A Tappan St. resident was in her apartment at 6 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 15, when she heard a noise, investigated and came face-to-face with a burglar.
Luckily, he promptly fled, without taking anything. And she promptly called the cops.
The victim told Officer Jay Ward that she recognized the intruder and believed that he lived in the area, police said. Dets. Scott Traynor and Ray Lopez developed as a suspect 18-year-old Jalen Diaz of Kearny, who was arrested the following day and was charged with burglary.
Police said Diaz had apparently gained entry to the apartment by removing a window screen.
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Other recent reports from the Kearny police blotter included the following:
Dec. 13
At noon, Officer Daniel Esteves and Sgt. Paul Bershefski responded to the report of a heated male-female dispute in a Chestnut St. residence and found that the male, Victor Fernandez, 31, of Kearny, apparently had four outstanding warrants: three from Kearny and one from Newark. They also found that he had a knife, police said.
Fernandez was charged with harassment, unlawful possession of a weapon, possession of a weapon for unlawful purposes, and hindering apprehension (for allegedly giving a phony name when initially questioned). He was remanded to the Hudson County Jail in lieu of $5,000 bail.
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Officer Jordenson Jean, patrolling on Kearny Ave. at Hoyt St. at 3 p.m., found a Honda double-parked and blocking traffic. Jean located the driver, Deena Hussein, 26, of Kearny, who was found to have a suspended license. She was arrested for that offense and on an East Newark warrant — also for driving while suspended.
Dec. 15
Officer Jose Resua, investigating a 4 p.m. accident on Hackensack Ave. in South Kearny, found that one of the drivers, Braulio Gomez, 50, of Newark, had a suspended license. And a warrant out of West New York. He was arrested and brought to headquarters.
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At 6 p.m., Officer Rich Carbone noticed that a Hyundai traveling near Kearny and Bergen Aves. had an expired temporary registration. During the MV stop, the driver, Juan Vasquez, 26, of Kearny, allegedly discarded a plastic tube containing a marijuana cigarette. He was charged with possession of pot and drug paraphernalia, operating a motor vehicle while in possession of a CDS, and driving without a license. The car was impounded.
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At 6:45 p.m., a resident on the 200 block of Ivy St. reported that he had returned home to find his second floor apartment burglarized and a “substantial amount” of cash missing. Det. Traynor processed the scene and canvassed the neighborhood. The investigation is ongoing.
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Vice officers were at Wilson Ave. and Forest St. at 8 p.m. when they saw Albert Keys, 39, of Kearny, whom they knew to have a warrant out of Camden.
In a search incident to arrest on that warrant, he was allegedly found to be in possession of six vials of suspected cocaine and was charged with that offense.
Dec. 16
At 5 p.m., a concerned citizen reported seeing a suspicious individual enter a parked pickup truck on the 100 block of Forest St., apparently take something and then flee toward Bergen Ave. The witness provided a “very good description” to Officer Ward, who relayed it to all units. Vice detectives then reported that, just prior to the theft, they had seen Alexander Harkes, 30, of Kearny, wearing the same clothing the witness described.
Det. Traynor compiled a photo array, and the witness identified Harkes, police said. Within the hour, Vice spotted him on Passaic Ave. and arrested him on a burglary charge and two outstanding Newark warrants. He was remanded to the county jail.
Dec. 17
At 8 p.m., Vice officers reportedly observed Christopher Coello, 20, of Newark, wandering in a parking lot at Bergen and Passaic Aves. and peering into vehicles. Approaching him for questioning, they detected a strong odor of marijuana and found him to have a plastic bag containing the drug, police said. He was charged with possession of pot and paraphernalia.
– Karen Zautyk
