NAPD arrests man whose headlights were off and who had gun in car

A man who drove into North Arlington this week with his headlights off and without a valid driver’s license finds himself in significant hot water after police ultimately found a gun in his car, among other offenses, Lt. David Hudak, of the North Arlington Police Department, said.

According to Hudak:

On Monday, March 9, 2026, at approximately 3:13 a.m., North Arlington police officers conducted a motor-vehicle stop on Ridge Road after observing a vehicle traveling without its headlights on.

The driver, later identified as Bliss Williams, 25, of Phillipsburg, was unable to provide proper vehicle documentation Ani investigation revealed Williams’s driver’s license was suspended and the vehicle he was operating was unregistered. Williams also attempted to provide what officers determined to be a fraudulent motor-vehicle insurance card.

Further investigation led to the recovery of a loaded .380 caliber handgun inside the vehicle.

Williams was subsequently taken into custody without incident.

He was charged with unlawful possession of a handgun, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and Possession of a simulated motor vehicle insurance card along with several motor-vehicle violations.

Williams was remanded to the Bergen County Jail, Hackensack, pending court proceedings.

“This is exactly the type of police work that keeps our community safe and should serve as a reminder that crime will not be tolerated in North Arlington,” Chief of Police Michael Horton said.

“This is a good example of how a routine traffic stop can uncover something much more serious. Our officers stayed alert and safely took an illegal gun off the street,” Hudak said.

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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.