441 pulled over in pre-Labor Day check point
Police stopped 441 vehicles on Saturday, Aug. 29, at a sobriety check point in front of Weehawken Town Hall/Police Headquarters on Park Avenue not far from the Lincoln Tunnel, according to Weehawken Deputy Police Chief Jeff Fulcher. The checkpoint was part of an effort by the state’s Division of Highway Safety through a campaign called “Over the limit, under arrest.”
Of those vehicles pulled over between 8 p.m. to 4 a.m., five arrests were made for alcohol-related driving offenses and one for possession of a controlled dangerous substance (CDS).
Police also issued 26 summonses for a variety of other vehicle offenses.
The man arrested for possession of CDS turned his vehicle around in a U-turn when he saw the police checkpoint, according to Weehawken Director of Public Safety Jeff Welz. “He tried to avoid it, but we had a car stationed at the other end. As soon as he made the U-turn, we pulled him over and it turned out he had drugs in the car,” said Welz.
“The main purpose is to try to apprehend drunk drivers, but there are also secondary benefits,” said Fulcher. “It was a very good night.”
He explained, “We decided to do it [that weekend] because a lot of agencies do it on Labor Day. Then people say ‘It’s Labor Day; we’re going to be good, so I’ll get bombed the weekend before,’ ” said Welz.
Woman groped; man arrested
A woman in her late 20s was walking alone on 47th Street between Park and Bergenline avenues on Tuesday, Aug. 25 at approximately 4:30 p.m. when a man came up to her from behind and allegedly groped her and then ran, according to police.
The woman called police, who went searching for the man. After canvassing the neighborhood for about 30 minutes, police picked up the alleged perpetrator. Danilo Rodriguez, 31, was identified by the victim as being the man that had allegedly groped her. Police said he was homeless and appeared inebriated. He was charged with criminal sexual contact.
“He was picked up several blocks away in a neighboring jurisdiction,” said Welz. “The key here was that the victim called right away, had a good description, and gave us a good direction of flight.”
Another GPS stolen
Sometime during the night of Aug. 29-30, a thief stole a Magellan GPS unit and pair of sunglasses from a 2005 Dodge pick-up truck parked near the intersection of Hudson Avenue and Shippen Street. Police say there was no sign of forced entry of the vehicle.
Police warn residents of flimflam thieves
Weehawken police have warned residents to be alert for thieves who pose as contractors, utility workers, people asking for help, and even township employees. According to Director of Public Safety Jeff Welz, two residents had items stolen from their homes by con artists in July and in another incident two weeks ago.
In one offense, two alleged scammers targeted an elderly couple and told them they were the plumbers they were waiting for, according to Welz. The couple let them in. While one was speaking to the homeowners, the other one robbed them of small items around their home, such as jewelry.
In the other incident, one of the con artists knocked on a man’s door and told him he was from the township and needed to check pipes in his backyard. While the two were in the backyard, an accomplice took items from the home.
“They are very convincing. They’re clean cut. They look legit.” said Welz. “They take jewelry, cash, and credit cards.”
Police ask residents to be cautious of those attempting to talk their way into their home.
All utility workers have I.D. and must produce it when asked. If a person appears at your door and says they are from a utility company and has no identification, don’t let them in and call the police.
Persons may appear at your door saying they are from a home repair company and were repairing your neighbor’s home when they noticed damage going into your home and they need to go inside to evaluate the extent. If this happens, do not let them in, call the police to have the contractor checked out.
If a person appears at your door saying they have an emergency and need to use your phone, don’t let them in. Instead, call the police on their behalf.
Melissa Rappaport may be reached at mrappaport@hudsonreporter.com