Catch of the day? Wool-coated shrimp
A sharp-eyed loss prevention officer at the Hoboken ShopRite had the catch of the day on March 2 when he apprehended a Jersey City man allegedly attempting to shoplift three bags of shrimp under his coat, according to a report from the Hoboken Police Department.
At around 2:30 p.m. on March 2, police officers David Montanez and Nicholas DeTrizio responded to a report of an alleged shoplifter in store custody, according to police. Upon arrival, they met with the loss prevention officer, who described seeing a man allegedly place three bags of shrimp with a total value of $67.94 under his coat and attempt to leave the ShopRite, police said. The loss prevention officer subsequently detained the man without incident.
The officers arrested the man and transported him to headquarters for processing, police said, where they discovered an additional outstanding warrant placed on him in Hoboken for alleged possession of an open container of alcohol in public.
According to police, the man was charged with shoplifting and bailjumping and transported to the Hudson County Correctional Facility in default of a $2,000 bail.
Knife-wielding suspect allegedly wants cigarettes and beer
A 56-year-old Hoboken man allegedly locked himself in his apartment with his mother, brandished a knife, and offered to drop it if he was brought beer and cigarettes, according to a report from the Hoboken Police Department.
On the evening of March 3, six Hoboken police officers responded to a call of a male allegedly assaulting his mother at a Jackson Street apartment, according to police. When they arrived on the scene, the suspect had locked the door of his apartment, but the officers were able to unlock it with the help of the building superintendent, police said.
Prior to entering, Sergeants Ranaldo Gonzalez and William Vera were able to see the man and engage him in conversation, according to police. The individual was allegedly holding a 12-inch knife in one hand and a beer in the other and appeared to be intoxicated, police said.
After several minutes of talking, the officers decided to seek additional assistance from Emergency Services. While they were waiting for Emergency Services to arrive, the man allegedly said he would drop the knife if the police brought him beer and cigarettes, according to police.
According to police, Emergency Services arrived and successfully convinced the suspect to drop his weapon, at which point he was handcuffed and brought to Hoboken University Medical Center for evaluation.
While at the hospital, police said, the man was processed and charged with simple assault, unlawful possession of a weapon, and possession of a weapon for unlawful purpose.
Shots fired in SW Hoboken; local man arrested
A Hoboken man was arrested and charged with aggravated assault, possession of a weapon, and possession of a weapon for unlawful purpose in relation to early morning gunshots allegedly fired in southwest Hoboken, according to a report from the Hoboken Police Department.
At around 3:28 a.m. on Feb. 13, Hoboken police received multiple 911 calls about alleged shots fired in the area of Sixth and Jackson streets, according to police. Uniformed officers dispatched to the scene found several shell casings and interviewed several individuals who were unable to corroborate the incident, police said.
According to police, a subsequent investigation by the Hoboken Detective Bureau and Anti-Vice Squad, led by Detectives Nicholas Burke and Wilfredo Gomez, identified Hoboken resident Jonathan Rodriguez as the person allegedly responsible for firing the weapon based on investigative leads, evidence collection, and eyewitness accounts.
On Feb. 26, Rodriguez was found in the vicinity of City Hall and arrested on the charges listed above, police said. According to police, he was assessed a $40,000 bail with no 10 percent option and remanded to the Hudson County Correctional Facility.
Brother of Detroit Lions running back charged in street melee
A 22-year-old male from Manville, N.J. was the only person charged in a Friday night fight outside of a Hoboken night club that drew a crowd of 80 to 90 people, according to a report from the Hoboken Police Department. Angelo Bell was arrested and charged with aggravated assault after being identified by nightclub personnel as an alleged assailant, police said. According to multiple online reports, Bell is the younger brother of Detroit Lions running back Theo Riddick.
In the early morning of Feb. 7, police officer Brandon Fitzgibbons and Special Officer Dillon responded to reports of a fight in front of a nightclub at 92 River St, according to police. Upon arrival, they found a large crowd surrounding several individuals engaged in fisticuffs, police said.
Based on the size and unruly nature of the crowd, the officers called in mutual aid assistance from the police departments of Jersey City, Union City, the Port Authority, NJ Transit, and the Hudson County Sheriff’s Office.
While attempting to disperse the crowd, the Hoboken officers were approached by a group of bouncers from the nightclub. The bouncers pointed out a male in the crowd, later identified as Bell, and alleged that he had pushed one of them from behind, causing a right ankle injury.
Bell was arrested and allegedly stated, “I didn’t hit that guy.”
According to an NJ.com report, Bell’s charge was downgraded to simple assault at Central Judicial Processing court in Jersey City on Feb. 17.
Stealing to eat
A 34-year-old Union City woman was arrested and charged with shoplifting after allegedly attempting to steal baby formula from a Hoboken pharmacy, according to a report from the Hoboken Police Department.
Officers Libon Schelmety and William Oquendo responded to a call from the CVS pharmacy at 59 Washington St. Upon arrival, they were met by loss prevention officers who had detained an alleged female shoplifter. The loss prevention officers reported observing the female allegedly place Enfamil baby formula valued at $28.49 in her pocketbook.
The woman was transported to police headquarters and charged with shoplifting.
Beware of IRS scams during tax season
The Hoboken Police Department asks that residents be on alert for scams involving purported Internal Revenue Service agents as tax season ramps up.
According to Hoboken police, such schemes typically involve a call from an unknown person identifying himself as a representative of the IRS and describing a past due tax debt.
The caller will provide potential victims with instructions for making the payment with a prepaid debit card or a bank transfer. The caller will add pressure by stating that an arrest warrant for the victim will be issued if he or she does not pay immediately.
Anyone receiving a call from someone claiming to be a representative of the IRS should not provide any personal information nor follow any directions regarding direct payment of fines or back taxes. If anyone is unsure of the legitimacy of a purported IRS caller, they may contact the local IRS Taxpayer Assistance Center in Newark at (973) 645-6690.
Protect yourself from package thieves
While a number of individuals have been arrested for package thefts in Hoboken in the last month, the Hoboken Police Department would like residents to know that there is still more that residents can do in order to decrease the opportunities open to this class of criminal.
1. Do not let anyone who rings your bell enter the building without confirming their identity.
2. When entering your building, do not allow anyone who is not a resident from entering with you.
3. Make arrangements with delivery services such as UPS and FedEx to leave your packages in a secure area accessible only to residents and management.
4. If you see anyone you are not familiar with wandering inside or outside your property, immediately notify the police. Do not confront the individual or anyone else they may be with.
5. Speak with your landlord or management company about properly securing all access doors to your building.
6. If you or another resident believes a package or packages have been stolen, please notify the Hoboken Police Department on its non-emergency line at 201-420-2100.