Ryan Decker
Pursuant to an ongoing investigation into heroin distribution in Kearny, KPD vice officers, armed with a search warrant, raided an apartment on the 400 block of Elm St. shortly after 8:30 a.m. last Thursday, May 7.
In the residence, the detectives reportedly seized 40 glassine folds of heroin, 15 packages of Suboxone, two digital scales and “numerous” empty glassine folds.
Arrested was Ryan Decker, 25, of Kearny, on charges of possession of both drugs, possession with intent to distribute, possession in a school zone and possession with intent in a park zone.
His bail was set at $10,000.
• • •
Other recent reports from the Kearny police blotter included the following:
May 3
At 11 p.m., Sgt. Jack Corbett and Officers Tom Floyd and Joe Martin responded to a report of youths overturning garbage cans and otherwise creating a disturbance on the 100 block of Chestnut St. Police said the caller advised that when he had tried to curtail the mayhem, one of the participants threw a bottle at him.
Checking the area, Martin located a 16-year-old Newark male who fit the description of the bottle-thrower and was identified by the resident, police said.
The teen was arrested for disorderly conduct, processed at headquarters and then transported to Newark, where he was turned over to an adult family member.
May 4
Shortly after 11 p.m., Officer Derek Hemphill responded to a report of an assault near Devon and Tappan Sts. and arrived to find an 18-yearold Kearny male “bleeding profusely” from a head wound. The victim, who was taken to University Hospital in Newark, told police he had been in the area of Schuyler Ave. and West Hudson Park when he was assaulted by three attackers who struck him with what he believed to be a metal bat and robbed him of an iPad.
Det. Ray Lopez developed as a suspect Efrain Cruz, 18, of Kearny, who was arrested later that night and charged with aggravated assault and robbery.
Police said the victim identified Cruz as the person who had wielded the bat.
May 5
Sgt. Scott Traynor, patrolling near Belgrove Drive and Woodland Ave. at 2:40 p.m., observed a pedestrian, Jesus Morales, 45, of Kearny, whom police said he knew to be the subject of two theft-related warrants: one each from Kearny and Belleville. Confirming these, the officer took him into custody on same.
May 6
Following the April 26 attempted burglary of an apartment in town, Det. John Plaugic developed as a suspect Axel Cancel, 42, of Kearny, and a warrant was issued for his arrest. At 11:45 a.m. this date, vice officers spotted Cancel near Belgrove Drive and Clark St. and took him into custody. He was processed at HQ and remanded to the Hudson County Jail on $10,000 bail.
May 7
Officer John Fabula was patrolling on the Belleville Pike at 10:30 a.m. when his on board computer alerted him that the owner of a passing vehicle had a suspended license. Police said that when Fabula stopped the 1997 Ford at Passaic Ave., he confirmed that the driver, Carmen Sanchez, 48, of Newark, was the registered owner and also found that she had an outstanding $7,500 Bayonne shoplifting warrant. She was charged in Kearny with driving while suspended and failure to surrender a suspended license and was held at HQ for pickup by the Bayonne PD.
• • •
At 8:45 p.m., Officer Daniel Esteves pulled over a 2012 Dodge pickup, bearing Illinois plates, for failing to signal a turn at Kearny and Bergen Aves.
Police said the driver, Krzysztof Burdzy, 30, of Garfield, produced an expired N.J. license, an expired insurance card, but no registration card. A DMV inquiry reportedly revealed that his license was suspended and that he had a $500 traffic warrant from Garfield. He was charged on the warrant, and for the aforementioned MV violations, plus failure to surrender a suspended license.
— Karen Zautyk
