Steven Candelaria
A walk in the park turned out to be anything but for a woman and her 4-year-old daughter on Friday, July 24, Kearny police reported. At 12:30 that afternoon, Det. Michael Gonzalez and Officer Jordenson Jean responded to a report of a man exposing himself to people in West Hudson Park. And allegedly doing more than that; police said he had masturbated in front of the woman and the little girl. After getting a description of the offender from witnesses, the KPD cops and a Hudson County Sheriff’s officer searched the park, and Jean located Steven Candelaria, 30, of Newark, sitting under a tree. Police said he fit the description and was subsequently ID’d by the witnesses. Candelaria was arrested, charged with sexual assault and endangering the welfare of a child and was remanded to the Hudson County Jail. Police said he also had an outstanding $300 ordinanceviolation warrant from Lyndhurst.
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Other recent reports from the Kearny police blotter included the following:
July 24
At 1:15 p.m., Sgt. Brian Wisely was off duty and in the CVS at Schuyler and Bergen Aves. when he reportedly saw Ryan Decker, 25, of Kearny, take a roll of packing tape and leave the store without paying. Wisely followed him to his car, inside of which could be seen 10 wax folds of suspected heroin, police said. On-duty personnel were summoned to take custody of Decker, who was charged with shoplifting and drug possession.
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Shortly after 4 p.m., Officers Jean and Daniel Esteves were called to a restaurant on the 200 block of Kearny Ave. on a report of an unwanted customer. Advised that he was not welcome on the premises, Prajal Patel, 20, of Kearny, walked “aggressively” toward Esteves, clenching his raised fists — in one of which was a key ring with a large “blade-like” key protruding from between his knuckles, police said. Esteves fended him off, but police said it then took three officers — Esteves, Jean and Kevin Arnesman — to restrain Patel, who continued to resist even after being cuffed. He was charged with three counts of aggravated assault, resisting arrest, unlawful possession of a weapon and possession of a weapon for unlawful purposes.
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Jean responded to a 6 p.m. report from a resident on the 100 block of Devon St. that two individuals had stolen his bicycle from an alleyway. A short time later, East Newark police advised that they had detained two boys with a bike near the Clay St. Bridge. The victim was brought to the scene and identified the cycle and the suspects — two 15-year-olds from Newark. They were charged with conspiracy and receiving stolen property and were turned over to their parents/guardians.
July 25
At 11 a.m., Esteves stopped a 1995 Ford at Passaic Ave. and Belgrove Drive for a brakelight violation and found that the driver had a suspended license, police said. Jesse Buffone, 28, of Kearny, was arrested and booked at headquarters.
July 26
Officers Chris Levchak and Jose Resua were alerted to a possible drunken driver on Rt. 7 near the Turnpike overpass at 3 p.m. They arrived to find a 2008 Nissan, operated by Jill Delorenzo, 53, of Jersey City, on the side of the road.
Following field sobriety tests, she was arrested, taken to HQ for an Alcotest and charged with DWI and careless driving.
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A Grand Place resident notified the KPD at 10 p.m. that he had returned home to find the back door open. Detectives Gonzalez and Michael Farinola and Officer Resua searched the house for any intruder and found Stephen Bachanes, 33, of Toms River, hiding on a ledge outside a third-floor window, police said.
He was charged with burglary, obstruction and on an $800 Newark warrant and was taken to the Hudson County Jail.
July 28
Jean was patrolling at Kearny Ave. and the Belleville Pike at 6:45 p.m. when he spotted Josue Campos, 26, of Kearny, whom he knew to be wanted on a Kearny shoplifting warrant and a $250 motor vehicle warrant from East Newark, police said. Campos was arrested, and East Newark was notified.
July 29
Sgt. Charles Smith, on patrol at 7 p.m., observed a man exiting a Kearny Ave. pharmacy “in a hurried manner,” clutching a bag and then running south toward Bergen Ave. Smith stopped Gary Korzonowski, 48, of Newark, and found him to be in possession of $138 worth of razors and shavers belonging to the store, police said. Korzonowski was arrested for shoplifting and on a $5,000 Newark warrant.
July 30
At 3:40 p.m., near the Wawa, Vice detectives saw the occupant of a parked 2006 Infiniti apparently hand-rolling a cigar. Approaching the car, they said they detected the odor of marijuana and arrested Isael Gonzalez, 21, of Newark, and charged him with possession of pot and paraphernalia. He was released on summonses.
– Karen Zautyk
