You can credit a sharp-eyed Kearny police officer with the arrest last Thursday of a Harrison man wanted in connection with the baseball bat attack on another man in Kearny nearly two weeks earlier.
Police said the assault occurred about 4 p.m., Jan. 3, on the 200 block of Passaic Ave., near Bergen Ave. The victim, a 25-year-old also from Harrison, told Officer Luis Moran and Sgt. Peter Gleason he had been confronted by his attacker, who was known to him, and another male, was knocked to the ground, kicked, and hit repeatedly with the bat.
EMS was summoned to the scene, but the victim reportedly declined transportation to a hospital.
Police said the assailant was identified as John Fay, 20, and a warrant was issued for his arrest for aggravated assault and on weapons charges.
At 4 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 15, Officer John Fabula was on patrol when he saw Fay in the passenger seat of a car near Schuyler and Oakwood Aves. and took him into custody without incident.
Fay was remanded to the Hudson County Jail in lieu of $20,000 bail.
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Other recent reports from the Kearny police blotter included the following:
Jan. 4
Shortly after midnight, Officers Tom Floyd and Ben Wuelfing responded to the Old Lincoln Highway in South Kearny on the report of an unconscious man in a vehicle. They, along with the KFD and EMS, arrived to find Ravinder Singh, 33, of Jersey City, asleep behind the wheel of a Ford Explorer, police said. Also reportedly found: an open bottle of brandy in the SUV. Following field sobriety tests, Singh was charged with DWI, careless driving and having that open container of alcohol in a MV.
Jan. 6
At 4 p.m., at Kearny and Oakwood Aves., Vice Squad detectives observed a pedestrian hand-rolling and then lighting a cigar, from which reportedly wafted the strong odor of marijuana. Benjamin Simmons, 22, of Newark, was charged with possession of the drug and drug paraphenalia.
Jan. 7
Officer Fabula, dispatched to the 990 block of Davis Ave. at 3 p.m. on multiple complaints of cars blocking driveways (school was letting out), was dealing with the problem when a 2006 BMW jumped the line of traffic and drove past the patrol car. While so doing, the Beemer also set off Fabula’s onboard computer with an alert that the registration was suspended. He stopped the vehicle at Davis and Wilson Aves. and also found that driver Josue Corredor, 24, of Kearny, had a suspended license, police said. Corredor was charged with that offense, operating an unregistered vehicle, failure to surrender a suspended license, and the violation that had triggered all this trouble, improper passing.
Jan. 8
An investigation launched by vice detectives in October into cocaine distribution in Kearny, culminated with the arrest of Jon Verastegui, 25, of Kearny on charges of possession and distribution of the drug. He was taken into custody at 6 p.m. on the 100 block of Bergen Ave.
Jan. 9
Officer Daniel Esteves, approaching a man at Kearny Ave. and Halstead St. at 8:45 p.m. for violating a town ordinance by publicly guzzling from a 32-oz. can of Bud Light, found that the individual had a drug-possession warrant out of Newark, police said. Francisco Gomez, 26, of Newark, was booked at headquarters and turned over to the Newark PD.
Jan. 10
At 3:15 a.m., Officers Wuelfing and Floyd found a Chevy Blazer with Pennsylvania plates and a shredded rear tire stuck atop a high curb on Fish House Road. Its occupant, Alberto Vargas, 33, of Union City, was unable to produce a driver’s license but reportedly admitted he had consumed “10 beers,” police said. Following FSTs and an Alcotest, he was charged with DWI, careless driving and being an unlicensed driver.
Jan. 11
Officer Jordenson Jean, responding to a 12:30 p.m. accident at Devon and Tappan Sts., arrested Miguel Redonda, 26, of Hillside, who reportedly had hit a parked car, for driving while suspended. In a search incident to arrest, police said, Redonda was found to be in possession of 90 oxycontin pills. He was then also charged with that offense and possession of a CDS in a motor vehicle.
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Officer Floyd responded to the report of a robbery at 2:30 p.m. at Beech St. and the Belleville Pike. The victim, a 28-year-old Bloomfield man, said he was parked in a lot, taking a photo with his cell phone, when a Hispanic male got out of a dark SUV, punched him in the face, took the phone and fled west on the Pike. Detectives are investigating and trying to track the phone.
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At 3:15 p.m., Officer John Travelino was patrolling at Kearny and Bergen Aves. when he observed Sidnei Antunes, 29, of Kearny, whom he knew to have multiple warrants. Antunes was arrested on five — four from Harrison, one from East Newark — taken to HQ and turned over to Harrison police.
Jan. 12
Officer Jean responded to the 200 block of Stewart Ave. at 7:45 p.m. on the report of a suspicious person in a backyard. Found hiding in the yard, police said, was Miguel Vargas, 50, of Harrison, who “could offer no credible explanation” for being there. He was charged with criminal trespass.
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Officer Fabula, responding to a 9:30 p.m. accident on the 100 block of Rutherford Place, was told by the driver of a passenger car that it had been hit by a white SUV that had fled the scene. A BOLO was issued, and the suspect vehicle, with heavy front-end damage, was stopped at Chestnut St. and Columbia Ave. by Sgt. Charles Smith. With Officer Brian Wisely as backup, driver Roni Plunkett, 26, of Kearny, was given FSTs, arrested and taken to HQ for an Alcotest. She was charged with DWI, careless driving and leaving the scene of an accident.
Jan. 15
A burglary was reported at 8 p.m. on the 20 block of Grove St. by a resident who, after being out most of the day, returned to his apartment to find a side window pushed in, dresser drawers rifled and items missing. The victim told responding Officer Jay Ward that at least one Xbox system was taken from the first-floor residence, along with some games, watches and jewelry. Det. Scott Traynor is investigating.
– Karen Zautyk
