Bayonne Police beat Compiled by Al Sullivan Reporter staff writer

Bozo calling?

A Bayonne woman told police that a male caller repeatedly called her overnight on March 23 and 24, claiming to be Bozo the Clown and claiming she had won tickets to the circus.

St. Patrick donations stolen

Police say that donations were taken from a box beneath the St. Patrick’s statute at St. Mary’s Church on 14th Street and Avenue C while the St. Patrick’s Day Parade was underway a block away on Broadway.
Father Miller, the pastor, estimated the theft at about $300.
The money, kept in an unsecured box, was pilfered at some point between 1 and 2 p.m. on March 22. The police said they found no sign of forced entry into the church.

Is that really a cigar behind your ear?

After police broke up an overly loud party on March 28 at a house on West 44th St., they said they noticed a man leaving who had a cigar behind his left ear.
It apparently looked suspicious enough for the police to have it tested, and it allegedly contained marijuana, they said. As a result, Michael Nero, 19, of Phillipsburg, N.J., was charged with possession.

Bayonne man charged with drug possession

George Wilson, 50, of Bayonne, was charged with possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, and tapering with evidence after being stopped at 21st Street and Avenue C on March 28.
Police said they saw Wilson allegedly discard a glass object, which turned out to be a crack pipe. Wilson also allegedly had part of a marijuana cigarette on him at the time of arrest.

Shoplifting from Shop & Stop

William D. Esposito Jr., 35, of Rochelle Park, was charged with shoplifting from Shop & Stop on March 25 after security saw him allegedly walking out of the store with $206 worth of merchandise. When police arrested him, Esposito apparently was illegally parked in a fire zone and had an outstanding warrant for $42.

Van window smashed; tools stolen

Police said someone smashed the window of a Dodge Van and made off with tools and a spool of wire, valued around $650, some time between March 24 at 6 p.m. and March 25 at 8 p.m.

Tools taken from a vehicle on Seventh Street

Police said various tools worth more than $1,300 were stolen from a car parked on Seventh Street near Newman Avenue at some point between 4 p.m. on March 21 and 9:46 a.m. on March 24. Police said they were able to get one fingerprint from the window.

ID theft goes internet shopping

Someone apparently got access to a debit card and its code number, and then did a series of online transactions during a two-day period from March 20 to 22, police said.
Most of the transactions involved minor purchases such as a credit check for $1 and People Finder services for $1. Others included a phone card purchase of $.99, a Foto Cubby purchase of $16.95, and a stamp collector Web site purchase for $17.94.
The charges ranged from $1 to $210. The thief also used the ID to set up an email account.

Orange man charged in alcohol theft

Anthony Barker, 48, of Orange, was charged with two separate thefts on March 23 when he allegedly tried to take $70.20 of Grey Goose from the Wine Warehouse on Lefante Way. A store worker told police that Barker allegedly put the oversized bottle under his jacket. Later, the police reviewed surveillance tapes of earlier in the day and charged Barker with allegedly stealing two bottles of Hennessey valued at $203.23.

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