SHOUT OUT: Fair Lawn police promoted to two officers to sergeant this week.

Sgt. Kenneth Cavanagh, 31, joined the department in 2006. A 2001 graduate of Fair Lawn High School, he is a firearms, ASP baton and OC spray instructor.

Sgt. Sean Macys, 35, joined the department in 2005. He is a 1997 graduate of Lakeland Regional High School and a 2001 graduate of Marist College with a degree in criminal justice. Macys recently became an accident reconstructionist for the department.

ABOVE, TOP: Sgt. Sean Macys, Sgt. Kenneth Cavanagh
FROM LEFT: Councilman Kurt Peluso, Deputy Mayor Amy Lefkowitz, Mayor John Cosgrove, Sgt. Kenneth Cavanagh, Sgt. Sean Macys, Councilwoman Lisa Swain, Deputy Mayor Daniel Dunay, Police Chief Glen Cauwels
(PHOTOS: Courtesy FAIR LAWN PD)

ONLY ON CVP: A U.S. Marine Iraq War veteran failed to reduce a plea-bargained, seven-year prison sentence for a drunk-driving crash that killed two men who were changing a tire off Route 80 in Saddle Brook.

With credit for time served, Jacob Cintron, 31, will still be eligible for parole in early 2016.

Both sides agreed that the Lodi father of two could have been convicted of vehicular homicide charges, which guarantee prison time in New Jersey.

Instead, he pleaded guilty in February to third-degree assault by auto, for which he could have received probation.

After getting seven years — four years for one victim, three for the other — Cintron appealed.

The state Appellate Division sent the sentence back, saying the judge hadn’t sufficiently explained the reason for prison — or for the consecutive terms.

Cintron told Superior Court Judge Edward A. Jerejian this week that the on Oct. 2, 2011 crash “could happen to anybody.”

“No one ever thinks it will happen to them, but I am a case in point,” he said. “If it happened to me, it could happen to you.

“I can never make this right for the families of the two men, but if someone else hears my story and learns from it, that is something positive that can come from my experience.”

Defense attorney Michael Beatrice said his client has been evaluated and “doesn’t have an alcohol problem.”

His behavior leading up to the accident that killed Wilfredo Pena and Virgilio Segundo-Fernandez-Urena, both of New York, was “an anomaly,” Beatrice said.

Cintron had just exited Route 80 East at 62B when his Hyundai struck the two men.

“There is no dispute Mr. Cintron was of exemplary character before this happened,” the attorney said. “A distinguished and decorated veteran of the Iraq war — a Marine, a leader of his men, that in and of itself deserves recognition.

“His wartime experiences may have contributed — and he needs counseling for that, and for dealing with this tragic accident,” Beatrice said. “After this horrible accident he directed people to call 911, and he tried to administer
CPR.

“Was he under the influence of alcohol? Did it cause his behavior? It may have affected his driving,” the defense attorney said.

Both the judge and Assistant Bergen County Prosecutor Martin Delaney disputed Beatrice’s contention that Cintron isn’t a risk to public safety.

“I don’t think I can say he’s a risk of committing another offense, but I also can’t say these circumstances are unlikely to recur,” Jerejian said. “He may have some issues, may need some counseling.”

“What you have to consider,” Delaney said, “is that someone continued to drink knowing he had to drive.”

The assistant prosecutor also emphasized that no prison time for the third-degree conviction “is a presumption and not a dictate.

That the DWI crash killed two people justified both a prison sentence and consecutive terms, he said.

The judge agreed, emphasizing that Cintron agreed to the maximum sentence as part of his plea bargain.

“This case involved careful consideration by two competent, experienced attorneys to reach this agreement,” Jerejian said, “and the decision to impose sentences consistent with the plea agreement should deserve great respect.

“This was a plea that was entered into freely and voluntarily.”

STORY/PHOTO: Mary K. Miraglia, CLIFFVIEW PILOT Courthouse Reporter

SHOUT OUT: New bricks will be dedicated at Van Saun Park during a candlelight vigil to mourn victims of domestic violence and reaffirm the commitment to end such abuse this “Purple Thursday” night.

The second annual vigil, which begins at 5:30 p.m. at the Pathway to Self-Sufficiency, was organized by the former Shelter Our Sisters — which changed its name this month to Center for Hope and Safety.

“In recognition of October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month, we gather to honor and remember survivors, victims, and families affected by domestic violence,” said Elaine K. Meyerson, the center’s executive director.

The Pathway has individual bricks honoring domestic violence survivors, remembering those who have died and recognizing the efforts of others to offer safety, strength, and hope.

The first vigil, held in December 2013, honored several Bergen County women and children killed by abusers.

“We need to keep raising awareness and remind people that domestic violence happens right here, in our own neighborhoods, often with devastating results,” Meyerson said. “We need to ensure that we all keep working hard to create a world in which violence in the home is simply not tolerated.”

Shelter Our Sisters, founded 38 years ago in Bergen County, changed its name “to reflect the growing array of both emergency and non-emergency services it offers to local families,” the agency said.

It focuses “not only on providing shelter in the moment of crisis but also offering support and guidance to help people lead independent, vibrant, self-confident lives, free of violence and the fear of violence.”

Earlier this year, the agency moved into a newly renovated building at 12 Overlook Avenue in Rochelle Park, consolidating all non-emergency services in one location for the first time.

MORE INFO: (201) 498-9247 / http://hopeandsafetynj.org/

SHOUT OUT: “America’s Got Talent” hip-hop violinist Damien Escobar will be one of the featured performers at this Sunday’s red-carpet fundraising gala concert, “Night of Wonders,” to help provide no-cost wigs to women and children with cancer.

The guest of honor will be one of America’s most loved, admired and respected newspeople, Pat Battle, a breast cancer survivor and Teaneck resident who anchors “Weekend Today in New York” on NBC.

“Do Wonders,” the non-profit organization hosting the 5 p.m. program at the Teaneck Marriott at Glennpoint, was created by Lillian Lee, who owns and operates the Teaneck Road salon that bears her name.

Wigs made of real human hair can cost more than $1,000, which is an additional expense that families of cancer victims often are unable to afford.

So Lee for years has been collecting, refurbishing and customizing donated wigs.

She took her charity to a higher level by establishing Do Wonders as a 501(c)3 designated non-profit, and launching last year’s inaugural coming-out fundraiser.

The event not only broadened the organization’s reach and connected it with many new recipients: It also allowed Do Wonders to begin buying brand new wigs for children instead of adapting adult versions.

“It’s all because of this loyal and caring community,” Lee said.

A longtime Teaneck resident, Lee was inspired by Superior Court Judge Deborah Ustas — which made for a shock when she got a call asking for one of the wigs from the judge herself. Lee has since dedicated “Hope Cuts” charity events to Ustas, who died in 2009.

“My number one cheerleader, Debbie pushed me to take on new challenges in business, while her generosity and support of several charities moved me to form my own,” she said.

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5 p.m. THIS SUNDAY (Teaneck Marriott at Glennpoint): Night of Wonders will feature a silent auction of goods and services donated by local businesses, raffles, a cocktail hour, kosher food/dairy fare/sushi bar and the benefit concert, with all proceeds going to Do Wonders. Several planned performances are expected to draw raves, including Escobar’s. SEE VIDEO:

TICKETS/MORE INFO: Night of Wonders 2014

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“Losing your hair after cancer treatment becomes another frustration in a long battle,” Lee said. “This is one way of helping them cope.

“Feeling good on the outside helps you feel better on the inside,” she said. “With a customized wig, you can maintain your identity and dignity through such a difficult time.”

The history of Lee’s philanthropy has brought many touching stories.

There was teenager Rosa Holowen, for instance, who lost both of her parents to cancer and was diagnosed with bone cancer herself. The day of Rosa’s prom, Lee and her staff went to work, styling her wig, doing her makeup.

She had to have a leg amputated a short time later, but Rosa – a three-sport star at Hasbrouck Heights High School — kept her determination, grace and dignity, inspiring countless others, before dying in August 2010 at 20.

 

“I very often visit the Hackensack Hospital Cancer Center, where I see so many bald women as a result of the chemo that treats their cancer,” another woman wrote to Lee. “They look as if they were stripped of their femininity as they walk around with no hair.

“You helped me to be more positive and look at this experience from a different angle.”

“Because of your selfless benevolence, this is now one less struggle that has left my worries,” wrote another.

“I feel so much like my old self with a wig that looks exactly like my real hair,” the woman added. “I’m beyond thrilled to have been in your company.”

SHOUT OUT: Bergen County Sheriff Michael Saudino will deliver the opening remarks outside the county courthouse in Hackensack this Thursday for a special ceremony honoring the 241 “peace-keeping heroes” killed by jihadists in the 1983 Beirut barracks bombing on Oct. 23, 1983.

The 12:30 p.m. event, presented by a group known as the International Christian Union — and co-sponsored by the Legislative District 39 County Republican Committee, will be held at the Bergen County Veterans Memorial Monument.

“As our forefathers declared their honor, fortunes and allegiance to the creation of this great nation, it is in their memory that we salute all those who have given their last full measure of life and allegiance,” ICU Chairman/President Joseph A. Hakim said.

Founded in 2005, the non-profit 501(c)(3) union “promotes Christian solidarity to advance the causes of democracy, human rights, and religious freedom,” Hakim said.

Its Mission Statement/Objectives:

“To promote and develop a unified voice for all Christians, especially those in the Middle East. The ICU will also protect the rights of other persecuted minorities.We will work to promote their cause and give them a voice on the world stage. The ICU is the voice of all Christians who are oppressed and cannot express their views, defend themselves, their interests, or practice their faith feely.

“Establish close relations among constituents in countries where the ICU operates.

“Build, create and develop educational, cultural, economic, ecological, social and political platforms and programs for all Christian communities under the ICU umbrella.

“Help respective groups to promote, in their geographic areas, the spirit of acceptance, tolerance and democracy. Additionally, the ICU will nurture aspirations for peace and foster faith and charity. For this effort the cultivation of understanding and building mutual support processes between all the Christian communities is needed to create a sound and safe environment for those threatened groups.

“Work to provide and grant as many possible facilities and services to persecuted Christian and other minorities in the Middle East, Africa and elsewhere. This work is to be accomplished by utilizing all of the ICU’s available capabilities and resources.

“Other organizations that wish to incorporate or join with the ICU are welcomed. However, they must abide by the ICU bylaws and must be approved by the Supreme World Trust Board. Groups wishing to join the ICU may continue to operate independently or fully incorporate themselves into the ICU.”

MORE: www.internationalchristianunion.org

YOU READ IT HERE FIRST: A former Westwood man who skipped his sentencing for punching a Hillsdale man and kicking his dog was being held without bail in the Bergen County Jail today after being picked up over the weekend.

The Bergen County Sheriff’s Office forwarded a warrant for 23-year-old Christian Sapp of Jersey City, who didn’t show up for his Sept. 12 sentencing.

Westwood police took him into custody on Saturday, court officials said.

Sapp punched the 34-year-old man and kicked his dog outside the Wendy’s Restaurant on Hillsdale Avenue and then fled on May 7, Hillsdale authorities said at the time.

Officer Alex Kaplan interviewed the victim and quickly pegged the 5-foot-5-inch, 155-pound Sapp, whose criminal record includes several random attacks. Records show charges dismissed in at least two of those cases.

MUGSHOT: Courtesy HILLSDALE PD

YOU READ IT HERE FIRST: A Ridgewood High School girl approached by a man who asked whether she wanted some candy this afternoon snapped a cellphone shot of his van as it pulled away, police told CLIFFVIEW PILOT tonight.

The girl told police the driver had a passenger with him in the black Ford Econoline that slowed down as she walked on East Ridgewood Avenue near Hope Street around 3:15 p.m.

The van, possibly a 2007 through 2013, bore New Jersey plates, with running boards and backup sensors on the rear bumper.

The girl described the driver as white, in his early 50s, about 5-foot-9 and 240 pounds.

She described the passenger as younger, dark-skinned and possibly Hispanic.

“She was very observant — and had the presence of mind to take the photo,” Police Chief John Ward said.

Ward asked that anyone with information that could help the investigation call village detectives: (201) 251-4536

IMAGE: Courtesy RIDGEWOOD PD

ONLY ON CVP: Jurors in Hackensack today found a West African native not guilty of seeking revenge against his boss by calling in a bogus report to police of a gun at a Carlstadt warehouse.

Superior Court Judge Lisa Perez Friscia (STORY/PHOTOS: Mary K. Miraglia, CLIFFVIEW PILOT Courthouse Reporter)

Salamy Boima shrugged and smiled faintly after the verdict was read.

“He told me to tell the truth,” Boima, of Sierra Leone, told CLIFFVIEW PILOT, gesturing to defense attorney Ben Malin. “I told the truth.”

“I think justice was done,” Malin said. “I think Mr. Boima is an honest man who told the truth.”

Jurors deliberated less than half a day after Malin and Assistant Bergen County Prosecutor Daryl Williams made closing arguments this morning.

Malin showed them diagrams of the scale of justice — one balanced, the other two tilting in favor or against a defendant. A jury is the justice system’s foundation, he said, with the tilt of the scales depending on evidence and the burdens of proof.

Williams, meanwhile, said Boima distributed work at the Carlstadt warehouse from a second job he had — something he’d been warned not to do.

He also “couldn’t get along with anyone” on the job after only six or seven months and was asked to leave by the warehouse manager.

Instead, Williams said, he “hung around for an hour and eight minutes” and called 911 to make a report he knew was false that he had seen a man in a silver Chevy Tahoe with a handgun.

Boima gave the police dispatcher a good description of the vehicle and the man, whom he described as Colombian.

And although he testified that he didn’t know his bosses’ name, he used it in responding to his attorney.

In the end, Williams gave jurors no proof that Boima didn’t see a gun after he repeatedly insisted that he had.

It was the first criminal trial for Superior Court Judge Lisa Perez Friscia, a former Bergen County prosecutor who ordinarily is assigned to civil courts but is devoting one week per month assisting with trials until new judges are appointed.

The jury of nine women and three men acquitted Boima of two counts of filing a bogus police report, causing a false public alarm and calling 911 without a legitimate purpose.

STORY/PHOTOS: Mary K. Miraglia, CLIFFVIEW PILOT Courthouse Reporter

YOU READ IT HERE FIRST: Teaneck and Englewood police teamed up to charge a 42-year-old ex-con fugitive from North Carolina in connection with a series of break-ins near the border of both towns.

Teaneck detectives looking for career burglar Antonio Singletary spotted him shopping in downtown Englewood yesterday and arrested him in a rented vehicle on First Street.

A search of the vehicle turned up jewelry, coins, electronics and other valuables stolen in area burglaries, as well as drug paraphernalia and a pipe cutter, Teaneck Police Chief Robert Carney said this afetrnoon.

Antonio Singletary (MUGSHOT: Courtesy TEANECK PD)

Englewood detectives joined their Teaneck colleagues and the two squads worked the case throughout the day, questioning Singletary and examining the evidence found.

Before they were done, Teaneck investigators charged Singletary with five counts of burglary and four of theft, as well as possession of drug paraphernalia and burglar tools.

Englewood detectives charged him with four counts each of burglary and theft, including:

An Oct. 12 Oakland Street burglary in which $10,000 worth of jewelry and electronics were taken — and all of which was were recovered;

A Coolidge Avenue break-in on Oct. 13, during which an as-yet-undetermined amount of cash was taken;

The Oct. 17 theft of more than $500 worth of copper wire from a Tietjen Avenue residence.

The theft of more than $500 in brass fittings from a vacant First Street residence on an undetermined date.

The 6-foot-1-inch, 280-pound Singletary has an adult criminal history in New Jersey that stretches back 20 years — including arrests for burglary, robbery and drug and weapons possession, court records show.

He was being held on a combined $250,000 bail in the Bergen County Jail.

Singletary also was wanted on warrants out of Essex County, Garner, NC, and Allegheny County in Pennsylvania.

“Our detectives work very closely with Teaneck detectives on almost a daily basis because we share a certain segment of the criminal element in this area,” Englewood Police Capt. Timothy Torell told CLIFFVIEW PILOT early this afternoon. “The cooperation between our agencies serves both communities well.”

Authorities noted that some property that detectives recovered from Singletary may or may not have been reported to police.

“We are asking any of our residents who may have experienced any type of burglaries or thefts from their homes that have not been reported to contact us,” Torell said.

Teaneck PD: (201) 837 2565
Englewood PD: (201) 568-4875

MUGSHOT: Courtesy BERGEN COUNTY SHERIFF

ANOTHER CVP SCOOP: A Saddle Brook man found with a stockpile of guns, gunpowder and ammunition after police said his wife stabbed him was indicted by a grand jury in Hackensack today on a variety of charges.

The 10-count indictment charges 65-year-old Robert Lintner with “creating risk of widespread injury or damage by recklesslessly handling or storing” 300 pounds of gunpowder in his 1,400-square-foot home.

The amount of powder was 10 times the legal limit that can be stored residentially, as well as a public safety hazard “not only for the home itself but for adjacent homes,” Saddle Brook Police Chief Robert Kugler told CLIFFVIEW PILOT at the time.

Authorities also seized 200 firearms for storage and cataloging, as required by domestic violence laws.

They led to charges against Lintner in the indictment of illegally posssessing:

an Auto Ordnance Corp. Thompson submachine gun;a Sten 9mm machine gun;a US Carbine M1 rifle.

He also was charged with illegally possessing 65 large-capacity ammunition magazines.

Surrounding homes were temporarily evacuated after police found and removed the gunpowder when they went to look for the guns.

During the operation, 65-year-old Eileen Lintner posted $75,000 bail and was released on aggravated assault charges — with the condition that she have no contact with her husband.

She has not been able to return to the house, authorities told CLIFFVIEW PILOT this morning.

Her husband, meanwhile, has remained free on $2,500 bail.

Police first went to the house the morning of Aug. 7 on a domestic violence call and found that Robert Lintner stabbed just below his ear. They took Eileen Lintner into custody and obtained a search warrant.

Investigators found the powder and what Kugler, the police chief, called an “extensive” amount of ammunition after recovering the kitchen knife that they believe was used in the stabbing.

At that point they immediately halted their firearms search and summoned the Bergen County Police Department Bomb Squad. Adjacent homes were briefly evacuated.

Lintner, a known weapons collector, had five gun vaults in the house and and what authorities initially estimated were 100 firearms, including handguns and long rifles, Kugler said.

They found dozens more after firefighters opened the vaults using the Jaws of Life.

Cracking the 6-foot-tall, half-ton safes became necessary when Lintner refused to open the himself, Kugler said.

“It’s better than trying to carry them out,” he told CLIFFVIEW PILOT at the time.

PUBLIC SAFETY: State Senate President Steve Sweeney and Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg led a roundtable discussion on domestic violence today with advocates and survivors at the Center for Hope and Safety in Rochelle Park.

Nearly one-fourth of all women and one in seven men have experienced severe physical violence by an intimate partner at some point in their lifetimes.

In New Jersey, domestic violence occurs the equivalent of every 8 minutes, 6 seconds.

A total of 38 domestic violence murders were recorded in the state in 2012.

Police in New Jersey reported more than 65,000 total domestic violence offenses that year, for which children were reported present for nearly 30%.

What’s more, Sweeney said, “we know that many incidents go unreported to law enforcement.”

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SHOUT OUT: New bricks will be dedicated at Van Saun Park during a candlelight vigil to mourn victims of domestic violence and reaffirm the commitment to end such abuse this “Purple Thursday” night. READ MORE….

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Shelter Our Sisters, founded 38 years ago in Bergen County, changed its name to the Center for Hope and Safety to reflect “the growing array,” as the agency put it, “of both emergency and non-emergency services it offers to local families.”

The center focuses “not only on providing shelter in the moment of crisis but also offering support and guidance to help people lead independent, vibrant, self-confident lives, free of violence and the fear of violence.”

Earlier this year, it moved into a newly renovated building at 12 Overlook Avenue where today’s roundtable was held, consolidating all non-emergency services in one location for the first time.

“We need to keep raising awareness and remind people that domestic violence happens right here, in our own neighborhoods, often with devastating results,” Elaine K. Meyerson, the center’s executive director, said. “We need to ensure that we all keep working hard to create a world in which violence in the home is simply not tolerated.”

The lawmakers and other attendees agreed.

“We need to send a strong message to women, men and children who are often too frightened, or sometimes too ashamed, to go to the authorities that they are supported,” Sweeney said. “As a community, we need to let victims know that there is nothing to be ashamed of, and that there is help to get them back on their feet.”

Weinberg said the event, held during Domestic Violence Awareness Month, was “an opportunity to hear firsthand from survivors and those who work every day on their behalf.

“I want to commend the women who shared their stories and all of the advocates across the state who have made working to end violence against women their lives’ mission,” she said.

PHOTO: Courtesy Sean Kennedy, New Jersey Democrats

A Lodi juvenile told police a pair of robbers hit him in the head with a metal pipe after nearly stabbing him, then ran off with his backpack last night.

The boy said he was walking home on Farnham Avenue just after 9 p.m. when “he felt someone tug on his shirt from behind,” Detective Capt. Donald Scorzetti said this afternoon.

When he turned, the boy said, he was confronted by a tall, thin, dark-skinned black man in 20s holding a knife five ro six inches long.

The robber lunged at him, the boy said, but he jumped back.

At that point a heavyset Hispanic or Arabic man who appeared to be in his 20s and had a goatee and a black hoodie, hit him with the pipe, leaving a cut over his left eye, the boy told police.

The pair ran south on Farnham Avenue towards First Street with the North Face backpack, he said.

Scorzetti asked that anyone who may have home security cameras in the area of 294 Farnham Avenue or has information that could help the investigation call Lodi detectives: (973) 473-5757

ONLY ON CVP: An 85-year-old woman hit the gas instead of the brake and plowed her Volkwagen Beetle through a Mahwah mini-mart this afternoon.

The driver was uninjured in the crash at the Fardale MiniMart at the corner of Forest Road and Wyckoff Avenue around 1:20 p.m.

The entire front had to be removed and a temporary front wall installed.

PHOTO: Jonathan N. Marcus

CHECK BACK FOR MORE DETAILS

YOU READ IT HERE FIRST: A Bergen County Sheriff’s Office sergeant was taken Hackensack University Medical Center after his SUV slammed into a disabled car at the merge of Routes 17/287 in Mahwah tonight.

Injuries sustained by the sergeant when his department Tahoe hit the other vehicle before 11:30 p.m. weren’t believed to be serious, a department source told CLIFFVIEW PILOT.

No other injuries were reported.

CHECK BACK FOR MORE DETAILS

YOU READ IT HERE FIRST: A fingerprint check proved that an East Harlem fugitive gave a false name to Wyckoff police after she tried withdrawing $2,200 from the real person’s bank account, authorities said.

Nicole S. Bell, 24, had a New York driver’s license “in the name of a legitimate account holder,” Police Chief Benjamin C. Fox said this morning.

Alerted by the bank manager, police took her into custody, Fox said.

She identified as Monique Gomez, he said.

Fingerprinting at headquarters showed otherwise.

Bell, who lives in the Lehman Village city housing project on 108th Street, was wanted out of several jurisdictions in New Jersey and New York, Fox said.

Wyckoff police charged her with false impersonation, possession of a fraudulent government document, providing false information to law enforcement (hindering), forgery and attempted theft.

She was being held on $75,000 bail in the Bergen County Jail.

MUGSHOT: Courtesy WYCKOFF PD

YOU READ IT HERE FIRST: A bandit in a ski mask hopped into a high-end sedan as it emerged from a Maywood car wash and sped off with it, police said.

The thief, who was also wearing blue jeans and a jacket, got into the black 2015 Audi S8 outside Jax Car Wash and gunned it down Essex Street toward Routes 17/80 the night of Oct. 11, Detective Jason Liaban said.

Anyone with information that could help the investigation is asked to call Maywood police: (201) 845-8800.

UPDATE: A Bergen County assistant prosecutor said she’ll be back in court on Monday to seek a new trial date on four deadlocked counts against a Colombian national from Bergenfield who was acquitted by jurors in Hackensack yesterday on three sex-assault charges involving a pre-teen girl.

Assistant Bergen County Prosecutor Kristin DeMarco (STORY / PHOTOS: CLIFFVIEW PILOT Courthouse Reporter Mary K. Miraglia)

The jurors found Luis Lopez, 53, not guilty of charges relating to an Oct. 1, 2012 incident, when the alleged victim was 12.

They couldn’t resolve counts from a second alleged incident, on Dec. 5, 2012, after she’d turned 13.

Assistant Bergen County Prosecutor Kristin DeMarco, after talking with the girl, said she will retry Lopez on the remaining counts.

Although gratified by the not-guilty findings, defense attorney William Gonzalez said he and Lopez were disappointed in the mixed verdict.

The girl testified during the trial that she was sitting on a couch beside Lopez watching a horror film with a group of family members when she felt his hand rubbing her vagina under the blanket. She said she squirmed and tried to move away from him.

Another incident followed months later in which she said Lopez against rubbed her vagina and used his foot to rub his penis after he found her laying on a couch, the girl said. She then told a guidance counselor.

Others present the night of the first alleged incident testified that the lights were on the entire evening and there was no blanket.

The second assault occurred, the girl said, several months later when she was lying on the couch. Lopez came into the room, sat down, and placed her foot on his penis while also rubbing her vagina with his hands, she said.

Gonzalez said the case was “lacking facts” because it was based solely on her testimony.

“There was no testimony of detectives, no DNA, no physical evidence,” Gonzalez told jurors last week. “Two years for this case to come to trial, and not one of the detectives ever spoke to the witnesses we put before you.

“You would think they would go to the crime scene, look at that living room,” the defense lawyer said. “They didn’t interview family members, or anyone at school. No one from the hospital testified as to what she told them about this incident.”

DeMarco, in turn, said that the account given by the girl — who turned 15 a month ago — was the only one that mattered.

“It wasn’t a whodunit,” she said. “We knew who did it. There wasn’t a need to present a parade of police witnesses to testify to information that was largely irrelevant. There were no issues that required CSI evidence.

“We knew who it was — she told us. The fact witness, the victim, told us.”

Lopez was acquitted of first -degree aggravated sexual assault, second -degree sexual assault, and third -degree child endangerment.

The charges in the new trial: second -degree sexual assault by placing his fingers in the victim’s vaginal labia; sexual contact by rubbing the victim’s vagina with his hands; sexual contact by placing the victim’s foot on his penis to rub it; and sexual conduct to impair or debauch the morals of a child — all third and fourth -degree charges.

Lopez rejected a plea offer of eight years in prison in June — with parole after six years and nine months — insisting that he wouldn’t agree to any deal that required him to register and report as a Megan’s Law sex offender for life.

Defense attorney William Gonzalez, Luis E. Lopez (STORY / PHOTOS: CLIFFVIEW PILOT Courthouse Reporter Mary K. Miraglia)

 
Bergenfield man accused of sexually assaulting pre-teen rejects plea deal

ONLY ON CVP: A Colombian national from Bergenfield will go to trial on charges of sexually assaulting a pre-teenage girl after refusing a plea bargain that includes mandatory Megan’s Law registration. READ MORE….

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Bergenfield man charged with sexually assaulting teen remains free on bail

EXCLUSIVE: A Bergenfield man remains free on $250,000 bail following his arraignment on charges of sexually assaulting a pre-teen girl several times. READ MORE….

Defense attorney W.N. Gonzalez, defendant Luis Lopez, interpreter (STORY / PHOTOS: Mary K. Miraglia, CLIFFVIEW PILOT Courthouse Reporter)

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Bergen men indicted in child sex, exposure cases

EXCLUSIVE: Two Bergenfield men have been indicted in separate child sex and exposure cases. READ MORE….

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Bergenfield man, 51, molested girl, authorities charge

YOU READ IT HERE FIRST: Authorities have charged a Bergenfield man with twice molesting a young girl, first when she was 12 and again nearly a year later. READ MORE….

SHOUT OUT: A German shorthaired pointer found tied to a pole in a Closter park with an “ABANDONED” sign is looking for a new home while authorities search for the owner.

“His name is Oreo and he knows to sit, lay down and roll over — with treats of course,” said dog groomer Jenny Jay of Harrington Park. “He’s up to date on all shots and is neutered.

“I’ve groomed him many times and would love to be able to continue to see him,” she said.

While Jay and others seek a permanent home for the 7-to-8-year-old pooch, animal control officials are searching for the owner. Charges were likely, sources told CLIFFVIEW PILOT.

If you’re interested in adopting Oreo, call: (201) 401-0179

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REPORT animal cruelty or neglect in Bergen County (CALL 201-573-8900 or CLICK banner below)

DO YOU KNOW THEM? Hackensack police hope the public can help them find two men who struck an Applebee’s manager with their Cadillac Escalade after skipping out on the bill.

The manager, who refused medical attention after being hit by the pickup, told police that the pair spoke to one another in English and Hebrew after coming to the restaurant around 8 p.m. Oct 14.

If you can provide any information that helps the investigation, please call Hackensack police: (201) 646-7777

Tell them you saw it on CLIFFVIEW PILOT.

SURVEILLANCE IMAGES: Courtesy HACKENSACK PD

YOU READ IT HERE FIRST: A woman who tried to cross Route 80 in Ridgefield Park tonight sustained lower extremity injuries after she was clipped by a truck, police told CLIFFVIEW PILOT.

Ambulance workers who happened by treated the woman, who was taken to Hackensack University Medical Center with injuries that weren’t considered life-threatening, said Bogota Police Capt. James Sepp, whose department handled the 5:30 p.m. call.

Social media reports that the woman had jumped from the Second Street bridge at Exit 67 were erroneous.

“She walked down,” Sepp said.