Image of a Union City police vehicle, courtesy of the UCPD.
The Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office Shooting Response Team is investigating a police involved shooting that occurred on July 4 in Union City, Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez announced.
According to a preliminary investigation, at approximately 7:49 p.m., uniformed officers of the Union City Police Department were flagged down in the area of 23rd Street and Bergenline Avenue on reports of a stabbing incident.
Responding officers located the suspect nearby. The suspect was later identified as Jesus Suazo, a 58-year-old of Union City.
During the encounter, a uniformed officer fired his weapon, striking Suazo. A knife was recovered near him, authorities say.
Suazo was transported to a local hospital, where he remains in stable condition. In relation to the initial incident, one male civilian sustained non-fatal injuries.
Suazo has been charged with: Aggravated Assault, a crime of the second degree; Possession of a Weapon for an Unlawful Purpose, a crime of the third degree; and Unlawful Possession of a Weapon, a crime of the fourth degree.
The Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office Shooting Response Team and Public Integrity Unit immediately notified the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General of the use of force by police, pursuant to Attorney General Directive 2019-4.
The Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office has been designated the independent investigator for this officer involved shooting and is investigating the incident in accordance with guidelines set forth by the NJOAG.
The investigation in this matter, including the use of force by police, remains active and ongoing. At this time, further information will not be released so as not to jeopardize the investigation in progress.
Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact the Office of the Hudson County Prosecutor at 201-915-1345 or to leave an anonymous tip on the Hudson County Prosecutor’s official website at: hudsoncountyprosecutorsofficenj.org/homicide-tip.
For updates on this and other stories, check www.hudsonreporter.com and follow us on Twitter @hudson_reporter. Daniel Israel can be reached at [email protected].
Mayor Richard Turner was sworn in for his ninth term on July 1, 2022.
In Weehawken, returning Mayor Richard Turner and the Township Council were sworn in on Friday, July 1. The township held a variety of events in the lead up to the inauguration, from concerts to other festivities.
Turner enters his ninth term, making him the longest serving mayor in Hudson County. He was first elected in 1990, and currently also serves as the state director for outgoing Rep. Albio Sires, who represents the 8th Congressional District encompassing much of Hudson County.
Joining Turner on the council is First Ward Councilwoman Carmela Silvestri-Ehret, Second Ward Councilwoman Rosemary Lavagnino, Third Ward Councilman Robert Sosa, and Councilman At-Large David Curtis. Turner and the council incumbents ran unopposed in the recent election.
Officials reappointed
Turner, an At-Large Councilman, was re-elected mayor by the council, par the course for Weehawken’s type of mayor and council government. This time around, Silvestri-Ehret was elected Deputy Mayor taking over from Lavagnino.
Turner was sworn in by Hudson County Commissioner Caridad Rodriguez, who represents West New York, Weehawken and Guttenberg. The incumbent Weehawken mayor and the council were joined by their friends and family for the formalities, whose support Turner noted was essential to carry the burden of being an elected official.
Turner and Sosa also light-heartedly bickered over who was the longer serving public official, with Sosa having served on and off on the council since the 1970s. However, he passed a literal baton to Turner, signifying he was conceding Turner was the longest serving public official in Weehawken.
“We look forward to a great four years,” Turner said, first thanking municipal employees for their efforts under his administration. He touted that he has kept the “small town-feel” of Weehawken despite redevelopment of the waterfront, and praised his COVID-19 response.
What’s next for Weehawken?
At the swearing-in, Turner also outlined what’s next for Weehawken in his upcoming term. He echoed much of what had previously told the Hudson Reporter after his unopposed victory in the May 10 non-partisan municipal election, touting a number of projects that will move forward soon.
“We’re going to move forward on fixing Park Avenue,” Turner said. “We’re going to move forward on completing our waterfront park. We have electric charging stations coming – we’re gonna be working on where to put them… We have two hybrid police cars, obviously we’ll save on gas, and we have an electric police car… You wouldn’t have a better administration than these council people: honest, no agendas, they’re only agenda is doing their best for the public.”
Gio Ahmed was also reappointed as Township Manager; Rola Fares was reappointed as Township Clerk; Richard Venino was reappointed as Township Attorney. Officials in attendance of the ceremony included West New York Mayor Gabriel Rodriguez and North Bergen Commissioner Julio Marenco.
After the swearing in, Weehawken and You held a fundraiser in Paramus. Hosted in conjunction with the township, the proceeds raised will go to various entities including to the township’s school district.
Bayonne and Union City mayors sworn in again too
The hour-long ceremony was brief in comparison to the lavish gathering in Bayonne. However, the Weehawken ceremony outshined that of Union City.
In Union City, State Senator and Mayor Brian Stack did not hold a swearing-in ceremony. Like Turner, Stack and his slate of incumbent Board of Commissioners ran unopposed in the 2022 non-partisan municipal election. Stack, who has been in office since 2000, now enters his sixth term as mayor of Union City.
For updates on this and other stories, check www.hudsonreporter.com and follow us on Twitter @hudson_reporter. Daniel Israel can be reached at [email protected].
Ashokbhai Vaddoriya, image via Hudson County Prosecutor's Office.
On Sunday, July 3, members of the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victims Unit arrested Ashokbhai Vaddoriya, a 40-year-old of Jersey City, on charges relating to sex crimes on four individuals at a public pool in Union City, Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez has announced.
The alleged victims include: a 12-year-old girl, an 11-year-old girl, a 33-year-old woman, and a 34-year-old woman. Authorities say these victims were not known to Vaddoriya.
Vaddoriya is charged with: two counts of Sexual Assault by Contact, crimes of the second degree; two counts of Endangering the Welfare of a Child, crimes of the third degree; and two counts of Criminal Sexual Contact, crimes of the fourth degree.
Vaddoriya was arrested at the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office in Jersey City. He was transported to the Hudson County Correctional Facility pending his first court appearance.
The state has filed a detention motion. A hearing on that is tentatively scheduled to be heard on Friday, July 8.
Prosecutor Suarez credited the Special Victims Unit and Union City Police Department with the investigation and arrest. Anyone wishing to report a sex crime should call the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victims Unit (SVU) at 201-915-1234.
The above charges are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
For updates on this and other stories, check www.hudsonreporter.com and follow us on Twitter @hudson_reporter. Daniel Israel can be reached at [email protected].
Regina Robinson notably had her contract with the school district not renewed back in April. Screenshot via Screenshot via The School District of Jersey City on Facebook.
The Jersey City school business administrator is suing the top leadership in the Jersey City school district, alleging that she was discriminated against because of her sex and race during her tenure and that the leadership broke state law while doing so.
School Business Administrator Regina Robinson filed a lawsuit alongside her husband Charles Harris in Hudson County Superior Court yesterday, listing now-permanent Superintendent Dr. Norma Fernandez, Human Resources Director Edwin Rivera, and all of the Board of Education minus Board President Gerald Lyons as defendants.
The lawsuit alleges that Robinson was the victim of an “unlawful employment culture” that returned after the state of New Jersey returned local control of the Board of Education, and that Robinson, who is Black, was discriminated against racially and sexually compared to her predecessor, Luigi Campana, who is Latino.
Among the number of occasions that Robinson alleges she was retaliated against includes filing an internal Human Resources/Affirmative Action complaint based on her inequitable pay, and multiple occasions when she complained that she was unable to fill or post positions required for the Business Office.
Other alleged retaliations were for when she wrote about “improper, board and administration sanctioned practice” of selling sick days to non-retiring employees, and that she was excluded from discussions regarding staffing her own department as retaliation.
It also alleges that Rivera had intentionally interfered and undermined her with the leadership of the Jersey City Education Association teacher’s union via discriminatory motives, “improperly preferring Latino candidates and employees over Black candidates and employees,” and that Fernandez had “consistently” displayed hostility towards her.
The lawsuit accuses the defendants of violating the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination, including by discriminating based on her race and sex, retaliating for protected activity and creating and maintaining “a severe and pervasive” hostile work environment.
It also states alleged retaliation against constitutionally protected whistle blowing activity for which the defendants violated the New Jersey Conscientious Employee Protection Act, and that the relation caused Harris to suffer from “loss of consortium, society, affection assistance, and conjugal following, all the determinant of their marital relationship.”
Robinson notably saw her contract not renewed after the Board of Education voted it down back in April, while also at the same time approving salary raises for Dr. Fernandez and other top staff members. Her contract was set to expire today on July 1.
“[Robinson] has never been formally reviewed by the district, so she has never been criticized and her performance has never been criticized,” said Stephen J. Edelstein of Weiner Law Group, who’s representing Robinson and Harris in the lawsuit.
“But she has been harassed repeatedly, discriminated against repeatedly, retaliated against repeatedly, because she is a Black female,” he continued. “I believe we will be able to prove something that was done to her and probably to other Black females as well, by this particular administration and board.”
The Jersey Journalalso reported that a number of female African American employees such as Human Resources Assistant Director Sabrina Harrold had alleged discrimination. Harrold also had her contract not renewed in April.
Dr. Fernandez and Lyons did not respond for comment on the lawsuit.
For updates on this and other stories, check hudsonreporter.com and follow us on Twitter @hudson_reporter. Mark Koosau can be reached at [email protected] or his Twitter @snivyTsutarja.
Dr. Norma Fernandez had been superintendent in an interim role since January. Screenshot via The School District of Jersey City on Facebook.
Jersey City Interim Superintendent Dr. Norma Fernandez was appointed by the Board of Education on Thursday night to serve as permanent superintendent of the Jersey City Public School district, capping off a six month interim role that will elevate her to oversee the second largest school district in New Jersey.
“I’m speechless,” she said after the board appointed her to applause. “I thought I would not be, but I am. I thank the board trustees for believing in me, and I believe that our schools can be a joyful place and an exciting place where our administrative team can work together to continue to bring progress to our students and continue to do what’s best for children.”
Dr. Fernandez has been with the school district for nearly 40 years, having worked her way from a bilingual teacher up to being Deputy Superintendent by the end of 2021. In January, she became the interim superintendent following the retirement of former Superintendent Frank Walker at the end of last year.
During the six months of her interim tenure, Dr. Fernandez notably oversaw the passage of the school district’s $973 million school budget, and will now look to lead the school district as they head into the next school year.
The school board had approved a resolution around the same time of her interim appointment to conduct a national search for a new superintendent, but the district has decided to settle for their current leader in a permanent role.
Dr. Fernandez also had the support of Ron Greco, the president of the Jersey City Education Association teacher’s union. Greco had supported her to become an interim back in December, as well as for a permanent role in March.
“You don’t have to have all the degrees in the world to have common sense, and many people that do have a lot of book knowledge are as dense as this podium,” he said.
“But Dr. Fernandez is worldly, she’s streetwise, she has street cred as our children say in Jersey City,” he continued. “She knows these schools, she knows the children, she knows the community, and common sense is something you can wish for in a superintendent, and someone that will work with people.”
The board voted 8-0-1 to approve a three year contract starting today and will last until June 30, 2025, with Trustee Paula Jones-Watson being the only abstain as she has family members that work in the school district.
Jersey City spokeswoman Kimberly Wallace-Scalcione said that Dr. Fernandez’s “final-hour appointment made the night before the July 1 deadline leaves little room for residents and parents of Jersey City students to weigh in on a decision that drastically affects the leadership of our entire school system.”
“With that, Mayor [Steven] Fulop remains committed to maintaining a working relationship with school leadership to ensure the students and their educations remain top priority,” she continued.
For updates on this and other stories, check hudsonreporter.com and follow us on Twitter @hudson_reporter. Mark Koosau can be reached at [email protected] or his Twitter @snivyTsutarja.
The man was returning from the Dominican Republic in a wheelchair when authorities searched the cushion. Photos by U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
A Hudson County man gambled on being a high roller, but his attempt was just a bad bet. U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers called his bluff and discovered more than 30 pounds of cocaine concealed inside his electric wheelchair at Baltimore Washington International Thurgood Marshal Airport on June 20.
Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA) Police officers arrested Gabriel Ruiz, a 34-year-old of Union City, on state felony narcotics importation and possession charges on June 21. The State’s Attorney in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, is prosecuting Ruiz.
CBP officers referred Ruiz to a secondary examination after he arrived from Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. During that secondary examination, officers x-rayed his Jazzy 614 electric wheelchair and detected anomalies within the seat and back cushions.
Officers probed the cushions and extracted 13 plastic-wrapped bricks that contained a white powdery substance. CBP officers used field test kits and a handheld elemental isotope analysis tool and identified the powdery substance as cocaine.
The 13 cocaine bricks weighed a combined 13.7 kilograms, or 30 pounds and three ounces. The cocaine has an estimated street value of nearly $1 million. CBP officers turned Ruiz and the cocaine over to MDTA Police officers.
Thirteen cocaine bricks were recovered in total.
The criminal charges are merely allegations. The defendant are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
Interestingly, CBP officers in Charlotte, N.C., also discovered 23 pounds of cocaine concealed inside of a wheelchair on May 31. Both the Baltimore and Charlotte travelers arrived from the Dominican Republic.
“Concealing dangerous drugs inside wheelchair seat cushions is unusual,” said Thomas Heffernan, Acting Area Port Director for CBP’s Area Port of Baltimore. “Transnational criminal organizations work very hard to conceal their illicit drugs, but this cocaine seizure proves once again that Customs and Border Protection officers are up to the task of protecting our communities by finding the drug gangs’ creatively concealed contraband.”
For updates on this and other stories, check www.hudsonreporter.com and follow us on Twitter @hudson_reporter. Daniel Israel can be reached at [email protected].
Environmental activists have warned about the bill opening up Liberty State Park to privatization. Editorial credit: Sorbis/Shutterstock.com
Within a span of less than four weeks, Gov. Phil Murphy signed a controversial bill passed by the New Jersey Legislature to redevelop Liberty State Park that critics have warned will open the park to privatization.
The bill, titled the Liberty State Park Conservation, Recreation, and Community Inclusion Act, passed through both the Assembly and the Senate on June 29 after changes were made to it.
It will set aside $50 million (originally $250 million) from federal coronavirus relief money for the Department of Environmental Protection to fund a two-year long Design Task Force, which will be in charge of advising the department on short-term actions and a long-term master plan for the state park.
The short-term actions include items “designed to improve public use and enjoyment” of conservation and recreation areas within the park, while the long term master plan includes the improvement of park facilities, programs, and amenities, the creation of new transportation services, and the preservation of the park’s natural resources and wildlife and protection against climate change.
The task force will consist of 23 members (originally slated to be 17). 17 of them can either be themselves of their designee, which includes:
The DEP Assistant Commissioner for State Parks, Forests, and Historic Sites (currently John Cecil)
The DEP Administrator of Urban State Parks and Initiatives (currently Craig Dorsett)
The Liberty State Park Superintendent (currently Robert Rodriguez)
The DEP’s Office of Natural Resource Restoration Bureau Chief
The Friends of Liberty State Park President (currently Sam Pesin)
The president of Liberty State Park for All
The Jersey City Mayor (currently Steven Fulop)
The Jersey City Department of Recreation and Youth Development Director (currently Lucinda McLaughlin)
Hudson County District 3 Commissioner (currently Jerry Walker)
The Hudson County Division of Parks Chief
The Jersey City Public Schools Superintendent (currently Dr. Norma Fernandez)
The NAACP New Jersey State Conference President (currently Richard Smith)
The NAACP Jersey City President
The six other members of the task force will be members of the public appointed by the the Governor, Senate President and Assembly Speaker, which include Gov. Murphy, Senate President Nicholas Scutari and Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin.
The Assistant Commissioner for State Parks, Forests, and Historic Sites or their designee and the Administrator of Urban State Parks and Initiatives or their designee will be the co-chairs of the task force.
Nine months after the enactment of the bill and at least three public meetings, where the public can participate and submit comments, the task force will consider said comments and submit to the DEP their recommendation for a master plan.
Among one of the additions to the bill for the task force is barring the recommendation of a casino in the park and limiting the recommendation of renewable energy facilities to rooftops and parking areas.
After completing the master plan, the DEP will submit a written report to the governor and the state legislature within 45 days on “identifying additional capital funding priorities for the park.”
Warnings of privatization and influence still linger
Since the bill was introduced and fast-tracked, environmental activists such as Sam Pesin have criticized the bill for not having protections that leave the park open to privatization, something that they’ve fought for for years.
One of the concerns of the bill was language that said the master plan would include plans for the DEP “to generate revenue”, something which Pesin warned was a code word for privatization. That part of the bill was removed from the final version.
Another major shadow over the bill are accusations that it was orchestrated by Paul Fireman, the billionaire owner of the nearby Liberty National Golf Course. Fireman has made multipleattempts over the years to acquire Caven Point, a 22-acre migratory bird habitat, to expand said golf course, but has been met with pushback by activists.
From the moment the new bill was introduced, groups tied to Fireman had begun supporting it and promoting their version of a plan for the park.
During one of the Senate committee hearings on the bill, a group called the People’s Park Foundation had presented their vision for a master plan of the park. Among their proposals for the plan include a 150,000-square-foot community center, a 5,000 seat multi-use stadium and a 7,000 seat outdoor amphitheater.
Activists such as Sam Pesin have warned that the bill could leave the park open to privatization. Photo by Mark Koosau.
The foundation is partly funded by Fireman, according to Fireman representative Nevins McCann via Politico.
Fliers were also sent out to residents by a group called Liberty State Park for All promoting the People’s Park Foundation. LSPFA’s executive director Arnold Stovell admitted to the Jersey Journal back in 2020 that the group was being funded by Fireman’s charity, the Paul and Phyllis Fireman Charitable Foundation.
While there is a general consensus that the park should have more recreation, environmental activists have pushed back against large scale developments and have asked lawmakers to legislate protections for the park, but a few key lawmakers declined to do so.
State Sen. Brian Stack, who was one of the sponsors of the Senate version of the bill, has announced that he would introduce legislation to protect Caven Point.
Said bill, sponsored by him and state Sen. Sandra Cunnignham, would permanently designated and preserve Caven Point as a natural habitat. An Assembly companion bill was also introduced by Angela McKnight, William Sampson and Annette Chaparro.
It is unknown when action will be taken on the bills as the legislature is on its way out for its summer recess.
(Most of) Hudson County delegation touts signed bill
Despite the criticism about the signed bill, most of the Hudson County delegation have touted it as a way of improving the park.
“For far too long, Liberty State Park has been neglected, and it is time we finally put in the work needed to establish it as the crown jewel of New Jersey’s park system,” said Stack in a statement after the bill was passed yesterday.
“In Hudson County, open space like this is extremely hard to come by, so it is imperative that we ensure this land is being utilized to its full potential,” he continued. “My goal with this bill is that we can create a space for everyone to enjoy, ensuring that all residents will have the opportunity to experience our beautiful Garden State to its fullest capacity.”
On the other hand, Hudson County politicians such as state Sen. Brian Stack have touted the bill as a way of improving the park.
McKnight, Sampson and Chaparro, who all sponsored the Assembly version of the bill, said in a joint statement that the park “must continue to be preserved and enriched as a national treasure for the enjoyment of generations to come.”
“This bill would allow us to better preserve the natural, historic, cultural, recreational, and scenic gifts this historical location has to offer,” they said. “The park offers an abundance of beautiful views and free, recreational areas for everyone to enjoy. Families love making memories in Liberty State Park. We must plan for its future to ensure it’s around for the next generation.”
Assemblyman Raj Muhkerji however was the only member of the Hudson County delegation who voted against the bill in the Assembly, after having been vocal about his opposition towards it.
“…I suffer from paranoia informed by decades of struggles by the community against attempts to privatize and commercialize this space treasure and otherwise wrest control of park planning from the public,” he said in a statement earlier this month.
For updates on this and other stories, check hudsonreporter.com and follow us on Twitter @hudson_reporter. Mark Koosau can be reached at [email protected] or his Twitter @snivyTsutarja.
Secaucus Chief Financial Officer Pat De Blasio breaks down the 2022 budget to the council at a June meeting.
Secaucus has adopted a $64,203,932 budget for the 2022 calendar year. The Town Council adopted the budget at its June 28 meeting. Chief Financial Officer Pat De Blasio broke down the budget during the hearing at the meeting.
De Blasio said the budget process was started it in January and February of this year. The budget has remained the same from the introduction to the public hearing.
This year, the town will see a tax decrease for the average homeowner. This is a nice surprise for homeowners, as the town was previously anticipating a small tax increase.
“The overall tax rate, as it stands today, the average homeowner is expected to go down by $12 on houses valued at $176,000,” De Blasio said. “Naturally if your house is valued higher, the projected tax increase would be larger than that.”
While the town is still recovering from the impacts of COVID-19, it also had to cope with inflation in 2022.
“We have lots of different impacts on this budget,” De Blasio said. “It was a different year for all of us. We had inflation running at 8.6 percent. And we have tax to deal with. We have a levy cap at 2 percent, and we have a budget appropriation cap at 3.5 percent.”
Despite inflation and other challenges, the town has kept within the tax levy cap and budget cap.
“I’m pretty proud to say we met both of those caps,” De Blasio said. “So our budget is in full compliance. A few days ago, the DCA reviewed our budget and gave us the green light. So all is good.”
Since the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs has given the okay, the town has put their budget into affect.
“With the tax decrease, we’re pretty happy about that,” De Blasio said. And that’s about the summary on the budget.”
Secaucus continues to recover
First Ward Councilman Rob Costantino, who is on the Finance Committee, touted this year’s budget, all things considered.
“There’s a lot lately, inflation being at 8 percent and health insurance costs going up, and pension stuff, and all the other things that go into running a town has increased,” Costantino said. “It puts a lot of pressure on these budgets, and it’s really difficult year after year. Things like increasing police department, as many cops as we have now and all the things that go along with it, COVID-19, revenue shortages with people working from home and not using the train as much, the parking tax, and the hotel tax, and people not traveling with gas prices being as high as they are.”
Constantino listed the various things in the budget that have been affected by both COVID-19 and inflation, from decreased revenue from hotel and parking taxes, to increasing the police department and addressing budget shortfalls with federal funds. The town is using $1,145,754.33, the other half of its $2,291,508.66 in American Rescue Plan money, to address budget shortfalls as it did in 2021.
“There are so many things that put stress on the budget,” Costantino said. “I’m proud to get to this point where we’re able to sandwich these three taxes from the town, the school board, and the county and come out with this where there’s a help to the taxpayers for one more year. We’ve been doing this for 12 years and we’ve had favorable budgets for a long, long time. And it’s really difficult to do. I’m proud of this budget, I’m proud of all the work everyone does. We’ll get back at it now and try to create those surpluses we need to so that next year we’re in the same boat.”
Costantino said this year’s budget should not hamper efforts next year, come budget season.
“I think most year that we do this, we try to avoid impacting future budgets with the decisions we make now,” Costantino said. “It’s getting harder, because of all the things we just mentioned. But with all the professionals and the way things have been going, let’s knock on wood that things keep on going this way. “
Costantino and De Blasio both thanked everyone involved in making the budget a reality during the hearing.
The council voted unanimously to approve the budget, except for Mayor Michael Gonnelli who was absent. In his absence, Third Ward Councilman William McKeever chaired the meeting.
The council also voted unanimously to establish a municipal budget appropriations limit and CAP bank. For more information, go to secaucusnj.gov.
For updates on this and other stories, check www.hudsonreporter.com and follow us on Twitter @hudson_reporter. Daniel Israel can be reached at [email protected].
Aerial fireworks are illegal in New Jersey and thus Union City. Image by VDB Photos via Shutterstock.
To help ensure a safe and enjoyable summer, Union City is reminding residents of its fireworks ordinance. Mayor Brian Stack and the city’s Department of Public Safety recently put out a written reminder to residents regarding the local law.
In the past, the city received an overwhelming number of quality of life and safety complaints about pyrotechnics and or fireworks. The complaints ranged from noise to potential fire hazards, according to the city.
The city adopted an ordinance to prevent disturbances and dangers resulting from the use of pyrotechnics in Union City. This was a trend across Hudson County over the past two years, as municipalities sought to stop the pesky fireworks going off at all times of the night.
The ordinance is not meant to limit the sale or use of legal sparklers and other legal novelty fireworks. Instead, the ordinance aims to prevent improper use, noise disturbances, and to protect people and property.
Per the ordinance, no audible fireworks are to be used between 8 p.m. and 10 am. No fireworks are allowed on any public sidewalk, street, or roadway.
Additionally, the city underscored that explosive and aerial fireworks are illegal in New Jersey. Violations of the city ordinance can result in fines and court appearances.
Possession and use of illegal fireworks is a violation of state law, according to the city. Individuals can be charged.
“Please be courteous to your neighbors,” Stack said in the reminder. “Help protect our quality of life and the safety of our community.”
For updates on this and other stories, check www.hudsonreporter.com and follow us on Twitter @hudson_reporter. Daniel Israel can be reached at [email protected].
Tyhaze Williams, image via the Secaucus Police Department.
Secaucus police have arrested a Jersey City man for a number of car thefts and burglaries.
According to police, on June 23 at 2:34 a.m. a resident of Luhmann Terrace called and reported that he observed several individuals attempting to burglarize vehicles. Upon the arrival of Sergeant Stephen Hurtuk, he observed three individuals flee the area on foot.
Sergeant Hurtuk pursued the trio on foot and was able to place Tyhaze Williams, a 23-year-old of Jersey City, under arrest. Other responding police units established a perimeter around the immediate area, but despite the use of Hudson County Sheriff’s Department K-9 Units, the two other suspects remain at large.
At the time of his arrest, Williams possessed property that was stolen from a resident’s vehicle on Grace Avenue that was burglarized. Additional evidence linked Williams to the attempted to burglary of three additional vehicles parked on Luhmann Terrace. Evidence was also obtained that Williams burglarized another vehicle parked on 1st Avenue.
Later in the morning patrol officers responded to the area of Lucht Place, which is a short distance from Luhmann Terrace. Police located a Nissan Pathfinder, Honda CRV and a Toyota Rav4.
The Nissan Pathfinder was discovered to be stolen from North Bergen, on the night of June 22. The Honda CRV was discovered to be stolen from Born Street in Secaucus and the Toyota Rav4 was discovered to be stolen from 2nd Avenue in Secaucus. Both the Honda CRV and the Toyota Rav4 were stolen on the night of June 23.
Also at the time of his arrest, Williams was found in possession of the key to the stolen Toyota Rav4. The investigation is ongoing and additional arrests may be made.
“This arrest was made possible because of the partnership we have developed with the community,” Chief Dennis Miller said. “The resident’s keen eye and reporting of suspicious activity led to an immediate police response. I want to thank the Hudson County Sheriff’s Office for their assistance, but I also want to laud the efforts of the Night Tour Commander, Lieutenant Thomas Malanka Jr. Lieutenant Malanka has redeployed his manpower and used innovative approaches to address these types of crimes that are occurring during the night to protect our residents’ property while they sleep. Additionally, I cannot stress enough that residents need to lock their car doors to curtail this crime of opportunity!”
Williams was charged with three counts of Burglary, three counts of Criminal Attempt to Commit Burglary, Conspiracy to Commit Burglary, three counts of Theft, two counts of Receiving Stolen Property, Obstructing of the Administration of Law, and Resisting Arrest. Williams, was lodged in the Hudson County Jail.
Anyone with additional information on these burglaries or if they did not initially report their vehicle was burglarized, can contact the Secaucus Police Detective Division at (201) 330-2052 or [email protected]. These charges are merely accusations and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
For updates on this and other stories, check www.hudsonreporter.com and follow us on Twitter @hudson_reporter. Daniel Israel can be reached at [email protected].
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