On March 10 at 3:40 p.m., a 23-year-old Kearny man walked in to police headquarters and reported a domestic-violence incident to Officer Sean King. The victim alleged he had an argument at home with his 50-year-old mother about using their car to buy groceries.
During the course of the argument, the mother allegedly threw car keys at the victim, striking him in the head. She then allegedly charged at the victim, pushing him and throwing haymakers, some of which landed on the victim’s arm.
During the affray, a glass bottle fell and broke. It is alleged the victim’s mother picked up a shard of glass and threatened to cut the victim’s face with it. The victim fled when his sister broke up the affair.
Officers King and Mat Lopez went to the mother’s residence and arrested her without incident. She was charged with terroristic threats, simple assault and weapon possession offenses and held at the Hudson County Jail.
On March 7 at 2:51 p.m., Officer Paul Duran and several backup officers responded to a private residence for a domestic dispute. There they learned a couple had an argument over the rearing of their child and in the course of the argument, the 30-year-old mother scratched the 33-year-old father on his face, causing a laceration. Officers arrested the female half of the couple on a charge of simple assault. She was later released with a summons.
On March 7 at 10:15 p.m., Officer Angel Martinez was dispatched to a domestic dispute in a home. He learned a 31-year-old man was alleged to have strangled and hit his 30-year-old wife in front of their 5-year-old son, leaving her with a bruised face. Officer Martinez arrested the aggressor for aggravated assault (domestic strangulation). He was later held at the Hudson County Jail, South Kearny.
On March 8 at 6:37 p.m., Officers Taylor Latka, Jose Castillo and Sgt. Sean Kelly were dispatched to a residential trespassing complaint. The resident advised them Douglas J. Welfl, 37, of Kearny, came to his home, though barred by a restraining order, and yelled at him. Welfl was arrested for a similar complaint at the same residence a week earlier. After confirming the final restraining order was active, the officers arrested Welfl on a charge of contempt. He was held at the county jail.
On March 10 at 3:59 p.m., Officers Damian Kolodziej and Sgt. Pat Becker responded to Walmart on a report of a shoplifting in progress. Store personnel reported they observed Wiley C. Mayfield, 36, and Carissa M. Huggins, 31, both of East Orange, switching price tags on items for less-expensive price tags and scanning the cheaper price tags at a self-checkout register.
The duo exited the store with the merchandise when police arrived, but upon seeing the cops, they allegedly ditched their three shopping carts of loot and hopped into a Hyundai. Officers Nicole Cain and Alan Stickno pulled over the Hyundai on Harrison Avenue and arrested the occupants.
Walmart staff tallied the total loss for the under-ringing at $939.96.
Both defendants were charged with shoplifting and conspiracy and later released on summonses.
On March 11 at 9:53 p.m., Officers Kevin Matos and Michael Ore responded to ShopRite where an alleged shoplifter was being detained. A store manager reported Ketty L. Henriquez, 40, of Newark, concealed Tide Pods, meats, candies and soaps in her backpack, and placed diapers into a shopping cart, then carried the merchandise passed all registers without paying the $333.22 retail value.
Officers arrested Henriquez. Their search incident to her arrest uncovered a crack pipe, two wax folds containing heroin residue, a vial containing crack-cocaine residue, tin foil, metal rods, a plastic container of crack cocaine and a wax fold of heroin. A record check showed Henriquez was wanted on two warrants issued by Newark Municipal Court for defiant trespass.
Officers charged Henriquez with shoplifting, possession of crack cocaine and heroin and possession of drug paraphernalia. She was later held at the county.
On March 12 at 1:44 a.m., Officer Lawrence Latka and backup officers responded to a report a man parked his car at Quick Chek and then began aggressively panhandling and harassing store customers. Dispatch had received a similar complaint earlier at Wawa, but the man left before police arrived.
Again, the man drove off before police arrived, but they pulled him over at Kearny Avenue and Dukes Street. Driver Devon Matos had no driving credentials on him, but Officer Latka recognized Matos and confirmed his driver’s license was suspended. Officer Latka arrested Matos and found a vial on him that is commonly used to store cocaine.
Officers charged Matos by summons with possession of drug paraphernalia, driving with a suspended license and failure to produce registration and insurance documents. He was later released.
On March 12 at 9:58 p.m., Officer Peter Jahera and several backup officers responded to a mother-daughter dispute at a residence. The 50-year-old mother alleged her 31-year-old daughter pushed her during an argument, causing her to bang her left arm and leg against an object. The mother had signs of soft tissue injury to her arm and leg.
Officers arrested the daughter on a charge of simple assault. She was later released with a summons.
On March 13 at 11:19 p.m., Officer Ruben Rivera and several backup officers were dispatched to a report of a man breaking a glass door at Lava Smoke Shop, 502 Kearny Ave. A smoke shop employee reported he saw a man later identified as Greg A. Golomb, 50, of North Arlington, walking in the street. He told the man to be careful after a passing car nearly hit him. Golomb allegedly then advanced on the shopkeeper who took refuge inside his store. At that, Golomb allegedly kicked the shop’s glass door, shattering it.
Officers arrested Golomb and charged him with criminal mischief.
He was later transferred to the Hudson County Jail.
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Capt. Timothy Wagner | Kearny Police Department
Capt. Timothy Wagner is the Kearny Police Department's public-information officer and the commander of the department's Internal Affairs Unit. He contributes the KPD Blotter weekly and writes it completely.