Hoboken Police Beat

Compiled by Timothy J. Carroll 5/10/09


Hudson River jumper now threatens to leap from building

A 34-year-old man threatened to jump off a building on Washington Street on Thursday morning before being seized by officers who worked for an hour to talk him down. The man, who has jumped into the Hudson River on numerous occasions and threatened to do so on others, was known to the police as a suicide risk.
Police were dispatched at 11 a.m. on Thursday when the man was spotted sitting on the rooftop ledge at 318 Washington St. Police said he was drinking an alcoholic beverage and told officers he was depressed and wanted to jump.
Hoboken Fire Department and Port Authority police also responded, and officers tried to talk the man down. Police said his movements were slow and clumsy and they were afraid he might fall off unintentionally.
The man slipped a little at one point and started to fall away from the edge of the roof. Officers immediately took the opportunity to secure the man before he had a chance to regain his original position, according to Lt. Det. Charles Campbell.
He was transported to Hoboken University Medical Center for psychiatric evaluation, and police said he was not charged with any offense.
One officer was slightly injured during the rescue, and police weren’t sure if the officer required medical attention.

Residents fall victim to Craigslist scams

Det. Campbell said a rash of Craigslist scams have been reported to him recently.
In one ripoff, apartments are said to be for rent at a favorable cost. When people submit deposit checks to put the apartment on hold, the listing disappears and so does the depositor’s check. Police said one of these scams cost a man $1,500 after he left a deposit for a vacation spot in France.
“If it seems too good to be true,” Campbell said, “do some more investigating. It probably is.”
Another scam works in reverse, targeting landlords. In this case, a person pretends to be seeking an apartment and sends a deposit check. Then the person calls the landlord and asks for a slight portion to be returned for moving fees.
The landlord – before he or she has had a chance to see if the original check clears – refunds a portion only to find soon after that the deposit check has bounced.

Five car break-ins in same area

Police reported five auto break-ins last week and again are advising residents to take all electronic equipment out of their parked cars.
In one incident on Saturday, May 2, a laptop, a GPS device, several CDs, and coins were taken from a car parked at 355 11th St.
Four more break-ins occurred in the early morning of Monday, May 4, three of them between the 900 and 1000 blocks of Sinatra Drive. One thief only nabbed a pair of sunglasses; in another case, the car sustained no damage but a laptop was found missing.
In the third, nothing was found to be missing but the car sustained damage to its locks and glove compartment.
The final incident took place on the 900 block of Willow Ave. where a GPS, Hoboken parking permit, and $90 in cash were found missing. Police did not find any suspects.

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