Recently, we have written of various motorists found sleeping at the wheel of their cars. Last week brought another such incident, but with a twist. Read on.
Since the beginning of February, KPD Chief John Dowie noted, Kearny “has been experiencing a rash of thefts from or of motor vehicles.” One of the cases involved the overnight theft of a 2015 Nissan, reported stolen at 8 a.m., Feb. 5, from Woodland Ave.
Following the initial response by Officer Andre Fernandes, and based on the pattern of thefts, Det. Sgt. Michael Gonzalez, Lt. Paul Bershefski and Officer Michael Gontarczuk travelled to Newark on Feb. 10 to scour an area where proceeds from Kearny thefts have frequently been recovered.
At 10 a.m., police said, they spotted the stolen Nissan parked on the 100 block of Summer Ave., with a man asleep behind the wheel. Jariston Gonzalez, 29, of Newark, was awakened, removed from the car and placed under arrest. The Newark PD took custody of the suspect and charged him with receiving stolen property.
The Nissan, with its radio missing, was towed to Kearny and its owner was notified.
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Other recent reports from the Kearny police blotter included the following:
Feb. 6
At 1 a.m., Officer Jon Dowie, on patrol on Harrison Ave., spotted an Audi with “heavily tinted windows” and whose registered owner, Dowie’s computer noted, had a suspended license. The officer stopped the car at Duke St. and Davis Ave. and while questioning the driver/owner reportedly detected the odor of raw marijuana.
Jamal McBride, 25, of Newark, was arrested for driving while suspended. During a search incident to arrest, a “very large bag” of the drug was found under the driver’s seat, along with numerous small ziplock bags “commonly used to package marijuana for resale,” police said. McBride was additionally charged with possession of pot with intent to distribute, intent to distribute in a school zone and a park zone, possession of drug paraphernalia, having tinted windows on the car, and possession of a CDS in a motor vehicle.
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Sgt. Dave Rakowski, on patrol on N. Midland Ave. at 2:30 p.m., saw a 2000 Mercury SUV with extensive front-end damage and no rear window. Police said the front tires also appeared to be damaged, to the extent that the vehicle was ”shimmying” while moving.
Rakowski stopped the SUV at Passaic Ave. and the Belleville Pike and questioned driver Ishmael Holder, 28, of Newark, who was found to have a suspended license and two outstanding warrants, from Newark and East Orange, for a total of $1,750, police said. He was charged on those and the license offense and also summonsed for operating an unsafe vehicle.
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Officer Dowie, at Bergen and Schuyler Aves. at 10:30 p.m., stopped a 2005 Honda operated by Muhammet Allahverdi, 27, of Jersey City, who reportedly had a suspended license and a $500 warrant from Stratford Borough. He was arrested and the Stratford police were notified.
Feb. 7
At 1:30 p.m., Officers Jordenson Jean and Alan Stickno spotted Christian Garcia, 38, of Kearny, at Kearny Ave. and Hoyt St., confirmed he was wanted on a $1,000 theft-related warrant from Montville and arrested him on same. Montville was notified.
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Officers Chris Medina and Sean Wilson responded to a Woodland Ave. residence on a 9:30 p.m. harassment complaint. They arrived to find the female complainant outside, as was a “screaming” Anthony Torres, 49, of Irvington, police said. While the officers were attempting to interview the woman, Torres reportedly refused to cease his behavior and continually interrupted. In Chief Dowie’s words, “He talked himself into an arrest.” And he was found to have four warrants: $600 from Irvington; $521 from Palisades Park; $885 from Clifton, and $1,500 from Jersey City. The various jurisdictions were notified that he was available for pick-up at HQ. “First come, first served,” said the chief.
Feb. 8
At 9 p.m., Officer Esteban Gonzalez responded to Kearny and Quincy Aves. on the report of someone swinging a stick. When he arrived, the offender was gone, but Gonzalez got a description and a short time later there came the report of a stick-swinger at a gas station at Oakwood and Kearny. There, the officer found Eric Tobin, 35, of Kearny, who no longer had the stick but was found to have a $513 criminal-mischief warrant from Clifton and a no-bail assault warrant from the Hudson County Sheriff’s Office, police said. He was taken to HQ and turned over to the sheriff’s officers.
Feb. 10
Officers Ben Wuelfing and Darwin Paulino responded to a 3 p.m. two-vehicle accident at the Newark Turnpike. Although police said the crash was not serious, it resulted in two arrests. Marcos Valdez, 39, of Kearny, driving a 1997 Honda, was found to have a suspended license, police said, and Darrell Reid, 25, of Jersey City, the passenger in the second car, a 2011 Hyundai, was found to have three MV warrants: $150 from Jersey City, $165 from North Bergen, and $175 from Bordentown. Both men were taken to HQ.
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At 4:30 p.m., a man was sitting in his parked Mazda at Wilson Ave. and Belgrove Drive when its rear window was shattered – by a 10-oz. bottle of soy sauce. Officer Jean Stickno searched the area and found suspect Nicholas Castlegrant, 33, of Kearny, who reportedly said he had thrown the bottle because he was upset. Apparently at no one in particular. He was charged with criminal mischief and was released on a summons.
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At 10:15 p.m., Officer Chris Manolis responded to a report of a suspicious person on the 500 block of Kearny Ave. and there found Dominik Assis , 24, of Harrison. Manolis confirmed that Assis had three warrants: $469 for a North Arlington trespass charge, and two from Belleville — $1,000 on an ordinance violation and $500 on a drug-related charge. He was taken to HQ and Belleville was notified to take custody.
Feb. 11
Officer Manolis, on patrol at Bergen Ave. and Ivy St. at 3:30 a.m., observed a 2008 Infiniti, parked but with its motor on, blocking a fire hydrant at the intersection. Behind the wheel, police said, was Nicole Rivera, 28, of Jersey City – apparently asleep. When she was awakened and rolled down the window, the odor of alcohol reportedly could be detected. Back-up Officer Sean Podolski arrived and, as he approached the car, Rivera put it in drive and headed west on Bergen, with two patrol cars in pursuit. They stopped her at Davis and Garfield Aves., where she was arrested for eluding. After field sobriety tests and an Alco test, she was also charged with DWI, obstruction, and blocking the hydrant.
