On October 15, 2023, at approximately 5:40 a.m., Lieutenant Joseph Lucignano,
and Police Officers Daniel Grossi, Marvin DeJesus, Aaron Font, Teddy Santiago,
Tyler Soto, and Remy Garcia-Marte responded to the intersection of Second and
Hudson Streets on reports of a robbery of a person experiencing homelessness. It
was learned that while the victim was sleeping, two men took about $100 in cash
from his pocket, as well as a backpack containing clothing. Officers quickly
located two men who fit a witness description of the actors. They were later
identified as 34-year-old Quasir Freeman of Newark and 43-year-old Dashaun
Barnes of Newark. Both were placed under arrest and walked over to Police
Headquarters for processing. A search incident to arrest of Freeman revealed one
small plastic bag containing a white rock substance suspected to be CDS crackcocaine. Freeman was charged with theft of movable property from a person, and
possession of crack-cocaine. Barnes was charged with theft of movable property
from a person. Barnes was found to have warrants out of Cumberland County for
theft of moveable property, resisting arrest, and criminal impersonation. Both were
transported to the Hudson County Correctional Facility.
On October 15, 2023, at approximately 2:05 a.m., while patrolling the area of
Garden and Sixth Streets, Police Officers Daniel Grossi and Marvin DeJesus
observed a man in possession of a package, looking at residences in a suspicious
manner, as he walked by. They approached the man, later identified as 32-year-old
Armondo Torres of Jersey City and found him to be reluctant to answer questions.
Sgt. Francis McCourt and Police Officers Matthew Bonanno, Shawn Sedora,
Michael Straten, and Jesse Castellano arrived on the scene. Torres was found to
have an active warrant for harassment. A search incident to arrest of Torres found a
glass cylindrical pipe containing a brown residue, suspected to be CDS crackcocaine. He was transported to Hoboken Police Headquarters and charged with
possession of drug paraphernalia, before being transported to the Hudson County
Correctional Facility.
On October 17, 2023, at approximately 6:10 p.m., Polce Officers Damien Bates
and Brian Fitzgibbons responded to ACME, 614 Clinton St., for reports of a
shoplifting. On their way to the store, the officers spotted a man they knew to be
38-year-old Christopher Johnson of Jersey City, who fit the description of the
suspect. The officers observed Johnson to have five packages of soap in his
possession. He was placed under arrest for shoplifting, transported to Hoboken
Police Headquarters for processing, and then transported to the Hudson County
Correctional Facility.
On October 18, 2023, at approximately 9:20 a.m., Police Officers Jessica Arebalo
and Jonathan Figueroa responded to the 400 block of Harrison Street for reports of
threats made. When they arrived, they were told a man threatened to shoot an
employee of the Hoboken Housing Authority, and then walked away. Sergeant
Wilfredo Gomez and Detective John Quinones were able to positively identify the
suspect as 41-year-old Phillip Steed of Jersey City. A complaint was generated
against Steed for making terroristic threats. The next day, October 19, 2023, at
approximately 9:20 a.m., Sgt. Gomez, and Police Officers Frank Francolino and
Elias Colon were near the intersection of Third and Jackson Streets and observed
Steed sitting nearby. Steed yelled at them and refused to follow commands to place
his arms behind his back. He tried to hinder the officers' attempts to handcuff him
by twisting his arms to get away. Police Officer Nathaniel Arocho arrived on
scene. Officers were eventually able to safely handcuff Steed. He was transported
to Hoboken Police Headquarters, where a search of Steed found 134 small bags,
each containing a white rock-like substance believed to be CDS crack-cocaine.
They also found 74 wax folds of a brownish powdery substance suspected to be
CDS heroin. He was processed on charges of making terroristic threats, and
additionally charged with possession with the intent to distribute CDS, possession
with the intent to distribute CDS within 500 feet of the Housing Authority,
possession with the intent to distribute within 1,000 feet of a school, possession of
drug paraphernalia, and resisting arrest. He was transported to the Hudson County
Correctional Facility.
On October 18, 2023, at approximately 3:45 p.m., Detective Fabian Quinones was
in Church Square Park when he was approached by a man who told him there was
a woman in the park, who had multiple stolen packages in her possession. Det.
Quinones spotted the woman who he knew as 25-year-old Kayla Moreno of Jersey
City on a bench opening packages and showing items to other people in the area.
Police Officers Roberto Cuevas and David Chicara arrived on scene. Moreno was
arrested on theft charges, transported to Hoboken Police Headquarters for
processing, and then transported to the Hudson County Correctional Facility.
On October 18, 2023, at approximately 4:10 p.m., Sgt. Wilfredo Gomez was on
uniformed patrol at CVS, 59 Washington St., when he heard an employee request
security to the front of the store. Sgt. Gomez responded and was told a man had
just left the store without paying for items he took. Outside the store, Sgt. Gomez
observed a man, he knew to be 64-year-old Ronald Crawford of Hoboken, who fit
the description given by store employees. Crawford was arrested for shoplifting. A
search incident to arrest revealed food items that totaled $8.75. Crawford was
transported to Hoboken Police Headquarters, processed on the shoplifting charge,
and then transported to the Hudson County Correctional Facility.
*All charges are merely accusations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless,
and until, proven guilty in a court of law*
