On February 22, 2024, at approximately 12:30 a.m., Police Officers Andrias
Bonilla and Cynthia Rivera responded to Jersey City to take custody of 31-year-old
Nitreenia Rooks of Jersey City from Port Authority Police. Rooks had warrants out
of Hoboken for defiant trespassing, theft of services, theft by unlawful taking, and
smoking in public. She was transported to Hoboken Police Headquarters and
processed. Rooks was later transported to the Hudson County Correctional
Facility.
On February 22, 2024, at approximately 3 a.m., Police Officers Michael Straten
and Nicholas Protopapadakis processed the arrest of 24-year-old Hiter Chavez
Cevellas of West New York who was brought to Hoboken Police Headquarters by
West New York Police. Chavez-Cevellas was wanted on an active warrant out of
Hoboken related to an incident on July 19, 2022, during which Police Officers
Protopapadakis and Tyrone Huggins observed two men, including Chavez
Cevellas, trespassing on Hoboken Housing Authority property. On that date,
Chavez-Cevellas was released on summons. On February 22, after being
processed, he was transported to the Hudson County Correctional Facility.
On February 22, 2024, at approximately, 2:30 p.m., Sgt. Anthony Russo and
Police Officer Tyrone Huggins were on the 700 block of Clinton Street, when they
observed a man, later identified as 49-year-old Kenneth Salazar of Union City,
acting in a way that led them to believe he was a lookout for someone stealing
packages. A short time later, a woman, later identified as 37-year-old Brania
Fernandez-Rosario, exited a building holding a bag with boxes inside. Sgt. Russo
followed the couple on foot to the parking lot at CVS, 811 Clinton St., where he
observed them rummaging through boxes. He approached and identified himself as
a Police Officer. Sgt. Chris LaBruno, Sgt. Adam Colon, and Police Officers Aaron
Font, Jessica Arebalo, Anthony Feskin, Jayden Gonzalez, and Arturo Gonzalez
arrived to assist. The officers could see Salazar and Fernandez-Rosario with
packages that had an address from the 700 block of Clinton Street torn open.
Salazar and Fernandez-Rosario were informed they were being placed under arrest.
A search incident to arrest located several packages with different names on them,
along with a glass cylindrical pipe containing CDS residue and steel wool, empty
plastic bottles containing CDS residue, a pill bottle containing steel wool, and an
empty white colored wax like bag containing CDS residue. Salazar and Fernandez
Rosario were transported to Police Headquarters. Salazar was charged with
conspiracy to commit burglary, burglary, package theft, and possession of drug
paraphernalia. Fernandez-Rosario was charged with conspiracy to commit
burglary, burglary, package theft, and possession of drug paraphernalia. It was
learned Fernandez-Rosario had an active Hudson County Sheriffs warrant for
burglary. Both were transported to the Hudson County Correctional Facility.
On February 22, 2024, at approximately 3:30 p.m., Sgt. Adam Colon and Police
Officer Jaydan Gonzalez responded to Walgreen's Pharmacy, 1300 Willow Ave.,
on reports of a shoplifting where the actor was seen placing items into a bag and
then leaving the scene on a bicycle. Police Officer Damian Bates observed a man
who fit the description of the suspect riding a bicycle on Ninth Street near Willow
Avenue. Police Officers Arturo Gonzales and Elias Colon stopped that man, later
identified as 41-year-old Jason Lanzo of Jersey City, at the Ninth Street Light Rail
Station. A search incident to arrest located pain relieving patches, which had a total
value of $174.90. Lanzo was transported to Hoboken Police Headquarters, charged
with shoplifting, processed, and transported to the Hudson County Correctional
Facility.
On February 25, 2024, at approximately 2:40 a.m., Police Officers Anthony
Ingraffia, Rose Kanan, Andrias Bonilla, and Anthony Rutkowski responded to the
area of Basile's Pizza, 89 Washington St., on reports of a dispute. Upon arrival they
heard screaming and saw two men engaged in a verbal altercation, with another
man and woman between them. Officers approached and saw one of them, later
identified as 23-year-old Jayden Martinez of Bayonne, hit another male in the face,
causing him to fall. Officers placed Martinez under arrest, while also attempting to
control the crowd forming around them in the street. As they walked Martinez
toward a patrol car, they observed another man, later identified as 22-year-old
Justin Britt of Bayonne, get in an argument with, and then hit the same man
Martinez had hit before. Britt was placed under arrest. The victim declined
treatment by Hoboken Volunteer Ambulance Corps. Lt. David Olivera, Lt. Donald
Rosso, and Police Officers Teddy Santiago, Dom Allegretta, Shawn Sodora, and
Daniela Simone arrived on scene to assist. Martinez and Britt were transported to
Hoboken Police Headquarters. Martinez was charged with resisting arrest, simple
assault, and disorderly. Britt was charged with simple assault. Both were processed
and released.
On February 25, 2024, at approximately 4:10 a.m., Police Officers Andrias
Bonilla and Teddy Santiago responded to the 300 block of River Street on reports
of a man sleeping in someone’s apartment. While they were on the way, dispatch
told the officers the male had left the residence and was now walking around
another floor of the building. Upon arrival they located the actor, later identified as
25-year-old Thomas Gallagher of Mahwah, exiting an electrical room wearing no
shoes or shirt. He was transported to Hoboken Police Headquarters and charged
with criminal trespassing. He was given a copy of his summons and released with a
court date.
On February 25, 2024, at approximately 12 p.m., Police Officers Shelby
Seickendick responded to Dunkin Donuts, 400 Newark St., for reports of a man
who walked behind the counter to make his own food. Employees locked the man
inside the store. Police Officer Michael Aviles arrived on the scene and helped
Officer Seickendick convince the man, later identified as 31-year-old Linberg
Cousley of Connecticut, to come outside. Police Officers Nathaniel Arocho and
Nicholas Valerius arrived to assist. It was learned Cousley refused to pay for
coffee, a sandwich, and a donut worth $10.31. He was placed under arrest for
shoplifting and released with a summons and court date.
On February 27, 2024, at approximately 12:00 a.m., Police Officers Aaron Font
and Shawn Sodora processed the arrest of 20-year-old Neovanni Carabella of
Jersey City after he was brought to Hoboken Police Headquarters by Liberty State
Park Police. He had been pulled over for not wearing a seatbelt, and a search found
he was wanted on three warrants out of Hoboken. He was processed on one
careless driving charge and two charges of theft by deception related to December
2022 and November 2022 cases, in which he stole money by accessing victim’s
bank accounts via an online payment app, while pretending to be collecting
charitable donations. Those cases were connected, investigated, and charges filed
by Detective Andrew Perez. Carabella was transported to the Hudson County
Correctional Facility.
On February 27, 2024, at approximately 6:10 a.m. Police Officers Aaron Font and
Shawn Sodora responded to Walgreens, 1300 Willow Ave., on reports of a man
stealing cigarettes from behind the register. When they got there, officers found the
man outside the store and could also see cigarettes in his pocket. Sgt. Luke
Zeszotarski and Police Officers Matthew Bonanno and Teddy Santiago arrived on
the scene. The man, later identified as 37-year-old David Hutchings of Hoboken,
was placed under arrest for shoplifting and transported to Hoboken Police
Headquarters. Investigation revealed Hutchings had stolen three boxes of
cigarettes, valued at $40.85. He was also processed on a warrant out of Hoboken
for shoplifting issued on August 8, 2023. He was transported to the Hudson County
Correctional Facility.
On February 27, 2024, at approximately 5:55 p.m., Police Officers Daniel Barron
and Daniel Grossi were on Jackson Street near Sixth Street when they observed a
man they knew as 33-year-old Armando Torres of Jersey City walking and
carrying a bag filled with items. They stopped him and saw maternity pants,
women's jeans, socks, leggings, and women’s body suits inside the bag. He
couldn’t provide a receipt or reason for having the items and was arrested. A
search incident to arrest located a glass cylindrical pipe with burnt residue on the
tip inside Torres's front left pants pocket. He was transported to Hoboken Police
Headquarters for processing and charged with receiving stolen property and
possession of drug paraphernalia. The value of items found in his possession
amounted to $277.99. While he was being processed, it was learned that Torres
matched the description of a burglary/theft that happened earlier that day at 11:50
a.m. on the 1300 block of Washington Street. He was transported to the Hudson
County Correctional Facility.
On February 28, 2024, at approximately 5:50 p.m., Police Officers Domenick
Allegretta and Harold Milne processed the arrest of 31-year-old Devon Robinson
of Hoboken who was brought to Hoboken Police Headquarters by Hudson County
Sheriff’s Officers on active warrants out of Hoboken for outstanding bench
warrants. He also had warrants out of Pennsylvania and Maryland. After
processing, he was transported to the Hudson County Correctional Facility.
On February 28, 2024, at approximately 10:40 p.m., Sgt. Dennis Figueroa and
Police Officers Harold Milne, Dominick Allegretta, and Ramon Calderon
responded to the intersection of Eighth and Jefferson Streets for reports of a
pedestrian struck. While on that scene, three men approached them, including one
they knew as 38-year-old Mario Cruz of Jersey City, who pointed with his hand in
his pocket and said, “you wanna draw,” to officers which they believed was a
reference to a possible handgun. Cruz was ordered to stop and remove his hands
from his pockets, but he refused and fled on foot. Officers followed him until he
stopped on the 400 block of Ninth Street. Police Officers Mark Moorman and
Jessica Areballo arrived on the scene and saw Cruz standing in the front of a
building. When he saw them getting out of the car, he ran again towards Jefferson
Street where he was stopped and was arrested. He was transported to Hoboken
Police Headquarters, processed and charged with making terroristic threats and
obstructing the administration of the law. Cruz was found to have a warrant out of
Jersey City. He was transported to the Hudson County Correctional Facility.
