Paul Alva
An East Newark man was remanded to the Hudson County Jail on $15,000 bail last week on charges including burglary and aggravated assault on a police officer — the assault occurring at Kearny police headquarters, KPD Chief John Dowie reported.
The suspect, Paul Alva, 26, was apprehended on the burglary count thanks to security video from the area of the Windsor St. break-in, police said.
At 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 8, HQ was notified by a concerned citizen that someone had forcibly entered a residence on the 200 block of Windsor. Det. Michael Gonzalez and Officers Cesar Negron and Sean Podolski went to the address and found that a back-door window of the two-family home had been shattered.
Other units responded and established a security perimeter around the crime scene. Police cleared and searched the building and determined the intruder was no longer on the premises. They then launched an area-wide canvas, including obtaining security video from the neighborhood. Dowie said Officer Tom Sumowski was able to generate still photos of a suspect from the video, and these were disseminated to KPD units.
A short time later, Dowie said, Vice detectives spotted Alva on Harrison Ave. in Harrison, and he fit the suspect’s description, “both physical and the clothing he was wearing.” The detectives, who reportedly were familiar with him, confirmed he had an oustanding Kearny warrant on a shoplifting charge and arrested him on that, police said. Gonzalez subsequently identified Alva as the person in the photos.
Alva was charged with burglary, possession of burglar tools and possession of hypodermic needles, three of which allegedly were found on him during a search incident to arrest.
Following processing at headquarters, police said, Alva was being escorted to the cellblock when he dropped to the floor and began flailing his arms, resisting being handcuffed. Sgt. Michael Blevis and Officers Negron and Vanessa Sevillano subdued him, but during the struggle Sevillano reportedly suffered a hand injury.
The aggravated-assault charge was then added to Alva’s resume and he was shipped to the county jail.
