The Hudson County Sheriff’s Office arrested 33 people during a warrant sweep across the county Saturday, Sept. 24, and several of those arrested are from The Observer’s readership area.
Led by Sheriff Francis “Frank” X. Schillari, the arrests were part of the HCSO’s “Operation Fall Sweep.”
“Taking these alleged criminals off of our streets ensures the safety of all of Hudson County’s residents and visitors, improving the quality of life in our communities,” Schillari said. “Each arrest brings us closer to accomplishing our goal of promoting safety in all of Hudson County’s municipalities. I am incredibly proud of my officers and the work they do in protecting the people of Hudson County.”
The locals hauled in include:
James Defazio, 43, of Nutley, is charged with burglary. Gregory Javier, 31, of Belleville, is charged with two counts of theft by unlawful taking, two counts of conspiracy and two counts of criminal mischief with damage. Nicholas Soto, 32, of Lyndhurst, is charged with theft/contempt. And lastly, Justin Rodrigues, 23, of Kearny, is charged with possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose.
If DeFazio’s name sounds familiar, it’s because he was recently arrested and charged with a residential burglary in Lyndhurst. Click here to read that story from Sept. 7.
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Kevin A. Canessa Jr. is the editor of and broadcaster at The Observer, a place where he has served on and off since 2006. He is responsible for the editorial content of the newspaper and website, the production of the e-Newspaper, writing several stories per week (including the weekly editorial), conducting live broadcasts on Facebook Live, including a weekly recap of the news — and much more behind the scenes. Between 2006 and 2008, he introduced the newspaper to its first-ever blog — which included podcasts, audio and video. Originally from Jersey City, Kevin lived in Kearny until 2004, lived in Port St. Lucie. Florida, for four years until February 2016 and in March of that year, he moved back to West Hudson to return to The Observer full time. Click Here to send Kevin an email.