The Harrison Police Department has arrested a man who stands accused of attempting to lure a teenager girl onto his motorcycle.
According to the Harrison Police Department:
On June 19, , at approximately 8:25 p.m., units were dispatched to the 300 block of Central Avenue on a report of a suspect attempting to lure a child.
The victim told police she was walking home when a motorbike approached her and the driver asked her what her name was. She answered and said “Anna,” a fake name, and started running. He approached her again and asked her how old she was, and she responded “14” and continued running.
The man approached her a third time and asked her if she wanted to hop on the back of the motorbike for a ride. The victim stated she kept running and ignored the man on the motorbike and at that point he drove down Frank E Rodgers Boulevard South as she entered her residence.
The actions of the victim were very well thought out and courageous.
At the time of the police response, the suspect had fled the area. Ring camera footage of the incident was turned over to the police. Units also reviewed the Town of Harrison camera system and were able to track the suspect around down. From this footage, it appeared that the suspect was employed by a food-delivery service.
The Harrison PD’s Detective Bureau followed up with the case, collecting video footage and actively attempting to locate the suspect based off of the video footage. A TRAX Bulletin was distributed to local law enforcement agencies. On the evening of June 20, the Harrison Detective Bureau executed a detail in an attempt to locate the suspect and successfully apprehended him in the area of Passaic and Central avenues.
The suspect was found and charged accordingly.
“Safety of the residents of Harrison is paramount for the Harrison Police Department,” the department said. “If you feel you are being followed, please call 911 ASAP. Other steps that could be taken if calling 911 is not feasible are entering a populated area and advising you need assistance, entering an establishment such as a restaurant or store, and in extreme situations, yelling for help and running in the opposite direction of the suspect. It is also recommended to always be aware of your surroundings and make all attempts to be accompanied by a friend or family member.”
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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.