A 93-year-old North Bergen woman woke up on Jan. 30 to find a family heirloom missing.
She realized several pieces of jewelry were missing after she woke up and witnessed her plumber’s assistant leaving her apartment, she told police. One of the pieces was a family heirloom that had been given to her by her mother.
North Bergen police said that Daniel Bonastia, 25, of Cliffside Park, had been working at the woman’s house the day before. The next day, he allegedly rang the residence’s doorbell. The victim’s downstairs neighbor answered the door.
According to police, Bonastia claimed that he left some things in the apartment from the day before and wanted to retrieve them. The neighbor allowed Bonastia to enter.
Police searched for the stolen jewelry.
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When police arrived on the scene they collected a hat and a glove believed to belong to Bonastia and sent those items to the State Police Crime Lab in Hamilton for DNA analysis.
Police said Bonastia confessed to the crimes after he was arrested.
At the pawn shop
North Bergen Detective Bureau Commander Lt. Frank Cannella said the man confessed to having a drug problem and said he had taken the jewelry to a pawn shop in New York City that was near the George Washington Bridge, where he cashed the items in for $300.
Cannella said that the jewelry was mostly gold items, except for a ring that was most likely from the late 1800s. It was a diamond ring with diamond begets that encircle the main stone.
Cannella said that after receiving the confession from Bonastia, he sent police officers into New York City to search for the stolen goods several times.
“[I said to them], ‘If it was my mother, your mother, anybody’s mother, what’s the first thing you are going to say [to a police officer]?’ ” asked Cannella. “ ‘Did you try to get it back?’ ”
Unfortunately, Cannella said that the person who bought the ring at the pawn shop was also involved in illegal activity, since he told Bonastia that the ring did not have real diamonds. He also did not give him a receipt.
Cannella said that the jewelry may be lost forever.
Driver caught
Last week, North Bergen police arrested a West New York driver whose allegedly unregistered and uninsured.
According to North Bergen Detective Bureau Commander Lt. Frank Cannella, Coco Latre, 20, of West New York, was pulled over as a part of a motor vehicle stop in the area of 72nd Street and First Avenue.
Officer Ramon Dejesus stopped Latre in a 2009 Green Maxima at 12:40 a.m. on Feb. 1 and issued him several summons, including careless driving and driving an uninsured and unregistered vehicle. Latre’s vehicle was also towed.
Latre was not under the influence of anything, said Cannella.
Cannella said that Latre was allowed to remove any personal items in the vehicle, but instead began to allegedly “yell and scream” at the officers and allegedly said, “I could do whatever [expletive] I want to.”
Cannella said that a responding officer placed Latre under arrest because of his “belligerent and aggressive” behavior.
Head banging
Cannella said that Latre initially refused to enter the police car.
“[After getting into the police car] he [allegedly] began banging his head forward against the Plexiglas partition and continued to do so the duration of the time while being brought to headquarters,” said Cannella.
When Latre arrived at headquarters he allegedly cursed, screamed, and threatened the lives of the police officers, along with banging his head against a wall.
Cannella said that police also charged Latre will criminal mischief because of these actions.
“We will make him pay for the wall,” said Cannella, who explained that the department will seek compensation for the damage to the police car as well.
While being processed, Cannella said that he allegedly tried to bite one of the officers.
Cannella said that Latre was brought to a local hospital for a psychological evaluation. After being cleared for incarceration he was brought back to headquarters, before being sent to Hudson County Jail.
North Bergen Jude Frank Leanza set his bail at $100,000, with no bond option.
Tricia Tirella may be reached at TriciaT@hudsonreporter.com.