Bryant Obie and Det. Sgt. Robert Maguire responded to Rutherford Place at 11 a.m. and arrested Anthony Dasilva, 22, of Kearny on charges of stalking and contempt of court.
– Karen Zautyk
