On March 29 at 6:44 p.m., Det. Jordenson Jean and Officer Cort Montanino responded to Ulta Beauty on a manager’s report of two suspected shoplifters in the store. On reaching the parking lot, the officers saw the two described suspects fleeing on foot with two shopping baskets brimming with stolen beauty products. The officers gave chase and caught both suspects with the help of Officer Lawrence Latka.
All told, the suspects almost made out with $6,114 of stolen merchandise. Officers charged Jarae C. Roberts, 31, and Samaad Terrell, 29, both of Newark, with shoplifting, conspiracy, and obstructing the administration of law. Terrell was additionally charged with resisting arrest. Both were later released on summonses.
On March 30 at 2:30 p.m., Officers Sean King and Damian Kolodziej were dispatched to Marshalls on a report a man shoplifted and then fled the store. Officer Kolodziej found a man walking on Passaic Avenue who matched the alleged thief’s description.
After further investigation, Officer Kolodziej arrested the suspect, who was later identified as Juan M. Claudio, 50, of Newark. A search of Claudio incident to his arrest uncovered $287.87 of merchandise stolen from Marshalls. Officers also learned Claudio was wanted by Northampton County, Pennsylvania, authorities on a retail theft charge, and by the Hackensack Municipal Court for a shoplifting charge.
Claudio was charged with shoplifting and with being a fugitive from justice and lodged in the Hudson County jail.
On March 31 at 1:50 p.m., Det. Jean was contacted by two organized retail crime investigators employed by TJ Maxx/Marshalls National Task Force who reported they were following a shoplifter on Passaic Avenue who fled Marshalls. The alleged shoplifter was fleeing in a white Nissan without any license plates while the private eyes tailed him.
Det. Jean pulled over the Nissan at Johnston and Passaic avenues, arrested occupant Jaquill D. Swain, 27, of Newark, and recovered $234.89 of stolen merchandise from within the car. Swain was charged with shoplifting and later transferred to the Hudson County jail.
On April 1 at 12:22 a.m., Officers Taylor Latka, Bryan San Martin, Jose Castillo and Sgt. Sean Kelly responded to a call of a domestic dispute in a residence. A 38-year-old woman told police she had an argument with her 47-year-old husband who had been drinking vodka and ingesting oxycodone pills.
The dispute escalated with the husband accused of pulling the wife’s hair, pushing her around and dumping a gallon jug of water on her. This caused the wife to slip and fall, injuring her knees. The husband was also accused of smashing the wife’s cellular phone. Officers noted the wife also sustained a red, swollen, upper lip, scratches and abrasions to her arms, and two broken, bloody fingernails.
Officers arrested the husband for simple assault and criminal mischief charges. He was later transferred to the county jail in South Kearny.
On April 2 at 1:05 p.m., Officers Jonathan Lima and Ellesse Ogando reported to ShopRite where a manager accused Tekesha J. Coles, 49, of Newark, of concealing $20.54 of merchandise in a reusable bag and passing all points of sale without paying. Incident to Coles’ arrest officers found a wax fold of heroin inside her boot, and two wax folds of heroin residue and a straw in her pockets.
At the police station, offices learned Coles had allegedly given them a false identity. After discovering her real name officers found Coles was wanted by Newark Municipal Court for theft of services. Coles was charged with shoplifting, possession of heroin and drug paraphernalia and hindering apprehension. She was released on her own recognizance regarding her warrant and released with a summons for her Kearny charges.
On April 2 at 5:30 p.m., Officers Alvaro Goncalves, Travis Witt and Sgt. Jack Grimm were sent to Walmart where a loss-prevention employee accused Tanvi Ruddrashetty, 26, of Harrison, of shoplifting by under-ringing merchandise at a self-checkout to the tune of $491.29.
Officers arrested Ruddrashetty for shoplifting and later released her with a summons.
On April 3 at 7:39 a.m., Officer Danny Maganinho was assigned to the state’s Distracted Driver Campaign which details patrol officers to specifically enforce distracted-driving-related traffic offenses. While positioned at Passaic Avenue and Belgrove Drive, the officer saw a Honda pass by and its driver was allegedly using a handheld mobile phone.
Officer Maganinho pulled over the Honda in the nearby ShopRite parking lot and learned the license plate displayed on the Honda was registered to a Chevy Cobalt. The driver, Dominique D. Jenkins, 27, of Neptune City, had no driver’s license or registration certificate for the car. Officer Maganinho later learned Jenkins’ license was suspended.
The officer arrested Jenkins and impounded her car due to its registration abnormality. Jenkins was charged with driving with a suspended driver’s license, use of fictitious license plates and use of a handheld wireless telephone while driving. She was later released with summonses.
On April 3 at 9:11 p.m., Officers Ryan Wilson, Mike Ore and Sgt. Ben Wuelfing were dispatched to a domestic violence assault at a residential apartment. The 25-year-old victim told police her 44-year-old roommate hit her in the face with a cooking pot because the roommate thought the victim tattled on her to a friend about her alcohol imbibing habits. The victim sustained a red, swollen cheek in the assault.
Officers arrested the pot-swinging roomie, charging her with aggravated assault and weapon possession offenses. She was later held at 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.