On June 26 at 2:28 p.m., Officer Kevin Carvalho was dispatched to ShopRite for a report of a shoplifting duo. Store management alleged Luis A. Lopez, 36, of Newark and Alysha A. Claudio, 33, of Piscataway, concealed $129.63 of merchandise in a brown paper bag and tried to leave the store without paying. Also inside the brown paper bag, officers found additional merchandise suspected to have been stolen from the nearby Marshall’s clothing store.
Officers placed the pair under arrest and recovered three crack pipes from Lopez’s pants and backpack.
At police headquarters, officers found Lopez was wearing nine pairs of pants and shorts, all with Marshall’s price tags affixed to them. The value of Marshall’s merchandise totaled $376.27.
Claudio was charged on a summons with shoplifting and later released. Lopez was found to be a fugitive wanted by Millcreek Township in Erie, Pennsylvania, for failure to appear in court. Therefore, Lopez was held at the Hudson County Jail on charges of shoplifting, possession of drug paraphernalia, and for being a fugitive from justice.
On June 19 at 5:27 p.m., Officer Jordan Miranda and several backup officers were dispatched to a private home for a domestic dispute. A 59-year-old resident told officers she was watching her infant grandson when his mother arrived unexpectedly and in a rage, for reasons unknown.
The mother, a 29-year-old woman who lives partly in Newark and partly in Kearny, allegedly slapped and punched her “mother-in-law,” causing the elder woman to fall. The younger woman then allegedly mounted and strangled the older woman until she had difficulty breathing.
The assailant fled the home with her infant but was located a short time later in Newark by Det. Jonathan Dowie and Officer Paul Duran. With assistance from Newark police, officers arrested her on charges of aggravated assault, harassment and simple assault. The woman was also the subject of an arrest warrant from Warren Township for possession of drug paraphernalia. Bail on that warrant was $1,000.
The baby was located unharmed in Newark and officers placed him in the care of a suitable guardian. The victim of the assault did not require hospitalization. The assailant was held at the Hudson County Jail.
On June 20, Det. Jordenson Jean arrested Gerson A. Hernandez, 25, of Kearny, for allegedly stealing four vehicles in the month of June from the LA Fitness parking lot after removing the vehicles’ keys from gym lockers. The suspect reportedly walked in to the gym while Det. Jean was there investigating and his arrest was made on site. Hernandez was charged with multiple counts of burglary and theft of moveable property. He was later released with a summons.
On June 20 at 8:31 p.m., Officers Luis Cazares, Matt Knighton and Det. Dave Bush responded to a domestic dispute at a private home. A 36-year-old resident reported he was on his way out to take his son to the park when his 35-year-old wife arrived home and tried to nix the plan. An argument ensued. When the husband allegedly extended his arm to stop the wife from yanking his shirt, she bit his arm. Officers observed an obvious bite wound to the husband’s arm and placed the wife under arrest. She was charged with simple assault and later released with a summons.
On June 21 at 5:08 p.m., Officers Tom Collins and John Donovan were dispatched to ShopRite liquors on a report that a shoplifter had just left the store and was fleeing north on Passaic Avenue. Sgt. Tim Castle found the suspect at Bergen and Passaic avenues. He was identified as Luciano Yuelling, 38, homeless, but residing generally in Kearny.
Store management accused Yuelling of concealing a 750 mL bottle of Buffalo Trace Bourbon Cream and attempting to leave the store without paying the booze’s $18.99 value. Officers recovered the Bourbon Cream.
Yuelling was charged with shoplifting and defiant trespass (Yuelling was allegedly banned from the store by its management on a prior occasion.) Yuelling was also wanted on an arrest warrant for a prior shoplifting charge from North Arlington Municipal Court. Bail in that case was $250 and Yuelling was remanded to the Hudson County Jail.
On June 23 at 11:30 a.m., Officers Kevin Carvalho and Nicole Cain were dispatched to Walgreen’s at 248 Kearny Ave. for a shoplifting. Store management reported a woman later identified as Silvija Morrison, 40, of Kearny, concealed $173.40 of merchandise in a duffle bag and fled the store without paying. A man had waited outside the store for the woman and the two reportedly fled to the bus stop at Kearny and Quincy avenues.
Det. Mike Andrews found the described pair at the bus stop with the loot. Morrison was charged with shoplifting. She was also wanted by the Hudson County Sheriff’s Office for a prior burglary charge and by the Madison Municipal Court for a prior hindering apprehension charge. Morrison was held at the county jail in South Kearny.
The man accompanying Morrison was identified as Cristian Vasile, 44, of Kearny. Vasile, likewise, was wanted by the Hudson County Sheriff for a prior burglary charge. He too was held at the Hudson County Jail.
On June 25 at 12:23 p.m., Officers Collins and Donovan responded to a concerned citizen’s call of a loud dispute in the street near Brighton and Bergen avenues. Officers located a 20-year-old Kearny woman with signs of injury to her neck, knee and foot. It was reported the woman had met her sister to do their nails, the sister became hungry and the day of beauty devolved into a physical altercation.
The sister, a 22-year-old Harrison woman, caught wind the police were investigating and turned herself in at KPD HQ shortly thereafter. She was charged with simple assault and later released.
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Kevin A. Canessa Jr. is the editor of and broadcaster at The Observer, an organization he has served since 2006. He is responsible for the editorial content of the newspaper and website, the production of the e-Newspaper, writing several stories per week (including the weekly editorial), conducting live broadcasts on social media channels such as YouTube, Facebook, and X, including a weekly recap of the news — and much more behind the scenes. Between 2006 and 2008, he introduced the newspaper to its first-ever blog — which included podcasts, audio and video. Originally from Jersey City, Kevin lived in Kearny until 2004, lived in Port St. Lucie. Florida, for four years until February 2016 and in March of that year, he moved back to Kearny to return to The Observer full time. Click Here to send Kevin an email.