YOU READ IT HERE FIRST: A Fort Lee couple passing through town were carrying 110 bags of heroin and six bags of crack when they were stopped last night, Elmwood Park police said this morning.
Breanne Willette, 23, and Christopher Gugliemo, 21, were released on court summonses after being stopped on Locust Street at 8:45 p.m., Police Chief Michael Foligno said.
Both are charged with possession of drugs, drug paraphernalia and hypodermic syringes.
UPDATE: A Ridgewood school custodian is charged with inappropriately touching a middle school student while he was alone with her in a classroom late last week.
Anthony Griffiths, 52, of Paterson was being held on $30,000 bail in the Bergen County Jail, charged with third-degree child endangerment through inappropriate contact.
The girl, who authorities said is between 12 and 14 years old, called her parents from the Benjamin Franklin Middle School last Thursday, Ridgewood Capt. Forest Lyons told CLIFFVIEW PILOT this morning.
They told her to go straight to school officials, who called police, he said.
Officers immediately responded and took Griffiths into custody, Lyons said.
The alleged behavior “didn’t rise to the level of [second-degree] sexual contact” but was enough to warrant charges, he said.
“School officials took immediate action to ensure the safety of the child and, together with our officers, confrmed that there were no threats to the safety and security of the other children.” Ridgewood Police Chief John Ward told CLIFFVIEW PILOT.
MUGSHOT: Courtesy BERGEN COUNTY SHERIFF
YOU READ IT HERE FIRST: A bus driver and others came to the aid of 68-year-old woman who’d just gotten off a bus in Wyckoff last night by grabbing a 20-year-old Paterson man who police said she found in her car.
“God told him to be here,” the woman told police Zakiy I. Muhammad said when she discovered him reclining in a seat in the parking lot of the Wyckoff YMCA — wearing the vehicle owner’s slippers — around 11 p.m.
Muhammad “initially gave the officers a fictitious name and address and continued to state that he had been sent there by God,” Police Chief Benjamin C. Fox said this morning.
“He resisted arrest to the point where the officers had to physically restrain him on the bus,” the chief said.
Muhammad was being held on $3,500 bail in the Bergen County Jail, charged with auto burglary, resisting arrest and hindering by providing false information.
The car apparently had been left unlocked, Fox said.
MUGSHOT: Courtesy WYCKOFF PD
SHOUT OUTS: Five Bergen County students were among 25 recipients presented with 2015 New Jersey Heroes “Spirit of a Hero” scholarships by New Jersey First Lady Mary Pat Christie during a ceremony at the governor’s residence in Princeton.
The $5,000 scholarships stem from the Heart of a Hero program for military veterans.
“I am continually amazed by the character and commitment demonstrated by our young people in taking on serious issues impacting communities throughout New Jersey,” the governor’s wife said.
“From human trafficking and environmental stewardship to STEM education and programs for individuals with special needs, all of our applicants and awardees are doing outstanding work to give back and help improve the lives of others,” she said.
“With the Spirit of a Hero Scholarship, we are recognizing and honoring these good deeds while helping these young adults to achieve their career goals,” she said.
Since its inception in 2013, New Jersey Heroes has awarded $335,000 in scholarship funding to 67 students from across the state through the Spirit of a Hero program.
This year’s recipients include:
· Brianna F. Hoody, Bergen County Academies – Academy for Visual and Performing Arts, Hackensack (Bergen): After witnessing the terror attacks of 9/11 firsthand, Brianna Hoody and her family relocated to New Jersey and felt compelled to give back. Brianna and her family began taking in children without families and providing them with foster care. She is now an advocate for foster care, giving speeches to help try to recruit other families to give back the way her family has for so many years. Brianna plans to study pre-medicine with a minor in music at Ithaca College this fall.
· Faith Adams, Bergenfield High School, Bergenfield (Bergen): Faith Adams has been an active member of her community for most of her high school career. As a volunteer for Big Brothers Big Sisters, she has mentored young girls in her community, helping them to achieve academic success and overcome bullying. When she is not working with Big Brothers, Big Sisters, Faith volunteers her time at Englewood Hospital and Medical Center. Faith will be attending Fairleigh Dickinson University majoring in the Quest Teacher Preparation Program-BS in Biology this fall.
· Carolina Andrea Zuluaga, Academy of the Holy Angels, Demarest (Bergen): After discovering the Read to Feed program, Carolina Zuluaga decided to hold various book drives and fundraisers to encourage children to read. Her first fundraiser collected over 1,200 books. Over the past 4 years, she has raised over $5,500 and collected 6,000 books. Carolina’s efforts have helped to establish a community library at the Bergen Family Council Center in Englewood. She has also been volunteering at the Center for Food Action and Union City Music Project every week since 2011. Carolina hopes to continue to serve her community while attending the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania this fall.
· Lindsay Testa, Ridgewood High School, Ridgewood (Bergen): At the age of fourteen, Lindsay and a friend founded the ALIVE Heroes Challenge to help children whose parents had been directly affected by the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars. The organization sells bracelets to fundraise for the Bob Woodruff Foundation, whose mission is to provide resources and support to injured service members, veterans, and their families. This also includes children of service members who are deeply affected by war when their parent serves. Lindsay will be attending the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science at Columbia University this fall.
· Maya Sicherer, Fair Lawn High School, Fair Lawn (Bergen): Maya has been volunteering for children and adults with cognitive and developmental disabilities since she was in the sixth grade. After working one-on-one with an autistic boy through the Friendship Circle Program and seeing the impact the social interaction had on him, Maya began a program in her school that allows students to spend their lunch period with students with special needs. She has also been volunteering with Camp Snowflake/Sunshine since 2009, a summer/winter camp for developmentally impaired adults and children. Maya will be attending Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Sciences this fall.
More than 700 students applied for the scholarships this year.
To be considered, candidates must meet “several criteria, including a demonstrated commitment to volunteerism and community contribution; be a New Jersey resident and U.S. Citizen; submission of a high school transcript and a letter of recommendation from a current teacher or advisor; be in good academic standing with their secondary schol and enroll as a student at an accredited college/university or a vocational training school in the 2015-2016 school year,” fall or spring semester.
Other 2015 Spirit of a Hero awardees include:
· Sankalp Aggarwal, Bridgewater Raritan High School, Bridgewater (Somerset)
· Russell Arno Bauer III, Seneca High School, Tabernacle (Burlington)
· Madi Beumee, Morris County School of Technology, Denville (Morris)
· Laura Elizabeth Cavanagh, Immaculata High School, Somerville (Somerset)
· Kaela Lyn Denno, Mount Olive High School, Flanders (Morris)
· Mark Dominguez, Jefferson Township High School, Oak Ridge (Morris)
· Stephanie Harvey, Eastern Regional High School, Voorhees (Camden)
· Gunnar Tyler Henning, Warren Hills Regional High School, Washington (Warren)
· Abhiram Karuppur, The Pingry School, Basking Ridge (Somerset)
· Jon Kubricki, Pinelands Regional High School, Little Egg Harbor (Atlantic)
· Alexander Louie, Hillsborough High School, Hillsborough (Somerset)
· Mackenzie Ann Olson, Clearview Regional High School, Mullica Hill (Gloucester)
· Katie Alexandria Ramirez, Elizabeth High School – Upper Academy, Elizabeth (Union)
· Luisa Rinaudo, Middletown High School, Middletown (Monmouth)
· Elijah Christian Rodriguez, Christian Brothers Academy, Lincroft (Monmouth)
· Tomas Roberto Sanchez, Highland Park High School, Highland Park (Middlesex)
· Benjamin Schragger, Hopewell Valley Central High School, Pennington (Mercer)
· Emily Jane Shapiro, James Caldwell High School, West Caldwell (Essex)
· Sarah Wolford, Allentown High School, Allentown (Monmouth)
· Ellen Wu, Freehold High School, Freehold (Monmouth)
SHOUT OUT: A Lodi police officer last night had his third Narcan save, the department’s fourth.
Officer Philip Nobile responded to a Church Street address with Officer Nicholas Nobre and Sgt. Anthony Mobilio and “found an empty bottle of oxycodone in the room” with the 40-something victim around 7:20 p.m., Capt. Donald Scorzetti told CLIFFVIEW PILOT this morning.
Nobile administered an initial dose without a response and then another five minutes later, Scorzetti said.
“The victim became responsive after the second dose but was still in a sedated state,” he said.
The Lodi Ambulance Corps took him to Bergen Regional Medical Center, the captain said.
YOU READ IT HERE FIRST: A 66-year-old New Milford man was carrying crack and a 22-year-old Lodi man tried to swallow several bags of heroin when they were stopped by police coming through town in separate incidents a little over four hours apart yesterday, authorities said.
James Thomas, 22, was charged with hindering after he tried swallowing several heroin folds after being stopped at 4:15 p.m. yesterday on Route 46 at Boulevard, Police Chief Michael Foligno said this afternoon.
Around 8:30 p.m., officer charged 66-year-old Richard Roemer with drug possession after finding him carrying three bags of crack on East 55th Street, the chief said.
Both men were released on court summonses.
YOU READ IT HERE FIRST: Northvale police working a drug investigation seized two boxes filled with seven pounds of marijuana each that were shipped to a local address.
Detectives got a tip that the shipments were coming in via the mail and then picked up and taken out of state, Police Chief William Essmann said.
The investigation was continuing, he said.
YOU READ IT HERE FIRST: A 16-year-old Elmwood Park High School student who sent a prank text to a classmate about “shooting up the school” was being detained and local and county police were remaining through dismissal today after a modified shelter-in-place was lifted.
“You better run home…cause I’m shooting up the school,” read the text, prompting an immediate response from Elmwood Park police and Bergen County Sheriff’s officers just after 1:30 p.m.
“It didn’t have a phone number, so it appeared anonymous,” Elmwood Park Police Chief Michael Foligno told CLIFFVIEW PILOT.
The recipient immediately told a teacher who went straight administrators, Foligno said.
Under the modified shelter-in-place, students could move around but not leave their classrooms.
Having determined who sent the text, the chief said, “we are going to charge him. He’ll have to go to juvenile court [the Family Division of Superior Court in Hackensack].”
“It was intended as a prank, but that doesn’t mean we’re not taking it very seriously,” said Foligno, who was at Bergen County Sheriff Michael Saudino’s annual “Chief for a Day” event when he got the call this afternoon. “He’s going to be dealt with sternly. This cannot be allowed to happen without consequences.”
YOU READ IT HERE FIRST: A Lodi man stopped by a Garfield police officer for making an illegal U-turn before dawn this morning was carrying 43 bags of heroin, 36 Xanax pills, two bags of Molly and one of cocaine, authorities said.
Armand Jonusllari, 23, who records show has a drug arrest history, was being held on $50,000 bail in the Bergen County Jail, charged with various drug possession counts, being under the influence of drugs and driving while under the influence.
Officer Sebastian Tyburski stopped the car a 3:05 a.m. today in the area of Clark Street and Sherman Place and found Jonusllari apparently under the influence, Capt. Darren Sucorowski said tonight.
Tyburski ordered him out of the car for a sobriety field test and Jonusllari dropped a bag containing the drugs as he got out, Sucorowski said.
FILE MUGSHOT: Courtesy LODI PD
EXCLUSIVE REPORT: A Lyndhurst man who lured a teenager into “provocative” photos and then shopped her images into those of him and his wife having sex avoided prison when a judge in Hackensack yesterday suspended a three-year sentence.
Assistant Bergen County Prosecutor Brian Sinclair (STORY / PHOTO: CLIFFVIEW PILOT Courthouse Reporter Mary K. Miraglia)
Michael Gadaleta, 35, pleaded guilty to third-degree child endangerment for what Assistant Bergen County Prosecutor Brian Sinclair called “sexualization of a minor.”
“It’s not child pornograhy because she was fully clothed,” Sinclair said. “But he took those provocative photos and inserted them into still pictures and film of he and his wife having sex so that it looked like they were having a threesome.
“He’s in love with this girl and he’s sexualizing her,” the assistant prosecutor added. “It may not be child pornography because she’s not nude. But it is endangerment.”
Gadaleta had more than 100 images of child pornography on his computer — including, among others, the fully-clothed 14-year old on her knees with her mouth open as if about to provide oral sex, Sinclair said.
“From the pictures, I think the girl thought she was performing in a horror movie,” he said.
In exchange for Gadaleta’s guilty plea, Sinclair downgraded three counts of inducing a minor to simulate a sex act to the single child endangerment count.
Gadaleta must register as a Megan’s Law offender and remain under parole supervision for life, under the sentenced imposed by Superior Court Judge James J. Guida.
His parole officer will set standards for his release that could include a monitoring bracelet, the judge told him.
He said Gadaleta also must complete sex offender therapy.
“If you violate those terms, you’ll go back to jail,” the judge said.
Under current law, Gadaleta could come off the Megan’s Law list in 15 years.
“But the law may change, and it could be to your detriment,” Guida told him.
His sentence also requires that Gadaleta never contact the victim, according to Sinclair.
“If I hear he said ‘hello’ to her, he’s back in here and he’s going to prison,” he said.
STORY / PHOTOS: CLIFFVIEW PILOT Courthouse Reporter Mary K. Miraglia
YOU READ IT HERE FIRST: Bogota police arrested two men, seized 13 pots plants and confiscated $20,000 in alleged proceeds from a marijuana grow house.
A tipster led detectives to the Homestead Place house, where they executed a search warrant yesterday and found the plants — “In different stages of development” — along with the cash and a growing room “equipped with professional growing lights and a ventilation system,” Police Chief John C. Burke told CLIFFVIEW PILOT early this afternoon.
Roommates Gary Hill and Thomas Heger were being held on $60,000 each in the Bergen County Jail, charged with conpiracy, drug manufacturing and drug possession with the intent to distribute it.
The investigation was conducted by Detective Sgt. Jonathan Misskerg and Detective Victor Negron, with assistance from Sgts. Don Maye and Geoffrey Cole and Officers Hector Liriano, Devin Rivera and Michael Laferrera.
PHOTO: Courtesy BOGOTA PD
YOU READ IT HERE FIRST: Six people involved in a multi-vehicle accident on eastbound Route 3 in East Rutherford across from MetLife Stadium were brought to the trauma unit at Hackensack University Medical Center just after midnight with injuries that weren’t considered life-threatening, responders told CLIFFVIEW PILOT.
East Rutherford and Bergen County Bureau of Police Services officers were among the responders.
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UPDATE: An indictment returned by a grand jury in Hackensack last week charges an Elmwood Park man with raping a mentally-challenged 22-year-old woman and a relative with trying to help him duck authorities.
Carlos Zambrano (above, left), 35, surrendered to authorities last June 25, two days after the woman was interviewed by members of the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Special Victims Unit and Elmwood Park police.
Detectives spoke with several family members and friends while searching for Zambrano – who is married and unemployed – for those two days, Bergen County Prosecutor John L. Molinelli said at the time.
One of them, 28-year-old Diego F. Gaviria (above, right) of Clifton, gave Zambrano a change of clothes and a ride, the prosecutor said.
Zambrano remained held today on $350,000 bail, down from an original $500,000. The indictment cahrges him with two counts of aggravated sexual assault (rape) and obstruction of justice.
Gaviria, who was charged in the indictment with hindering Zambrano’s arrest, remained free on $5,000 bail.
MUGSHOTS: Courtesy BERGEN COUNTY PROSECUTOR
PHOTOS: Courtesy Regional Fire Photos
Leonia firefighters and Bergen County Hazardous Materials Unit controlled a sewage backup on Hawthorne Terrace this afternoon.
TRIBUTE: A host of Bergen County firefighters will join in the dedication next Sunday of a life-sized statue of the late Fr. Michael Judge, who died in the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center, across from the East Rutherford church where he served.
The East Rutherford Fire Department will unite with the Carlstadt Fire Department and FDNY Ceremonial Unit for the 1:30 p.m. unveiling at St. Joseph’s Park.
Mychal was stationed at St. Joseph’s twice, in the 60s and 70s. He spent his final years in New York City as FDNY chaplain.
The Rev. Donald Pitches, pastor of the nearby Carlstadt First Presbyterian Church, helped organize the tribute.
“I have heard that Father Mychal did nothing that any other friar wouldn’t have done, but he did it in a way that made an impression on people and that served as an example for fellow clergy,” Pitches told Around the Province, a Franciscan Friars blog. “I thought it was a good idea to honor him.”
Pitches called the park the “ideal place” for the statue, designed by Hanlon Sculpture Studio of Toms River and paid for by the borough of East Rutherford, “because it is the original spot where the parish school was located.”
PHOTOS: Boyd A. Loving
PHOTOS: One driver was taken to The Valley Hospital in Ridgewood following a collision between a Chevrolet SUV and a 4-door Suzuki sedan in Ho-Ho-Kus tonight.
Several other occupants of both vehicles were evaluated by EMS but refused further medical attention following the 7:15 p.m. crash at Maple Avenue and Franklin Turnpike.
HoHoKus police and firefighters also responded.
Both vehicles were removed by flatbed tow truck.
PHOTOS: Boyd A. Loving
PHOTOS: CLIFFVIEW PILOT Correspondent Jon Ryan
PHOTOS: Fair Lawn firefighters using the Jaws of Life freed a driver who was taken to Hackensack University Medical Center after her Ford Mustang convertible broadsided a utility pole tonight.
Traffic was halted both ways on Saddle River Road while emergency crews worked following the crash around 9 p.m.
The driver complained of hip pain.
Fair Lawn police were investigating.
PHOTOS: CLIFFVIEW PILOT Correspondent Jon Ryan
YOU READ IT HERE FIRST: Franklin Township police responding to a call from a Stop & Shop employee arrested a Queens man who they said was using a stolen credit card to buy gift cards.
Tori Begho, 31, remained held on $25,000 bail in the Bergen County Jail this morning, charged with credit card fraud, after Detective Lt. John Bakelaar said he was taken into custody at the Franklin Avenue store just after 5 p.m. yesterday.
MUGSHOT: Courtesy FRANKLIN LAKES PD
YOU READ IT HERE FIRST: A trio of Poughkeepsie men who were headed to last night’s Hot 97 Summer Jam at MetLife Stadium last night ended up at Rochelle Park police headquarters after officers found two ounces of pot for sale hidden under the hood of their BMW.
Officer Jared Shatkin stopped the car for several motor vehicle violations on southbound Route 17 at 8:15 p.m., Detective James DePreta told CLIFFVIEW PILOT this morning.
Approaching it, the officer smelled raw marijuana, DePreta said. Drug paraphernalia also was strewn throughout the interior, he said.
After obtaining consent to search from the driver, 26-year-old Anthony Tolbert, Shatkin found a small baggie of marijuana in the driver’s door pocket, DePreta said.
The rear-seat passenger, Sean Woods, 25, also was carrying a small bag of pot, he said.
The front-seat passenger, Douglas Kemp, 28, was carrying $3,044 in cash.
“Despite removing baggies and traces of marijuana from the vehicle, officers were still able to detech the odor of marijuana,” DePreta said.
“A search under the hood of the vehicle revealed a nylon bag placed in a void of the engine compartment,” he said. “The bag contained approximately 2 ounces of addtional marijuana, along with several dozen empty baggies consistent with narcotic distribution.”
All three were taken into custody, charged on summonses and released pending court hearings on various charges of marijuana possession with the intent to distribute the drug and drug paraphernalia possession.
The cash was seized and Kemp was charged with possession of property derived from criminal activity.
MUGSHOTS: Courtesy ROCHELLE PARK PD
MUGSHOTS: Two 67-year-old men roommates arrested by Bogota police with 13 pots plants and $20,000 in alleged proceeds in a marijuana grow house bust remained held in the Bergen County Jail over the weekend.
A tipster led detectives to the Homestead Place house, where they executed a search warrant on Friday.
Officers found the plants “in different stages of development,” along with the cash and a growing room “equipped with professional growing lights and a ventilation system,” Police Chief John C. Burke told CLIFFVIEW PILOT on Saturday.
Gary Hill (above, right) remained held on $60,000 bail and Thomas Heger (left) on $40,000 bail in the county jail. Both are charged with conspiracy, drug manufacturing and possession of drugs with the intent to distribute them.
The investigation was conducted by Detective Sgt. Jonathan Misskerg and Detective Victor Negron, with assistance from Sgts. Don Maye and Geoffrey Cole and Officers Hector Liriano, Devin Rivera and Michael Laferrera.
MUGSHOTS: Courtesy BERGEN COUNTY SHERIFF
Courtesy: BOGOTA PD
