Those pesky license plate readers caught yet another suspended driver trying — to no avail — to navigate through the streets of Lyndhurst.
According to Capt. Paul F. Haggerty, the Lyndhurst Police Department’s public-information officer:
On Monday, Jan. 5, 2026 at approximately 10:30 p.m., Sgt. Nicholas Abruscato was on patrol in the area of Rutherford and Park avenues when he observed a blue Honda CRV bearing a New Jersey registration traveling eastbound on Rutherford Avenue toward Park Avenue.
Abruscato noticed the Honda had an entirely cracked windshield, likely obstructing the driver’s view.
Abruscato also observed the vehicle also didn’t have a front plate and had dark tinted windows on both the front driver- and passenger-side windows.
The dark tint on the front windows prevented Abruscato from seeing the occupants inside the vehicle. Abruscato subsequently followed behind the Honda CRV and conducted an inquiry of the vehicle’s registration, which revealed the registered owner, Janilly Perezmatos, 34, of Nutley, had a suspended driver’s license.
Abruscato then observed, on the rear seat of the vehicle in plain view, the “missing” front plate.
Abruscato conducted an inquiry on this license plate, which confirmed that it had been reported stolen by the Kearny Police Department.
Additionally, Perezmatos had an active $1,500 warrant out of Tinton Falls for shoplifting.
A search incident to arrest yielded additional contraband on the suspect, and was found to be in possession of a prescription pill bottle containing 19 acetaminophen/oxycodone pills. Additionally , she was in possession of unregulated cannabis, which was seized.
Following New Jersey Criminal Justice Processing procedures, Perezmatos was remanded to the Bergen County Jail, Hackensack, on a complaint warrant charging her with receiving stolen property a possession of CDS
Prezematos was also issued multiple motor vehicle summonses.
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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.