Oct. 20 at 2:08 a.m., Officer Anthony Oliveira and several backup officers were sent to a donnybrook at the Donegal Saloon which degenerated into a stab wound. Responding officers found a 32-year-old Kearny man sitting inside the living room with another man pressing on a stab wound to the victim’s abdomen.
Officers began wrapping the wound with gauze until EMS took over and transported the victim to Newark University Hospital, where he was last reported in stable condition.
Bar-goers told officers that two well-known men entered the bar just before closing time and “made trouble” with other patrons. The men were asked to leave and were escorted by at least two men (customers) as the bartender locked the door shut. Minutes later, the victim alerted the bartender that he had been stabbed outside.
Officer Danny Maganinho released a description of a vehicle he saw speeding from the scene. Officer Luis Cazares quickly found the suspicious vehicle and stopped it at Belleville Turnpike and Passaic Avenue. After further investigation, Constable Cazares arrested the two occupants in connection with the Donegal brawl.
Officers charged Angel N. “Cookie” Rodriguez Jr., 27, of Newark, with aggravated assault, conspiracy (to commit aggravated assault) and possession of a weapon. Due to his computerized Public Safety Assessment score, a derivative of the Criminal Justice Reform Act, the alleged assailant was released with a subpoena.
Jorge E. Gonzalez, 34, of North Arlington, has been charged with conspiracy (to commit aggravated assault). Due to his computerized Public Safety Assessment score, Gonzalez was held on warrant at the Hudson County Jail.
Oct 16 at 6:45 PM, Officer Thomas Collins was sent for shoplifting at ShopRite. A store manager accused Towanna A. Marshall, 55, of Newark, of bringing a shopping cart full of merchandise to the self-checkout. There she would have paid for a commodity and then placed it back on top of other goods for which she had not paid, thus concealing the unpaid merchandise. The value of the stolen groceries, toiletries and socks was $65.65.
Officer Collins and Det. Jordanson Jean arrested Marshall for shoplifting. She was later released with a summons.
On Oct 18 at 11:41, Officer Jordan Miranda responded to a shoplifting at the Walgreens at 248 Kearny Ave. The suspect fled the store but was quickly located near 141 Kearny Ave. by Agent Sean Podolski. The man, identified as Paul E. Spana, 57, of Kearny, was charged by Walgreens with stealing $339.93 worth of PureRelief heating pads. Officer Podolski arrested Spana and recovered the stolen heating pads. Spana was charged with shoplifting and sent to the Hudson County Jail in South Kearny.
Oct. 19 at 9:25 a.m., det. Jean was checking in on a group gathered outside Dunkin’ Donuts on Kearny Avenue, a site for quality of life complaints. Det. Jean noticed Brett A. Williams, 20, of Kearny, come out with unusual haste upon seeing the detective. On a hunch, Det. Jean checked Williams for outstanding arrest warrants and discovered that Williams was wanted on a charge of making terrorist threats outside of Hudson County.
At 2 p.m., det. Jean returned to the area and saw that Williams was back at his post with several men. Det. Jean stopped Williams and the crowd dispersed. Williams was later turned over to the Hudson County Sheriff’s Office.
On Oct 19 at 10:13, Officers Pedro Pina, Esteban Gonzalez, John Donovan and Sgt. Jay Ward responded to a father-son domestic dispute at a private home. The father, 43, said he asked his 20-year-old son not to smoke marijuana at home. The son allegedly entered the bedroom where his father was resting, jumped on the bed and kicked him in the ribs and right leg, causing him pain.
Officers arrested the son for common assault and committed him to the county jail.
The father refused emergency medical services and was transported to a local hospital.
On Oct 19 at 9:18 PM, Officers Thomas Collins, Bryan SanMartin, Taylor Latka and Sgt. Dean Gasser was sent into a bloody domestic dispute in the basement apartment of a multi-family home. Initial details were sketchy, but it appears a married couple had an argument over bathroom use that turned violent.
The 23-year-old wife said her husband pushed her, leaving a bloody gash on her chin. The 25-year-old husband said his wife hit him on the head with a glass bowl, shattering the bowl and cutting off the top of his head.
Both fighters were arrested. She was charged with aggravated assault and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose. He was charged with common assault. The couple were later released with warnings.
October 19 at midnight, Officer Bismark Karikari attempted to serve a 25-year-old Kearny man with a temporary restraining order filed against him by his resident aunt. The man was not located, but half an hour later KPD received a call the man arrived at his aunt’s apartment, broke down the door, collected his belongings and then left.
Officer Karikari found the man walking on Passaic Avenue and arrested him without incident. He charged the man with criminal mischief and harassment and served the restraining order on him. The man was transferred to South Kearny County Jail.
Captain Timothy Wagner | Kearny Police Department
Capt. Timothy Wagner is the public information officer for the Kearny Police Department and the commander of the department’s Internal Affairs Unit. He contributes to the KPD Blotter weekly and writes it entirely.