At 10:40 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 10, Kearny Police Officers Tim Castle and Jason Ward responded to a report of a fight in progress on the 100 block of Linden Ave. and arrived to find “two large groups of people yelling and holding each other back.” When the dust settled, the cops learned that, during a party at a local residence, one of the guests had become “combative and threatening.”
At one point, in violation of all rules of social etiquette, said guest reportedly armed himself with a large steak knife and proceeded to chase another man out of the house, attempting to stab him. When the potential victim, a 46-year-old Kearny resident, managed to get away, the guest returned to the home and began breaking things and turning over furniture, police said.
The officers, having retrieved the knife and taken witnesses’ corroborating statements, arrested Tony Roman, 42, of East Brunswick, on charges of aggravated assault, unlawful possession of a weapon and possession of a weapon for unlawful purposes. Police said he also was wanted on a Broward County (Fla.) Sheriff’s Office warrant.
Municipal Court Judge Thomas D. McKeon set Roman’s Kearny bail at $2,500, and Florida authorities were advised of the arrest.
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Other recent reports from the Kearny police blotter included the following:
Sept. 7
Officer Ward, responding to a 4:45 p.m. accident at Central Ave. and Second St. in South Kearny, reportedly found that one motorist, Marcus Zamudio, 50, of Jersey City, had not had a valid driver’s license since 1994 — and that expired license was also suspended. Unexpired, police said, was his $750 (full) motor vehicle warrant out of Wood-Ridge. Zamudio was charged with being an unlicensed driver, driving while suspended and failure to exhibit proof of insurance and was released after posting the $750 bail.
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Officer Michael Gontarczuk, on patrol at 7:30 p.m. at Kearny and Bergen Aves., pulled alongside a 1994 Mercedes and reportedly detected the scent of burning marijuana wafting from an open window. Police said that when the occupants realized there was a squad car next to them, the window rolled up, but Gontarczuk stopped the Mercedes at Bergen and Chestnut St. and observed, in plain view in the ashtray, eight — count ‘em, eight! — partially burned marijuana cigars. Reportedly recovered from the center console were five plastic bags — four containing residue of the drug, one with more than mere residue.
Police said passenger Johana Pardo, 24, of Kearny, admitted ownership and was charged with possession of pot and paraphernalia. The driver got a summons for having a car with tinted windows.
Sept. 9
At 6:30 p.m., Officer Daniel Esteves recognized two men on the 200 block of Kearny Ave. and arrested both after confirming they had warrants.
Police said Brandon Tice, 22, of Elizabeth, was wanted by Seaside Heights for disorderly conduct, $350 bail (full); Juan Ramirez, 20, of Newark, wanted by Rahway, criminal mischief, $500 (full). In a search incident to arrest, Tice was allegedly found to have a bag of marijuana and was charged with possession, and McKeon increased his bail by $1,000 (10%).
Seaside Heights and Rahway were notified.
Sept. 11
At 6:30 a.m., police said, Officer Michael Alvarez, with Officer Darwin Paulino as backup, approached a car on New Lawn Ave. that had 1) Florida plates, 2) the odor of marijuana, and 3) a man and a woman sleeping inside. When the officers roused the couple, passenger Carlos Cruz, 38, of Newark, allegedly tried to hide a bag of weed under the seat. Police said he also had a purple marijuana grinder, a rainbow-colored pot pipe, and two warrants: $200 (full) out of Harrison for shoplifting; North Arlington, $150 (full), contempt.
Cruz was charged on those and with possession of pot/paraphernalia and ended up in the Hudson County Jail. The female driver got a summons for having a CDS in a motor vehicle.
Sept. 13
Officer Jordenson Jean, on patrol at the Belleville Pike and Argyle Place at 10:45 a.m., spotted the driver of a 2007 Honda yapping on a cell phone, stopped the car at Madison Ave. and on its floor observed a partially consumed bottle of E&J Brandy, police said. Alexander DeJesus, 23, of Newark, was issued summonses for the cell-phone violation and having an open container of alcohol in a MV. Additionally, he was arrested. On three warrants: one from Tinton Falls, $250 (full), municipal ordinance offense; two from Lyndhurst, for simple assault and reckless driving, each $250 (full). Authorities in those communities were notified.
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At 4:45 p.m., Vice officers, who had reason to believe the subject was in possession of a CDS, stopped a 2014 Mitsubishi on Passaic Ave. and recovered from driver Gary Nigro, 40, of North Arlington, three glass vials of suspected cocaine, police said. He was charged with possession of coke and drug paraphernalia.
Sept. 14
Vice officers, at Kearny and Woodland Aves. at 9:15 p.m., saw a passenger in a passing 2012 Nissan throw something from the vehicle. Stopping the car at Woodland and Highland Aves., they reportedly detected the scent of raw pot and observed one passenger, Ernesto Valle, 30, of Kearny, trying to move a black bag from the rear seat to the floor. When it allegedly was found to contain a plastic bag of marijuana, he was charged with drug/paraphernalia possession.
The front-seat passenger got a summons for littering, for having thrown a beer cap out the window.
— Karen Zautyk
