The Verona Police Department logged a total of 290 assignments during the week of April 16–April 22, 2017. Responses included the following:
5 burglar alarms (4 residential, 1 commercial)
42 Rescue Squad dispatches
7 Fire Department dispatches
10 motor vehicle crash scenes
1 DWI (driving while intoxicated)
4 arrests
2 fraud incidents
71 motor vehicle stops resulting in 57 traffic summonses and 41 warnings issued.
April 16, 2017
7:49 AM: Officer Brian McMahon took a report of property damage from a Grove Avenue resident. The resident reported that sometime during the overnight hours, two decorative lawn lights were torn out of the ground in her front yard. The value of the damage is unknown at this time.
9:51 AM: Officer Brendan Huber responded along with the Verona Fire Department to a reported dumpster fire in the rear of a Bloomfield Avenue business. The officer utilized his fire extinguisher to put out most of the fire and the remainder was extinguished by the fire department.
April 17, 2017
8:24 AM: Officer Michael Barone impounded a vehicle that was illegally parked and causing a traffic problem on Park Avenue. The vehicle was towed from the area and the registered owner was issued a summons.
3:43 PM: Officer Stephanie Colon took a report of an attempted burglary at a Bloomfield Avenue business. The business owner reported that when she arrived at work today, she observed damage to the loading dock doors and that it appeared that someone might have attempted to pry the doors open. The officer observed the damage and also observed that it appeared to be old damage, as there is rust on the area. No fresh pry marks or paint shavings were observed.
5:09 PM: Officer Stephanie Colon took a report of a fraud from a Robert Court resident. The resident reported receiving a notice of an unpaid bill. The resident had previously mailed a check for this bill. The resident then contacted her bank and discovered that an unknown person and not the business that she had mailed the check to cashed the check. The resident was provided with identity theft information.
6:42 PM: Officer Steve Young responded to a motor vehicle accident on Bloomfield Avenue where a pedestrian was struck with the mirror of a passing vehicle, resulting in an arm injury. The vehicle then left the scene. The passenger side mirror housing was recovered at the scene, and investigation revealed that it was possibly from a Ford or Lincoln model vehicle that matched the description of the vehicle given by the pedestrian. Det. Tim Banta viewed video footage from several locations along Bloomfield Avenue, and was able to determine a description of the vehicle and driver. Further investigation revealed a previous incident with the same type of vehicle. Detectives responded to the home of the registered owner of the other incident and located the vehicle in the driveway. Damage was observed to the passenger side mirror and a new mirror was observed lying on the side of the house. The officers left the area as no one answered the door when they knocked. A short time later the homeowner contacted police headquarters to inquire why the police were at his house. The homeowner was asked to bring the operator of the vehicle to police headquarters to discuss the motor vehicle accident. The vehicle operator came to headquarters and gave a statement as to what occurred with the accident. The operator Dominick Zingale Jr. of North Caldwell was issued several motor vehicle summonses as well as a criminal complaint for assault by auto. Zingale Jr. was transported to the Essex County Jail in Newark.
April 19, 2017
4:01 PM: Officer Ed Ruff and Alyssa Kirby transported Luis Santiago-Pagan to the Essex County Jail in Newark. Santiago-Pagan had been sentenced by the Verona Municipal Court judge to 30 days in the Essex County Jail.
4:22 PM: Sgt. John Lecreux responded along with the Verona Rescue Squad to a report of an unresponsive person on the track behind the HB Whitehorne Middle School. Upon arrival, Sgt. Lecreux found the victim unresponsive and attached the AED to the victim. After two shocks were delivered with the AED, CPR was started. The Verona Rescue Squad arrived and continued treatment while transporting the victim to Mountainside Hospital.
April 20, 2017
6:57 PM: Officer Giovanni DeSomma responded to the area of Bloomfield Avenue and Park Avenue on a report of a 911 hang up. The officer observed three individuals involved in a verbal dispute. Upon speaking to the individuals, it was determined that the dispute was over a fare for a Lyft ride. The customer felt that the driver took a longer route than was necessary in order to inflate the bill. The passenger paid the fare and all parties were advised of complaint procedures.
April 21, 2017
8:19 AM: Officer Brian McMahon took a report of found property on Elk Road. The reporting person stated that numerous election signs were dumped in the parking lot. The signs were returned to the owners.
2:51 PM: Officer Alyssa Kirby took a report of a fraud from a Howell Drive resident. The resident reported receiving a call from Bloomingdales regarding a purchase that was made with her credit card. The resident advised the company that she did not make any purchases. Upon checking her credit card account, she discovered several more unauthorized purchases. The resident advised the credit card company and the account was closed.
10:36 PM: Officers Alyssa Kirby, Chris Scheper and Sgt. John Lecreux responded to a report of a pedestrian struck in the area of Grove Avenue and Bloomfield Avenue. The officers located the pedestrian, vehicle operator and a witness on Grove Avenue. Officers provided medical assistance to the pedestrian who had a head injury. Officer Scheper began to gather information from the operator and while doing so detected the odor of an alcoholic beverage coming from the operator. The operator was asked to perform several field sobriety tests. After completing the tests the operator, Edwin Torres of Verona was placed under arrest and transported to police headquarters. After processing, Torres was issued several summonses and was released to a family member. He was also issued a criminal complaint for assault by auto.
Any individual named in these reports is presumed innocent until a decision is rendered by the courts. MyVeronaNJ.com updates police blotter reports with the disposition of the case upon request and with submission of documentary proof. We do not remove stories or delete names based on an expungement.
