Cedar Grove Police Blotter

On Monday, March 7 at 7:03 p.m., police arrested a West Orange man wanted on an outstanding traffic warrant issued by the Cedar Grove Court.  The 35 year-old defendant, Arturo N. Espichan, was processed at police headquarters and released after posting the required bail.  Sgt. Erik Hansson was the arresting officer.

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On Monday, March 7 at 9:32 p.m., police charged a Clifton man with operating an uninsured motor vehicle that was bearing a suspended NJ registration. The 25-year-old defendant, Juan B. Vargas, was cited for the violations and released pending a Municipal Court appearance.  The defendant’s vehicle, a 1999 Nissan Pathfinder, was impounded.  Sgt. Erik Hansson was the investigating officer.

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On Tuesday, March 8 at 3:10 a.m., Sgt. Erik Hansson initiated a motor vehicle stop after observing a vehicle being operated in an erratic manner. As the officer secured the operator’s driving credentials, he detected the odor of alcoholic beverage on the woman’s breath, along with other signs of impairment. Following a series of standardized field sobriety tests, the 48 year-old operator, Beverly A. Gualdarrama of Clifton, was arrested on a charge of driving while intoxicated.  The defendant was processed on the charge at police headquarters and released pending a Municipal Court appearance.  Ptl. Dominick Buscio assisted in the investigation.

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On Tuesday, March 8 at 9:06 p.m., Ptl. Dominick Buscio initiated a motor vehicle stop for an observed violation. A subsequent investigation revealed that the 30 year-old operator, Squinn W. Barber of East Orange, was wanted by the Essex County Sheriff’s Department on an outstanding criminal warrant for assault.  Subsequent to the warrant arrest, Barber was also found to be in possession of a small amount of marijuana (under 50g).  The defendant was processed on all charges at police headquarters and transported to the Essex County Correctional Facility in Newark where he was turned over to the Sheriff’s Department. 

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On Wednesday, March 9 at 4:33 a.m., police responded to Ridge Road along the reservoir on a report of a motor vehicle crash involving a deer.  A subsequent investigation revealed that the involved vehicle had been traveling north on Ridge when a deer ran into the roadway resulting in a collision.  The involved vehicle, a 2007 Toyota Avalon, sustained reportable property damage and needed to be towed from the scene.  Due to the severe injuries suffered by the deer, it was necessary for police to destroy the animal. Due to the large deer population in the area, motorists are advised to use caution when operating near wooded areas, especially between dusk and dawn.

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On Wednesday, March 9 at 8:01 a.m., police arrested a Montclair woman on a charge that she was operating a motor vehicle while her NJ driving privileges were under suspension. The 26 year-old defendant, Benza C. Kendrick-Litho, was also found to be wanted on an outstanding traffic warrant issued by the Bloomfield Court. The defendant was processed on all charges and released pending a Municipal Court appearance. Ptl. Richard Macaluso was the arresting officer.

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On Friday, March 11 at 8:34 a.m., police discovered a badly injured deer in the roadway on Pompton Avenue near Stevens Avenue. Further investigation revealed that the deer had been struck by a motor vehicle that left the scene prior to police arrival. Due to the severe injuries suffered the deer, it was necessary for police to destroy the animal. 

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On Friday, March 11 at 2:48 p.m., police responded to the CVS Pharmacy located at 387 Pompton Avenue on a report that an individual was attempting to obtain a Controlled Dangerous Substance (CDS) by means of a fraudulent prescription.  A subsequent investigation resulted in the arrest of 57 year-old Gary Willis of Irvington of charges that he attempted to obtain CDS Oxycodone by means of a forged, fraudulent prescription. The defendant was processed on the charges at police headquarters and released pending a Superior Court Arraignment in Newark.  Ptl. Robert Hectus was the investigating officer.

In a related matter, police also arrest 40 year-old Alquon Mosely of Newark, an associate of defendant, Gary Willis, after he was found to be wanted on numerous criminal warrants issued the Essex County Sheriff’s Department.  Mosely was processed on the warrant arrest at police headquarters and turned over to the Sheriff’s Department at the Essex County Correctional Facility in Newark.  Sgt. Frank Pumphrey was the arresting officer.    

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On Saturday, March 12, an Elmwood Road resident reported the theft of electronic equipment from the basement of his residence. The victim reported that some unknown person(s) had stolen a Hewlet Packard brand laptop computer and a black and silver iPod Touch sometime between the hours of 1:00 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. No forced entry was observed to the residence and the aggregate value of the stolen property was $1,200. The matter was referred to the detective bureau for follow-up investigation. 

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On Sunday, March 13 at 12:32 a.m., Ptl. Eileen O’Toole initiated a motor vehicle stop after observing a vehicle being operated in an erratic manner. As the officer secured the operator’s credentials, she detected the odor of an alcoholic beverage on the woman’s breath, along with other signs of impairment. Following a series of standardized field sobriety tests, the officer arrested the 34 year-old operator, Tracy D. Dunn of Verona, on a charge of driving while intoxicated. The defendant was processed on the charge at police headquarters and released pending a Municipal Court appearance.

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On Monday, March 14 at 3:48 a.m., Ptl. Dominick Buscio initiated a motor vehicle stop for observed violations. As the officer secured the operator’s credentials, he detected the odor of an alcoholic beverage on the man’s breath, along with other signs of impairment. Following a series of standardized field sobriety tests, the officer arrested the 20 year-old operator, Robert J. Govelitz of Morris Plains, on a charge of driving while intoxicated. The defendant was processed on the charge and released pending a Municipal Court appearance.   

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Cedar Grove Police Department requests that the public report all suspicious activity observed, as it occurs.  The police department telephone number is 973-239-4100 and in case of emergency 9-1-1.  All reports are investigated and all assistance is appreciated.

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All persons charged are presumed innocent until proven guilty.