The blunt truth
Two separate groups of juveniles were caught with marijuana cigars, or blunts, by police last week within minutes and a city block of each other.
Police received a call from a resident who has observed the same group of juveniles standing by the corner of Second Street and Willow Avenue around the same time of day a few times per week.
The resident told police that he has smelled the scent of marijuana and witnessed a rolled cigar being passed around several times.
At 12:05 on Wednesday, Sept. 9, the Anti-Vice Unit set up a surveillance point by the corner and witnessed a group of three juvenile males, one of whom was seen emptying tobacco out of a cigar and allegedly preparing to roll three small bags filled with marijuana inside the empty cigar casing, according to Sgt. Det. Sam Williams.
After a few minutes, police approached the group and arrested two 16-year-olds and a 15-year-old male.
Police said the first 16-year-old was allegedly in possession of a cigar leaf and three bags of marijuana; the second was allegedly in possession of another bag of marijuana; and the 15-year-old was allegedly in possession of another cigar leaf.
The first juvenile was charged with possession of a controlled dangerous substance (CDS) and possession of drug paraphernalia; the second was charged with possession of CDS; and the third was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia.
As officers were returning to their car, they noticed another pair of juveniles allegedly passing around another cigar and taking short puffs on Second St. between Willow and Park avenues.
The officer smelled the scent of marijuana, and as he approached the male and female, he made eye contact with the female and heard her say, “Oh, [expletive].”
Police said the female tried to discard the blunt, but it was recovered.
Both the 15-year-old female and the 16-year-old male were charged with possession of CDS, possession of drug paraphernalia, and use of a CDS.
Left a gift by the lift
A man was arrested for lewdness after video surveillance footage allegedly showed him stripping naked and defecating by an elevator in the ground-floor parking garage of an downtown building.
At 11:54 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 8, police were called to the 300 block of River Street on a report of a man stripping naked in the basement.
By the time police arrived, Peter Hamilton, 36, of Union City was fully clothed, but the building concierge showed video footage to police of the man allegedly taking off all of his clothes and defecating next to the elevator entrance.
They also observed the man using his underwear as toilet paper and leaving it behind when he redressed, Williams said.
Hamilton was arrested on a lewdness charge and released with a summons.
The maintenance man, the shower, and the door
A building maintenance worker was charged with burglary after he allegedly entered a resident’s home while she was in the shower, Williams said.
According to the police, a maintenance worker at a building on the 50 block of 11th Street rang the door bell of a resident at 1:46 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 4.
The resident was in the shower at the time and not expecting anyone, so she did not answer the door, police said.
She then heard what sounded like someone trying to get into the apartment.
The 42-year-old woman exited the shower, police said, and entered her bedroom. She then heard someone again trying to enter the apartment and hid behind a door wrapped in a towel.
She heard more banging and heard the door open. Then, Anthony Crespo, 41, Jersey City, allegedly entered her apartment and proceeded to her bedroom.
She confronted Crespo, who was wearing his maintenance worker shirt with the name “Anthony” on it.
He told the woman that he was in the apartment to check the windows, police said, and she told him she never filled out any work order and asked for him to leave.
Police later allegedly found pry marks on the door and frame, and Williams said the damage Crespo allegedly did entering the apartment effectively locked Crespo inside.
The woman told police it took Crespo another half-hour to leave because of the damaged door. She told police he had to pry the door with a screwdriver to exit.
The woman called building management and police were notified. Police arrived soon after and said Crespo told officers inconsistent stories about the incident.
They arrested him on charges of burglary, possession of burglary tools, and criminal mischief. Police said he confessed to the break-in at headquarters.