Fair 64°
Police & Fire
Off-Duty Cop From Firefighter Family Smashes Into Bloomingdale Home To Save 2 Dogs Off-Duty Cop From Firefighter Family Smashes Into Bloomingdale Home To Save 2 Dogs
Off-Duty Cop From Firefighter Family Smashes Into Bloomingdale Home To Save 2 Dogs An off-duty Bergen County police officer out for a walk with his wife became an unlikely hero Sunday, June 7, when he spotted smoke billowing from a neighboring Bloomingdale home and learned two dogs were trapped inside. Joe Kopacz, 34, was babysitting a friend's son when neighbors told him the animals were still in the house. The door was locked, no one was home, and time was running out. Kopacz searched the property for a way in and found a sledgehammer in a backyard shed. The 10-year Garfield police veteran and former volunteer firefighter with 14 years of service smashed through th…

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by Cecilia Levine
Police & Fire
YouTuber Gets Trespassing Conviction Overturned By NJ Court: Report YouTuber Gets Trespassing Conviction Overturned By NJ Court: Report
YouTuber Gets Trespassing Conviction Overturned By NJ Court: Report Matt Dolitsky, the YouTube star, who was convicted earlier this year of trespassing in New Jersey due to one of his videos, is now a free man. A New Jersey State Superior Court judge found him not guilty of trespassing last week, reversing the conviction he received from Sayreville Municipal Court. The judge found Dolitsky guilty of violating an ordinance and fined him $400. Dolitsky celebrated the verdict in a YouTube video. "This appeal was a huge victory for us, I am so happy, even though it was a huge financial burden," Dolitsky, who requested donations from users, said. "The entire or…

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by Sam Barron
Police & Fire
5 Men Injured In Random Stabbing Spree At Penn Station: Report 5 Men Injured In Random Stabbing Spree At Penn Station: Report
5 Men Injured In Random Stabbing Spree At Penn Station: Report Five people were injured in a random stabbing attack inside Penn Station in New York City — and a suspect is in custody, according to reports.  The attack happened shortly after 7 p.m. on Sunday, June 7, on the NJ Transit concourse inside the Midtown Manhattan transit hub, ABC7 reported, citing FDNY officials.   One person suffered serious injuries, two people sustained moderate injuries, and two others were left with minor injuries, according to the outlet. All five victims were taken to Bellevue Hospital and are expected to survive.  Authorities said the suspect, a 51…

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by Ben Crnic
Police & Fire
Paterson Home Invader Caught Within The Hour, Cops Say Paterson Home Invader Caught Within The Hour, Cops Say
Paterson Home Invader Caught Within The Hour, Cops Say A Paterson man was arrested less than an hour after a home invasion on the city's Eastside, authorities said. Paterson police responded at approximately 1:19 p.m. on Thursday, June 4, to a reported home invasion in the 300 block of Van Houten Street, according to the department. Officers secured the area and launched an investigation while detectives from the Major Crimes Division and members of the Crime Scene Investigation Unit responded to assist, police said. Investigators developed information that led them to a suspect a short distance from the scene, authorities said. Rishee Jackson…

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by Cecilia Levine
Police & Fire
BMW Driver, Teens Charged After Sneaker Trip Turns Armed Robbery In Bergen: Cops BMW Driver, Teens Charged After Sneaker Trip Turns Armed Robbery In Bergen: Cops
BMW Driver, Teens Charged After Sneaker Trip Turns Armed Robbery In Bergen: Cops What was supposed to be a trip to buy sneakers and grab Chick-fil-A ended in an armed robbery last month, according to police in Bergen County Christopher Sanchez-Fernandez, 20, of Harrison, was arrested in connection with the incident, which Deputy Chief Paul Haggerty said unfolded on Saturday, May 30, at approximately 7:33 p.m. near 1 DeKorte Park Plaza. The victim told officers he was picked up in Harrison by Sanchez-Fernandez and driven toward the Meadowlands with three other occupants in a gray BMW X3, according to police. The group was originally supposed to travel to Newport Centre …

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by Cecilia Levine
Police & Fire
Pedestrian Killed In Paterson Crash: Prosecutor Pedestrian Killed In Paterson Crash: Prosecutor
Pedestrian Killed In Paterson Crash: Prosecutor A pedestrian was struck and killed by a vehicle in Paterson on Sunday night, June 7, authorities said. Paterson police responded at approximately 8:22 p.m. to Madison Avenue and Third Avenue on a report of a pedestrian struck by a vehicle, Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes and Paterson Police Officer-In-Charge Patrick Murray said. Officers found the victim, an unidentified male, authorities said. The victim was taken to Saint Joseph’s University Medical Center, where he was later pronounced dead. The driver involved in the crash remained at the scene, authorities said. …

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by Cecilia Levine
Police & Fire
Man Airlifted In Critical Condition After Falling From NJ Roof Man Airlifted In Critical Condition After Falling From NJ Roof
Man Airlifted In Critical Condition After Falling From NJ Roof A 52-year-old man was critically injured after falling from the roof of a home in Linden on Monday morning, June 8, police said. Linden police and firefighters responded at approximately 9:35 a.m. to the 1200 block of Bergen Avenue following reports of a medical emergency, police said. When first responders arrived, they determined the man had fallen from the roof of a two-story home. The victim was transported from the scene and then flown by medivac helicopter to University Hospital in Newark. He remained in critical condition.

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by Cecilia Levine
Police & Fire
Boy Gunned Down In Elizabeth: Prosecutors Boy Gunned Down In Elizabeth: Prosecutors
Boy Gunned Down In Elizabeth: Prosecutors A juvenile male was shot and killed in Elizabeth Friday, June 5, authorities said. At 10:15 p.m., Elizabeth police responded to Florida Street and found the boy, who was pronounced dead at the scene, the Union County Prosecutor's Office said. The identity and age of the boy were not provided. The shooting remains under investigation, authorities said.

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by Sam Barron
Police & Fire
Motorcyclist Injured After Striking Bear On Route 78: NJSP Motorcyclist Injured After Striking Bear On Route 78: NJSP
Motorcyclist Injured After Striking Bear On Route 78: Njsp A 31-year-old Phillipsburg man was hospitalized after he struck a bear on Route 78 in Hunterdon County on Saturday, June 7, authorities said. At 11:21 p.m., troopers responded to Route 78 West in Clinton Township after a bear entered the roadway and was struck Harley-Davidson motorcycle traveling west, Christopher Postorino, a spokesman for the New Jersey State Police said. The motorcycle overturned and ejected the driver, Postorino said. The driver was  transported to an area hospital, Postorino said. The crash remains under investigation, Postorino said.

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by Sam Barron
Police & Fire
NY Woman Suffered Paranoia Before Falling Into NJ Trash Chute At Luxury High-Rise: Cops NY Woman Suffered Paranoia Before Falling Into NJ Trash Chute At Luxury High-Rise: Cops
NY Woman Suffered Paranoia Before Falling Into NJ Trash Chute At Luxury High-Rise: Cops A 25-year-old New York woman was suffering from what a witness described as "paranoia" before she entered a trash chute on the 14th floor of a Hackensack apartment building and became trapped several stories below, police said. The incident unfolded at approximately 1:03 p.m. Sunday, June 7, at 150 Main St., where Bergen County Communications received a 911 call reporting that a person had fallen into a garbage chute at a luxury apartment building, according to Hackensack police. Police said their investigation indicates the woman had ingested alcohol and a combination of narcotics before r…

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by Cecilia Levine
Police & Fire
Cigarette Drops In Driver's Lap, Car Topples Pole Onto Cars In Palisades Park Cigarette Drops In Driver's Lap, Car Topples Pole Onto Cars In Palisades Park
Cigarette Drops In Driver's Lap, Car Topples Pole Onto Cars In Palisades Park A Pennsylvania woman crashed into a utility pole in Bergen County on Saturday, June 6, after a cigarette fell into her lap, police said. The driver, 42, was behind the wheel of a gray Dodge Ram 1500 pickup when she swerved and struck the pole at approximately 2 p.m., Palisades Park Police Capt. James Rotundo said. The truck then hit three parked vehicles, according to Rotundo. The impact destroyed the utility pole, causing wires and the pole itself to fall onto two additional vehicles parked at a nearby auto shop, police said. The driver and her passengers refused medical attentio…

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by Cecilia Levine
Police & Fire
Storm Drops Tree On I-80 In Paterson, Crash Snarls Route 3 In Clifton Storm Drops Tree On I-80 In Paterson, Crash Snarls Route 3 In Clifton
Storm Drops Tree On I-80 In Paterson, Crash Snarls Route 3 In Clifton Multiple incidents tied to a fast-moving storm caused lane closures, a power outage, and traffic disruptions across North Jersey on Saturday evening, June 6, according to the New Jersey Department of Transportation. A downed tree was reported on Route 287 southbound north of Exit 47 for Route 202 in Montville Township as of 7:49 p.m., NJDOT said. Two of the highway's three southbound lanes were closed. A second downed tree was reported on Route 17 southbound south of Passaic Street in Rochelle Park as of 7:46 p.m., according to NJDOT. One of the highway's two southbound lanes was closed. A…

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by Cecilia Levine