He was tripped up by a faulty tail light on his vehicle. A Hoboken resident who police say has a history as a sex offender was arrested for failing to register his whereabouts for the past four years.
Guttenberg Officer Frank Pelaez pulled over a blue Chrysler van on Kennedy and 68th Street at 4:54 a.m. on Thursday morning, March 12. One of the rear lamps wasn’t working. The driver, a 40-year-old male, initially claimed he had left his license at a friend’s house, police said.
“This guy was [allegedly] unlicensed,” said Sgt. Juan Barrera of the Guttenberg Police Department. “Once they looked further into his identity they found out that he had a warrant out of the Hudson County Sheriff’s Department due to his being a sex offender and [allegedly] not registering since 2011.”
By law, individuals designated as sex offenders must register regularly with authorities. The severity of the sex offense is designated by tiers.
“Every time they move and also once a year they have to register, depending on the tier,” explained Barrera. “I don’t know what tier this guy was, but since 2011 he hadn’t registered. They didn’t know where he was. They’re going to investigate that.”
Following the traffic stop, the driver was sent to county jail without bail, based on the circumstances.
“He got charged with failure to appear in court, which is the open warrant, and then having no license and the maintenance of lamps, which was the initial stop,” said Barrera.
“This is why I believe motor vehicle stops are so crucial,” he continued. “From a simple motor vehicle stop you can get a sex offender. You can get drugs. You can get guns. This man’s been on the streets for four years as a sex offender, not registered. He knows he’s supposed to register. Thanks to this simple motor vehicle equipment infraction, they caught him.”
Disorderly conduct and allegedly endangering the welfare of a child
The overnight shift on March 7-8 was a busy one for Guttenberg cops. A total of five individuals were arrested in a five-hour span in three separate incidents.
It began with a traffic stop on 70th Street at 11:47 on Saturday night. Once again, a faulty tail light led to a routine stop. Inside the car were three individuals. Officer Steve Pelaez detected the odor of alcohol and conducted a field sobriety test on the driver, a 23-year-old male from Ridgefield Park.
He failed. “While he was being placed under arrest the rear passenger, a 22 year old male out of Ridgefield Park, became irate, started cursing out loud acting disorderly,” said Barrera, who was called to the scene.
The passenger
“Motor vehicle stops are dangerous… You could be stopping an old lady that’s 80 [or] a guy that’s got 10 kilos of heroin in the back and he’s not going to prison.” –Sgt. Juan Barrera
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“Motor vehicle stops are dangerous,” stressed Barrera. “Because you don’t know what you’re coming in contact with. You could be stopping an old lady that’s 80 who’s just going home or you could be stopping a guy that’s got 10 kilos of heroin in the back and he’s not going to prison. The officer basically has got to be as cautious as if he’s going up against a guy with a gun.”
Later that same shift, Officer Steve Pelaez noted yet another vehicle with a tail light out, on Kennedy Boulevard at about 70th Street. It was 4:23 a.m. Pelaez put on his flashing lights and siren.
The car, a green 1996 Mercury, failed to stop. Pelaez followed at slow speed for about 10 blocks before it finally pulled over. Inside was a 43-year-old female driver from Cliffside Park.
“Once the vehicle was stopped he noticed a 12-year-old child in the back seat pop up,” said Barrera. The driver and child were both brought to the police station, where the woman allegedly stated she had been drinking wine at a local bar and then picked up her child to go home.
She stated that she didn’t pull over because she didn’t realize the officer was following her.
A case worker from the NJ Division of Child Protection and Permanency (formerly the Division of Youth and Family Services, DYFS) was brought in for an assessment. “They determine if she stays with the kid or they give the child to some family member,” said Barrera. “The kid was released to her. This was her first time. She was charged with driving under the influence and also endangering the welfare of a child.”
Group of people wearing masks allegedly swipes man’s cell phone
In between those two traffic stops, Guttenberg police arrested two individuals for robbery and conspiracy. It happened on Bergenline Avenue near 67th Street at 3:43 a.m. on March 8.
“Six individuals with hoods and masks approached a victim that came out of a residence,” said Barrera. “He’s leaving his friend’s house, he’s got his cell phone in his hand and these six individuals approach him. They push him and they take his phone and then they go running up 68th Street towards Kennedy.”
Unfortunately for the assailants, two Hudson County residents witnessed the crime from a nearby bus stop. The husband and wife couple took off in pursuit. “They were able to grab two of the juveniles and pin them to the ground,” said Barrera. “While the kids were trying to fight to get loose, cursing at them, they called the police.”
The two juveniles, ages 15 and 16, were taken to police headquarters and their parents were called. Neither of the pair, who live in West New York and North Bergen, had the stolen phone in their possession. They refused to name the other individuals involved.
“It’s still an ongoing investigation,” said Barrera.
Art Schwartz may be reached at arts@hudsonreporter.com.