The North Arlington Police Department’s collaboration with the Lyndhurst Police Department has resulted in an illegal ghost gun being hauled of the streets — and the two defendants now face serious charges.
According to the NAPD’s Lt. David Hudak:
On Dec. 27, 2025, at approximately 1:55 p.m., the North Arlington Police Department responded to a report of a burglary into a motor vehicle that had just occurred on the River Road. Witnesses reported two males allegedly entered a parked Mercedes-Benz and removed several items before fleeing the area on foot.
Officers immediately began canvassing the surrounding neighborhood based on witness descriptions and coordinated resources from neighboring agencies. The Lyndhurst Police Department’s K-9 Unit responded and assisted officers during the search.
During the canvass, officers were flagged down by a resident who reported observing two suspicious men trespassing on her property before entering a rideshare vehicle and fleeing the area. This information was immediately relayed to responding units, allowing officers to quickly identify the vehicle and its direction of travel.
A short time later, officers located and stopped the rideshare vehicle on River Road. The two rear passengers matched the descriptions provided by witnesses and were safely removed from the vehicle. Stolen property from the Mercedes-Benz burglary was recovered during the investigation.
While conducting the investigation, officers also recovered an un-serialized handgun, commonly referred to as a “ghost gun,” equipped with a high-capacity, 30-round magazine, along with additional ammunition.
As a result of the investigation, Simon Torres, 18, of Elizabeth and Juan Florez, 18, of Linden were arrested and charged with burglary of a motor vehicle, theft, conspiracy, weapons-related offenses and related crimes in connection with the incident.
Both individuals were processed and transported to the Bergen County Jail pending further court proceedings.
“This incident highlights the outstanding work of our officers and the critical assistance provided by our law-enforcement partners in Lyndhurst,”Hudak said. “Through quick coordination, strong communication, and teamwork, officers were able to locate the suspects, recover stolen property and remove a dangerous firearm from our community.”
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Kevin A. Canessa Jr. is the editor of and broadcaster at The Observer, an organization he has served 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 social media channels such as YouTube, Facebook, and X, 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 Kearny to return to The Observer full time. Click Here to send Kevin an email.