Smoke signals
A Lodi man aroused the suspicion of Hoboken police when he allegedly cruised down Newark Street with his emergency brake engaged, issuing screeches and plumes of white smoke from his vehicle, according to a report provided by the Hoboken Police Department. After a traffic stop, Andres Hernandez, 43, was arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated and reckless driving, police said.
According to the report, Hernandez was first spotted by Hoboken Special Police Officers Kyle Seper and Brian Kapp as he approached the intersection of Newark and Hudson streets at around 3:15 a.m. on Thursday, March 5.
Though on foot patrol, Seper and Kapp were able to stop Hernandez near Newark and Washington streets, where they ascertained that the alleged cause of the smoke and high-pitched screeching was an engaged handbrake, according to police.
According to the report, Hernandez was allegedly disoriented, stating that he did not know the emergency brake was on and that he believed he was in Bayonne. Police also said he had glassy, bloodshot eyes.
After a series of field sobriety tests, police said, Hernandez was transported to police headquarters for processing. While there, he allegedly refused to submit to a Breathalyzer test and was additionally charged with refusing to provide breath samples, according to the report.
Third time’s the karma
A Jersey City man was apprehended after allegedly robbing the same Hoboken convenience store for the third time in a single week, according to a report provided by the Hoboken Police Department. After a search that led into northern Jersey City, Michael T. Olivier, 40, was arrested and charged with three counts of robbery and terroristic threats and a bevy of other charges, said police.
According to the police report, all three robberies had a nearly identical modus operandi. Olivier would allegedly enter the convenience store at Newark and Jefferson streets, brandish a box cutter-type weapon, and demand money from the register, Newport cigarettes, and the cashier’s cellphone. Before leaving, Olivier would allegedly threaten the safety of the cashier if he were to resist or seek help from the authorities, once allegedly stating, “If you tell the police, I’m going to f—ing kill you,” according to the report.
Police said the robberies each took place two days apart on the week of March 22. During the last incident, at around 3 a.m. on March 26, a second employee was in the back room and alerted police, according to the report.
Shortly afterward, Lt. Danilo Cabrera saw a man matching the robber’s description, later identified as Olivier, allegedly walking at 16th Street and Jersey Avenue in Jersey City, a few blocks from the convenience store, police said.
According to the report, after initially stopping, Olivier allegedly ignored Cabrera’s commands and attempted to flee, forcing the officer to subdue him. As backup arrived, said police, Olivier allegedly said, “OK, you got me.”
According to police, Newport cigarette boxes and $183 in cash were found allegedly on Olivier’s person. He was allegedly wearing a backpack that matched the description of all three robberies and a jacket that matched the description of the first and third robberies, said police.
According to the report, in addition to the aforementioned charges, Olivier was charged with three counts of unlawful possession of weapons and possession of weapons for unlawful purpose, obstruction, resisting arrest, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of hypodermic syringes, and failure to appear on an earlier warrant.
Man allegedly begs police to shoot him
Hoboken police averted a potentially dangerous situation involving an alleged shoplifting suspect three weeks ago, subduing a man who was believed to be armed and had allegedly asked police to shoot him multiple times, according to a report provided by the Hoboken Police Department.
Thomas Bellotti, 30, a homeless man who has made use of the Hoboken Shelter, was ultimately arrested and charged with shoplifting, possession of a controlled dangerous substance, and resisting arrest, police said.
According to the report, the tense saga began at around 8 p.m. on March 26 when Police Officers Keith Rotondi and Ferdinand Rivera and Det. Arturo Gonzalez responded to a report of alleged shoplifting at a Washington Street drugstore. Bellotti was spotted in the area, but allegedly fled into the Hoboken PATH station when ordered to stop, said police.
According to police, Rotondi pursued and found Bellotti alone on the platform. Bellotti placed his hands in the upper chest pockets of his jacket and allegedly “continually shouted for the officer to shoot him,” according to the report.
Based on previous encounters, police believed that Bellotti was likely to be armed.
According to the report, Rotondi “exercised extreme judgment and restraint by not complying with the suspect’s requests.
After backup officers arrived and monitored the situation with guns drawn, Rotondi was able to approach Bellotti and defuse the situation, according to police.
Upon being subdued, Bellotti was found to have no weapons in his possession. He did, however, allegedly throw a package onto the PATH tracks, according to the report. It was later recovered, and was found to contain synthetic marijuana, said police.