A police pursuit of what officers described as a “dirt biker” ended with the rider crashing and being thrown from his bike on Feb. 7, according to Nutley PD.
Police said officers began chasing Kevin Lopez, 21, of Clifton, as he was driving “at excessive speeds” along River Road.
As he sped along, police said Lopez allegedly crossed over the double yellow line and tried to pass a vehicle on the left side against oncoming traffic.
While doing so, police said Lopez collided with a vehicle and was immediately ejected from his bike, landing on the pavement several feet away.
Police said Lopez was stabilized at the scene by emergency personnel and taken by ambulance to University Hospital, Newark, where he was being treated for what police termed as “non-life-threatening” injuries.
Members of the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office arrived to investigate and Lopez was subsequently charged with eluding in the second degree for which Nutley Municipal Court Judge Joanne Cocchiola set bail at $25,000. He was also wanted on a warrant from Newark.
Additionally, Lopez was issued eight motor vehicle summonses charging him with reckless driving, unsafe vehicle, unregistered vehicle, uninsured vehicle, improper display of plates, unsafe operation of ATV on public roadway, failure to stop for emergency vehicle and speeding.
Meanwhile, Nutley PD logged additional incidents, among others, that occurred through Feb. 12:
Feb. 8
The owner of a car parked on Centre St. reported that someone had rummaged through the vehicle while it was left unlocked but nothing was missing, police said.
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Officers responding to a report of a possible carjacking outside a Centre St. ATM found that two people were involved in an argument at the drive-up ATM line. Police said the beef began over one person taking too much time at the ATM, causing another driver to exit her car and allegedly discharge pepper spray inside the vehicle of the person at the ATM. Joann Decristofaro, 49, of Belleville, was charged with simple assault and unlawful use of a weapon.
Feb. 10
Police conducted a field interview on Centre St. with a man operating a bicycle in a hazardous manner. As the man proceeded to sit down, police said they noticed a green plastic baggie containing a green leafy substance, believed to be marijuana, drop out of his left side pocket. The biker, Shaking Davis, 25, of Bloomfield, was taken into custody and a search incident to arrest yielded a cigar (blunt) suspected of being marijuana. He was charged with possession of that drug and possession of drug paraphernalia. After confirming he was wanted on Bloomfield warrants, police transported him to Bloomfield PD.
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After a driver using a Franklin Ave. car wash reported that their passenger side mirror was broken off while their car was going through the wash, police said the manager of the business agreed to pay for the damage.
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Police responded to a Brookline Ave. residence on a burglary report. The victim told police that two Western Union checks totaling $1,800 were taken. Police said that the envelope containing the checks was reported missing at about 8 p.m. Police said they found no sign of forced entry to the residence.
Feb. 11
Police responded to a report of graffiti on a Franklin Ave. business. Police said someone had written in purple on the business’s exterior brown wall.
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Residents at a River Road location reported that upon arriving home, they found their bedrooms and other living areas ransacked but had not yet determined what, if anything, may have been taken. Detectives are investigating.
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While patrolling the Rt. 21 corridor, officers conducted a motor vehicle stop for a vehicle reportedly traveling at 82 mph. Police said the driver, Waseem M. El-Helw, 20, of Belleville, could not produce a valid license but did have an active warrant from Newark. He was arrested on the warrant and also issued tickets charging him with speeding, unlicensed driver and failure to produce a driver’s license. After satisfying the warrant, he was released pending a court date.
