1. On December 26, 2024, at approximately 2 a.m., Police Officers Alexander Miller and Ronald Kibitlewski were in the area of Jackson and Fifth Streets when they observed a man they recognized as 48-year-old Jeffrey Wheeler of Hoboken. It was confirmed Wheeler had a warrant out of Hoboken for theft. Police Officers Valentino Salgado and Jaydan Gonzalez observed Wheeler on the 400 block of Adams Street and placed him under arrest. He was transported to Hoboken Police Headquarters and processed on the warrant. He was later transported to the Hudson County Correctional Facility.
2. On December 26, 2024, at approximately 12:25 p.m., Det. Paul Quinn was in the area of Seventh and Grand Streets when he observed two men who fit the descriptions of two actors in an earlier shoplifting at ACME, 614 Clinton St. He stopped the two men, later identified as 47- year-old Michael Fortune of Jersey City and 43-year-old Raheem Gadsden of Jersey City. Gadsden originally gave police a fake name. Sgt. James Barbro and Police Officers Brandon Fitzgibbons, Enrico Gnassi, and Frank Lombardo arrived on the scene to assist. Police Officer Jonathan Figueroa responded to the ACME, where an on-site investigation determined Fortune took a bottle of tequila worth $48.99 and put it into a bag. He gave the bottle back when approached by store security. Both men were placed under arrest. Both individuals were transported to Hoboken Police Headquarters. Fortune was charged with shoplifting, and he was transported to the Hudson County Correctional Facility. Gadsden was charged with receiving stolen property and obstructing the administration of the law. He was released with a summons and court date.
3. On December 26, 2024, at approximately 3:30 p.m., Police Officer Frank Lombardo processed the arrest of 24-year-old Brandon Bastek of New York City, who walked into the Hoboken Police Department to be processed on charges of receiving stolen property, computer criminal activity, and fraudulent use of credit cards in connection to a report taken by Police Officer Frank Francolino on April 12, 2024, in which a Hoboken resident reported his cell phone lost, and the credit and debit cards connected to the phone, were used to make fraudulent charges. A follow up investigation by Detective Andrew Perez identified Bastek and 21-year-old Jaylen McCoy of New York City as the actors in this case and charged them both on summonses. After being processed Bastek was released with a court date.
4. On December 27, 2024, at approximately 4:40 a.m., Police Officers Ronald Kibitlewski and Shyenna Vega were on patrol when they observed two people in a heated argument on the 300 block of Jackson Street. They approached the individuals to investigate. Officers separated the two people, later identified as 34-year-old Justin Owens of East Windsor and 28-year-old Kendra Nwokobia of East Orange. Both attempted to leave on multiple occasions, despite the officer's orders to stay on the scene. Police Officers Aaron Font and Zackary Guido arrived on the scene to assist. Owens and Nwokobia continued to try to leave and became agitated and uncooperative. As officers attempted to separate the two individuals to further investigate, Nwokobia kicked one of them in the leg and bit another when she was being taken into custody. Owens attempted to obstruct the arrest of Nwokobia, and pressed against officers to get around them. Nwokobia was transported to Hoboken Police Headquarters and charged with aggravated assault on law enforcement officers, obstruction of the administration of law, and disorderly conduct. She was released on a summons. After a review of the incident, Owens was charged with obstruction of the administration of law and issued a summons.
5. On December 27, 2024, at approximately 6:15 p.m., Police Officers John Lawton and Enrico Gnassi responded to Lululemon, 313 Washington St., on reports of a shoplifting. An on-scene investigation revealed two men had put two beanies and a keychain into their jackets and left. Sgt. Adam Colon and Police Officers Brian Kim and Trevor Thomas observed the two men who fit the description of the suspects walking on Court Street near Third Street. They were later identified as 18-year-old Wasir Harvey of Jersey City and19-year-old Zahye Delbrey of Jersey City, although Harvey gave officers a false name at first. A search incident to arrest of Harvey located a keychain that fit the description of the one missing from the store. The two beanies were located on Court Street, not far from where Wright and Delbrey were stopped by officers. They were also seen on surveillance video from nearby residences in possession of the beanies. They were transported to Hoboken Police Headquarters where it was found that Harvey had an open failure to appear warrant for simple assault. He was further charged with hindering apprehension and shoplifting and transported to the Hudson County Correctional Facility. Delbrey was charged with shoplifting and released on a summons.
6. On December 27, 2024, at approximately 7:15 p.m., Police Officers John Rodriquez and Shawn Sodora responded to The Nike Store, 222 Washington St., on reports of a man who had trespassed earlier in the day and was back in the store attempting to shoplift. Upon their arrival, the officers were told the individual was seen taking, and putting on, new clothing from the store. Officers found the man, later identified as 46-year-old Esaw Hunter of New Haven, Conn., wearing Nike apparel and they determined that he had no intention of paying for it. He was transported to Hoboken Police Headquarters and charged with shoplifting and defiant trespassing. He was released on summons and provided transportation to a local warming shelter at his request.
7. On December 27, 2024, at approximately 7:15 p.m., Police Officers Alyssa Rivera and Roberto Cuevas responded to the 100 block of 11th Street on reports of a man screaming in the road. Upon arrival, bystanders pointed to the man, later identified as 47-year-old Edwin Allende of Hoboken, and officers saw him punching a container that holds dog waste disposal bags. He was screaming and wouldn’t answer any questions. Officers observed him showing signs of being under the influence of narcotics. The Hoboken Volunteer Ambulance Corps (HVAC) arrived to transport him to an area hospital, where staff located 10 bundles of suspected CDS heroin, nine plastic bags of a white powdery substance suspected to be CDS crack cocaine, and $199.45 in cash, believed to be the proceeds from narcotics transactions. Allende was placed under arrest and charged with distribution of CDS, distribution within 1,000 feet of a school, distribution within 500 feet of certain public property, distribution or possession with intent to distribute drug paraphernalia, and possession of CDS.
8. On December 27, 2024, at approximately 8:35 p.m., Police Officer Aidan Gonzalez responded to Chipotle, 229 Washington St., on reports of a fight between two men inside the restaurant. An on-scene investigation revealed one man who had been staring at a customer, grabbed the customer’s phone and threw it at his head. A verbal argument escalated into a physical fight, during which the aggressor threw a chair at the other customer. The manager broke up the fight, and the actor left the store. Police Officer Anthony Rutkowski identified a man matching the description of the actor on the 200 block of Bloomfield Street. Police Officer Dylan Archilla arrived to assist and the two approached the male, later identified as 37-year-old Kenneth Perry of Newark. He was arrested and charged with terroristic threats, aggravated assault, possession of weapons for unlawful purpose, and unlawful possession of a weapon. He was transported to Hoboken Police Headquarters, processed, and released with a summons.
9. On December 28, 2024, at approximately 2:42 a.m., Police Officers Frank Losurdo and Aaron Miller were on the 50 block of Washington Street when they saw several men engaged in a physical altercation. As they approached, officers saw one man, later identified as 21-year-old Ivan Gonzalez of Cary, N.C. strike another man in the face with a fist. They gained control of Gonzalez and placed him under arrest. He was transported to a local hospital to be treated for injuries received in the fight and was later transported to Hoboken Police Headquarters. He was charged with simple assault, processed, and released with a summons.
10. On December 28, 2024, at approximately 3:20 a.m., Police Officers Geovanni Cruzado and Marc Lombardi responded to the area of Newark and Adams Streets on reports that a motor vehicle crashed into a pole. Upon arrival they located a caller, later identified as 41-year-old Augustin Gomez of Jersey City, who was a passenger in the vehicle. An on-scene investigation determined at least some of the damage done to the car was old. The driver of the vehicle was identified as 45-year-old Franciski Gerena-Sosa of Jersey City, and it was learned she had an active warrant out of Hoboken for assault. She was placed under arrest. Police Officer Aaron Font arrived on the scene to assist. A search incident to arrest of Gerena-Sosa located three clear bags tied at the top containing a white powdery substance believed to be CDS cocaine, four clear bags tied at the top containing a white rock-like substance believed to be CDS crack cocaine, a glass pipe with burnt residue, and steel wool. The type of packaging and quantity of the recovered CDS led officers to believe Gerena-Sosa was involved in the distribution CDS. Sgt. Roary Miller and Police Officers Harry Montalvo and Nicklas Valerius arrived on the scene. A search of the vehicle located a clear plastic bag containing four unknown pills, each individually wrapped. The bag was found where Gomez had been sitting, and he was placed under arrest. Officers also found three metal rods, a metal vial, two glass pipes with burn marks, steel wool, two unused Narcan kits, and a metal spool coated in white powdery residue in the car. In the trunk, officers found a black reusable grocery bag filled with numerous new plastic caplet vials, commonly used for CDS packaging, as well as an opened Amazon bag addressed to someone else. Gomez and Gerena-Sosa were transported to Hoboken Police Headquarters. Gomez was charged with possession of CDS and possession of drug paraphernalia. Gerena-Sosa was charged with distribution of CDS, possession of CDS, distribution of CDS within 1,000 feet of a school, and possession of drug paraphernalia. Gerena-Sossa was also issued summonses for possession of CDS in a motor vehicle and an open container of alcohol in a motor vehicle. After being processed, Gerena-Sossa and Gomez were transported to the Hudson County Correctional Facility.
11. On December 29, 2024, at approximately 2:30 a.m., Sgt. Harold Milne and Police Officers Aaron Font, Carmen Benitez, Nasir Willey, Cynthia Rivera, and Anthony Rutkwoski were on the 50 block of Washington Street when a large crowd formed. While attempting to disperse the crowd, one individual, later identified as 32-year-old Joel Spraw of Union City, became aggressive, yelled at officers, and placed his hands in their faces. He continued this behavior despite being told multiple times to stay back. At one point, he placed his hands in front of one officer's face in a threatening and tumultuous manner and he was placed under arrest. Spraw was transported to Hoboken Police Department Headquarters where he yelled profanities at officers and refused to answer questions about his personal information. He was charged with disorderly conduct, and after processing he was released with a summons and a court date.
12. On December 29, 2024, at approximately 8:25 a.m., Sgt. James Barbro and Police Officer Christopher Barral responded to ShopRite, 900 Madison St., on reports of a shoplifting. An on- scene investigation found that store security saw two people, later identified as 55-year-old Alexander Cedano of Jersey City and 34-year-old Kasey Kulikowski of Bayonne, walking through the store together, before splitting up. Cedano was then seen placing various grocery items into a shopping cart, and Kulikowski was seen placing items into her purse. They met up at the self-checkout area, where they only paid for some of the items in their possession, before security stopped them at the exit. Cedano had a total of $167.10 of unpaid items in his cart. Kulikowski had $166.06 worth of unpaid merchandise in her purse. Both were placed under arrest and transported to Hoboken Police Headquarters where they were charged with shoplifting, given summonses, and released with a court date.
13. On December 29, 2024, at approximately 5:55 p.m., Police Officers Jessica Pizanie and Christopher Barral responded to ShopRite, 900 Madison St., on reports of a shoplifting. An on-scene investigation found a man, later identified as 57-year-old Douglas Kessel of Jersey City, tried to leave the store with multiple items, including salmon and scallops, that he didn’t pay for. He was stopped by store security at the exit. He was transported to Hoboken Police Headquarters and charged with shoplifting. He was processed and transported to the Hudson County Correctional Facility.
14. On December 30, 2024, at approximately 7:45 a.m., Sgt. Michael Straten and Police Officers Carmen Benitez, Nasir Willey, Aaron Font, and Frank Losurdo responded to Panera Bread, 312 Washington St., on reports of a disorderly individual. Officers located a man they knew as 40- year-old Murat Aslan of Cliffside Park, outside the store. An on-scene investigation revealed that Aslan, who had been banned from the establishment due to multiple interactions in the past, began to act upset and belligerent when he was refused a cup of water. He then shouted at and threatened an employe with violence. Aslan was arrested and transported to Hoboken Police Headquarters where he was charged with terroristic threats. He was processed on those charges as well as existing warrants out of Long Beach Township and Weehawken. He was ultimately transported to the Hudson County Correctional Facility.
15. On December 30, 2024, at approximately 2:40 p.m., Police Officer Jessica Pizanie responded to Hoboken Police Headquarters to process 35-year-old Erick Figueroa-Gonzalez of Hoboken, who had been transported by New Jersey Transit Police Officers. Figueroa-Gonzalez was wanted on multiple failure to appear warrants pertaining to prior incidents dating back to February 7, 2024. He was processed on the warrants and transported to the Hudson County Correctional Facility.
16. On December 29, 2024, at approximately 10:45 p.m., Police Officers Anthony Rutkowski, Nicholas Protopapadakis, Roberto Cuevas, and Trevor Thomas responded to the 800 block of Washington Street on reports of a dispute. Officers identified one of the people involved as 28- year-old Louis Laregina of Lyndhurst, standing next to his car, which was illegally parked. While investigating, officers detected a strong odor of alcoholic beverage emanating from Laregina’s breath and noticed his eyes were water and his eyelids were droopy. He was also swaying. Laregina agreed to let someone else drive his vehicle, but about a half an hour later, officers observed the same car on the 1000 block of Bloomfield Street. When they pulled the vehicle over, it was confirmed Laregina was behind the wheel. A series of standardized field sobriety tests were performed, after which he was arrested for driving while intoxicated. He was transported to Hoboken Police Headquarters and given a summons for reckless driving. As per John’s Law, he was released into the custody of a responsible adult.
17. On December 31, 2024, at approximately 5:40 a.m., Police Officers Nasir Willey and Carmen Benitez responded to the Hoboken Shelter, 300 Bloomfield St., on reports of an individual threatening people inside. Upon arrival, staff asked officers to escort the woman, later identified as 44-year-old Bonnie Acevedo of Hoboken, out of the facility. It was discovered Acevedo had an open warrant out of Saddle Brook Township and she was placed under arrest. A search incident to arrest found her with a glass cylindrical pipe burnt on both ends. She was transported to Hoboken Police Headquarters where she was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia, given a new court date on the warrant, and released from police custody with a summons.
18. On December 31, 2024, at approximately 1:10 p.m., Police Officers Tyrone Huggins and Jessica Pizanie responded to the area of Fourth Street and Park Avenue on reports of a man who threatened a passerby with bodily harm. The description fit that of a man who had recently left the Hoboken Shelter, 300 Bloomfield St., after threatening people inside. Sgt. Wilfredo Gomez and Police Officer Nathaniel Arrocho observed a man who fit that description near the Hoboken Public Library, 500 Park Ave. and stopped him. He was identified as 34-year-old Jesus Andrade of Weehawken, and he was released from custody. A short time later, officers were called back to the library, where Andrade was seen inside yelling obscenities, threatening staff members, and drinking alcohol inside the building. Staff told officers Andrade had threatened them and wished to have him removed, due to his behavior. Andrade was escorted out and told he could not go back inside the library. At about 2:30 p.m., officers responded to the Hoboken University Medical Center, 308 Willow Ave., on reports of a disorderly man threatening the staff. Upon arrival, they saw Andrade outside arguing with hospital security. An on-scene investigation revealed that while inside, Andrade threatened to cause bodily harm to medical staff, security members, and other patients. He was placed under arrest for disorderly conduct and transported to Hoboken Police Headquarters. While in custody he yelled racial slurs and obscenities at officers and threatened them with violence, by coming back to shoot them. He was further charged with making terroristic threats, and bias intimidation. He refused to be fingerprinted and was further charged with refusal of fingerprints. He was ultimately transported to the Hudson County Correctional Facility.
19. On January 1, 2025, at approximately 1:40 a.m., Sgt. Michael Straten was on patrol in the area of First and River Streets when he observed a car parked in front of a fire hydrant, and partially blocking a crosswalk, on the 100 block of River Street. While he was issuing summonses, it was learned the vehicle was unregistered. While waiting for a tow truck, Sgt. Straten noticed an unsealed bottle of beer in the center console. Two people approached the vehicle and got in the car after being told the car would have to be registered before it could be driven. The driver, later identified as 39-year-old Otis Johnson of Princeton, put the key in the car and turned it on. He later exited the car, and approached Sgt. Straten, who then observed his speech to be slurred. Johnson got back in the car, and when he spoke, Sgt. Straten detected the odor of alcoholic beverages emanating from his breath. Police Officers Keven De La Cruz and Cynthia Rivera arrived on the scene to conduct a field sobriety test after which, Johnson was arrested. He was transported to Hoboken Police Headquarters where he refused to provide a breath sample. He was issued a summons for driving while intoxicated, open container, reckless driving, and refusal to submit breath testing. His passenger, who was the owner of the car, was issued a summons for parking within 10 feet of a fire hydrant, parked on a crosswalk, and unregistered vehicle. As per John’s Law, Johnson was released into the custody of a responsible party.