On Saturday, March 24, Officer Dean Gasser was sent to the 100 block at Devon St. on a loud noise complaint. Before he could even enter, Gasser was able to hear the music from the street. When he encountered a female at the apartment, she yelled at him over the music, saying, “she has a right to listen to music at any level.”
Gasser then issued her a town ordinance violation for playing music too loudly and the music was then shut down.
Here are other items from the Kearny Police Blotter.
On Friday, March 23, Officer Mike Andrews was in the area of Kearny Ave. and Beech St. and observed a male known to him to have outstanding warrants. Andrews called into headquarters and confirmed the man still had warrants out for his arrest. Detectives Mike Gonzalez and John Plaugic, along with Officer Neil Nelson were alerted to the situation and responded as backup..
Before Andrews was able to stop the subject, the individual attempted to get into a car occupied by two individuals. In plain view, the officers saw a marijuana-like substance on the backseat. Upon sight, the officers took the individuals from the car and continued the search. The search turned up more than 50 grams of marijuana, confirming their initial thoughts. Also in the search, the officers found $800 that they believe was from previous drug transactions. A search of the persons also found a balled up paper towel with even more marijuana.
Clarence McCoy, a 41-yearold from Lodi and Elliot Morgan, a 34-year-old Patterson resident were charged with possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, intent to distribute in a school zone, intent to distribute in a park zone, possession of over 50 grams of marijuana, possession of paraphernalia. Bail was set at $25,000 for both men with no 10% option.
Early on Saturday, March 24, Officers Tom Pontrella and Kevin Canaley were patrolling in the 2nd precinct and recieved a report of a one-car accident in the area of the Whitpenn Bridge. Finding nothing, the two officers traveled down Belleville Turnpike westbound and eventually found a vehicle that was involved in an accident. When the officers approached the vehicle, they noticed smoke from an airbag deployment still lingering in the vehicle and the driver in the vehicle, still dazed. North Arlington Ambulance and Police Department responded to the scene. During an interview with the driver, he admitted that he was the vehicle involved and claims that he was cut off by another driver. The officers could tell that the individual had been drinking and since he carried the odor of alcoholic beverage. The man, 26-year-old North Arlington resident Joseph Parker, was arrested and charged with Driving While Intoxicated and Careless Driving.
On March 25, Officer John Fabula was patrolling Gunnel Oval about 7:30 p.m. when he saw an individual in the Northeast corner that he recognized from prior encounters. The man was acting very strangely to the point of convulsion. When Fabula questioned him, the man said, “I just smoked some of that stuff that used to be legal.”
Fabula arrested the man and charged him with possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of a synthetic schedule 1 controlled substance. During processing, the individual was not showing any indication that it was wearing off so out of concern, Kearny EMS checked out 20-year-old Kearny resident Tristen Sanchez. Sanchez was then transported to Clara Maass Hospitial.
On March 27, Andrews saw a group of individuals blocking the sidewalk in the 300 block of Kearny Ave. As he lit the lights on his vehicle, two of the individuals turned and rapidly walked away. Andrews stopped one of the individuals who appeared to be concealing a pill bottle. The bottle was turned over and found to not have a label on it. A further investigation of the individual found that he, 19-year-old James Hems from Bayonne, had four Ziploc bags of marijuana in the pill bottle. He was then placed under arrest for possession of marijuana and possession of paraphernalia.
The next day, Officers Jack Grimm and Jack Corbit observed a female at the intersection of Schuyler and Stewart Aves. The woman was sitting on the curb nodding in and out of consciousness. The officers approached her and felt that she was under the influence. A warrant check of the individual, 48-year-old Sherri Fatrik of New Hope, PA, found that she had three active warrants out for her arrest from Atlantic City, Shamong, and Bedminster. A search of Fatrik found one amphetamine tablet, one famotidine tablet, and nine hydrochloride tablets in a clear fuse container. She was taken to headquarters and charged with possession of CDS, possession of paraphernalia, and an additional $5,000 bail was set.
Later on March 28, Officers Nelson and Andrews were patrolling the area of Belgrove and Passaic Ave. and found an individual known to them to have his driving rights revoked. When they approached the vehicle, they found he was clutching two glassine folds of suspected heroine in plain view. The bags, stamped “Slow Sucks”, allowed the officers to continue a search of the vehicle which turned up five more bags of suspected heroine, stamped, “Star Ledger”. The man, 21-year-old Shane Conklin of Malta, NY, was arrested and charged with driving while revoked, possession of CDS, possession of CDS in a motor vehicle, and possession of paraphernalia.
-Anthony J. Machcinski