KPD: Mom invites up to 150 underage youngsters to her home for a party where they ‘enjoy’ weed and alcohol until the police intervene
It’s always admirable when parents follow through on their promises to their children. However, in the case of a Kearny mom, it would have been better if she had simply refused her child’s request. Let’s take a closer look at why this decision ended up causing more harm than good.
According to Det. Sgt. Mike Gontarczuk, it is a well-known fact that the Kearny Police Department avoids disrupting parties unless it becomes necessary due to noise complaints from the neighbors or other similar issues. However, even in such cases, if the attendees are well-behaved and of legal age, the police usually do not feel the need to issue summonses or take any further action.
At approximately 11 p.m. on October 28th, officers were called to a disorderly juvenile drinking party at a narrow multi-family home in the southwest corner of Kearny. The scene they encountered was unlike anything they had seen before. An estimated 100 to 150 young individuals were present, with many of them visibly impaired and openly flaunting marijuana and bottles of alcohol. The situation was clearly out of control, and the officers had to act quickly to restore order.
As the authorities dispersed the gathering, the attendees were very uncooperative. They were asked to leave their alcoholic beverages behind, but they refused and instead took them along. They engaged in arguments with the people present in the neighborhood, hurled abusive language at the police, and anyone else who questioned their decision to create a ruckus by shouting in the middle of the road, blocking traffic, and refusing to leave.
The police called for mutual aid from the Harrison and North Arlington departments to help handle the situation. While they were able to somewhat reduce the chaos, police units were still being stopped or called to deal with disturbances caused by the large crowd for some time afterwards.
There was a hit-and-run incident where a pedestrian was struck and injured. The investigation is ongoing, and it is likely that one of the party-goers is responsible, given the time frame. However, it is still too early to determine who is at fault.
According to police reports, it was later discovered that the mother of the young person who hosted the party was present at home during the entire event and was fully aware of what was happening inside her house. It was also revealed that the attendees, who were mostly minors, were charged an entrance fee to access the residence and indulge in consuming marijuana and alcohol.
To protect the identity of the juvenile involved, the authorities have not disclosed the name of the adult woman who has been charged with multiple offenses. The charges against her include charging admission fees to patrons who were consuming alcoholic beverages, making her property available for underage alcohol consumption, and maintaining a nuisance that endangers the safety and health of a considerable number of people. She has also been charged with maintaining a nuisance for gathering purposes of engaging in unlawful conduct, endangering another person by posing a risk of bodily injury, and distributing alcoholic beverages without a license. Additionally, she has been accused of serving alcohol to underage persons, failing to ascertain proof of age, violating noise control regulations, creating a disorderly assemblage, and providing alcoholic beverages to individuals under the age of 21.
At 11:30 p.m. on October 30th, Officers Kevin Matos and Andy Soto were hailed by a driver during their patrol. The driver informed them that a Jeep had fired paintball shots at them and their vehicle. The victim had followed the Jeep and managed to capture a photo of its license plate.
After a while, the Jeep came to a halt and a man stepped out, firing the paintball gun once more, this time targeting the victim’s car’s front windshield. Upon receiving the report, Matos and Soto spotted the vehicle and quickly hopped back into their police car, attempting to pull it over.
After the incident, the Jeep managed to escape at a considerable pace, and the police officers were unable to keep up with it. Multiple law enforcement personnel were immediately dispatched to find the vehicle, and after an extensive search, they were able to locate the Jeep and bring it to a stop.
Kelvin Ochoa Mayo, 26, of Phillipsburg, who previously resided in Kearny, was apprehended and charged with eluding. Moreover, the victim was able to identify the individual who shot the paintball gun as Diego S. Hoyos Gomez, 22, from Kearny, during a show-up identification procedure.
After searching the Jeep, it seemed that the paintball gun had been thrown away by the suspects when they evaded the police. However, authorities were able to secure a paintball gun bag and an instruction manual found inside the vehicle as evidence.
Moran impounded the vehicle.
According to the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, after being processed and found without any outstanding warrants, the two men were charged on summonses and allowed to return home.
Hoyos Gomez faced a list of serious charges, including possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, unlawful possession of a weapon, criminal mischief, conspiracy, interference with transportation, tampering with evidence, and endangering another person.
Ochoa Mayo faced several charges, including eluding, criminal mischief, and conspiracy.
During the incident, one individual who was present in the car was let go at the scene. However, upon further investigation, the authorities discovered that this person had given them false information. The person in question, identified as Ricardo Miguel, 21, who had previously resided in Kearny, now living in Florida, was charged with hindering apprehension and is currently awaiting a court appearance.
In the early afternoon of October 30th, Sergeant Michael Farinola, Officer Sean Podolski, Darwin Paulino, and Nicole Cain received a distress call from a witness reporting an assault on a woman on Hoyt Street. Upon arrival, they found a woman who had been physically assaulted by a man, leaving her with injuries. The assailant had also destroyed her phone to prevent her from calling for help. The attack only stopped when a witness intervened.
The suspect’s description was obtained by the officers and they managed to locate him not far from the scene. However, upon seeing the police, the male fled, triggering a foot pursuit. Despite the suspect’s attempt to hide behind a pile of wood in a nearby backyard, Officer Paulino managed to catch him.
After being apprehended, Juan Romero, a 23-year-old resident of Kearny, was taken to headquarters for further questioning. Upon investigation, authorities discovered that he was in possession of several items, including the victim’s keys, wallet, and Airpods. As a result, Romero was charged with assault, criminal mischief, and obstructing the administration of law. He was subsequently sent to the Hudson County Jail in South Kearny to await his court hearing.
Medical personnel and officers from the Kearny PD rushed to the basement of a residential property on Nov. 1 at 9:19 p.m. following a report of a man in his 50s who was suicidal and in possession of weapons. Upon arrival, they engaged in conversation with the man who initially appeared to be unarmed and cooperative. However, the situation took a dangerous turn when the man procured a large knife and held it to his throat. Through their skilled negotiation tactics and by building a rapport with the individual, Sgt. Sean Kelly and Officers Tom Collins and Angel Baez were able to deescalate the situation and convince the man to hand over the knife. Ultimately, the individual cooperated with the police, and a potentially life-threatening situation was successfully resolved.
He willingly went to the hospital to seek assistance, and no coercion was involved in the process.
Kevin A. Canessa Jr. has been associated with The Observer, on and off, since 2006. He currently holds the position of editor and broadcaster, overseeing the editorial content of the newspaper and website. Kevin is also responsible for the production of the e-Newspaper, writes several stories per week, including the weekly editorial, and conducts live broadcasts on Facebook Live. He introduced the newspaper to its first-ever blog between 2006 and 2008, which included podcasts, audio, and video. Originally hailing from Jersey City, Kevin lived in Kearny until 2004, after which he moved to Port St. Lucie, Florida, for four years until February 2016. In March of that year, he returned to West Hudson to work for The Observer full time.
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