On Sunday, September 25th, Roselle Park Police took reports of approximately seven (7) car burglaries that occurred earlier that morning on the following streets:

• Bender Avenue
• Camden Street
• Magie Avenue
• Union Road
• Walnut Street

In all of the incidents, vehicle owners reported that their vehicles were left unlocked while parked in the street and/or in their driveway.

These motor vehicle burglaries are currently under investigation by the Roselle Park Police Detective Bureau.

The incidents appear to be occurring in the early morning hours.

Residents are reminded and urged to secure their vehicles and remove any valuables from view whether parked in the street or in their driveways.

Anyone with any information regarding these incidents are encouraged to contact Detective Edward Nortrup at (908) 245-2306 or (908) 245-2300.

A Roselle Park resident who allegedly exposed his genitals to a store clerk in town was arrested for lewdness.

Last Thursday, September 29th, at approximately 9:06 p.m., Roselle Park police officers responded to a business on East Westfield Avenue on a report of a suspicious incident. A female store clerk for the store stated that a male customer had made a purchase within the business and while he was checking out at the front counter, he exposed himself to the clerk then casually left the store.

Police officers reviewed the video surveillance footage of the incident and identified the male in the video as Jabari P. Parham, age 22 from Roselle Park.

Patrolman Ryan Hokanson located Mr. Parham on the 200 block of Chestnut Street and placed him under arrest and charged with lewdness. He was served with a summons for the lewdness and released with a court date.

Yesterday, October 2nd, at around 5:20 in the evening, Roselle Park police officers responded to World of Liquors on a report of a shoplifting.

The manager of the store stated that a man with a white tank top and grey sweatpants who was carrying a grey and red backpack was seen taking a bottle of Bacardi rum and two (2) beers without paying for them. This was reportedly confirmed after reviewing the video surveillance by the police officers who identified the suspect as Ronald F. Perry Jr., age 43 from Roselle Park.

Patrolman James Kompany and Sergeant Aldo Cosentino located Mr. Perry on Sheridan Avenue where he was arrested and charged with the shoplifting.

This is the third time that Mr. Perry has been arrested in the borough since August 22nd – the two other instances he was arrested for possession of suspected marijuana. Mr. Perry was served with a summons for shoplifting and released with a court date.

Today at around 4:30 p.m, as a result of the investigation into a social media post which alluded to a clown and victims in the Roselle Park School District, a 14-year-old Roselle Park resident was identified as the individual responsible for the post.

The post has since been removed.

The juvenile, whose name has been withheld, was processed and released into the custody of a guardian.

Over the weekend, Roselle Park School District (RPSD) Superintendent Pedro Garrido sent an e-mail to parents and guardians regarding four (4) reports of a suspect or suspects luring and, in two cases, attempting to kidnap young girls in neighboring Roselle and Kenilworth.

On Wednesday, September 21st, the first two reports of attempted luring reportedly occurred within an hour of each other in Roselle.

The first happened at around 8 o’clock in the morning when a 12-year-old girl on her way to school stated that a man in a SUV attempted to grab her by the arm after calling her to the vehicle saying he had something for her as he held up a jacket. The girl fled. The man was described as white, in his 30s with a thin build, round face, light mustache, unibrow, cleft chin, and a dark-colored faded flower-shaped tattoo on his right tricep. This occurred on the 100 block of West 7th Avenue.

The second reported attempt occurred a little before 9 a.m. when a 15-year-old girl on her way to school stated that a man in a dark Acura pulled up beside her and asked if she wanted a ride. After she declined, the man drove away. In that incident, which occurred on the 200 block of East 8th Avenue, the suspect was described as Latino with long hair on top of his head and short hair on the sides between 40 and 50 years of age.

Later that day in Kenilworth, at around 2:15 p.m., a 15-year-old girl walking home from school on Monroe Avenue near 16th Street was approached by a man described as white, in his 50s, with a grayish-white beard and thin facial features. The vehicle was described as a black 4-door sedan. The female student said that the vehicle appeared to have been following her and when she made eye contact with the man, he motioned her to come to the vehicle. She walked back to the high school.

The following day, September 22nd, a fourth report was made to the police, this time back in Roselle. At around 4:30 p.m., a 16-year-old girl stated that she was walking on the 500 block of Walnut Street in Roselle when a man she described as a white male in his 30s with dark hair and a thin build driving in a silver SUV approached her. She said that the man got out of the vehicle and grabbed her by the waist but she was able to get away.

The superintendent as well as the Roselle Park Police Department (RPPD) ask parents, children, and residents to be vigilant and report any such suspicious activity to RPPD immediately to (908) 245-2300 unless there is an imminent danger; in such case 9-1-1 should be used.

The Roselle Park Police Department (RPPD) issued a notice to residents today regarding a post on Instagram attributed to roselle.park.clowns (Bubby The Clown) with the following [misspellings and improper grammar intact]:

I will be in Roselle Park around aldene school, The highschool, The middle school, 7 victoms a week Will be targeting freshman

A number of posts regarding clown sightings at night or clowns threatening people have been reported around the country lately. The image for this posting is that of Pennywise The Clown, portrayed by Tim Curry, from the 1990 miniseries “It”. The made-for-television film was based on a book of the same name written by Stephen King.

The RPPD stated in a Facebook post that it is aware of the posting related to “a non-specific threat involving a clown and the Roselle Park Schools”.

Although no credible threat has been ascertained at this time, the matter is – nonetheless – being investigated by the RPPD and anyone with specific information on this posting is asked to contact Roselle Park Police at (908) 245-2300.

The police stated that contact has been made with school officials and social media sites are being monitored for any further related postings.

Yesterday at approximately 11 o’clock in the morning, Patrolman Dean Khallaf conducted a motor vehicle stop on West Westfield Avenue on a 2000 Dodge for a moving violation.

The driver of the vehicle, Stephen N. Lambrecht, age 30 from Middletown, was found to be in possession of three (3) stolen Fitbit devices. According to police, the items were discovered to be taken from the Target store in Clark. This was confirmed by Target loss prevention and said to be valued at approximately $150 each.

Mr. Lambrecht was placed under arrest and charged with receiving stolen property. He was served with a summons and released with a court date.

October 1, 2016
At approximately 4:42 a.m., Patrolman Angelo Marino conducted a motor vehicle stop on Galloping Hill Road on a 1998 Lincoln for a moving and equipment violation. The driver of the vehicle, Jamal A. Johnson, age 35 from Newark, was found to be driving on a suspended license and have outstanding warrants out of Newark, Plainfield, and Springfield Municipal Courts totaling $1,905. He was placed under arrest and subsequently found to be in possession of suspected methylone, commonly known as “Molly”. Mr. Johnson was charged with Possession of CDS. He was served with a summons and released with a future court date after posting bail on other warrants. Motor vehicle summonses were also issued.

October 2, 2016
At approximately 1:10 a.m., Patrolman William Hannon conducted a motor vehicle stop on Locust Street on a 2005 Dodge for a moving and equipment violation. The driver of the vehicle, Kenneth A. Johnson Jr., age 26 from Rahway, was arrested for driving while intoxicated and subsequently found to be in possession of suspected marijuana and a Balisong, commonly known as a butterfly knife. Mr. Johnson was charged with DWI, Possession Of A Weapon, and Possession of CDS. He was served with summonses and released with a court date. Motor vehicle summonses were also issued.

October 5, 2016
At approximately 9:08 p.m., Patrolman Jeffrey Smith conducted a pedestrian stop on West Westfield Avenue on Anthony J. Bachus, age 52 from Plainfield, after being called to the area for a suspicious male who had dropped a bag of personal belongings on the sidewalk. Mr. Bachus was found to be in possession of suspected methamphetamine and heroin as well as drug paraphernalia. He was placed under arrest and transported to Roselle Park Police headquarters where he was processed. Mr. Bachus was charged with two (2) counts of Possession Of CDS and Drug Paraphernalia. He was served with a summons and released with a court date.

The Roselle Park Police Department (RPPD) – along with the Union County HazMat, Union County K-9 Unit, United States Postal Inspector, and New Jersey State Police – were on scene at Warren Avenue between Locust Street and Meadow Street in response to reports of suspicious envelopes either delivered or intended to be delivered to numerous residences on Warren Avenue.

Not much official information was given other than a text/e-mail that stated the following:

Roselle Park Police warn all residents to carefully inspect any US mail received, Police are currently investigating multiple reports of suspicious envelopes with unknown powder and FRAUDULENT return address of “Roselle Park Police”. Hazmat has tested several envelopes and the substance does not appear to be dangerous. PLEASE DO NOT HANDLE THE ENVELOPE. CONTACT POLICE IMMEDIATELY. FURTHER INFORMATION TO FOLLOW.

Additionally, Roselle Park Police released a photograph of the envelope.

At this time, police ask anyone with information – or if they receive similar suspicious envelopes – to contact RPPD headquarters immediately at (908) 245-2300 or, in case of immediate emergency, 9-1-1.

Today, a juvenile reported that on Friday, October 7th, at approximately 5:30 in the morning, they observed a white male standing next to a white Jeep that was parked curbside facing east in front of 33 West Clay Avenue.

The male reportedly called out to them to get their attention and exposed his genitals. The juvenile then left the area.

The male suspect was described as a white male in his late 20s to early 30s, approximately 5’8″ to 5’10” tall, average build, fair skin, and stubbled facial hair. He was wearing a white hooded pullover sweatshirt with unknown black lettering on the front and white pants with black stripes.

The suspect’s vehicle was described as a white, fairly new two-door Jeep style vehicle – possible a Jeep Wrangler – with dark tinted windows, a black hard top roof, and a possible black stripe on the bottom or black running boards. The tires were described as being a little bigger than normal as the vehicle was described as being higher up off the ground. The license plate is unknown at this time.

Even though the incident allegedly occurred on Friday, it was not reported until today.

Roselle Park Police Department asks anyone with information on this incident or suspect to contact Roselle Park Police headquarters at (908) 245-2300.

This morning at around 11:30 in the morning, Roselle Park police officers responded to the area of the 300 block of Sheridan Avenue on a report of a suspicious male in one of the neighboring yards near Sherman School.

The man appeared to be taking photographs of children with a cellphone during afternoon recess.

The individual was described as a Hispanic male between 25-30 years of age, approximately 200 lbs., muscular build, with short dark hair. He was wearing a zip-up white hooded sweatshirt, light colored jogging pants, and white sneakers.

After he was confronted by a witness, the man put his hood up over his head and fled on foot northbound on Sheridan Avenue.

Witnesses in the area observed a dark colored, possibly black, two-door Mustang or Camaro with a loud exhaust and red stripe on the front fender in the area during the time of the incident.

Additionally, principal Donna Glomb sent a letter home to parents explaining the incident addressing rumors that there was a clown was sighted by the school. Principal Glomb assured parents that such was not the case.

Anyone with information is encouraged to contact Roselle Park Police Detective Medrano at (908) 245-2300.

The Roselle Park Police Department (RPPD) is reaching out to the community to have owners of stolen or missing bicycles contact headquarters.

As a result of several ongoing investigations, Roselle Park Police Officers have recovered several bicycles that are believed to be stolen.

The police ask residents looking for their bicycles to bring with them any information that can verify ownership including receipts, photos, detailed descriptions. or unique markings that can assist in verifying ownership. A store receipt is not always necessary.

The RPPD offers tips to owners, such as keeping a record of a bicycle’s serial number. This can be done by taking a photograph of the serial number and of the bicycle. Most serial numbers on bicycles are found on the bottom frame between the pedal cranks.

There is a borough law that, apparently, has not been adhered to for years which might help both residents and police in reuniting owners with their property. It is Borough Code 3-2 et. al. which requires residents to register their bicycles for $1.

Section 3-2.2 (Registration Required; Attachment of Decal) reads:

No person residing in the Borough shall operate a bicycle upon any public street or other public place within the Borough unless such bicycle has been registered with the Police Department, as evidenced by a registration decal which shall be attached to such bicycle.

A registration decal would be attached to each registered bicycle. The law would not only have bicycles registered but, Section 3-2.8.b., it would also authorize police to “inspect any bicycle on any public street or place at any time to ascertain whether or not it has been properly registered” and that it “is in proper mechanical condition to be operated safely”.

Those wishing to see if their bicycles) is in current police custody should call Roselle Park Police headquarters at (908) 245-2300.

A copy of the entire relevant borough code is available below:

Download File (PDF)

What appears to be a decapitated chicken as well as a decapitated pigeon were found on a manhole at the intersection of Sherman Avenue and Madison Avenue this evening.

The two apparent carcasses were discovered at around 10 p.m. by resident Vincent Bonassisa. There was a bag next to the animals which – presumably – contained the heads.

Roselle Park Police were notified and arrived on scene. Traffic in the area was being redirected during the investigation.

On Monday, October 24th, at approximately 7:30 p.m., Roselle Park police officers responded to the World of Liquors located at 137 Chestnut Street for a report of shoplifting. Reportedly taken from the store was a one-liter bottle of vodka valued at approximately $20. The individual who committed the shoplifting was described as a male with a beard wearing a hooded sweater, red t-shirt, gray camouflage shorts, and black shoes.

At approximately 9:15 p.m., officers located a male fitting the description who was identified as Hector Rodriguez, age 36 from Roselle Park. Mr. Rodriguez was positively identified by a witness as the individual who committed the shoplifting. He was placed under arrest and charged with shoplifting. He was also found to have an active warrant for $500 out of Cranford Municipal Court.

Mr. Rodriguez was issued a summons and released on his own recognizance with a court date for Cranford and Roselle Park Municipal Court.

The following day, October 25th, at approximately 12:57 p.m., Roselle Park police officers responded to the Family Dollar on located at 7 East Westfield Avenue for a report of a shoplifting. Reportedly taken from the store were several bottles of vitamins and face creams valued at just under $200 dollars.

The female who committed the shoplifting was being detained by store employees until police arrived. She was identified as Tonya D. Thompson, age 46 from Elizabeth. Ms. Thompson was placed under arrest and charged with shoplifting. She was also found to have an active warrant for $500 out of Elizabeth Municipal Court.

Ms. Thompson was issued a summons and released on her own recognizance with a court date for Elizabeth and Roselle Park Municipal Court.

On Wednesday, October 26th, two elderly Roselle Park residents reported that at approximately 1 p.m. two males wearing construction-type clothing and driving a white pickup truck greeted them at their residence on East Westfield Avenue. The 89-year-old tenant was allegedly told by one of the individuals that the landlord sent them to collect $1,900 for the repair they made to the roof.

The victim stated that she did not have that amount of money on her.

The individuals coaxed her in the pickup and drove her to a local bank to withdraw the money. After doing so, they returned her back to her residence. Both individuals then drove from the area. It was not until after speaking to the landlord later in the day that they realized it was a scam.

Anyone with any similar incidents or information regarding this case are advised to contact the Roselle Park Police Department at (908) 245-2300.

On October 26th, 2016 at approximately 1:16 a.m., Patrolman William Hannon conducted a motor vehicle stop on a 2008 Nissan on Faitoute Avenue for a moving violation. The driver of the vehicle, Keith Morrison, was found to be in possession of suspected marijuana and drug paraphernalia. He was placed under arrest and charged with Possession Of CDS and drug paraphernalia. He was issued a summons as well as motor vehicle summonses and released with a court date.

November 12, 2016
At approximately 11 p.m., Patrolman William Hannon conducted a motor vehicle stop on a 2009 Mercedes-Benz along West Westfield Avenue for an equipment violation. The driver of the vehicle, Justin Merriweather, age 31 from Linden, was found to be in possession suspected marijuana. He was placed under arrest and charged with possession of c.d.s. Mr. Merriweather was issued a summons and released with a court date.

November 17, 2016
At around noon, Roselle Park police officers responded to the World of Liquors located at 137 Chestnut Street for a report of shoplifting. Reportedly taken from the store was a 750 ml bottle of Tequila valued at approximately $20 dollars. The individual who was suspected of committed the shoplifting was detained by store personnel. The individual was identified as Timothy A. Hackett, age 21 from Union. Mr. Hackett was placed under arrest and charged with shoplifting. He was issued a summons and released on his own recognizance with a court date.

November 18, 2016
At approximately 12:24 a.m., Patrolman William Hannon conducted a motor vehicle stop on a 2000 Lexus along West Westfield Avenue for an equipment violation. The passenger of the vehicle, Leandro Herrera, age 18 from Elizabeth, was found to be in possession of suspected marijuana and drug paraphernalia. He was placed under arrest and charged with possession of c.d.s. and possession of drug paraphernalia. Mr. Herrera was issued a summons and released with a court date.

November 19, 2016
At approximately 8:50 p.m., Patrolman William Hannon conducted a motor vehicle stop on a 2005 Buick along East Westfield Avenue for an equipment violation. The driver of the vehicle, Tykee J. Stokes, age 24 from Newark, was found to be in possession of suspected rock cocaine along with suspected marijuana and drug paraphernalia. He was placed under arrest and charged with two (2) counts of possession of c.d.s. and possession of drug paraphernalia. Mr. Stokes was issued a summons and released with a court date.

A little over two weeks ago, on Saturday, November 5th, at around 9 o’clock in the morning, Roselle Park police officers responded to the 300 block of West Clay Avenue on a report of a motor vehicle theft in progress.

Officers arrived in the area as they observed a male exit a 1995 Buick who then ran southbound through neighboring yards and over fences.

The vehicle had a damaged steering column and blood was discovered within the passenger compartment. Union County Sheriff’s K-9 and Identification units also responded.

Union County Sheriff’s Department sergeant Tara Halpin and Roselle Park patrolman Michael Smith discovered the suspect hiding in a neighboring garage. The actor was identified as Jeffrey A. Wheeler, age 47 from Clark. Mr. Wheeler was arrested and charged with burglary to a motor vehicle, attempted theft of a motor vehicle, resisting arrest, criminal trespass, criminal mischief, and possession of a burglary tool.

Bail was set at $25,000. Mr. Wheeler was ultimately lodged in the Union County Jail.

Yesterday, Roselle Park Police Department (RPPD) detectives Richard Cocca and Edward Nortrup conducted a follow-up sexual assault investigation with the assistance of the Union County Prosecutors Office – Special Victims Unit, which resulted in the identification and arrest of two individuals.

Pierre Louis, age 22, and Jergens Alcino, age 23, both from Elizabeth were arrested and charged with first-degree aggravated sexual assault and second-degree sexual assault. They were lodged in the Union County Jail on over $250,000 bail.

The incident occurred earlier this month and it was learned that one of the individuals used social media to begin a relationship with the female that led to a meet and sexual assault.

More information as it is obtained will be provided.

The photographs below, provided by RPPD, are described as being that of suspects Jergins Alcino (left) and Louis Pierre (right).

This Veterans Day, the Roselle Park Police Benevolent Association (PBA) – Local 27 – contributed to this year’s Thanksgiving basket donations by donating turkeys and canned goods to the Casano Center food pantry.

RP PBA members Captain Daniel McCaffery, Detective Richard Cocca, Patrolman Richard Gaylord, Patrolman James Kompany, Patrolman Alexander Lanza, Patrolman Kyle Snyder, and Patrolman Brian Swick – along with Mayor Carl Hokanson – delivered the turkeys last Friday.

Donations are still being accepted and anyone interested in donating a turkey can contact Rupen Shah at the Casano Community Center by calling (908) 245-0666 during hours of operation.