At 2 a.m. last Wednesday, Aug. 3, Officers David Bush and Jonathan Dowie pulled over a 2013 Honda they had observed speeding westbound on Harrison Ave. and ended up arresting both the driver and the passenger — as well as confiscating a loaded handgun, Kearny police reported.
When the officers stopped the car, just past Schuyler Ave. in Harrison, they found it operated by Darnell Roberts, 20, of Herndon, Va., who reportedly was unable to produce a driver’s license, registration or proof of insurance. However, he did produce a “nugget of marijuana,” and when he exited the vehicle, what appeared to be more of the drug was seen “strewn about the interior,” police said.
While collecting the evidence and attempting to locate the vehicle paperwork, the officers opened the glove compartment, in which police said was a 9 mm., Hi-Point automatic pistol, loaded with five rounds of ammunition.
Passenger Donald Thomas, 22, of Ashburn, Va., was subsequently arrested for unlawful possession of a handgun and was remanded to the Hudson County Jail on $100,000 bail.
Roberts also went to the jail, on $1,000 bail, on charges of possession of pot and paraphernalia, along with summonses for operating an MV while in possession of a CDS, careless driving, driving while unlicensed and failure to produce vehicle documents.
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Other recent reports from the Kearny police blotter included the following:
July 30
Following a 3 p.m., two-car crash on the Wittpenn Bridge, Officers Daniel Esteves and Daniel Lopez arrested Jonathan Alvarado. 31, of Newark, for allegedly driving while intoxicated and while suspended. Police said his 2001 VW had struck a 2002 Subaru operated by a 27-year-old woman from Orange.
In her car were two children, one of them a 10-year-old boy who possibly suffered a broken knee, police said.
Alvarado was also charged with assault by auto, reckless driving, leaving the scene of an accident, refusing to take an Alcotest and on a $389 Union Township warrant — for DWI.
Aug. 1
Officers Michael Gontarczuk and Sean Podolski responded to Midland Ave. and Argyle Place at 7:30 p.m. to mediate a workplace dispute (no, the workplace was NOT the firehouse) and subsequently arrested reputed disputant Joseph McFadden, 24, of Newark, on three outstanding warrants, all from Newark: $1,000 (full) for driving while suspended; $350 (full) for another MV violation and $500 (full) for hindering apprehension. He was processed at KPD headquarters and then transported to authorities in the Brick City.
Aug. 2
During a midnight MV stop near Passaic and S. Midland Aves., Officers Bush and Dowie detected the odor of marijuana emanating from a 2006 Nissan and observed in the car a package of E-Z Wider (we didn’t make that up) rolling papers, a package of what appeared to be pot, and a vaporizer pen containing suspicious residue, police said.
Driver Ronald Smith, 19, of Belleville, was charged with careless driving, possession of pot and paraphernalia, and operating an MV while in possession of a CDS.
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Officer Richard Carbone, on patrol in South Kearny at 5:20 p.m., saw a 1987 Chevy with no front license plate at Hackensack Ave. and Rts. 1/9. It did have a rear plate, but a computer check revealed no such tag on file, police said.
Stopping the car near the county jail, Carbone found it driven by Jarrett Turner, 18, of Jersey City, who reportedly had a suspended license and was thus arrested.
While waiting for a tow truck to take the Chevy to impound, police said, the officer ran a warrant check on passenger Phillip Preyear, 19, of Jersey City, and found he had one from Jersey City for trespassing. Now, both men were under arrest and were taken to HQ, where Preyear posted bail.
Turner was additionally charged with using fictitious plates and operating an unregistered and uninsured vehicle — and also on a Newark warrant for driving while suspended. Newark PD, when told that he was in custody, advised Kearny that he could be released with a new court date.
Aug. 3
At 2:10 a.m., Officers Andre Fernandes and Chris Manolis responded to a dispute at a Highland Ave. location and, after a warrant inquiry, arrested Edwin Gonzalez, 30, of Kearny. Police said he had a no-bail contempt-of-court warrant from the Bergen County Sheriff’s Office and a $2,500 one from Kearny for simple assault. He was booked and Bergen authorities were notified.
— Karen Zautyk
