the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Lodi NJ, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella announced the arrest of MIGUEL A. BAEZ (DOB: 1/09/1978; married; used car salesman) of 69 Avenue F, Lodi, New Jersey on a charge of False Public Alarm. The arrest was a result of an investigation conducted by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office under the direction of Chief Jason Love.
On Sunday, May 23, 2021, the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Cyber Crimes Unit was notified by the Franklin Lakes Police Department that an unknown telephone caller using technology to anonymize his calling line identity (“caller ID”) sent a threatening text message claiming an attack was set to take place in New York City. The Cyber Crimes Unit quickly determined that several such messages were sent but they were all false and there was no such threat. The ensuing investigation led by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office revealed that Miguel Baez sent these text messages.
As a result of the investigation, MIGUEL BAEZ was arrested on Monday, May 24, 2021 in Paramus, New Jersey and charged with one count of False Public Alarm, in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:33-3a(1)a, a 3rd degree crime. BAEZ was released pending his first appearance in Central Judicial Processing Court in Hackensack.
Prosecutor Musella states that the charge is merely an accusation and that the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. In addition, Prosecutor Musella would like to thank the Franklin Lakes Police Department, as well as the Lodi Police Department and Little Ferry Police Department, for their assistance in this investigation.
Can they use this technology to go after the relentless marketing calls that anonymize their identity?