KPD: This one’s for the birds

KPD Ryan Rosado
KPD
Ryan Rosado

What’s a guy to do on a balmy summer evening? Take a girl out on a romantic date? Take in a ballgame with his buddies? Or, how about driving to the Burger King lot to take potshots at the seagulls?

At 7 p.m. last Wednesday, Aug. 12, Officer Sean Kelly was dispatched to the Passaic Ave. site on a report of someone firing a gun from a red car. In the restaurant lot, police said, he found a red Mazda, with a man aiming a handgun out the driver’s window, apparently shooting at the birds.

Investigating, Kelly reportedly recovered a CO2-charged pellet pistol from under the front seat and additional ammo in the center console. Driver Ryan Rosado, 23, of Kearny, was arrested and charged with unlawful possession of a weapon and on an ordinance complaint of discharging a weapon within town limits. Asked if any gulls had been wounded or killed, KPD Chief John Dowie said, “Not that’s been noted.”

Lucky birds.

• • •

Other recent reports from the Kearny police blotter included the following:

Aug. 7 

Officer Cesar Negron responded to an 11:20 a.m. report of an assault in South Kearny and arrived to find a 35-year-old Hendersonville, Tenn., man lying unconscious on Western Road. Police said the victim had been punched by a co-worker, Christopher Cunningham, 50, of Madison, Tenn., fell and struck his head on the concrete. Kearny EMS took the injured man to University Hospital in Newark. Negron and Det. Bryant Obie took Cunningham to headquarters to be booked on aggravated-assault charges.

Aug. 8 

Shortly after midnight, Det. Michael Gonzalez responded to a car burglary in the area of Garfield Ave. and Devon St., where the owner reported that a cellphone, sunglasses, currency and change had been taken from her parked Toyota, apparently by three men. Gonzalez, with Sgt. Charles Smith and Officers Jay Ward and Dean Gasser as backup, searched the area, located and detained the suspects near Maple and Afton Sts. The victim, driven to the area, identified the trio, police said, and the stolen items were recovered.

Charged with burglary, conspiracy, theft and receiving stolen property were Patryk Gaworski, 21; Renato Hilario, 20, and a 17-year-old boy — all from Kearny. Police said Gaworski was wearing the sunglasses.

Aug. 9 

Officer Jordenson Jean was called to the 600 block of Elm St. at 9 p.m. on a report that a parked car, a 2007 Chevy, had been hit by a 2013 Honda. Jean found the Honda parked nearby and was told by witnesses that the driver had entered a residence there. He located and interviewed Rosamaria Aguilar, 53, of Kearny, who was arrested after field sobriety tests. She was given an Alcotest at HQ and charged with DWI and leaving the scene of an accident.

Aug. 10 

Call this one the name game: At 10 a.m., Officers John Fabula and Jason Rodrigues took into custody Juan Carlos, 51, of Kearny, whom they spotted sitting on a stoop at Kearny and Johnston Aves. and whom they knew to have a Kearny warrant. At HQ, however, they were informed by Sgt. Paul Bershefski, that, in a prior encounter, the suspect had provided a different name.

After “Carlos” was fingerprinted, police were able to ID him as Eduardo Espinosa of Kearny. Police said he turned out to have three additional warrants: two from East Newark under the name Edwardo Abraham and another Kearny warrant in the name of Juan Amarillo. Espinosa (Carlos/ Abraham/Amarillo) was charged on all four and with hindering apprehension.

• • •

Fabula was on patrol near Davis Ave. and Devon Terrace at 3:45 p.m. when he observed Anthony Chaparro, 27, of Kearny, who was wanted on two warrants: one each from Kearny and Elizabeth, police said. Chaparro was booked on same.

• • •

Officer Luis Moran responded to an 11 p.m. report of a man sleeping in the hallway of a building at Beech St. and Kearny Ave. and found Paul Altoz, 30, of Kearny, who was wanted on a town contempt-of-court warrant, police said. He was awakened and arrested.

Aug. 12 

Sgt. Glenn Reed and Officers Angelo Palagano and Mike Santucci were called to the 200 block of Elm St. at 4:30 a.m. on a report of a motor-vehicle break-in, in which a “considerable amount of quarters” and a bottle of cologne had been taken. They obtained a description of the suspect, who was located on Devon St. and identified by the victim, police said. Gheorghe Vasile, 34, of Kearny — reportedly in possession of a considerable amount of quarters and a bottle of cologne (and a couple of superfluous “h”s) — was charged with burglary and theft.

• • •

A 3:45 p.m. random license plate check by Officer Derek Hemphill showed that the registered owner of a 2005 Ford, travelling near Schuyler Ave. and Devon Terrace, had warrants. The owner, Victoria Gonzalez, 22, of Newark, was found to be the passenger and was arrested on warrants from Bloomfield and Union, and those jurisdictions were notified.

– Karen Zautyk 

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