A 16-year-old Kearny youth who was where he should not have been could have ended up with a trespassing charge. Instead, he ended up with that and several others, including possession of drugs with intent to distribute. Lesson:
When police say, “Stop!,” stop.
KPD Chief John Dowie said the youth, who is barred from being anywhere in or around Kearny High School, was spotted on the school property at 12:30 p.m. last Wednesday, March 25, by Officer Jack Grimm. When the officer approached, the kid ran, ignoring orders to halt, Dowie said.
He fled south on Devon St., west on Garfield Ave., across Kearny Ave. and down Afton St., with Grimm chasing him on foot the entire way, until the officer lost sight of him at Afton and Windsor Sts.
However, police knew that he lived on Windsor.
Sgt. John Taylor and Officer Adriano Marques went to the address, got permission to enter the building and found the door to the teen’s apartment open. Which conveniently permitted the scent of marijuana to waft into the hallway, police said. Inside, in plain view, was a large clear plastic bag, which was reportedly found to contain 23 smaller bags full of suspected weed.
Police left the building, but Marques kept his eyes open, observed the suspect walking in the area and took him into custody.
The teen was charged with defiant trespass, resisting arrest, possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia, and possession with intent to distribute. He was released to a guardian pending a court appearance.
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Other recent reports from the Kearny police blotter included the following:
March 21
Officer Kevin Arnesman was on patrol near Davis Ave. and King St. at 5:30 p.m. when his random license-plate reader “pinged” on a passing 2002 Honda Civic, noting that its registered owner had a suspended license. The driver/ owner, Carissa Savage, 33, of North Arlington, was charged with the offense.
March 23
At 5 p.m., units were advised that the occupants of a 1992 Toyota had just fled a shoplifting at Kmart. Sgt. Peter Gleason, with Officer Phil Finch as backup, located and stopped the car at S. Midland and Passaic Aves.
Meanwhile, Officer Malinda Esposito went to the store and viewed security videos of the suspects, including a female who allegedly had stolen a phone charger. Police said the driver, Daniella Miranda, 19, of Kearny, was ID’d as the thief and was charged with shoplifting.
Gleason recognized the passenger, Jalen Diaz, 18, of Kearny, from prior interaction and confirmed that he had an outstanding contempt-of-court, no-bail warrant from the Hudson County Sheriff’s Office, police said. He was taken into custody and the HCSO was notified.
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Vice detectives at Chestnut and Hoyt Sts., at 5:10 p.m., saw a man standing between two parked cars, inspecting a small plastic bag. As they approached, he tossed it to the curb, but it was recovered. Victor Colon, 20, of Kearny, was charged with possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia.
March 25
Shortly before midnight, headquarters received a complaint that a Ford pickup was wandering the Walmart lot, its occupants begging for money.
Officers John Travelino and Christian Medina, arriving in separate patrol cars, boxed it in.
Police said the driver, Danny Eli, 29, of Queens, N.Y., was found to have a suspended license and three warrants: a $2,500 criminal complaint out of Woodbridge and $100-bail MV violations from Newark and Cranford. He was arrested and also charged with driving while suspended, driving an uninsured vehicle and failure to have a car seat for an infant. (Police said there was a baby lying across the laps of two women in the back seat.)
The truck was impounded and towed. One of the women and the baby were escorted into the store so she could make arrangements to be picked up.
The other apparently accompanied Eli to HQ.
March 26
Officers Ben Wuelfing and Tom Pontrella were dispatched to a 2:45 a.m. accident between a Honda CRV and a Jaguar on Rt. 7 near Fish House Road in South Kearny. As Wuelfing was interviewing the Honda driver, he reportedly detected the odor of alcohol. After field sobriety tests and an Alcotest, Pauline Ksepko, 21, of Bayonne, was charged with DWI, reckless driving, and driving against the flow of traffic. Police said the driver of the Jaguar — a 27-yearold West Orange woman — declined medical attention. Both cars were towed from the scene.
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Anthony Joana, 40, of Kearny, was arrested at 9 a.m. at a Belgrove Drive residence by Officers Steven Hroncich and John Fabula and Sgt. Paul Bershefski pursuant to a $1,000 Kearny contemptof- court warrant stemming from a July incident in which he allegedly made threats against KPD officers.
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At 3:30 p.m., Officer Pat Becker responded to the report of a Walmart shoplifter fleeing in a gold-colored car on Harrison Ave. toward Rt. 280. Becker and Sgt. John Taylor stopped a gold 2002 Chevy operated by Charles Robinson, 51, of East Orange, who was arrested after he was found to have a suspended license and a $4,000 Roselle Park warrant (for driving while suspended), police said. His passenger, Eric Jackson, 49, of Newark, was charged with shoplifting after Walmart security ID’d him, police said. He allegedly had tried to take two speakers.
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At 4:05 p.m., Officer Brian Wisely saw a 1999 Mitsubishi travelling erratically and at a high rate of speed from East Newark into Kearny. He followed it to Johnston Ave. and Maple St., where the driver parked in a prohibited zone and both occupants exited the vehicle. During questioning, passenger Anthony Parker, 24, of Bloomfield, appeared to be “very nervous,” police said. Sgt. Scott Traynor and two vice detectives went to the scene and separated driver and passenger, who reportedly gave conflicting stories. Police said Parker then admitted to having a hypodermic needle and heroin.
A search reportedly produced the needle, a glassine fold of heroin and three vials of cocaine. (Editor’s note: For once, a fold of heroin did not bear a “brand” name; it must have been generic.) Parker was charged with possession of all the prohibited items.
The driver, a 24-yearold Kearny male, was issued summonses for careless driving and the parking violation.
– Karen Zautyk
