September 30 Morning News
NJ.COM REPORTED NEWLY RELEASED COURT RECORDS SHOW A FORMER GARFIELD POLICE SERGEANT ACCUSED OF FIRING PAINTBALLS AT PASSING CARS IN FIVE BERGEN COUNTY TOWNS WAS ALREADY FACING DRUG CHARGES. THIRTY YEAR OLD ANTHONY PIZZI, OF POMPTON LAKES, WAS CHARGED IN JUNE WITH POSSESSING SUSPECTED COCAINE THAT OFFICERS SAY THEY FOUND IN TWO BAGGIES HIDDEN BEHIND A FALSE WALL IN HIS BEDROOM CLOSET, NEXT TO A DUFFEL BAG HOLDING A RIFLE. POLICE WENT TO HIS HOME JUNE 20 ON A POSSIBLE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CALL, AND PIZZI TOLD THEM WHERE TO FIND THE RIFLE, ACCORDING TO THE SWORN POLICE STATEMENT. PIZZI WAS ALSO CHARGED MAY 28 WITH TELLING ANOTHER OFFICER TO LIE DURING AN INTERNAL AFFAIRS INVESTIGATION. NOW, PROSECUTORS SAY HE FIRED AT VEHICLES IN HASBROUCK HEIGHTS, FAIR LAWN, LODI, WALLINGTON AND GARFIELD BETWEEN SEPTEMBER 18TH AND 24TH. HE FACES CHARGES INCLUDING AGGRAVATED ASSAULT AND WEAPONS OFFENSES, BUT THE SWORN STATEMENT SAYS LITTLE ABOUT HOW INVESTIGATORS IDENTIFIED HIM, CITING ONLY SURVEILLANCE VIDEO, LICENSE PLATE READER RECORDS AND VICTIM STATEMENTS. ATTORNEY INFORMATION FOR PIZZI WAS NOT AVAILABLE TUESDAY.
NEWS 12 NEW JERSEY SAID ACCORDING TO FIRE OFFICIALS, MULTIPLE VEHICLES BURNED IN A LARGE SCRAPYARD FIRE TUESDAY IN PATERSON. FIREFIGHTERS RESPONDED TO THE BLAZE AT 110 WAIT ST., WHERE INITIAL CREWS ENCOUNTERED HEAVY FIRE AT THE SCRAP YARD. DEPUTY FIRE CHIEF JASON MACONES SAID MULTIPLE VEHICLES WERE BURNING DURING THE FIRE. PATERSON MAYOR ANDRE SAYEGH TOLD NEWS 12 THE FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED WITHIN ABOUT 20 MINUTES. BY TUESDAY AFTERNOON THE FIRE WAS OUT AND CLEANUP WAS UNDERWAY AT THE SCRAPYARD. NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED, AND FIRE OFFICIALS INITIALLY SAID THERE WAS NO REPORTED EXTENSION TO ANY STRUCTURES.
THE DAILY VOICE REPORTED A JERSEY CITY MAN WAS ARRESTED FOLLOWING A STALKING REPORT AT AN EDGEWATER APARTMENT COMPLEX. ACCORDING TO CHIEF DONALD MARTIN, EDGEWATER POLICE RESPONDED TO THE RIVER ROAD COMPLEX AROUND 3:52 P.M. MONDAY, SEPT. 28, AND LOCATED BOTH PEOPLE INVOLVED. POLICE SAID SUDHEER METTU, 31, WAS ARRESTED WITHOUT INCIDENT FOLLOWING AN INVESTIGATION AND CHARGED WITH STALKING. MUNICIPAL COURT JUDGE ROBERT J. COHAN FOUND PROBABLE CAUSE FOR THE CRIMINAL COMPLAINT, WHERE METTU WAS LATER PROCESSED AND TAKEN TO THE BERGEN COUNTY JAIL TO AWAIT HIS FIRST COURT APPEARANCE.
THE DAILY VOICE REPORTED A DISTURBING VIDEO SHOWED A WOMAN ATTACKED OUTSIDE OF A NEWARK APARTMENT. ACCORDING TO NEWARK PUBLIC SAFETY DIRECTOR EMMANEL MIRANDA SR, ON FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 18TH ,THE WOMAN HAD GOTTEN OFF OF WORK AND WAS WALKING HOME AROUND 1:30 A.M. WHEN SHE NOTICED A MAN WATCHING AND FOLLOWING HER. AS THE WOMAN REACHED HER APARTMENT IN THE 200 BLOCK OF LESLIE STREET, THE MAN APPROACHED HER FROM BEHIND. WHEN THE WOMAN TURNED AROUND, THE MAN CONTINUOUSLY PUNCHED HER IN THE FACE AND BODY TELLING HER TO BE QUIET. ACCORDING TO POLICE, THE WOMAN FOUGHT BACK AND SCREAMED CAUSING HER ATTACKER TO RUN AWAY. THE SUSPECT WAS DESCRIBED AS A BLACK MAN WITH LOCS WHO WAS WEARING A BLACK TANK TOP AND BLUE SHORTS ACCORDING TO POLICE. AUTHORITIES ARE ASKING THE PUBLIC FOR HELP IDENTIFYING THE MAN. ANYONE WITH INFORMATION IS ENCOURAGED TO CALL NEWARK POLICE’S 24 HOUR CRIME STOPPER TIP LINE AT 1-877-NWK-TIPS OR 1-877-695-8477.