Shortly before noon on July 8, Officer Jordenson Jean was on patrol at the Belleville Pike and Morgan Place when he saw a 2016 Honda “make an abrupt stop, for no apparent reason, in the middle of the roadway.” Police said the car then crossed the intersection, in reverse, and entered Morgan Place, travelling against the flow of traffic.
Obviously having sufficient reason to do so, Jean stopped the vehicle and questioned its reportedly droopy-eyed driver, Keilla Silveira, 40, of Holmdel. Police said she admitted having taken a prescription drug earlier that morning.
Following field sobriety tests, Silveira was arrested for driving while impaired by alcohol and/or drugs. When an Alcotest at headquarters eliminated booze as a factor, the KPD contacted Jersey City police, who dispatched a DRE (drug-recognition expert) to conduct special tests, after which Silveira was charged with: driving under the influence; delaying traffic; unsafe backing and/or turning; driving on a sidewalk, and DUI by a parent with minors in the vehicle.
Yes, police said her passengers were her three daughters, aged 10, 11 and 14.
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Other recent reports from the Kearny police blotter included the following:
July 7
Officer Richard Poplaski, at the Pike and Passaic Ave. at 10 a.m., stopped a westbound 2010 Honda for an improperly displayed license plate. When back-up officer Det. Sgt. Michael Gonzalez saw the passenger, Ivy Goscinski, 19, of Belleville, trying to conceal what appeared to be a crack pipe, she was taken into custody and to HQ, where a search by a female officer uncovered a second pipe, police said.
Goscinski was charged with two counts of drug-paraphernalia possession and on two outstanding drug-related warrants — $2,000 from Ledgewood, and $1,000 from Belleville — and went to the Hudson County Jail. Police said no charges were filed against the driver and he was free to leave. But the Honda wasn’t. Found to be unregistered, it was impounded.
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Officer Jose Resua responded to an 11:15 a.m. report of an unattended van sitting in the roadway at Belgrove Drive and Quincy Ave. In the area, Resua found Roger Busby, 50, of Newark, who apparently had walked away from the vehicle after a dispute with its other occupant, an unidentified female. Busby was arrested after he was found to be wanted on a $250 Elizabeth criminal warrant. The female was not located, so the abandoned van was impounded.
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At 11 p.m., Officer Michael Alvarez checked out a 2002 Dodge van parked near a donation bin at Beech St. and Kearny Ave. Standing near the vehicle was a man who reportedly gave his name as Jorge Rebelo but who could produce no ID. Alvarez was advised by HQ that no one by that name had a N.J. driver’s license. Back-up Officer Chris Medina, querying the van’s registration, learned it was owned by one Eloy Minchala, 36, of West Orange — who had a suspended license. Even suspended licenses have photos, and guess whose face was on that one? Minchala was charged with hindering apprehension.
July 8
At 1:30 p.m., pursuant to an earlier investigation, Vice officers stopped a 2004 Jeep operated by Jacob Katz, 26, of North Arlington, at the Pike and Passaic Ave. and reportedly recovered four wax folds of heroin, stamped “Kick Ass.” He was charged with possession of the drug and drug paraphernalia and operating an MV while in possession of a CDS.
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Advised of a possible drunk driver on the 100 block of Wilson Ave. at 5:45 p.m., Officer Ben Wuelfing stopped a 2000 Chevy Malibu operated by Sally Giordano, 59, of Kearny, who reportedly had “difficulty even putting it into ‘park’.”
Following FSTs, she was arrested and taken to HQ, where an Alcotest ruled out liquid refreshment. Police said Giordano admitted she had taken medication, so once again, the JCPD sent its DRE, who conducted additional testing. Giordano was then charged with driving under the influence and with careless driving.
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At about 11 p.m., Officer Jon Dowie was driving east on Harrison Ave. when he saw a 2007 Nissan “carelessly change lanes” near the Rt. 280 on-ramp. Stopping the car, police said he detected the odor of marijuana and observed inside a hand-rolled cigar, a baggie of suspected pot and a “Bob Marley grinder.” [You can actually find “Bob Marley grinders” online, though we are not promoting their purchase.] Driver Marx Davilus, 32, of East Orange, was charged with possession of pot and paraphernalia, possession of a CDS in a MV, and failure to signal.
July 9
Officer Michael Gontarczuk spotted William Lupkovich, 24, of Jersey City, walking near Midland and Davis Aves. at 7:30 p.m. and arrested him after confirming he was wanted on a $1,000 Kearny failure-to-appear warrant.
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Also at 7:30 p.m., Officer David Bush spotted Christian Rodriguez, 18, of Kearny, riding a bicycle at Kearny and Oakwood Aves. and arrested him after confirming he was wanted on a Kearny assault warrant. Because his warrant carried bail of $35,000, he was in the Hudson County Jail by 1:30 a.m.
July 10
Officers Bush and Chris Manolis, at Midland Ave. and Chestnut St. at 2 a.m., saw the driver of a passing 2004 Hyundai talking on a cell phone and then park next to a fire hydrant. Asked for his ID, he could produce no documents but gave his name as Alby Rivear, police said. A check showed that no one by that name had a DL or warrants. However, when back-up Officer Derek Hemphill arrived, the cops compared notes and determined that a prior arrestee, Jonathan Cirino, was associated with this particular Hyundai, police said.
Driver Cirino, 32, of Kearny, was then taken into custody for hindering apprehension, driving while suspended and on two warrants: $100, drug-related, Harrison; $500, MV, East Orange. Kearny Municipal Court Judge Thomas D. McKeon set an additional $10,000 bail, and Cirino went to the county jail. Police said this was his 12th arrest, which have resulted in five felony convictions.
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Officer Gontarczuk was driving south on Schuyler Ave. near Oakwood Ave. at 4 a.m. when his patrol car was nearly hit head-on by a speeding northbound Volvo SUV that was straddling the middle of the road, police said. Gontarczuk took evasive action, made a U-turn and pursued the vehicle, stopping it on the 600 block of Schuyler. Police said Jimmy Samaniego, 39, of Harrison, stumbled from the SUV and had the odor of alcohol about him. FSTs were conducted, and Samaniego was subsequently charged with DWI, DWI in a school zone, failure to keep right, reckless driving and refusing to take an Alcotest.
July 11
At 4:40 p.m., Det. John Fabula was in the area of Kearny Ave. and Grove St. on an unrelated investigation when he had cause to interview Jameer Castro, 20, of Belleville, who was found to have a $250 MV warrant from Phillipsburg. Castro was arrested and the Phillipsburg PD was notified.
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Officer Darwin Paulino stopped a 2015 Chrysler for an MV violation at Midland Ave. and Hickory St. at 9 p.m. and recognized passenger Efrain Cruz, 19, of Kearny, as being the subject of a no-bail criminal warrant from the Hudson County Sheriff’s Office, police said. In a search incident to arrest, Cruz was allegedly found to have two Vicodin pills, so he was charged with possession of a CDS as well as on the warrant. McKeon added $1,000 bail and Cruz was shipped to the county jail.
July 12
At 8 p.m., Vice detectives stopped a 2014 Mitsubishi entering Kearny from the Pike bridge after they confirmed that passenger Gary Nigro, 40, of North Arlington, had a Bergen County no-bail, child-neglect warrant. Police said he was also found to have one fold of “Kick Ass” heroin. [Brand of the week?]
Additionally, police said, driver John Lyman, 40, of New York City, turned out to have a no-bail Bergen County contempt-of-court warrant, a $250 Pequannock traffic warrant, and a suspended license. Both were arrested for the various offenses and the Bergen County Sheriff’s Office was notified.
— Karen Zautyk
