Editor’s note: This section is based on data provided to the Northern Valley Press by neighborhood police departments. Due to pending court appearances and other variations, the following information shall be read in “press time”
context.
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BERGEN COUNTY PROSECUTOR’S OFFICE
• Suspect in attempted sex assault case — Authorities have announced the arrest of a suspect in the attempted sex assault of an 83-year-old Dumont woman, who was tackled to the ground behind St. Cecilia’s Church in Englewood by an assailant at about 5:30 a.m. on July 28.
Margarito Hernandez-Villadares, 23, of Englewood, was arrested on Nov. 9 and charged with attempted sexual assault, criminal restraint and criminal sexual contact, said Bergen County Prosecutor Gurbir S. Grewal.
The arrest comes more than three months after Englewood Police said the victim was walking through the church parking lot when a Hispanic male in his 30s, approximately 5-foot-6-inches in height, grabbed her and tackled her to the ground in a doorway. Police at that time shared surveillance videos with the public, editing out graphic scenes, and asked for help finding the assailant.
“The male stopped the attack and calmly walked away when the victim was able to wave down a passing vehicle,” Detective Capt. Timothy Torell told Northern Valley Press shortly after the incident. “The woman received minor injuries.”
Wanted posters were circulated and a $1,000 cash reward was offered through Bergen Crime Stoppers after the attack.
“As a result of a joint investigation by members of the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victims Unit and the Englewood Police Department, Margarito Hernandez-Valladares was arrested” in Englewood on Nov. 9, Grewal said in a statement.
He added, “…The charges are merely accusations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, and [we] would also like to thank the Englewood Police Department for their assistance in this investigation.”
Hernandez-Valladares had his first court appearance on Nov. 10. He is being held in Bergen County Jail without bond on a federal immigration detainer, Bergen County Sheriff’s Department records show, also listing him as a citizen of El Salvador. The county prosecutor’s office said he is single, employed as a laborer and lives at 45 Mattlage Place.
• County prosecutor reports overdose incidents — The Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office has a social media campaign, “Stop the ODs,” where it routinely shares information on drug overdoses in the county to shed light on the epidemic.
Through this campaign, the prosecutor’s office reported that on Nov. 9, the Englewood Police Department responded to a 34-year-old male victim who died of a suspected overdose.
The office also shared that on Nov. 12, the Tenafly Police Department responded to a 48-year-old female victim who died of a suspected overdose.
So far this year, the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office reports that there have been 104 overdose fatalities in the county, and 214 Narcan saves.
• Investigators charge Palisades Park police officer – The Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office reports that on Nov. 9, it received information from the Palisades Park Police Department that one of their officers may be under the influence of illegal narcotics.
As a result of the information received, members of the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Confidential Investigations Unit, Narcotic Task Force and the Fort Lee Police Department initiated an investigation, which led to a search warrant of the officer’s Fort Lee residence.
The officer, Richard Giacobone, was arrested on Nov. 9 and charged with one count of possession of anabolic steroids, a third-degree crime; one count of possession of cocaine, a third-degree crime; one count of possession of marijuana, a disorderly persons offense; and one count of possession of large capacity magazines, a fourth-degree crime.
Following Giacobone’s arrest, Sarang Cho was arrested on Monday, Nov. 13 in Paramus and charged with one count of possession of THC edibles, a disorderly persons offense. Giacobone and Cho are listed as living in the same residence in the prosecutor’s release.
Giacobone’s first court appearance is scheduled for Dec. 1, and Cho is scheduled for Nov. 29.
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PALISADES INTERSTATE PARKWAY POLICE
• Man crossing parkway injured when hit by car — On Friday, Nov. 10 at about 7:37 p.m., the Palisades Interstate Parkway Police Department received multiple calls reporting a pedestrian struck by an auto southbound on the Parkway near the Mobil Gas Station. (The Mobil gas station is located south of interchange 1 in the Englewood Cliffs section.)
Officers responded and found a single victim, later identified as Nikut Boma, a 23-year-old male from Houston, Texas, laying in the right lane of the highway at the entrance to the gas station. The striking vehicle, a Lexus, operated by Henry Kim, 66, of Alpine, was also on scene.
Officers provided first aid to Boma, who was later transported to Hackensack University Medical Center by EMS and paramedics. Boma suffered several lower extremity injuries but was not reported to be life threatening.
The operator was traveling southbound on the parkway in the right lane when he came upon Boma, striking him. Boma was determined to have been crossing westbound across the highway when he was struck. The highway was temporarily closed as Boma was carrying large number of belongings that were spread across the lanes. Boma was cited for walking on the highway and there are no other pending charges.
• Responders rappel down cliffs to rescue lost hikers
On Saturday, Nov. 11 at about 5:38 p.m., the Palisades Interstate Parkway Police Department received a call from a person saying that they were part of a four-person hiking group that was lost in the woods and trapped on the side of the cliff. They were unsure of their location and could not move on their own. Officers Martin Clancy, Anthony Burgos, Rocco Guerriero and Kevin Condus responded to the area of their last known location.
Between phone interview questions and phone tracking, Officer Clancy was able to determine that the hikers were located near the Lamont Doherty Observatory on the New York/New Jersey border.
Two members responded through Piermont as the other members responded to deploy marine assets. Officer Guerriero made verbal contact with the hikers by accessing the cliff through Lawrence Lane. Officer Clancy arrived to assist; however, both were unable to reach the hikers due to a steep cliff terrain.
Officers Burgos and Condus responded in Marine 2; Officer Clancy then later responded in Marine 4. It was determined that the safest route of access was from the south. Closter EMS and Rescue was dispatched and picked up by Marine 2 and transported to the scene. Westchester County Police Marine 2, Rockland Sheriff’s Marine 1 were requested to assist. Crews were able to later hike in and conduct a rappel operation to reach the hikers and bring them down to safety. Low tides caused the Parkway Marine units to become lodged in the mud and members hiked through shallow water to reach the rescue crews on land.
Closter EMS and Officers Guerriero and Bellini hiked out with the victims to prevent them from entering the river. The remaining personnel were transported to Alpine Boat Basin where they were evaluated by EMS for cold weather exposure. All hikers were evaluated by EMS for cold weather exposure and refused medical aid. Units cleared the scene at approximately 12:30 a.m. (total rescue time was approximately six hours).
Rescued hikers are as follows: Yanyee Cheng, 29-year-old woman from Albany, N.Y.; Joanne Wong, 28-year-old woman from Brooklyn, N.Y.; Wan Chang, 32-year-old woman from Brooklyn, N.Y.; and Wem Zhong, 27-year-old man from Brooklyn, N.Y.
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CLOSTER
• Two luxury car thefts reported — On Oct. 26 between the hours of 10 p.m. and 8 a.m., a Mercedes Benz SUV was stolen from the east hill section of the Closter Police Department’s jurisdiction. The vehicle was left unlocked with the key fob inside. The vehicle was subsequently located in Newark the next day, and returned to the owner.
On Oct. 29, between the hours of 2-7 p.m., a Maserati was also stolen from the east hill section of the department’s jurisdiction. The vehicle was left unlocked with the key fob inside. The vehicle has yet to be recovered; however, detectives stated it was observed via A.L.P.R. (Automatic License Plate Recognition) driving around the Newark area.
• Man shoplifts more than $500 worth of items — On Oct. 10, a representative from Stop & Shop Loss Prevention responded to Closter Police Headquarters to report a shoplifting incident.
The store rep stated that on Oct. 7 around 3:47 p.m., he observed via store surveillance a male party shoplifting a variety of items from the Closter Stop & Shop on Demarest Avenue. The man exited the supermarket with said items prior to the intervention of store security. The store rep provided the name of a male party who fit the physical description of a habitual shoplifter from other Shop & Shops in the area.
Stolen goods included eight boxes of Crest white strips, two packs of Gilette Pro-Glide razor blades, three Red Bull four-packs and one Red Bull 12-pack. The total cost of the items was $525.86.
Upon reviewing the security footage, Detective Keith Dombkowski identified the shoplifter using his driver’s license photograph, and contacted a detective with the New Milford Police Department, who has had multiple interactions with the shoplifter. The detective also positively identified the shoplifter by viewing the footage.
Dombkowski attempted to contact the accused via his cell phone multiple times. He was issued a summons, sent via mail, and charged with third-degree shoplifting.
• Man leaves house with knife, jumps on occupied car — On Oct. 8 at 6:47 p.m., Closter patrol units were dispatched to the area of Homans and Macarthur avenues for a male party who ran from his house, with his father in pursuit of him.
Three patrolmen located the male party and his father, who was trying to get his son under control. They were on the ground, and the younger man was kicking, flailing his arms and screaming.
The patrolmen exited their vehicles and quickly detained the man. He was handcuffed, and back-up arrived on scene. The father was visibly upset, and stated that his son needed help. He said his son was home for the weekend and was being transitioned to a new group home. He said his son’s anxiety became heightened, he became agitated and ran from the house with a knife.
The father said he chased his son on foot, caught up to him and was able to get the knife. A Closter sergeant then called for an ambulance to transport the man to Bergen Regional Medical Center. A patrolman located a witness on Macarthur Avenue, who said she saw the man run onto a property and strike a vehicle in the driveway with his hands and possibly an object. The witness said the man then banged on the front door and ran onto Macarthur Avenue.
The patrolman then located an occupied vehicle, and witnesses in the vehicle said that the man jumped onto the hood of their vehicle, banged on it and rolled off while they were stopped. The man got up and struck the front passenger side window repeatedly with a knife, causing a crack in the window. The man then ran away.
The father said he would pay for all damage caused by his son to the vehicles. The owner and occupants of the vehicle said they did not wish to issue any complaints. An ambulance arrived on scene, and the man was transitioned to a stretcher. He was searched for weapons, handcuffed to the stretcher and transported to Bergen Regional Medical Center with two officers, who signed him in as an involuntary commitment.
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CRESSKILL
• Driver without license plate arrested — On Thursday, Nov. 3 at about 2:16 a.m. Patrolman Jorge Vela was traveling east on Madison Avenue when he observed a vehicle traveling west on Madison Avenue with no front plate.
Vela made a U-turn and began to follow the vehicle west on Madison Avenue, before conducting a motor vehicle stop.
Sgt. Jeremy Luciano was dispatched to the scene, and Tenafly Police Officer Sean Gaffney was also on scene.
Vela approached the vehicle and asked the driver, a 26-year-old male from Tenafly, for his credentials. During the course of the stop, Gaffney and Vela observed in plain view a yellow glassine bag with a white powder substance in the center console. Vela also detected the odor of alcohol emanating from the vehicle.
The driver was removed from the vehicle and advised of the glassine bag in the center console and an odor of an alcoholic beverage emanating from his breath. The driver admitted that he had two beers and a Jameson shot in Nanuet, N.Y., and the glassine bag contained cocaine.
As Vela was gathering the man’s wallet at his request, a white powder substance fell out of the wallet and onto the officer’s uniform. Luciano began to search the wallet and more residue continued to come out of the wallet and onto his uniform. A folded dollar bill containing a white substance was found. The driver admitted that it was cocaine.
The driver was placed under arrest, transported to police headquarters and charged with: possession of a controlled dangerous substance and possession of a CDS in a motor vehicle. He was also issued a citation for not having a license plate. All charges are pending a court appearance.
• Burglar makes off with about $17K in jewelry — On Nov. 7 at 8:39 p.m., police responded to a Stonegate Trail residence after a man called 911 to report his residence has been burglarized while he and his wife were at work.
The resident told police he had not entered his residence because he was uncertain if anybody had been inside, but that he observed that his front door appeared to be forced in.
Patrolman Shawn Cole observed that the frame of the door has been pushed in, and that there appeared to be an indentation on the door from being kicked. Cole then called backup and for the Bergen County Sherrif’s Office Bureau of Criminal Investigations.
Officers then entered the residence and began to check for any parties remaining inside with negative results. While checking the interior of the residence, Cole observed that all of the upstairs rooms had been ransacked. The homeowner was unable to determine immediately if there was anything missing, but noticed that his most valuable belongings had been undisturbed and hidden.
County investigators soon arrived and processed the scene for forensic evidence for further processing. A pillow case was observed to be missing from the master bedroom, and investigators believed that there must be some form of proceeds based on that observation.
After processing the scene, the resident’s wife arrived home and took inventory of her belongings in the master bedroom. She stated that she believes that some inexpensive costume jewelry was taken, along with two of her watches, which she believed were valued at a total of $17,000. The homeowners were advised of the rest of the investigative process and all units went back into service without incident.
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HAWORTH
• Driver arrested for driving while intoxicated — On Nov. 5 at about 1:37 a.m., Sgt. Gianluca Ragone conducted a motor vehicle stop on Washington Avenue in Dumont with a vehicle bearing a New Jersey registration.
Upon Ragone’s approach of the driver’s side window, he smelled an odor of alcoholic beverage emanating from the interior of the vehicle. The 63-year-old male driver from Bergenfield subsequently performed field sobriety tests. Based on Ragone’s observations and indicators observed during the field sobriety testing, it was determined the driver was driving while intoxicated. The defendant was placed under arrest and transported to Haworth Police Headquarters, where he was processed and subsequently refused to submit to providing breath samples.
The defendant was also issued seven motor vehicle summonses and released.