Alleged ‘Peeping Tom’ runs out of explanations
On July 13, a resident called police claiming that she saw a man allegedly climbing a fire escape on Park Avenue to peer into windows. Police apprehended Alexander Sanchez, 28, of Miami. They charged him with allegedly peering into a dwelling after he could not give police a legitimate reason for being on the fire escape.
According to the police report, Sanchez allegedly first claimed to be climbing up to the roof to take a picture of the skyline – however, he did not have a camera. Then, according to the report, he allegedly claimed he was going to ask someone for a cigarette. But no one else was found on the roof or the fire escape.
Park Avenue melee leads to drug arrest
Jose Castaneda-Diaz, 24, of Union City was arrested after a street fight on July 19 in Weehawken. According to the police report, both Weehawken and Union City police responded to the area of 46th Street and Park Avenue after receiving calls from nearby residents.
When police arrived, the group dispersed around the Union City and Weehawken sides of Park Avenue. According to the report, an assault victim lying on the Union City side of the street pointed out a person who had allegedly been involved in the fight, and Union City police apprehended that person.
The victim also claimed another person on the Weehawken side of the street had allegedly been involved. As Weehawken police pursued him, they noticed the man reach into his pocket and allegedly drop a clear, plastic bag of suspected marijuana.
Castaneda-Diaz was arrested and charged with possession of marijuana but was not charged with involvement in the assault.
Two cars stolen, another merely misplaced
According to police, the owner of a 2006 white Ford van, filled with ladders and painting tools, said his van was stolen from the place he parked it on Columbia Terrace sometime overnight between July 8 and July 9.
And between midnight and 3 a.m. on July 16, a 2007 Pontiac was stolen from 46th Street and Boulevard East. The owner of the vehicle said he was visiting from Pennsylvania, according to the police report.
On July 11, a man reported his 1999 Plymouth wagon was stolen from 46th Street. However, he later realized that he had parked it across the street.
Pooch left in car, taken to shelter
A small dog that was left unattended in a vehicle at 10 a.m. on July 18 was taken to an animal shelter by the Humane Society after a concerned citizen stopped a nearby officer and asked for assistance. According to the police report, the dog was locked alone inside a 2005 Mercury SUV with a Maryland license plate. The officer notified the Humane Society and contacted a towing company to open the car.
According to police, during the two hours it took for representatives from both organizations to respond, the owner never showed up.
The dog was taken to an animal shelter that was not specified in the police report.
Police did not know whether the owner had picked up the dog as of press time.
Items stolen from porches
On July 7, a wicker chair, valued between $50 and $100, was reported stolen from a porch on 47th Street.
And between 8 p.m. on July 16 and 10 a.m. on July 17, a $300 teak table was reported stolen from the porch of another home on Hudson Place. According to the police report, the thief or thieves did not take the two matching chairs.
Cab fare squabble sends driver back to NYC
On July 18 at 1 a.m., a resident called police to report a loud argument taking place in the middle of Oak Street. Responding officers found that a cab driver was arguing over the fare with two people he had brought from New York City back to Weehawken. According to the police report, the driver claimed that the agreed-upon fare was $40, but the passengers said it was $25.
Police brought all parties back to headquarters to settle the matter. However, when the driver discovered that he wouldn’t be able to immediately file a complaint for theft of services, he left without leaving any information or receiving the remainder of the money he claimed was owed to him.
Deputy Chief Jeffrey Fulcher urged all New Jersey residents to do the following: Become educated on the rules by which New York City cabs are bound, pay attention to the fares posted inside of the cab, confirm ahead of time whether tolls will be included, and avoid trying to work out any “off the meter” fares.
Fried kitchen
Around 11:30 pm. on July 16, a woman accidentally set fire to her kitchen when she began to cook food on the stove but left it there when she went to take a bath, police said.
According to the police report, the woman noticed the food on fire when she came back into the kitchen. Other residents responded when they heard the alarms, but ultimately it was the response from the Fire Department that got the blaze under control.
Although hers was the only apartment affected by the fire, the damage was severe enough that the woman had to be relocated while the kitchen was repaired.
Woman comes home to find locks tampered with
On July 14, a woman filed a report with the police claiming that sometime between 2 p.m. and 7 p.m., someone tampered with the locks on her second floor apartment on Highwood Terrace. According to the police report, she discovered the locks had been tampered with when she tried to open the door and her keys didn’t work. No other damage was done to the door.
Deputy Chief Jeffrey Fulcher said it is important for residents to be vigilant about noticing and reporting such cases because it helps police determine potential patterns of attempted robbery.
‘Specialized’ bicycle stolen
According to a police report, sometime between 6:30 p.m. on July 6 and 9 a.m. on July 7, a bicycle which was chained to a gate in front of a home on Oak Street was stolen. The chain had been cut off of the bike, which the report said was a “Specialized Mountain Bike” valued at approximately $500.