Judging from this week’s KPD reports, hypodermic needles have become the accessory of choice among some arrestees. Read on for details, along with items about loud and obnoxious music, an itinerant leaf-raker, the usual complement of (alleged) shoplifters, “brand-name” heroin, and various suspicious individuals.
Nov. 5
At 6:20 p.m., Sgt. Dave Rakowski stopped a 2016 Audi for running a stop sign at Rutherford Place and Seeley Ave. and encountered an “overpowering” odor of raw marijuana emanating from the car, police said. Inside, he reportedly observed currency tucked into the center console, small baggies, a box of cigars, a glass bong, a metal grinder and a shopping bag holding four softball-size bags of suspected pot. Weighed at headquarters, the marijuana came in at 114 oz., police said.
Driver David Juarez, 21, of Belleville, was charged with possession of pot (more than 50 grams), possession with intent to distribute, intent to distribute within a school zone, possession of a CDS in a motor vehicle, failure to exhibit vehicle registration, disregarding the stop sign and being an unlicensed driver.
Nov. 6
As he was directing traffic on Midland Ave. at Argyle Place at 11:30 a.m., Officer Ben Wuelfing’s ears were assailed by music blaring at “an intolerable volume” from a 2014 Mazda. In addition, the officer deemed the content of said “music” to be particularly offensive given the number of children in the area at the time. Wuelfing stopped the car and, as he was explaining the reason to driver Brian Sayre, 20, of Kearny, Sayre put it in gear and sped away, police said.
Wuelfing issued a BOLO, and Sgt. John Taylor spotted the vehicle, and Sayre, on the 800 block of Devon St. Police said Sayre feigned ignorance of the incident, tried to walk away and refused to say who owned the Mazda. He was subsequently arrested for obstruction and also charged with reckless driving and violation of the town noise ordinance. (Editor’s note: There is no ordinance against having lousy taste in music.)
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Officers Esteban Gonzalez and Jordenson Jean responded to ShopRite at 11:50 a.m. and took into custody Belinda Macara, 40, of East Orange, who had allegedly tried to steal $35 worth of merchandise. She was charged with shoplifting and was reportedly also in possession of a hypodermic needle.
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At 3 p.m., Officers Jordenson Jean and Jon Dowie, responding to a report of a suspicious person, observed Stefan Florea, 25, of Kearny, on the front porch of a home on the 700 block of Chestnut St. Asked what he was doing there, Florea reportedly said he was offering to rake leaves for people. But he had no rake. He did, however, have two warrants, one each from Kearny and Newark, and was arrested on those.
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Another suspicious person was reported at 4 p.m. in the area of Elm St. and Garfield Ave., where Officers Rich Pawlowski and Mina Ekladious encountered Jonathan Cirino, 32, of Bridgeton, who was checked for warrants and arrested on one out of Harrison.
Nov. 7
At 9:20 a.m., Officers Chris Medina and T.J. Hernandez were called to Devon St. and Stewart Ave., where a white Ford Explorer had reportedly hit three parked cars and then fled the scene. Police said they found the vehicle and its driver at Forest St. and Arlington Place — the Explorer on the sidewalk, and its driver, Alfonso Parada, 26, of Newark, in the street, staggering around. After field sobriety tests, Parada was arrested and taken to HQ, where he was given an Alcotest and reportedly admitted to having ingested alcohol and marijuana. He was charged criminally with being under the influence of a CDS and was issued summonses for DUI and driving with a suspended license.
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Following an 11:45 a.m. report of a theft at Walmart, Chief John Dowie spotted the suspect about a half-mile away on Harrison Ave., attempting to discard the hoodie he was wearing. The chief detained and searched Janusz Chytla, 25, of Kearny, who was allegedly found to be in possession of a large folding knife and two hypodermic needles. Officers Peter Jahara and Vanessa Sevillano took Chytla back to the store, where he was identified as the person who had obtained a refund of $22.13 on new merchandise using an old receipt, police said. He was charged with theft by deception, possession of the syringes and on five outstanding Kearny warrants and was remanded to the Hudson County Jail.
Nov. 8
Officer Wuelfing, on patrol at 3 p.m., observed a white BMW make an illegal left turn at Bergen and Schuyler Aves., checked his mobile data computer and confirmed that the vehicle’s owner was wanted on a $300 Bloomfield warrant. Owner/operator Jose Cumbicos, 34, of East Orange, was arrested on same.
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Officers Jean and Dowie were called to Washington Ave. and Washington Place at 3:20 p.m. on the report of a suspicious person and found Shaun Ippolito, 34, of Rutherford, lying on some grass. In this case, literally grass, as in lawn, not marijuana. However, police said he was found to be in possession of heroin, five wax folds stamped “Morning Rush,” and one hypodermic. He was charged on a drug and a hypo count and was taken to Clara Maass Medical Center for observation.
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Officer Wuelfing was conducting random MDC inquiries on vehicles at Schuyler and Harrison Aves. at 6 p.m. when his computer hit on a passing blue GMC, indicating that the owner had a suspended license, suspended registration and a Hudson County Sheriff’s warrant. Confirming these, he stopped the vehicle at Harrison and Sanford Aves. and arrested Harrynari Deosaran, 41, of Kearny.
The HCSO was notified that Deosaran would be at HQ awaiting pick-up.
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At 6:30 p.m., Officers Ekladious and Pawlowski were called to Walmart on the report of a shoplifting and arrested Confesor Perez, 41, of Newark, who had allegedly tried to steal $64 worth of merchandise, mostly clothes.
In a search incident to arrest, he was found to be in possession of two hypodermics, police said. He was charged with both offenses and on two outstanding warrants – one from Bloomfield, one from the Essex County Sheriff.
Nov. 9
At 10:20 a.m., Vice officers stopped driver Keith Parasmo, 25, of Lyndhurst, at Passaic Ave. and the Belleville Pike, believing him to have been involved in an earlier drug transaction. He was reportedly found to be in possession of five glass vials of cocaine and eight wax folds of “Little Devil” heroin. He was charged with possession of the drugs and paraphernalia.
Nov. 10
Vice, back at Passaic and the Pike at 10 a.m., observed Jacquelin Carey, 37, of Lyndhurst, in the passenger seat of a passing car, which they stopped on information that she was in possession of a CDS, police said. She was allegedly found to have two wax folds of heroin and was charged with possession of the drug and paraphernalia. (Editor’s note: No brand name this time. Perhaps it was generic.)
– Karen Zautyk
