On April 4, 2024, at approximately 10 a.m., Police Officer Tyrone Huggins was
on patrol around Second and Jefferson Streets when he was stopped by a man who
was following someone who had just shoplifted at his store. The witness pointed
out the suspect on the 200 block of Madison Street. Officer Huggins activated his
emergency lights to catch up with the suspect, who ran away on foot. He was
caught nearby and later identified as 38-year-old Mario Cruz of Jersey City.
Sergeants Saverio Binetti and Michael Straten and Police Officers Joesph
DiMartino, Jessica Pizanie, Geovanni Cruzado, and Nathaniel Arocho arrived on
the scene. An on-scene investigation revealed that Cruz entered Blue Ribbon, 452
First St., and went behind the counter, took two packs of cigarettes, and left. A
search incident to arrest located two packs of cigarettes on Cruz. He was
transported to Hoboken Police Headquarters, charged with shoplifting and
obstructing justice, and later taken to the Hudson County Correctional Facility.
On April 4, 2024, at approximately 5:44 p.m., Police Officer Remy Garcia-Marte
responded to the Hoboken University Medical Center, 308 Willow Ave., on reports
of a disorderly person right outside. Police Officers Jessica Pizanie, Marc
Lombardi, and Frank Losurdo were already on the scene, trying to move the
individual, later identified as 49-year-old Patricia Lavacchi of Jersey City, away
from the hospital. Hospital security had escorted her out of the lobby when she
became disorderly toward other people inside. She continued to act disorderly
outside; swearing at staff and the officers and threatening to assault them. Since the
hospital did not want to pursue a complaint, Lavacchi was released on the scene.
At approximately 6:15 p.m. Officers Garcia-Marte and Jason Montalvo responded
back to the hospital where Lavacchi was observed across the street. Officers
approached her to tell her not to go near the hospital unless she needed medical
attention. She began to swear at the officers and tried to encourage another man on
the scene to engage in violence against the officers. That is when she was placed
under arrest for disorderly conduct. During the arrest, she continued to be
combative and threaten officers with assault. She was transported to Hoboken
Police Headquarters, processed on the disorderly contact charge, and released with
a summons.
On April 5, 2024, at approximately 10:25 p.m., Police Officers Marc Lombardi
and Mark Moorman responded to 8th Street Tavern, 800 Washington Street, on
reports of a man elbowing patrons, being rude to staff, and refusing to leave. When
they arrived, the individual, later identified as 24-year-old Moises Garcia of Jersey
City, approached the patrol car. Sgt. Ryan Houghton arrived on the scene. At the
request of bar staff, officers told Garcia he was not allowed back inside, but he was
later observed by Sgt. Houghton going back inside two more times. He was placed
under arrest for defiant trespassing and transported to Hoboken Police
Headquarters. It was discovered Garcia had a warrant out of Jersey City. After
being processed on the defiant trespassing charge, he was transported to the Jersey
City Police Department.
On April 6, 2024, at approximately 2:50 a.m., Police Officers Aaron Font and
Shawn Sodora were on patrol around Third and Washington Streets, when they
heard people yelling in front of Quality Pizza, 304 Washington St. They saw a
large group of people fighting and observed one woman, later identified as 25-
year-old Wonda Lacruz of Irvington, repeatedly strike another woman in the back
of the head. Lacruz was placed under arrest and transported to Hoboken Police
Headquarters. She was charged with simple assault and disorderly conduct and
released with a summons.
On April 6, 2024, at approximately 11:10 a.m. Police Officers Michael Aviles and
Jessica Pizanie processed two warrants against 33-year-old Ramon Quinones of
Bayonne, who was transported to the Hoboken Police Department from Bayonne.
He had been wanted on charges of possession of CDS. Quinones was released on
bail.
On April 8, 2024, at approximately 1:55 a.m., Police Officers Nicholas
Protopapadakis and David Chicara responded to The Green Room, 109 14th St., on
reports of a burglary in progress. When they arrived, they observed the original
caller and another witness with another man, later identified as 39-year-old Justin
Urra of Weehawken. The on-scene investigation revealed that Urra had kicked the
glass door of the business, shattering it, until witnesses intervened. Urra appeared
to be intoxicated and refused to answer the officers' questions. Urra was placed
under arrest and charged with criminal mischief. He was transported to Hoboken
Police Headquarters, processed, and later released on a summons.
On April 8, 2024, at approximately 1:30 p.m., Police Officers Daniel Barron and
Harry Montalvo responded to the Essex County Correctional Facility to transport
28-year-old Bayla Martinez of Jersey City to Hoboken Police Headquarters.
Martinez had an outstanding warrant for failure to appear on an original charge of
possession of drug paraphernalia out of Hoboken.
On April 8, 2024, at approximately 8:50 p.m., Police Officers Daniel Barron and
Frank Losurdo were traveling on Adams Street at Third Street and observed a man
they knew as 55-year-old Robert Sanabria of Hoboken, who they knew had an
active warrant out of Hoboken. They approached him on the 200 block of Adams
Street. Police Officers Joseph Spano, Marvin DeJesus, and Domenick Allegretta
arrived on the scene. It was confirmed Sanabria had two outstanding warrants and
he was placed under arrest. He was transported to Hoboken Police Headquarters
and processed on warrants for burglary and conspiracy. Sanabria was transported
to the Hudson County Correctional Facility.
On April 8, 2024, at approximately 9:15 p.m., Police Officers Joseph DiMartino
and Anthony Rutkowski were on patrol on the 300 block of Harrison Street when a
bystander told them there were two men acting suspiciously and crawling under
cars in a nearby parking lot. The officers exited the vehicle and when they got to
the parking lot, they observed two individuals, later identified as 30-year-old Sadar
Bashier of Weehawken and 27-year-old Kevin Varela of North Bergen. Sergeants
Francis McCourt and Anthony Russo and Police Officers Harold Milne, Shyenna
Vega, Domenick Allegretta, and Ramon Estrella arrived on the scene. Officers
observed several small empty cellophane baggies on the ground near both
individuals. It was discovered Bashier had an outstanding warrant for his arrest
out of Newark. A search incident to arrest located a clear cellophane baggie
containing a hard, white substance believed to be crack cocaine, copper mesh, and
a clear glass cylinder, commonly used to smoke crack cocaine, in Bashier’s pocket.
Both men were placed under arrest and transported to Hoboken Police
Headquarters. Bashier was charged with possession of CDS crack cocaine,
possession of drug paraphernalia, and defiant trespassing. He was transported to
the Hudson County Correctional Facility. Varela was charged with defiant
trespass. It was learned he had a warrant from West New York and another out of
Union City. He was also transported to the Hudson County Correctional Facility.
On April 9, 2024, at approximately 3:20 a.m., Police Officers Nicholas
Protopapadakis and Domenick Allegretta were patrolling the area of Fourth and
Garden Streets when they observed a man, later identified as 33-year-old Kemar
Dickenson of Hoboken, sleeping in a fenced-off area at Hoboken Middle School,
158 Fourth Street. Dickenson had previously been told by law enforcement that he
was prohibited from school property. When officers told Dickenson he was going
to be placed under arrest, he tensed his arms and kicked one of the officers in the
leg. He was transported to Hoboken Police Headquarters and processed on charges
of resisting arrest, aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, defiant
trespassing, and obstructing the administration of the law. Dickenson was then
transported to the Hudson County Correctional Facility.
On April 9, 2024, at approximately10 a.m., Lt. Keith Rotondi, and Police Officers
Nicklas Valerius and Jessica Arebalo responded to the 1000 block of Washington
Street to arrest Alice Dowd of Hoboken who had a warrant for harassment. She
was given a new court date and released.
On April 8, 2024, at approximately 6:20 p.m., Police Officer Harry Montalvo
responded to the 600 block of Willow Avenue on reports of a theft where someone
stole sweaters and a wallet from the building hallway. An on-scene investigation
discovered the actor had delivered a package to the building, in a white van. The
next day, on April 9, 2024, at approximately 5 p.m., Officers Montalvo and Jaydan
Gonzalez were patrolling the area of Sixth and Monroe Streets when they observed
a man matching the description of the suspect standing outside a white van,
actively unloading packages. The individual, later identified as 27-year-old Nicolas
Diaz Jaramillo of Jersey City, was arrested for theft, transported to Hoboken Police
Headquarters, processed, and released with a court date.
On April 8, 2024, at approximately 6:45 p.m., Police Officers Nasir Willey and
Shelby Seickendick were patrolling near Church Square Park when they observed
a man who appeared upset and lost. When they approached him, the man said
someone had just stolen his bicycle while he picked up a GrubHub order at Chango
Kitchen, 301 Willow Ave. The next day, on April 9, 2024, Detectives John
Quinones, Fabian Quinones, and Daniel Grossi were in the area of 300 Washington
Street when they observed a man who fit the description of the suspect. They
approached the individual, later identified as 24-year-old Assane Mbengue of New
York and further investigation confirmed him as the actor in the theft. He was
transported to Hoboken Police Headquarters and charged with theft of moveable
property. Mbengue was processed and released on a summons.
On April 9, 2024, at approximately 6:05 p.m. Police Officers Jessica Pizanie and
Shyenna Vega responded to the Essex County Correctional Facility to transport 36-
year-old Octavia Roberts of Elizabeth to Hoboken Police Headquarters. Roberts
had a warrant out of Hoboken for shoplifting. After processing, she was
transported to the Hudson County Correctional Facility.
On April 9, 2024, at approximately 7:50 p.m., Police Officers Harry Montalvo and
Jayden Gonzalez responded to the Somerset County Correctional Facility to
transport 34-year-old Abdul Franklin of Brooklyn to Hoboken Police Headquarters
for processing on a warrant for robbery and two counts of hindering. He also had
warrants out of Secaucus, South Orange, and Passaic. Franklin was later
transported to the Hudson County Correctional Facility.
On April 10, 2024, at approximately 2:10 a.m., Police Officers David Chicara and
Matthew Bonanno responded to BP Gas Station, 1400 Willow Ave., on reports of a
shoplifting. Sgt. Tyler Soto and Police Officers Marvin De Jesus and Domenick
Allegretta also responded. It was determined that the suspect went behind the
counter, took a pair of sunglasses, and left without paying. Police Officers Keven
De La Cruz and Aaron Font observed a man who matched the description of the
suspect heading into a building on the 300 block of 13th Street. Police officers
confirmed that man, later identified as 45-year-old David Cummings of Hoboken,
was the same person seen in surveillance video viewed at the gas station. He was
transported to Hoboken Police Headquarters for processing, charged with
shoplifting, and released with a court date and summons.
On April 10, 2024, at approximately 11:40 a.m., Sgt. Saverio Binetti and Police
Officers Christopher Hatfield, Harry Montalvo, Shawn Sodora, and Tyrone
Huggins responded to the 300 block of Marshall Drive on reports of two unknown
individuals using drugs. Upon arrival, officers were able to identify one of the
individuals as 24-year-old Ramiro Quirola-Vegara of Hackensack. He was placed
under arrest for defiant trespassing and transported to Hoboken Police
Headquarters. He was processed and released.
On April 10, 2024, at approximately 5 p.m., Police Officers Jonathan Figueroa and
Alexander Miller were patrolling on the 300 block of Jackson Street when they
observed several vehicles double parked. They activated their lights and sirens to
get the cars to move. A short time later, they witnessed a U-Haul van hit a parked
car on the 100 block of Jackson Street. The driver pulled over and stepped out of
the car, and officers recognized him as 24-year-old Raffaelle Spadavecchia of
Hoboken. His speech slurred and his movements were lethargic. Police Officers
Harold Milne and Nasir Willey arrived on the scene and Officer Milne performed a
series of field sobriety tests, after which Spadavecchia was arrested. A search
incident to arrest located two prescription pill bottles that had someone else’s name
on them. A search of the vehicle located an open container of alcohol.
Spadavecchia was transported to Hoboken Police Headquarters and charged with
possession of prescription legend drugs, driving while intoxicated, refusal to
submit to breath testing, driving without a license, and open alcohol container. He
also received a traffic summons for double parking. He was found to have a clear
baggie filled with wax folds and 19 bags of crack cocaine. He was further charged
with possession with the intent to distribute CDS crack cocaine, possession with
the intent to distribute CDS heroin, possession with intent to distribute CDS crack
cocaine within 500 feet from public housing, possession with the intent to
distribute CDS heroin within 500 feet from public housing, possession with the
intent to distribute CDS crack cocaine within 1,000 feet from a public school,
possession with the intent to distribute CDS heroin within 1,000 ft from a public
school, and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was transported to the Hudson
County Correctional Facility.
