Two Belleville men were arrested last week for allegedly vadalizing vehicles at a Kearny trucking company. The owner of the company is Jewish. Two of the four trucks damaged were defaced with swastikas.
Kearny Police Chief John Dowie said the crime was discovered at 7 a.m. Oct. 3 at the Star City property on Third St. off Schuyler Ave. Responding Officer Peter Jahera was advised by a manager that vandals had struck sometime overnight.
Keys were taken from four trucks, police said, and the headlights were broken. A windshield was also smashed. A large swastika was painted on the side of one truck; another swastika, on the side door of a second, and a profanity on the front of a third.
Akim Dolor
The case was turned over to Det. Michael Gonzalez, who developed at least two suspects after viewing security videos from the area around the lot.
At 11 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 8, Gonzalez and Det. John Plaugic arrested 26-year-old Frederick Vangeldren in Belleville. Akim Dolor, 24, of Belleville was taken into custody by Gonzalez and Plaugic in Bloomfield the following day.
Both Vangeldren and Dolor have been charged with bias intimidation, criminal mischief and conspiracy. They were remanded to the Hudson County Jail: Vangeldren, reportedly on $15,000 bail; Dolor, on $7,500.
Dowie said a third person is thought to have been involved in the incident, and the investigation is continuing.
The State Bias Crime Unit has been advised of the arrests.
– Karen Zautyk
