Hackensack, NJ
Police & Fire
Maywood Man, 21, Charged With Killing Bloomingdale Woman In Car Outside Hackensack Party Maywood Man, 21, Charged With Killing Bloomingdale Woman In Car Outside Hackensack Party
Maywood Man, 21, Charged With Killing Bloomingdale Woman In Car Outside Hackensack Party UPDATE: A 21-year-old Maywood man was charged with reckless manslaughter Saturday following an autopsy on a 19-year-old Bloomingdale woman who'd been with him at a party in a Hackensack high-rise apartment. Michael T. Gaffney recklessly caused the death of Francis Victoria Garcia, who was with him in the back seat of a car parked on the top level of a garage at 140 Prospect Avenue, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said. "Compression injuries" were found around Garcia's neck, indicating that asphyxiation killed her -- and not a drug overdose -- according to the Bergen County Medical Ex…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Hackensack, NJ
Police & Fire
Maywood Man, 21, Charged In Death Of Bloomingdale Woman, 19, In Car Outside Hackensack Party Maywood Man, 21, Charged In Death Of Bloomingdale Woman, 19, In Car Outside Hackensack Party
Maywood Man, 21, Charged In Death Of Bloomingdale Woman, 19, In Car Outside Hackensack Party UPDATE: A 21-year-old Maywood man was charged with reckless manslaughter Saturday following an autopsy on a 19-year-old Bloomingdale woman who'd been with him at a party in a Hackensack high-rise apartment. Michael T. Gaffney recklessly caused the death of Francis Victoria Garcia, who was with him in the back seat of a car parked on the top level of a garage at 140 Prospect Avenue, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said. "Compression injuries" were found around Garcia's neck, indicating that asphyxiation killed her -- and not a drug overdose -- according to the Bergen County Medical Exa…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Wyckoff-Franklin Lakes, NJ
News
GRAPHIC: Sweet Passaic County Pit Bull Attacked By Dog Siblings GRAPHIC: Sweet Passaic County Pit Bull Attacked By Dog Siblings
Graphic: Sweet Passaic County Pit Bull Attacked By Dog Siblings A 6-year-old pit bull who was attacked by his two dog siblings is being put up for adoption so he will be in a safer environment, said the Bergen County rescue that helped save him. Capone came from a loving home in Bloomingdale with two other dogs and a baby, and often had playdates with his grandmother's cat, Ramapo-Bergen Animal Rescue said in a joint statement with Jersey Pits Rescue. The sweet pit bull was often picked on by the other dogs in the house and on Wednesday night, was viciously attacked, rescue officials said. It became apparent to his family that he was no longer safe at…

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by Cecilia Levine
Paterson, NJ
Police & Fire
Wayne Police Officer Braves Flames, Dog Dies In House Fire Wayne Police Officer Braves Flames, Dog Dies In House Fire
Wayne Police Officer Braves Flames, Dog Dies In House Fire Flames and smoke kept a Wayne police officer from rescuing a dog who died in a house fire, authorities said. Township police, firefighters and First Aid Squad members responded to what began as a garage fire on Sycamore Terrace around 8:20 a.m. Tuesday, Detective Capt. Christian Wittig said. A resident told Corporal Robert Feeney that her dog was inside, Wittig said. Feeney went in trying to rescue the dog but had to retreat after several attempts due to the fire and smoke, the captain said. Firefighters retrieved the dog, but resuscitation efforts failed, Wittig said. Corporal Robert Hi…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Hackensack, NJ
News
Pair Nabbed In Burglaries Of Nearly 40 North Jersey Concession Stands Pair Nabbed In Burglaries Of Nearly 40 North Jersey Concession Stands
Pair Nabbed In Burglaries Of Nearly 40 North Jersey Concession Stands Two people were arrested in a string of more than 40 Little League concession stand burglaries occurring across North Jersey since April, authorities said. Michael J. Kalouis, 31 of Stanhope, and Angela M. Lopez, 34 of Middlesex, broke into dozens of concession stands at pools and recreations centers overnight to take cash, food, drinks, stand appliances and tools, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella announced Tuesday. The two were arrested in Wayne and charged with 11 counts of burglary each, Musella said.  The largest theft during a break-in netted $700 in cash, the Morris County Sher…

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by Cecilia Levine
Wyckoff-Franklin Lakes, NJ
Police & Fire
Weekend Haul: Franklin Lakes Police Continue Picking Off Route 208 Drivers, Most For Warrants Weekend Haul: Franklin Lakes Police Continue Picking Off Route 208 Drivers, Most For Warrants
Weekend Haul: Franklin Lakes Police Continue Picking Off Route 208 Drivers, Most For Warrants A series of weekend traffic stops on Route 208 yielded Franklin Lakes police a half-dozen arrests – most of them of people wanted on warrants. They also included a 32-year-old West Nyack man charged with DWI just after 11:30 p.m. Sunday. Officer Matthew Geyer made that arrest, as well as one just before 7:30 a.m. Saturday of a 29-year-old Clifton man on marijuana and drug paraphernalia possession charges. Moments after that one, Sgt. William Zangara arrested Sean Levy, 48 of Atlantic Highlands, who was wanted on warrants out of Hillsdale and Middletown, Capt. John Bakelaar said Monday. Ju…

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by Jerry DeMarco
West Milford, NJ
News
WATCH: Marine's Little League Homecoming Surprise For Son Will Melt Your Heart WATCH: Marine's Little League Homecoming Surprise For Son Will Melt Your Heart
Watch: Marine's Little League Homecoming Surprise For Son Will Melt Your Heart Ryan Batista was at bat during a Bloomingdale Little League game when a pitching change was announced. Focused and zoned in, it took a moment for the 8-year-old to notice who was walking toward the mound. But when the youngster saw it was his dad, Lyndhurst native Steve Batista -- a U.S. Marine who had been on deployment in Afghanistan last September -- nothing mattered more than being in his arms. "It was a very emotional day," said Ryan's mom and Steve's wife Jillian Batista, who picked the staff sergeant up at Picatinny Arsenal before high-tailing it to the game.  "So happy everything…

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by Cecilia Levine
Paterson, NJ
Police & Fire
Ex-Karate Assistant Instructor From Haskell Convicted Of Sexually Assaulting 9-Year-Old Student Ex-Karate Assistant Instructor From Haskell Convicted Of Sexually Assaulting 9-Year-Old Student
Ex-Karate Assistant Instructor From Haskell Convicted Of Sexually Assaulting 9-Year-Old Student A former assistant karate instructor from Haskell faces a maximum of 40 in state prison after jurors in Paterson convicted him of raping a 9-year-old girl at the Pompton Lakes dojo where he worked and at her Bloomingdale home, authorities said. Luke V. Bakula, 31, was found guilty last week of two counts of first-degree aggravated sexual assault and two counts each of sexual assault and child endangerment. Bakula sexually assaulted the girl at Porta’s Karate Dojo Academy and at her home between November 2005 and July 2006, prosecutors said. The girl eventually went to authorities nearly 10…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Hackensack, NJ
Schools
Murphy's Proposed School Funding Plan Would Help, Hurt These North Jersey Districts Most Murphy's Proposed School Funding Plan Would Help, Hurt These North Jersey Districts Most
Murphy's Proposed School Funding Plan Would Help, Hurt These North Jersey Districts Most Gov. Phil Murphy's proposed education investment plan for New Jersey would give millions to underfunded districts -- but would also take away hundreds from those that are thriving (about $90 million altogether). State lawmakers will see Murphy's 2020 state budget proposal by June 30. If approved, these Bergen, Passaic and Morris county districts would benefit the most, according to preliminary figures (for complete list of New Jersey schools click here). The first figure is the 2019-20 aid, the percentage is the increase. South Hackensack: $345,738 (16.78 percent) Elmwood Park: $9,89…

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by Cecilia Levine
Hackensack, NJ
Schools
Delayed Openings: These Bergen, Passaic County Schools Have Late Starts Wednesday Delayed Openings: These Bergen, Passaic County Schools Have Late Starts Wednesday
Delayed Openings: These Bergen, Passaic County Schools Have Late Starts Wednesday Rain and ice Tuesday night will make for slippery conditions Wednesday. These schools/districts will have delayed openings on Feb. 13: Academy of the Holy Angels 9:50 a.m. Bergenfield Schools 10 a.m. Bloomingdale 90-minute delayed start Bogota Memorial 9:50 a.m. CTC Fair Lawn, Oakland 90-minute delayed start Dumont Public Schools 10 a.m. Edgewater Public Schools 2-hour delay Fair Lawn 90-minute delay Franklin Lakes (check schedule) Garfield 10 a.m. Glen Rock 10 a.m. Hackensack Public Schools 10 a.m. Leonia 2-hour delay Little Ferry 9:45 a.m. Lyndhurst 2-hour delay Mahwah Public Schools (che…

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by Cecilia Levine
Saddle Brook-Elmwood Park, NJ
Police & Fire
IMAGES: 'Big One' Consumes Marcal Plant, Ignites Nearby Buildings, Power Lines IMAGES: 'Big One' Consumes Marcal Plant, Ignites Nearby Buildings, Power Lines
Images: 'Big One' Consumes Marcal Plant, Ignites Nearby Buildings, Power Lines UPDATE: They feared it would happen sooner or later. Now it has -- in a way far worse than could have been imagined. Wind-whipped flames consumed the Marcal Plant in Elmwood Park Wednesday night in what quickly became the kind of fire many have long feared. The fire raged for several hours after breaking out in a warehouse around the start of the evening rush along nearby Route 80. Dozens of companies raced to help. Hundreds of smoke eaters jumped in. 500 people lost their jobs. And just when it seemed things couldn't get worse, another threat emerged.  Flames consumed the entire pl…

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by Jerry DeMarco
West Milford, NJ
Police & Fire
Fire KO'd At Vacant Wanaque Store Fire KO'd At Vacant Wanaque Store
Fire KO'd At Vacant Wanaque Store Fire damaged a vacant Wanaque store in a multi-business building Sunday afternoon. Flames spread to the roof and inside the wooden Ringwood Avenue building, near the Ringwood border, which also houses a daycare center and a liquor store. The site of the fire was once a framing company. Bloomingdale and Pompton Lakes firefighters were among the responders who joined their Wanaque colleagues.

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by Jerry DeMarco