Lyndhurst PD nabs moped thief

A man without a license or credentials to drive it was arrested this week on a moped after police noticed it also didn’t have a license plate, Det. Lt. Vincent Auteri, of the Lyndhurst Police Department, said.

On Aug. 26, 2024, Officer Anthony Morreale was on patrol in the area of Riverside and Valley Brook avenues when he observed a moped cruising southbound on Riverside Avenue without a license plate. As a result, Officer Morreale proceeded to follow the moped before executing a traffic stop. When Officer Morreale asked for the proper credentials, the operator informed him he did not have a driver’s license nor did he have any proof of registration or insurance.

After running the moped’s VIN, it was learned the moped had been stolen out of New York City. The driver, who was later identified as Leonardo Herrada Torrecilla, 48, of Belleville, was arrested and charged with third degree receiving stolen property. Herrada Torrecilla was also issued traffic summonses before being released with a court appearance in Bergen County Superior Court in September. The moped was impounded.

Learn more about the writer ...

Editor & Broadcaster at  | + posts

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.