Elmwood Park NJ, a Friday night, 09/22, single vehicle crash at the intersection of Broadway and Mola Boulevard in Elmwood Park wiped out a utility pole and a fire hydrant. The older model SUV was likely totaled in the crash as well. Elmwood Park Police , Fire Department, EMS, and DPW units responded to the incident. PSE&G’s Electric Division was summoned to deal with the downed utility pole. A hydraulic lift tow truck removed the wreckage. The vehicle’s driver refused medical attention.
Paterson NJ, a 911 telephone call received by the Paterson Police Department from an individual who witnessed a woman dumping a child strapped in a car seat into the Passaic River triggered a massive multi-agency search on Monday morning, 07/17. Water, air (drone), and land searches were conducted for over one (1) hour before they were terminated after the witness’ account was not able to be verified. The search included , Fair Lawn Police Department, Elmwood Park Police, Elmwood Park Fire Dept, NJ Paterson Police Department, Paterson Fire Department ,Fair Lawn Rescue Squad, Fair Lawn Fire Department, Fair Lawn Fire Company #4 ,Fair Lawn Fire Company #3, Fair Lawn Fire Company 2 ,and Passaic County Sheriff’s Office.
Elmwood Park NJ, an unknown individual entered an industrial building on Corporate Drive in Elmwood Park just after 0830 hours on Friday, 03/31 and left a suspicious package behind before quickly departing. Elmwood Park Police ordered the building evacuated and summoned the Bergen County Bomb Squad and Bergen County Hazmat. Bomb Squad technicians and Hazmat personnel were later observed entering the facility. Police at the scene did not say what the package contained, nor if there were any suspects identified. No injuries were reported in connection with the incident.
UPDATE: James Allandale died during a shooting incident that occurred as police were attempting to take him into custody in Morris County.
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Elmwood Park NJ, James Allandale, 61, who police said shot Cindy Greco of New Milford at Dolack’s home Tuesday night, has a violent criminal history that includes an armed kidnapping more than 20 years ago, records show.
Elmwood Park NJ, a minivan veered off of Mola Boulevard southbound in Elmwood Park and slammed into a vacant storefront late Sunday morning, 10/02. The vehicle’s driver was uninjured in the mishap and no structural damage was inflicted on the building. A flatbed tow truck removed the wreckage from the scene. Elmwood Park Police and Elmwood Park Fire Department responded to the incident.
Elmwood Park NJ, according Elmwood Park Police chief Michael Foligno , the past few weeks the borough has seen a raise in the uptick of vehicle thefts , Honda CRV’s are being targeted for the airbags due toi the ease of removal. The Elmwood Park Police department is taking a proactive approach developing a strategy with other jurisdictions and the county prosecutor to combat these crimes. Residents are asked to report any suspicious behavior or suspicious persons looking at motor vehicles. Call or Email the Elmwood Park Police ,Captain Michael Kempe (201) 796-0700 or email mkempe@elmwoodparknj.us .
Elmwood Park NJ, an Infiniti SUV crashed through the storefront of an Elmwood Park furniture store shortly after 8:30 PM on Saturday, 03/19, and finally came to a stop once all 4 wheels of the vehicle were firmly on the store’s showroom floor. The vehicle’s adult female driver was uninjured, as were several store employees and customers who were inside at the time. Elmwood Park Police and Elmwood Park Fire Department personnel & vehicles responded to the incident, which occurred in the 100 block of Broadway, Elmwood Park. Damage was limited to the store’s glass & aluminum façade. A tow truck driver backed the vehicle out of the store to facilitate its removal from the scene by his flatbed. No word at the scene as to what may have triggered the mishap.
Elmwood Park NJ, Law enforcement officers from multiple agencies responded on Tuesday morning, 10/19 to assist Elmwood Park Police at a homicide scene on Beechwood Avenue. One (1) person was taken into custody by the Bergen County Regional SWAT Team and turned over to detectives of the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office’s Major Crimes Unit. The suspect had barricaded himself in a bathroom after allegedly killing a family member with an ax. He was convinced to surrender voluntarily by crisis negotiators at the scene. No injuries to law enforcement officers were reported in connection with the incident.
Elmwood Park NJ, the Bergen County Regional SWAT Team was assembled to assist Elmwood Park Police subdue an adult male who had threatened two (2) Elmwood Park police officers with a knife after they attempted to enter his home for purposes of performing a requested welfare check on Saturday afternoon, 05/08. Following a hours long stand off, SWAT Team personnel stormed the man’s residence after deploying several tear gas canisters, and seized him without further incident. Elmwood Park Fire Department units were also at the scene, along with multiple BLS and ALS emergency medical service units. The Bergen County Sheriff’s Office assisted Elmwood Park Police with traffic and crowd control.
Elmwood Park NJ, a mother and her two (2) year old child were rescued from the icy Passaic River by Elmwood Park Police officers and Elmwood Park firefighters. Both mother and child were rushed by ambulances to St. Joseph’s Regional Medical Center in Paterson. No details were immediately available as to how the victims wound up in the water. Numerous area public safety agencies rushed to assist Elmwood Park emergency responders.
Fair Lawn NJ, Fair Lawn Police, Fair Lawn Fire Companies #1 & #3, and the Fair Lawn Rescue Squad responded to a early Friday afternoon, 10/30, crash in which a box truck veered off of River Road and crashed into a utility pole and large shade tree before coming to rest on the front lawn of a single family home. The truck’s driver self extricated from the wreckage; the nature of his/her injuries is unknown. River Road was closed in both directions for an extended period to facilitate replacement of the pole, and the restoration of utility services. Elmwood Park Police assisted by providing traffic control.
Elmwood Park NJ, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella announced the arrest of OMAR A. FIROZVI (DOB: 10/26/1999; single; car salesman) of 13 Willow Street, Elmwood Park, NJ on charges of Assault By Auto and Knowingly Leaving The Scene Of A Motor Vehicle Accident Resulting In Serious Bodily Injury. The arrest is the result of an investigation conducted by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office under the direction of Chief Robert Anzilotti and the Elmwood Park Police Department under the direction of Chief Michael Foligno.
Elmwood Park NJ, the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office is *** Seeking information about identity of individual struck by vehicle in Elmwood Park. ***
On October 19th at approximately 10:00 pm Elmwood park Police responded to the intersection of Broadway and Orange Avenue on the report of a pedestrian struck by a vehicle. Upon arrival, officers found the victim who is still unidentified, had been struck by a 2014 Ford Explorer that was traveling east bound on Broadway. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene.
Elmwood Park NJ, NJ Transit train #1277, traveling westbound from Hoboken, collided with a white colored SUV at the Midland Avenue crossing in Elmwood Park on Wednesday evening, 07/25. No injuries were reported in the mishap. The crash halted all rail traffic on the Bergen Line for over one (1) hour. A flatbed tow truck removed the SUV, which was partially wedged under the train, from the crossing. Elmwood Park Police, Saddle Brook Police, and NJ Transit Police responded to the incident.
Paterson NJ, Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal today announced a state grand jury indictment charging the alleged leader and 16 other alleged members of a narcotics network linked to the Bloods street gang that was distributing large amounts of heroin in Paterson. Seventeen more individuals are charged with possession of narcotics, including 16 who allegedly purchased heroin from the ring, bringing the total number of defendants indicted to 34.
The indictment, handed up yesterday, stems from “Operation Pitfall,” a collaborative investigation led by the New Jersey State Police Gangs & Organized Crime North Unit, the Division of Criminal Justice, the State Parole Board, the Newark Police Department, and ICE Homeland Security Investigations, with assistance from the Paterson Police Department, Morris County Sheriff’s Office, Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office, Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office, Prospect Park Police, Wallington Police, Elmwood Park Police, Passaic County Sheriff’s Office, Wayne Police, and Clifton Police.
The investigation targeted a drug trafficking organization operating in a section of the 4th Ward of Paterson known as the four corners or “4K” area, referring to the intersections of Mercer Street and Putnam Street, Rosa Parks Boulevard and Putnam Street, Mercer Street and Warren Street, and Rosa Parks Boulevard and Warren Street. The area has a history of open air drug dealing and gun violence. The drug network was led by a local set of the Bloods street gang known as the “4K Bloods” or “Korner Boyz.” The cooperating agencies arrested most of the defendants in November, including the alleged ringleader, Jaumel Reese, 35, of Passaic, N.J., and one of his alleged bulk suppliers, Jesse Garcia, 27, of Lodi, N.J. Reese and many of the other defendants are allegedly members of the 4K Bloods.
The Division of Criminal Justice Gangs & Organized Crime Bureau yesterday obtained a 63-count state grand jury indictment charging all 17 alleged ring members with second-degree conspiracy to distribute heroin. Reese is also charged with first-degree promoting organized street crime, and Eric Huntington, 41, of Paterson, who allegedly was one of Reese’s top “runners” or suppliers to street-level dealers, is charged with first-degree distribution of heroin. During the takedown of the ring, authorities executed a search warrant at the home of Garcia, where they seized 90 bricks of heroin (each including about 50 “bags” or doses), a handgun, hollow-nose bullets, and over $19,000. Garcia is charged with additional second-degree drug and gun offenses, as well as third-degree money laundering. A total of three guns were seized during the investigation. The other ring members face various additional second- and third-degree drug charges, and the 16 alleged buyers face third-degree heroin possession charges.
“We are collaborating in investigations like Operation Pitfall to target the drug traffickers who are fueling the deadly opioid epidemic and bringing violence to the neighborhoods of our cities,” said Attorney General Grewal. “This investigation really took aim at the heart of the problem, because Paterson is a major hub for heroin distribution across northern New Jersey and the open-air drug markets allegedly controlled by this Bloods set in the city’s 4th Ward have a history of gun violence.”
“This investigation is a great example of all levels of law enforcement working together seamlessly to dismantle a significant narcotics network,” said Director Veronica Allende of the Division of Criminal Justice. “There can be little doubt that we saved lives by stopping the heroin trafficked by these gang members from reaching people struggling with addiction in Paterson and the surrounding region.”
“When heroin dealing is introduced into a community, gun violence is not far behind, and if you add dangerous street gangs to the equation, the effect on a city’s residents can be devastating,” said Colonel Patrick Callahan of the New Jersey State Police. “I want to commend the State Police personnel and our law enforcement partners who ultimately dismantled this drug distribution network and made the streets safer for the residents of Paterson.”
Deputy Attorney General Amy Sieminski presented the case to the state grand jury for the Division of Criminal Justice Gangs & Organized Crime Bureau, under the supervision of Deputy Bureau Chief Annmarie Taggart and Bureau Chief Lauren Scarpa Yfantis. Attorney General Grewal commended the prosecutors in the Division of Criminal Justice, the detectives in the New Jersey State Police Gangs and Organized Crime North Unit, including the lead detective, Detective Scott Sanders, and all of the detectives, officers and special agents who investigated for the other participating agencies.
The following is a full list of the defendants charged with second-degree conspiracy as alleged ring members:
Jaumel Reese, 35, of Passaic, N.J.
Jessie Garcia, 27, of Lodi, N.J.
Eric Huntington, 41, of Paterson, N.J.
Jerome Deas, 38, of Paterson, N.J.
Marvelous Pitts, 31, of Paterson, N.J.
Shaques Huntington, 24, Paterson, N.J.
Herbert Pitts, 60, of Paterson, N.J.
Justin Jones, 24, of Paterson, N.J.
Angela Whitehead, 32, of Prospect Park, N.J.
Jeffrey Hunter, 29, of Paterson, N.J.
Markeith Davis, 48, of Paterson, N.J.
Tariq Jackson, 25, of Paterson, N.J.
Devon Armstrong, 40, of Paterson, N.J.
Jonathan Cedeno, 22, of Paterson, N.J.
Isaac Coleman, 32, of Paterson, N.J.
Hanife Dock, 29, of Paterson, N.J.
Theodore Blackshear, 46, of Paterson, N.J.
The following is a list of the remaining 17 defendants. All are charged with third-degree possession of heroin, with the exception of Winter Burch. Burch, who is a girlfriend of Reese, is charged with third-degree possession of codeine and fourth-degree possession of false government documents.
Jasmine Soto, 28, of Milford, Pa.
Christopher Gutierrez, 34, of Milford, Pa.
Daniel Grimm, 67, of Franklin, N.J.
Nicholas McLaughlin, 26, of Greeley, Pa.
Christopher Holbert, 24, of Hawley, Pa.
Brent Howell, 33, of Blairstown, N.J.
Frank Marchionni, 26, of Nanuet, N.Y.
Jonathon Kleinberg, 29, of New City, N.Y.
Michael Armao, 33, of Greenwood Lake, N.Y.
Michael Sheridan, 42, of Johnson, N.Y.
Robert Ferri, 33, of Wyckoff, N.J.
Chelsea Rouse, 34, of East Stroudsburg, Pa.
Jennifer Halterman, 33, of East Stroudsburg, Pa.
David Boralsky, 35, of Stanhope, N.J.
Michael Ryerson, 48, of Paterson, N.J.
Carl McKenith, 65, of Englewood, N.J.
Winter Burch, 36, of Passaic, N.J.
Jaumel Reese, Jessie Garcia, Eric Huntington and Jerome Deas are being detained in jail pre-trial. They were charged in a prior indictment in March that has been superseded by this new indictment.
First-degree charges carry a sentence of 10 to 20 years in state prison and a fine of up to $200,000, while second-degree charges carry a sentence of five to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $150,000. A sentence for first-degree promoting organized street crime must be served consecutively to the sentence for any underlying offense. The first-degree heroin distribution charge carries an enhanced fine of up to $500,000. Reese is charged with employing a juvenile in a drug distribution scheme, a second-degree charge which also carries an enhanced fine of up to $500,000. The second-degree charges of certain persons not to possess a weapon carry a mandatory term of parole ineligibility of five years. The third-degree drug charges carry a sentence of three to five years in state prison and a fine of up to $35,000.
The indictment is merely an accusation and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
