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Police & Fire
Fires Break Out At 2 Popular Bergen County Restaurants Within Hours Fires Break Out At 2 Popular Bergen County Restaurants Within Hours
Fires Break Out At 2 Popular Bergen County Restaurants Within Hours Two popular Bergen County restaurants were damaged by fires within hours of each other late Sunday, May 31, and Monday, June 1. The first fire broke out Sunday evening, May 31, at Brick House on Godwin Avenue in Wyckoff, according to the Wyckoff Fire Department. Firefighters responded after reports of a brush fire against the rear of the building with visible smoke and flames, officials said. Arriving crews confirmed the brush fire had extended into the restaurant's air ventilation system. Firefighters also encountered heavy smoke conditions in the basement and requested a working fire…

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by Cecilia Levine
Police & Fire
Manhunt Launched For ATV Rider Who Ran Over Cop In South Jersey: Police Manhunt Launched For ATV Rider Who Ran Over Cop In South Jersey: Police
Manhunt Launched For ATV Rider Who Ran Over Cop In South Jersey: Police A man is at large after he ran over a police officer while riding an ATV in Ewing on Sunday, May 31, authorities said. At 5:30 p.m., officers received numerous calls about an ATV riding recklessly throughout Ewing, Ewing police said. A police officer located a man attempted to fuel his ATV at a Delta gas station on Princeton Avenue and attempted to stop him, police said. The man drove over the officer and a pursuit was initiated before eventually being terminated for safety reasons, police said. The officer that was struck was transported to a nearby hospital with non-life threatening …

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by Sam Barron
Police & Fire
Referee Strangles Coach During South Jersey Youth Football Game: Cops Referee Strangles Coach During South Jersey Youth Football Game: Cops
Referee Strangles Coach During South Jersey Youth Football Game: Cops A referee was charged after police said he strangled a coach during a youth flag football game in Gloucester County on Sunday afternoon, May 31. Franklin Township police responded to the Franklin Township Sports Complex on Pennsylvania Avenue at approximately 1:30 p.m. following reports of an assault at a youth football game, according to the department. A dispute over an on-field call escalated when the referee strangled a 46-year-old Newfield man who was coaching one of the teams. Witnesses corroborated the assault, leading to the arrest of the referee, Edward McKinnie Jr., 47, of Bl…

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by Cecilia Levine
Police & Fire
UPDATE: Teen In Stolen Porsche Jumps Palisades Cliff After Fort Lee Police Pursuit UPDATE: Teen In Stolen Porsche Jumps Palisades Cliff After Fort Lee Police Pursuit
Update: Teen In Stolen Porsche Jumps Palisades Cliff After Fort Lee Police Pursuit A 17-year-old Newark boy driving a stolen Porsche Cayenne jumped from the Palisades after crashing into multiple vehicles and fleeing police in Fort Lee on Sunday afternoon, May 31, authorities said. Fort Lee police located the stolen 2026 Porsche near the upper-level approach to the George Washington Bridge at approximately 4:38 p.m., according to a police press release from local authorities. The SUV had been reported stolen earlier that day after a home invasion in River Edge, during which the vehicle's key was taken from inside the victim's home, authorities said. As officers moved in, …

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by Cecilia Levine
Police & Fire
Staten Island Motorcyclist Killed In Turnpike Crash In Bergen County Staten Island Motorcyclist Killed In Turnpike Crash In Bergen County
Staten Island Motorcyclist Killed In Turnpike Crash In Bergen County A Staten Island motorcyclist was killed after losing control of his bike and crashing on the New Jersey Turnpike, authorities said. New Jersey State Police responded to a motor vehicle crash at approximately 9:30 a.m. in Rutherford, according to Trooper II Christopher Postorino. Ardjent Shaini, 51, of Staten Island, was operating a Kawasaki motorcycle when he lost directional control of the vehicle on the northbound western spur of the Turnpike near milepost 111.6 in Rutherford on Sunday, May 31, Postorino said. The motorcycle overturned, struck a guardrail, and Shaini was e…

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by Cecilia Levine
Police & Fire
Fire Tears Through LBI Landmark, Staff Facing Summer Without Pay Fire Tears Through LBI Landmark, Staff Facing Summer Without Pay
Fire Tears Through LBI Landmark, Staff Facing Summer Without Pay A fire broke out at a popular LBI restaurant over the weekend, leaving its future uncertain and dozens of employees without their primary source of summer income. Owners of Wally's in Surft City announced the Saturday night fire in a Facebook post Sunday, May 31, saying no employees, customers, or neighboring residents were injured. "So last night didn't go as anyone planned," the restaurant wrote. The fire started after staff finished what the restaurant described as "a wonderful Saturday night shift. "We are so incredibly happy to be able to share that no one from Wally's or an…

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by Cecilia Levine
Police & Fire
Prosecutor IDs Man, 38, Killed In Aberdeen Weekend Crash Prosecutor IDs Man, 38, Killed In Aberdeen Weekend Crash
Prosecutor IDs Man, 38, Killed In Aberdeen Weekend Crash Authorities have identified the 38-year-old man who was killed while carrying a child on Route 35 in Aberdeen as Anthony A. Trujillo. ORIGINAL STORY: A 38-year-old man carrying a child across Route 35 was killed after the pair were struck by a pickup truck Saturday night, May 30, authorities said. The driver of a 2015 Nissan Frontier was traveling south in the left lane of Route 35 when the vehicle struck two pedestrians who were crossing in a marked crosswalk from west to east at the Cliffwood Avenue intersection around 9:!5 p.m. in Matawan, authorities said, according to Monmouth Cou…

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by Cecilia Levine
Police & Fire
PA Officer Killed Responding To Call, Department Says PA Officer Killed Responding To Call, Department Says
PA Officer Killed Responding To Call, Department Says A police officer was killed while responding to an emergency call Friday, May 29, after her patrol vehicle left the roadway and struck a tree, according to Pennsylvania State Police. Central Berks Police Officer Kristen Yeager, 42, a married mom of three from Boyertown, was responding with emergency lights and sirens activated when the crash occurred on West Philadelphia Avenue near Manatawny Road in Earl Township, state police said. According to investigators, Yeager's patrol vehicle traveled off the paved portion of the roadway, crossed the grass shoulder, entered a ditch, and struck a tr…

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by Cecilia Levine
Police & Fire
19-Year-Old Tries Disarming Cop As He's Tackled In Bergen County: PD 19-Year-Old Tries Disarming Cop As He's Tackled In Bergen County: PD
19-Year-Old Tries Disarming Cop As He's Tackled In Bergen County: PD A 19-year-old is accused of grabbing a police officer's firearm during a domestic dispute investigation in Bergen County, police said. Hasbrouck Heights officers responded to the rear of a business near Boulevard and Hamilton Avenue at approximately 8:30 a.m. Thursday, May 28, on a report of a possible domestic dispute, according to Capt. John Behr. Officers Johanna Sanchez, Alessandro Ciminata, and Detective Cosimo Marino investigated and determined that a male suspect, later identified as Gabriel Hernandez-Caldero, of Lodi, ripped a cellphone from the victim's hand during the dispute befo…

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by Cecilia Levine
Police & Fire
Dump Truck Pushes Acura Down Route 208 In Wild Highway Mishap Dump Truck Pushes Acura Down Route 208 In Wild Highway Mishap
Dump Truck Pushes Acura Down Route 208 In Wild Highway Mishap A dump truck pushed an Acura SUV down Route 208 in Fair Lawn on Friday, May 29, in a bizarre crash that drew comparisons to a similar incident in Harrison. Authorities are investigating whether the dump truck driver knew the dark blue Acura RDX was stuck to the truck's front bumper as it traveled along the highway, Boyd A. Loving reports (click here for mroe photos). Fair Lawn police were seen reviewing dash camera footage from inside the dump truck's cab to determine what the driver could see during the incident. The circumstances appear similar to a crash on Route 280, where a truck driv…

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by Cecilia Levine
Police & Fire
Wayne Driver Guilty In Hit-Run That Left Pedestrian Seriously Hurt Wayne Driver Guilty In Hit-Run That Left Pedestrian Seriously Hurt
Wayne Driver Guilty In Hit-Run That Left Pedestrian Seriously Hurt A Wayne man who struck a pedestrian, crashed into a home, fled with his pit bull, and then falsely reported his vehicle stolen has been found guilty by a Passaic County jury, prosecutors announced. Nicholas Perota, 23, of Wayne, was convicted on Thursday, May 28 of second-degree aggravated assault, third-degree knowingly leaving the scene of a motor vehicle accident, fourth-degree assault by auto, and fourth-degree false reports to law enforcement, according to Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia Valdes. The case stemmed from a Sept. 9, 2023 crash on Mountainview Boulevard in Wayne, where pol…

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by Cecilia Levine
Police & Fire
Passaic Man, 20, Had Hundreds Of Child Porn Files: Sheriff Passaic Man, 20, Had Hundreds Of Child Porn Files: Sheriff
Passaic Man, 20, Had Hundreds Of Child Porn Files: Sheriff A 20-year-old man has been arrested after police found hundreds of child porn files on his phone, authorities in Passaic County said. The investigation into Kevin Vinas, of Passaic, began after the ICAC Task Force received information regarding an online cloud-sharing account used to upload and store child sexual abuse material, Passaic County Sheriff Thomas Adamo said. Using investigative tools, detectives traced the activity to a home. On March 31, detectives responded to the home and identified Vinas as the account holder. Vinas admitted the account belonged to him and said he used …

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by Cecilia Levine