If you saw a man strolling down Kearny Ave., holding some currency in his hand, you’d likely not give it a second thought. Unless you were a detective. And were “very, very familiar” with the individual. Such were the circumstances leading to two drug arrests April 22, Kearny police reported.
At 4:30 on the afternoon in question, Vice detectives were on the 100 block of the avenue, near Hoyt St., when they said they observed Ernesto Rosabal, 48, of Kearny, money in hand, walk toward a parked 2004 Chrysler and enter the passenger side. What then occurred, police said, appeared to be a hand-to-hand drug transaction — the cash being exchanged for a black plastic bag.
As the detectives were starting to remove both Rosabal and driver Monique Brown, 44, of Jersey City, from the car, he tried to hide the bag between the seats, but it was seized and found to contain 10 wax folds of heroin and 10 baggies of cocaine, police said. On his person were allegedly found three empty plastic bags and a plunger and cap for a hypodermic needle.
Brown was also in concealment mode, attempting to hide money, 72 folds of heroin and four bags of cocaine, police said, noting that $320 in currency was recovered from the car.
Both arrestees were charged with possession of heroin, coke and drug paraphernalia. Brown was additionally charged with intent to distribute the narcotics within a school zone, operating a motor vehicle while in possession of CDS and being an unlicensed driver.
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Other recent reports from the Kearny police blotter included the following:
April 25
Patrol units responded to Patterson St. at 10:45 a.m. after a concerned citizen reported that a woman was attempting to enter parked vehicles in the area. Sgt. Pete Gleason and Officer Jay Ward encountered and detained Melanie Alvarado, 26, of Union City, whom area residents reportedly identified as the person of interest.
Based on the ID, Alvarado was arrested for attempted burglary. A search incident to arrest reportedly turned up two small ziplock bags in her possession along with a “large, black, military-style knife” in her sweatshirt pocket. A more thorough search by Officer Rose Traynor at headquarters revealed two small bags of suspected marijuana in the suspect’s sock, police said.
Alvarado was charged with unlawful possession of a weapon, possession of pot and paraphernalia and three counts of criminal attempted burglary. Because the police felt she was “under the influence of something,” she was taken to Clara Maass Medical Center for observation.
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At 11:20 a.m., at Hickory St. and Quincy Ave., Vice detectives arrested Kysean Price, 18, of Kearny, on an outstanding $10,000 Kearny warrant for making terroristic threats. A search reportedly uncovered in his waistband a vial containing seven baggies of suspected pot. Apprised of the new drug charges, Kearny Municipal Court Judge Thomas D. McKeon tacked on an additional $10,000 bail, and Price took up residence in the Hudson County Jail.
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Officer Jon Dowie was in the area of 1200 Harrison Ave. at 8:30 p.m. when his onboard computer alerted him that the owner of a passing 2001 Chevy had several warrants. Stopping the car, he found it operated by owner Jacquelin Williams, 29, of Newark, who police said had a suspended license, a $350 Montclair warrant for driving while suspended and two $250 Cranford warrants, for possession of a CDS and possession of same in a MV. She was arrested on the warrants, for driving while suspended and for failure to surrender the suspended license and was later released after she posted the $850 bail.
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While on patrol at 10 p.m., Officer Dominic Dominguez detected the unmistakable odor of marijuana wafting through the air at the intersection of Davis Ave. and Tappan St. The only people in the immediate area were three young males walking north on Davis, and when the officer approached to conduct a field interview, one of the trio, a 15-year-old from Harrison, became belligerent, tried to push past the cop and had to be advised several times to stay put, police said.
The teen had a backpack, from which the pot scent appeared to emanate, and when it was searched, police said, it was found to contain a glass jar holding 13 baggies of the drug. The youth was arrested for possession of pot and paraphernalia and possession with intent to distribute in a public place and near a school zone. He was processed at HQ and released to the custody of his parents. The KPD Juvenile Aid Bureau will follow up on the complaints. The other two youths were not involved and were released without charges.
April 26
At 12:30 p.m. at Kearny Ave. and the Belleville Pike, Officer Jordenson Jean wrote a ticket for an illegally parked 2005 Ford. As he was placing the summons on the vehicle, police said, owner Candace Gaeta, 18, of Bloomfield, approached and demanded to know what he was doing. What he ended up doing, police said, was arresting her on two open warrants: one from Totowa, $500, no 10% option, and one from Bloomfield for a MV offense, $1,000, no 10%. In addition to the original parking violation, Gaeta was also charged with driving while suspended, failure to surrender a suspended license and failure to have her vehicle inspected. She was held at HQ awaiting transfer to Bloomfield PD custody.
April 28
At 6 p.m., Chief John Dowie, Sgt. Scott Traynor and Officers Giovanni Rodriguez and Leroy Bibbs responded to Midland Ave. and Beech St. — where they had been summoned previously — following complaints of “strange and disorderly conduct” by Kearny resident Douglas Welfl. Cautioned about his behavior, police said that Welfl, who is 30 years old, offered the explanation that he had been playing tag.
Police said a warrant check revealed that he had two, both from North Arlington: $587, for trespassing; $68 for a town ordinance violation. He was arrested and turned over to the North Arlington PD.
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Sgt. Traynor and Officer Darwin Paulino were called to the 100 block of Devon St. at 11 p.m. on a complaint of a disorderly person causing a commotion on the street and there found an “enraged and screaming” Kevin Black, 26, of Jersey City, police said. (Black reportedly explained that he had been arguing with a cousin.) A warrant check showed that Black had two, each for $500, for MV offenses in East Orange and Jersey City. He was charged in Kearny with disorderly conduct and transported to the Hudson County Jail on an additional $2,500 bail.
— Karen Zautyk
