HARRISON –
An East Newark man was grabbed by cops early on Monday, Oct. 27, after police said he threatened people in a Harrison multi-family dwelling, left and then returned carrying a shard of broken glass.
Harrison Police Det. Dave Doyle said the incident began at around 2 a.m. when a man, later identified as Michael Caldera, 35, burst into a building on Grant Ave. and made his way to the second floor and started making a racket, screaming for his girlfriend.
Tenants, roused by the commotion, tried to get Caldera to leave but police said Caldera refused and tried to force his way into a second-floor apartment where, police surmise, he apparently thought his girlfriend was staying.
Police said two tenants, a woman from the second floor and a man from the first floor, responding to the incident, managed to drag Caldera away from the apartment and down the stairs to the front of the house.
There, police said, Caldera allegedly shouted, “I’m going to hurt everyone in this house.”
Witnesses told police that Caldera began running toward East Newark and was seen at the intersection of Grant and Central Ave. before returning to the Grant Ave. house while brandishing a large glass shard before being apprehended by police from East Newark and Harrison.
Caldera was arrested on charges of burglary, possession of a weapon, possession of a weapon for unlawful purpose and terroristic threats. He also had an active warrant from Newark, police said.
Caldera was taken to Hudson County Jail to await court action after failing to post total bail of $75,000 for all the charges and the warrant.
In other Harrison incidents logged by Harrison PD during the past week:
Oct. 27
At 9:54 a.m., while on patrol, an officer saw an orange forklift traveling backwards, north on Frank E. Rodgers Blvd. N., through the Central Ave. intersection against the light, nearly causing an accident.
Northbound traffic was backed up for nearly two blocks behind the forklift, police said. When the driver, later identified as Alberto Badillo, 60, of Paterson, stopped in front of 505 Frank E. Rodgers Blvd. N. to deliver a supply of wood, the officer advised Badillo he would be getting two traffic summonses by mail so that he could continue his delivery.
At that point, police said Badillo began protesting loudly, stepped off the sidewalk and confronted the officer, prompting the officer to arrest him and charge him with disorderly conduct.
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At 1 p.m., a woman came to HQ to report that she’d placed an order for several online items valued at $46 that were scheduled to be delivered to her home on the 700 block of Bergen St. on Oct. 20 but which she didn’t receive. After informing the company from which the items were ordered, she was told that delivery was made on Oct. 20. Police said the woman told them this was the third time that a package had been removed from her porch.
Oct. 30
A woman reported a theft from her vehicle, which she valet-parked at 8:30 p.m. at the Red Bull Arena. After returning from the soccer woman noticed several items missing from the car. Police said she listed those items as: one Think Pad Laptop X-61 with charger, valued at $510; and one Galaxy cell phone charger valued at $20. She reported the incident at 5:50 the next morning.
Nov. 1
At 4:34 a.m., an employee of a garbage carting company was struck by an auto on Harrison Ave. between Third St. and Church Square.
Police said the employee, 55, of Belleville, was picking up trash when the accident occurred. He was taken by EMS to University Hospital of Medicine & Dentistry, Newark, for treatment of his injuries.
The victim was unable to describe the vehicle that hit him; however, a review of surveillance footage from a street camera indicated that the suspect vehicle had traveled east on Harrison Ave. past a red traffic signal, then north on Frank E. Rodgers Blvd. towards Kearny.
Police said a witness described it as a black four-door vehicle, possibly a Toyota.
– Ron Leir
