On Sept. 21 at 4:10 p.m. North Bergen Police received a phone call that Henry Paulino Jr., 18, of North Bergen had attempted suicide.
Capt. Robert Dowd said that police entered Paulino’s residence and found him lying on the bathroom floor. Dowd said that he had harmed himself, and while it was believed that Paulino had hung himself, police are still waiting for results from the medical examiner.
Police Officer Victor Quiro had arrived on the scene and attempted to perform C.P.R., but found no pulse. Soon the North Bergen E.M.S. squad arrived, but was unable to resuscitate Paulino.
He had also left a note, which police are not releasing at this time.
Today would have been his 19th birthday.
Paulino had allegedly mugged a 42-year-old neurologically disabled man who also happened to be a neighbor this past spring.
The incident occurred on April 24 when the victim was walking home from his job at a pizzeria. He had allegedly approached individual around midnight, grabbed him by the throat, and then stole his flashlight and a very small amount of money, said Dowd. The flashlight was a gift from his brother, who is a firefighter.
Paulino allegedly had gang affiliations and was pending charges for several aggravated assault cases and would likely face jail time, said Dowd. – Tricia Tirella