Hackensack NJ, The Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office and the Hackensack Police Department are requesting information from the public regarding a hit and run collision which resulted in a pedestrian sustaining serious bodily injury.
At approximately 7:11 pm on Thursday, November 9, 2017, the Hackensack Police Department received a report of a pedestrian who was struck by a motor vehicle near the intersection of Polifly Road and Lodi Street in the city of Hackensack. The striking vehicle then fled the scene of the collision, traveling south on Polifly Road, possibly onto Route 80 East. Upon arrival at the scene of the collision, officers observed a male victim lying in the roadway. The victim suffered serious injuries consistent with having been struck by a motor vehicle, and was transported and admitted to Hackensack University Medical Center.
At this time, the vehicle is believed to be a 1992 to 1999 Buick LeSabre, Pontiac Bonneville, or Oldsmobile Eighty-Eight, light in color, with possible damage to the front bumper, hood, and/or windshield, as well as tire/wheel damage.
Anyone with information regarding this hit and run collision is encouraged to contact the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Fatal Accident Investigation Unit at 201-226-5595, or the Hackensack Police Department at 201-646-7777.
South Hackensack NJ, Attorney General Christopher S. Porrino announced that a Newark man pleaded guilty today to a first-degree human trafficking charge for trafficking a girl, 16, from New York to New Jersey and making her work as a prostitute in the prostitution ring he ran, which advertised on Backpage.com.
Glen Bowman Sr., 42, of Newark, N.J., pleaded guilty today to first-degree conspiracy to commit human trafficking before Superior Court Judge Robert M. Vinci in Bergen County. Under the plea agreement, the state will recommend that Bowman be sentenced to 13 years in state prison, including five years of parole ineligibility. Bowman ran the prostitution ring with his wife, Ernestine Bowman, 33, of Orange, N.J. Ernestine Bowman pleaded guilty in December 2016 to second-degree facilitating human trafficking. She is awaiting sentencing and faces a recommended sentence of 10 years in prison, with 39 months of parole ineligibility.
Deputy Attorneys General Brandy Malfitano and Jamie Picard are prosecuting the case, and Malfitano took the guilty plea today for the Division of Criminal Justice Gangs & Organized Crime Bureau, Human Trafficking Unit.
Five defendants were indicted in April 2015, and all have pleaded guilty, as a result of an investigation by the Division of Criminal Justice and the South Hackensack Police Department. The defendants were charged with conspiring to traffic the 16-year-old from Brooklyn, N.Y., to make her work as a prostitute at motels in South Hackensack and Clifton, N.J. The couple’s son, Glen Bowman Jr., 23, of Brooklyn, N.Y., pleaded guilty to second-degree conspiracy to promote prostitution and faces a recommended sentence of seven years in prison. Jessica Copeland, 29, of Newark, N.J. – who acted as boss or “bottom” over the prostitutes in the ring – pleaded guilty to second-degree facilitating human trafficking and faces a recommend sentence of six years in prison, including three years of parole ineligibility. Tokina Williams, 33, of Raleigh, N.C., pleaded guilty to second-degree promoting prostitution.
Sentencing for Glen Bowman Sr. is scheduled for Nov. 14. The other defendants, with the exception of Williams, are scheduled for sentencing on Oct. 25.
“This man threatened to beat the 16-year-old victim if she didn’t follow his orders and perform to his expectations for clients of his prostitution ring,” said Attorney General Porrino. “This plea will ensure that Bowman serves a lengthy sentence behind bars, where he can no longer subject young women and children to an unspeakable life of brutality and sexual slavery. I commend the South Hackensack Police and our attorneys for rescuing the victim and bringing those responsible to justice.”
“Our Human Trafficking Unit will continue to collaborate with other law enforcement agencies to apprehend and convict human traffickers,” said Director Elie Honig of the Division of Criminal Justice. “Human traffickers typically isolate their victims and remove them from any support system, so it is critical that members of the public notify us if they see a young woman or child in questionable circumstances. We will move swiftly to investigate and save victims like the teenage girl in this case.”
Attorney General Porrino and Director Honig urged anyone who suspects that individuals are engaged in sex- or labor-related human trafficking to confidentially report such activity by calling the Division of Criminal Justice’s 24-hour NJ Human Trafficking Hotline 855-END-NJ-HT (855-363-6548).
“Our department has been committed to conducting these undercover operations to flush out the criminality of prostitution and narcotics in our motels,” said Chief Joseph Terraccino of the South Hackensack Police Department. “We remain committed to rescuing these victims from the underworld and arresting the predators who are responsible.”
Deputy Attorneys General Malfitano and Picard are prosecuting the case for the Division of Criminal Justice Human Trafficking Unit, within the Gangs & Organized Crime Bureau, under the supervision of Deputy Bureau Chief Annmarie Taggart and Bureau Chief Lauren Scarpa Yfantis. The investigation was conducted for the Division of Criminal Justice by Detective Timothy Savage, Sgt. Noelle Holl, Lt. Lisa Cawley and the other detectives in the Human Trafficking Unit. Attorney General Porrino thanked the South Hackensack Police Department, under the leadership of Chief Joseph Terraccino, for their investigation and referral. Capt. Robert Kaiser, Lt. Robert Chinchar and Detective James Donatello led the investigation for the South Hackensack Police Department.
The investigation began as an undercover operation by the South Hackensack Police Department targeting a prostitution ring that advertised on Backpage.com. Such rings typically offer “escort services” and display nude or semi-nude photos of young women. An undercover officer responded to an advertisement that included a photo of a very young-looking female with her breasts exposed. The officer phoned the number in the ad on Oct. 1, 2014, and a woman told him that he could have “full sex” for $160 cash at a motel on Route 46 in South Hackensack.
The undercover officer was directed to a room, where a teenage girl answered the door. She repeated that the price of “full sex” was $160 and accepted $160 cash from the undercover officer. He asked why the bathroom door was closed and learned there was a woman in the bathroom, who turned out to be Tokina Williams. The teenage girl invited Williams to come out and told her that the client had paid to have sex with both of them. At that time, backup officers entered and arrested Williams and the teenage girl. The teenage girl was determined to be a 16-year-old who was reported missing out of New York State. She was the young female whose breasts were exposed in the photo in the ad on Backpage.com.
Further investigation revealed that the defendants had conspired to lure the 16-year-old victim into a life of prostitution. The victim met Glen Bowman Jr., in Brooklyn, N.Y., several months earlier, and he conspired with his father, Glen Bowman Sr., to traffic her to New Jersey to work in the prostitution ring. Both Glen Bowman Sr. and Copeland threatened the 16-year-old with physical violence if she did not follow their rules and perform to their expectations. The defendants drove the victim and other prostitutes to hotels and motels in South Hackensack, Clifton and other locations in northern New Jersey, where they serviced clients. At the end of the day, the defendants picked them up and collected the money they had been paid. Glen Bowman Sr. was the primary leader of the prostitution ring, but Ernestine Bowman took on a greater leadership role after her husband was arrested and imprisoned in New York in August 2014.
Ridgewood NJ,A Wednesday morning, 10/11, single vehicle rollover crash at the intersection of East Midland and Beech Avenues in Paramus sent the vehicle’s adult female driver to Hackensack University Center’s main campus by ambulance. Paramus Police, EMS, and Fire Department Company #2 responded to the incident. Paramus EMS was assisted by a paramedic team from The Valley Hospital. The wrecked vehicle, a 4-door Chevrolet, was up righted and removed from the scene by a flatbed tow truck. A portion of East Midland Avenue was closed to through traffic while emergency responders worked at the scene. The vehicle appeared to have hit a tree just prior to rolling over.
FRANKLIN LAKES, NJ , Special Properties Real Estate Services, LLC, an exclusive affiliate of Christie’s International Real Estate, has welcomed Cynthia (Cindy) Harkins, and accomplished real estate author and experienced broker to its Franklin Lakes, NJ office as part of the agency’s ongoing expansion throughout the region.
Cindy Harkins has been a fixture in Bergen County’s luxury real estate market for nearly 20 years. In addition to her agency experience, she is a licensed real estate instructor and teaches the New Jersey real estate salesperson pre-licensure course to aspiring agents. Cindy is also the author of The Savvy Seller: Preparing Your Home for Showings, a handbook and roadmap for sellers to ready their homes for the real estate market. She was inspired to put her tips in print in order to help sellers’ market their properties to their fullest potential.
Cindy attributes her success in the industry to her keen listening skills, attention to detail, personalized service, and superior networking resources. Her network of community contacts is built on her home sales experience and her former law practice (before she entered real estate), as well as her enduring commitment to community service. Cindy is a member of the Board of Governors of Hackensack University Medical Center, and a board member of the New Jersey State Council on the Arts and the Junior League of Bergen County.
Cindy graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Notre Dame and a Juris Doctor degree from the Loyola University of Chicago School of Law.
About Special Properties Real Estate Services
Special Properties Real Estate Services embraces the history and traditions of its flagship brokerage location in Saddle River, NJ, into an expanded, modern presence in Mahwah, Franklin Lakes, and Ridgewood, NJ. With a staff of accomplished real estate brokers, its clients across northern New Jersey and southern New York are provided with customized, personalized services, backed by the luxury real estate brand of Christie’s International Real Estate. Special Properties provides local expertise with global connections. For more information, call (201) 904-2085.
Paramus NJ , Paramus PD, EMS, and FD responded to aid an adult male motorcyclist who was involved in a Thursday afternoon, 08/03, collision on Route 17 southbound near A&S Drive. The victim was transported by ambulance to the Hackensack University Medical Center (HUMC) main campus; he was alert and conscious when the Paramus EMS team arrived at the crash site. A paramedic team from The Valley Hospital accompanied the ambulance to HUMC.
Paramus NJ, The adult male driver of a Honda CRV was transported by ambulance to Hackensack University Medical Center’s main campus following a crash on the Paramus campus of Bergen Community College Monday evening, 06/26. The driver apparently lost control of his vehicle exiting the campus onto Paramus Road, hitting a guard rail, curb, and tree along the way. No other vehicles were involved. Paramus Police, Bergen County Sheriff’s Office, Paramus EMS, Bergen Community College Public Safety, and a paramedic team from The Valley Hospital all responded to the incident.
USS Ling for Veterans Day with Dave Campbell RHS Grad 1970 photos by ArtChick
June 18,2017
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Hackensack NJ, USS Ling (SS-297) is the last of the fleet boats that patrolled American shores during World War II in response to U-Boat attacks off the coast of the United States. Ling made one Atlantic patrol before the war ended. Decommissioned in 1946, Ling became part of the Atlantic Reserve Fleet until reactivation as a submarine training vessel in 1960.
Ling was donated to the Submarine Memorial Association in 1971, and arrived at her present home in New Jersey in January 1973. The boat is now displayed in the Hackensack River, and is the official state naval museum for New Jersey.
Until a just a few years ago the Ling was the centerpiece exhibit of the New Jersey Naval Museum, which was located on the property adjacent to the ship’s berth. The submarine was closed to the public after the walkway leading to it from shore was swept away by superstorm Sandy in 2012, leaving no access to the foundered ship. The museum subsequently closed in 2015.
In 2016, the museum’s lease was terminated by the former publisher of The Record, Stephen Borg, whose grandfather negotiated the original deal to lease land to the museum for $1 a year. Last year, the Hackensack Planning Board voted to subdivide the 20-acre parcel of land into four lots for a redevelopment project, which would include a hotel and 700 residences.
The fate of the Ling is ultimately connected to the ability for it to be moved from its location .The LIng sits stranded in muck and mire ,perhaps even silted in, imprisoned by steel barriers, and rusting away; a sorry fate for the the once swift and proud naval warship.
Hackensack NJ, Bergen County Prosecutor Gurbir S. Grewal announced today the identities of two deceased males discovered on Sunday, June 4, 2017 at 5 Linden Street, Hackensack, NJ. The investigation was conducted by members of the Hackensack Police Department under the direction of Officer in Charge Captain Francesco Aquila, the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit under the direction of Chief Robert Anzilotti and the Bergen County Sheriff’s Department under the direction of Sheriff Michael Saudino.
At approximately 9:17 AM on June 4, 2017, the Hackensack Police Department received a 9-1-1 call reporting gunshots and a man down in the lobby area of 5 Linden Street. Police officers arrived and located the body of JAMES BELLAMY (DOB: 9/6/50) next to the building’s elevator. Bellamy had been shot multiple times and was declared deceased at the scene. A building resident directed officers to the rear parking lot of the building and the path taken by the alleged gunman, later identified as ARTHUR HILLMAN (DOB: 9/20/53). The officers located HILLMAN’S deceased body in a 2011 Honda Civic in the rear parking lot; he was the victim of a single, self-inflicted gunshot wound and was found to be in possession of a loaded .40 caliber semi-automatic handgun, which is believed to be the weapon used in the murder/suicide. Detectives also located a loaded .38 caliber weapon on Hillman’s body. The investigation revealed that no one else was involved in this incident.
Subsequent investigation revealed that both men were residents of 5 Linden Street. Bellamy resided in Apartment 4J and Hillman resided in Apartment 3J. Hillman had made repeated complaints to the Hackensack Police Department regarding the noise emanating from Bellamy’s upstairs apartment.
Prosecutor Grewal would like to thank the Hackensack Police Department and the Bergen County Sheriff’s Department for their assistance in this investigation.
Emerson NJ, Emerson PD units, along with multiple paramedic teams and ambulances, rushed to an address on Colonial Road in Emerson on Sunday afternoon, 05/28, in response to reports of a child that had been found unresponsive in a back yard swimming pool. A victim was reportedly transported by a Emerson EMS ambulance to Hackensack University Medical Center’s main campus. No further information about the victim, nor his/her condition, was readily available.
Glen Rock NJ, A two (2) vehicle Friday afternoon, 05/26, collision at the intersection of Hamilton and South Maple Avenues in Glen Rock injured one (1) adult female, who was transported by ambulance to Hackensack University Medical Center’s main campus. The victim, who is pregnant, appeared to have sustained non life threatening injuries. Both vehicles involved in the crash were removed from the scene by a flatbed tow truck. Glen Rock PD and EMS responded along with a paramedic team from St. Joseph’s Regional Medical Center.
Paramus NJ, A head on crash in Paramus early Wednesday afternoon, 05/24, was apparently caused when the driver of a vehicle involved experienced an unknown medical emergency. The crash occurred when a 4-door Buick traveling southbound on Paramus Road veered into the northbound lanes and was hit by a Mercedes sedan. The collision occurred near 85 Paramus Road. Paramus PD, EMS, and a paramedic team from Hackensack University Medical Center responded to the incident. The Buick’s driver was transported by ambulance to Hackensack University Medical Center’s main campus with unspecified injuries/in unknown condition. A paramedic team was on board the ambulance during its hospital run. Both vehicles involved were removed by tow trucks. An occupant of the Mercedes sustained a minor arm or leg injury. She was not transported from the scene by ambulance. Paramus PD is investigating the incident.
Hackensack NJ, Zire King, the man accused of murdering his MTA worker girlfriend, was found dead Friday evening inside the Bergen County home he had barricaded himself during a police standoff.
King was accused of killing Jacqueline Dicks, 41, on May 1 , shooting her while she was walking home from her job as an MTA conductor in East New York.
Detectives from the NYPD as well as Hackensack Police responded to 388 First St. at 1:20 p.m. in search of King.
Police were told King had barricaded inside a closet and was possibly armed in a second-floor bedroom. Bergen County SWAT was brought in to assist.
Effortswere made to negotiate with King to get him to give up peacefully. At 5:45 p.m, with no contact established with King, authorities deployed tear gas into the home. At 6:45, the SWAT members entered the home, still not having heard from King, where they found him dead in a second-floor closet.
Police said he died of unknown injuries. The Bergen County Medical Examiner’s office is conducting an autopsy.
By Adam Hochron April 17, 2017 5:58 PM
Courtesy of United States Department of TransportationIf last year is any indication, police in some of New Jersey’s smallest municipalities will be giving out the largest number of distracted driving tickets during the month-long crackdown that ends April 21.
Bergen County
Fairview: 114 tickets
Allendale 2
Alpine 2
Carlstadt 19
Demarest 5
Glen Rock 1
Hackensack 4
Hasbrouck Heights 13
Haworth 5
Leonia 4
Lyndhurst 19
Midland Park 4
North Arlington 19
Northvale 9
Norwood 2
Ramsey 1
River Vale 1
Upper Saddle River 19
Westwood 9
Wood-Ridge 4
Ridgewood NJ, At 6:55 a.m., Amtrak advised NJ TRANSIT that all but one track is back in service at Penn Station New York (PSNY). NJ TRANSIT’s MidTOWN Direct Service has been operating to PSNY this morning, and the Northeast Corridor and North Jersey Coast Line train service is operating on their regular weekday schedules.
Trains are running with 15-20 delays !
As a precaution, NJ TRANSIT is advising customers that they may experience some delays and should give themselves some extra time to get to their destinations. We also urge customers to check njtransit.com before traveling.
At approximately 9 a.m. Monday morning, NJ TRANSIT’s Northeast Corridor line train #3926 experienced a slow-speed derailment while pulling in to Track 9 at New York’s Penn Station. Three cars in the middle of the ten car train derailed. These were cars 5, 6, and 7. Amtrak, which owns and maintains the tracks near Penn Station New York, has determined that a track problem was the cause of the derailment.
As long term commuters many on the staff of the Ridgewood blog would like to offer the following advise : Always have a backup plan or a plan B . Long term commuters often have a plan C as well .
If you take the Train everyday be familiar with the NJT bus schedule (163,164 ) as well as the Short line bus schedule and the NJT 165 express buses that leave the park and ride at Garden State Parkway off Ridgewood ave. Also be familiar with the 752 buses ,they link Ridgewood to Hackensack bus station. And don’t forget the 175 goes to the GWB bus station linking to the A express subway line.
Midtown direct passengers should be familiar with the Hoboken PATH trains as well as trains from Newark Penn to Ridgewood .Main line Bergen Line passengers should also be familiar with Pascack Valley line .
Complaining about commuting does not get you home to your family but good planning does.
Ridgewood NJ, NJ TRANSIT will operate extra bus service on selected routes to and from the Port Authority Bus Terminal (PABT) on Friday, March 17, to accommodate customers traveling to the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade in New York City. Trains will operate on a regular weekday schedule. Hudson-Bergen Light Rail, Newark Light Rail and River Line will also operate regular weekday schedules.
Please note: liquid containers of any kind, open or closed, will not be permitted on any train to and from New York/Hoboken on March 17. Beverages of any kind are prohibited at all times on board buses.
NJ TRANSIT will have Ambassadors will be on hand at Secaucus Junction, Aberdeen/Matawan, Middletown, N.J., and Penn Station New York to assist customers.
The NYC St. Patrick’s Day Parade is one of New York City’s greatest traditions. The first parade was on March 17, 1762 — fourteen years before the signing of the United States Declaration of Independence. The first NYC St. Patrick’s Day Parade was comprised of a band of homesick, Irish ex-patriots and Irish military members serving with the British Army stationed in the colonies in New York. This was a time when the wearing of green was a sign of Irish pride but was banned in Ireland. In that 1762 parade, participants reveled in the freedom to speak Irish, wear green, sing Irish songs and play the pipes to Irish tunes that were meaningful to the Irish immigrants of that time.
Extra trips to and from New York will be offered on the following bus routes:
No. 163 (Ridgewood – New York) additional local trips from Hackensack (Summit Ave. and Essex St.) to PABT from 8:46 a.m. until 10:42 a.m. operating via the Boulevard in Hasbrouck Heights, Wood-Ridge, Carlstadt, and East Rutherford. Additional Turnpike Express (T) trips from Paramus (Paramus Rd. and Ridgewood Ave.) to NY/PABT at 8:57 a.m. and 9:17 a.m.
![glen-bowman-sr[1]](https://theridgewoodblog.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/glen-bowman-sr1.jpg "Five defendants Plead Guilty of Human Trafficking and Prostitution Out of South Hackensack Motel")
