An 18-year-old girl, with addresses in both Bayville and Newark, was arrested Aug. 22 in connection with the theft of a gun from a Devon St. home, Kearny police reported.
At 10:30 p.m. on that date, Officer Angelo Palagano responded to the address, where the resident reported that his 9-mm. Glock handgun, which had been kept in a locked box, was missing. Police said the weapon had been purchased legally and the owner had a permit for it.
Dets. Scott Traynor and John Telle learned that the man’s 16-year-old son had had company at the house before the gun disappeared and they developed as a suspect Georganna Britting, whom Palagano soon located on Kearny Ave.
Questioned at headquarters, Britting reportedly admitted seeing the Glock but said she had put it back. “But we searched the residence, and it wasn’t there,” Police Chief John Dowie said.
It also wasn’t found on her person, but she was still charged with theft of movable property, possession of a weapon and possession of a firearm without a permit.
The Glock “is missing,” Dowie said. “It’s somewhere out on the streets.”
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Other recent reports from the KPD blotter included the following:
AUG. 22
At 9 a.m., with temperatures in the mid-70s, a man wearing gloves and a hoodie, with the hood up, caught the attention of an off-duty Newark police officer near the Chase bank at Johnston and Kearny Aves. He alerted the KPD, and Sgt. John Taylor found and followed the suspicious individual over the Devon St. footbridge. At south end, the suspect reportedly pushed the officer and ran into Harrison, pursued on foot by Taylor, Sgt. Paul Bershefski and Officer Renee Crawford. Crawford cut him off and knocked him down, “and she’s little,” Dowie noted.
Taken into custody was Sean Reilly, 43, of Kearny, who was charged with aggravated assault on a police officer, resisting arrest, obstructing the administration of law, and on warrants from Newark and the Hudson County Sheriff’s Office.
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At Chestnut St. and Columbia Ave. at 3:45 p.m., Officer John Fabula spotted Christopher Krbec, 28, of Kearny, confirmed that he had outstanding warrants and arrested him on same, which had been issued by Kearny, Ringwood and and Newark, police said. Krbec’s companion, Richard Stevens, 28, of Kearny, was reportedly found to have two warrants out of Newark and one from Manahawkin. Both were booked at headquarters, and the various municipalities were notified.
AUG. 23
At 3:20 p.m., police responded to the 400 block of Beech St. on a report of people drinking beer in a parked car and throwing the empties on the street.
Officers Dave Rakowski and Tim Castle and Sgt. Charles Smith took into custody Marwa Ali, 20, of Fair Lawn, and her passenger, Scott Huaman, 24, of Kearny. She was charged with underage consumption of alcohol and having an open container of alcohol in a motor vehicle. Huaman was charged with the latter and on an outstanding Belleville warrant.
AUG. 24
Officer Ben Wuelfing responded to a 2 a.m. report of a possible sick person in a car at Highland and Bergen Aves. and found Ruben Perez, 37, of Lyndhurst standing next to a double-parked, still-running vehicle tending to his “obviously intoxicated” passenger, police said. Wuelfing summoned aid for the passenger, but Perez, who reportedly failed FSTs and an Alcotest, got summonsed for DWI and DWI in a school zone.
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At 6:20 a.m., Officer Rakowski went to Highland and Wilson Aves. on the report of a hit-run and found damage to two parked cars and to the curbing. On Patterson St., police said, he found a damaged 2013 Subaru and a group of people struggling to hold up another individual — apparently the Subaru’s driver. Jerry Quintero, 24, of Kearny was given an Alcotest at HQ and charged with DWI, DWI in a school zone, reckless driving and leaving the scene of an accident.
AUG. 25
Officer Jack Grimm and Det. Michael Farinola responded to a 1:20 p.m. complaint of a panhandler loitering near Applebee’s and detained suspect Christopher Gaskins, 33, of East Orange. Police said a warrant check showed him to have three, one each from Belleville, Secaucus and Elizabeth. During a search incident to arrest, he allegedly was found to be in possession of a GPS, two cell phones and a N.Y. Knicks wristwatch, which was not on his wrist.
Gaskins told the officers he had bought the items as birthday gifts for himself, but he couldn’t recall where, police said.
Farinola activated the GPS and traced it to a Newark man who, when contacted, said his vehicle had been burglarized overnight and identified all the property as his. Gaskins was then charged with receiving stolen property.
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At 8:20 p.m., Officer Philip Finch and Sgt. Peter Gleason went to Walmart after loss prevention personnel reported they had video evidence of an employee pilfering from cash registers. Nicole Mitchum, 29, of Newark — who allegedly had stolen about $3,000 over time — was charged with theft and on a warrant from Irvington.
AUG. 26
Officer Joe Martin responded to Dunkin’ Donuts on Kearny Ave. at 2:45 a.m. after a customer reported that his cell phone had been stolen while he was in the store. Martin obtained a description of the suspect, and Officers Derek Hemphill and Tom Sumowski searched the area. Hemphill located the man, who was in possession of the phone and was identified by the victim, police said. Andrew Worth, 22, of Kearny was charged with theft by unlawful taking. (Editor’s note: If the name sounds familiar, that is because Worth appeared on last week’s blotter, charged with receiving stolen property, credit-card theft and marijuana possession.)
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Officer Christopher Levchak was on patrol on Harrison Ave. near Rt. 280 at 11 p.m. when his radar clocked a car traveling 56 mph in the 35- mph zone. The driver, Moises Cabides, 23, of Bayonne, was charged with speeding and driving while his license was suspended. Police said he was also wanted on a Union Township warrant.
