On January 30th, 2024, at approximately 12:35 AM, members of the Guttenberg Police Department’s Patrol
Division responded to 7000 Park Avenue (Benny’s Liquors) for a report of a female party that shoplifted and was
previously trespassed from the establishment. Once on the scene, officers located 39-year-old Christine E. O’Brien of
North Bergen, NJ, who was reported to have trespassed and shoplifted from the establishment. During their on-scene
investigation, officers discovered that Ms. O’Brien had an active warrant out of the State of New York for a parole
violation. Officers were also able to recover some of the stolen items, found with Ms. O’Brien, and returned them to the
establishment. Ms. O’Brien was then placed under arrest and transported to the Guttenberg Police Department for her
arrest processing. Initially, Ms. O’Brien was charged with defiant trespass [2C:18-3B], shoplifting [2C:20-11B], and being
a fugitive from justice [2A:160-10]. However, during her arrest processing, Ms. O’Brien became combative and struck an
officer in the face with a closed fist. Following the assault, Ms. O’Brien was also charged with aggravated assault on a
law enforcement officer [2C:12-1B(5)(A)].
Upon the completion of her arrest processing, Ms. O’Brien was issued three (3) complaint warrants and lodged
in the Hudson County Correctional Center. This incident marks the third occasion within the last 2 years that Ms. O’Brien
was apprehended and charged with being a fugitive from justice during her attempts to avoid the restrictions outlined in
her supervised release agreement in the State of New York.
The charges above are merely accusations. Every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven
guilty in a court of law.
