Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Here is a recap of the top stories from April on Wayne Patch.
Michael Pascrell, a 21-year-old resident, died after being struck by a car while walking on an on-ramp leading to Route 46 when he was struck by a car. He was a junior at Rider University. Students at Wayne Valley High School are selling T-shirts in Pascrell’s memory to help his family. More than a dozen supervisor positions were eliminated and several new assistant principal positions were created when the Board of Education approved an administrative restructuring plan developed by Superintendent Ray Gonzalez. Police released a slideshow online of a man they are trying to identify who was on Finley Lane at the time a home on that street was burglarized. A Wayne physician was charged in connection with allegedly taking bribes to refer …
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
James Perna, a former county special deputy sheriff, was arrested in February on charges he had sexual contact with a 13-year-old boy in 2000.
A former Passaic County Deputy Sheriff was indicted Tuesday on sexual assault charges stemming from contact that allegedly occurred between the man and a 13-year-old boy in 2000. James Perna, a Wayne resident, has been indicted on one count of aggravated sexual assault, one count of sexual assault, two counts of endangering the welfare of a child, two counts of aggravated criminal contact and two counts of criminal sexual contact. Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia Valdes announced the indictment Tuesday. The victim told authorities that Perna committed sexual acts on him throughout a period of eight weeks from June to August 2000 while he was employed at Perna’s health food store in Totowa, authorities said. The sex acts sometimes occurred…
Monday, April 15, 2013
Formal announcement will be made at a press conference Tuesday morning.
An anonymous gun buyback program will be held in Passaic County soon, authorities announced Monday. The particulars of the program will be announced at a news conference at the Passaic County Prosecutor's Office in Paterson Tuesday morning. The program will be a cooperative effort between the Attorney General's Office, the Passaic County Prosecutor's Office, the Passaic County Sheriff's Office, both the Passaic and Paterson police departments, and the local faith-based community. The announcement comes on the heels of an anonymous gun buyback program in Bergen County. More than 1,300 firearms, including AK-47s and AR-15s, were turned in at various locations throughout the county on Saturday. More than 10,000 guns have been turned in …
Friday, April 12, 2013
Michael Reagan, 49, apprehended on child support warrant.
A Wayne man was arrested Thursday after he ran from police who were attempting to serve him with a child support warrant, authorities said. Two Passaic County Sheriff’s Officers responded to 95 Hardwick Lane in Wayne to service a $65,000 child support warrant to Michael Reagan, 49, said Bill Maer, a spokesman with the Sheriff’s Office. As one of the detectives approached the rear of the house he noticed Reagan jump off a porch and attempt to flee into the woods at the back of the property, Maer said. The detectives chased Reagan and, after a short foot pursuit, apprehended him, Maer said. Reagan was transported to Passaic County Jail to await further court action. No new charges were filed against Reagan. — Have a question or news tip? …
Monday, March 11, 2013
Frank Feenan said Sheriff Richard Berdnik 'could have endangered his officers by purchasing vehicle parts from foreign manufacturers.
The Republican county challenger for sheriff blasted incumbent Richard Berdnik for purchasing discount automotive parts for the department’s fleet of vehicles. Frank Feenan said Berdnik “could have endangered his officers” by purchasing $5,000 worth of parts from Cypros Trading and Shipping. Fadi Kilani runs the business. The parts came from manufacturers in China and Saudi Arabia. “The men and woman who drive sheriff department’s vehicles deserve to have those vehicles repaired with quality parts form U.S. manufacturers,” Feenan said in a statement. “By using knockoff parts made in China and elsewhere, the lives of sheriff’s officers and the public were put in jeopardy.” Cypros reportedly gave $2,500 to Berdnik’s campaign when he first …
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
James Perna of Wayne ordered not to have any contact with children younger than 18 after being charged with aggravated assault and endangering the welfare of a child.
A state judge cut James Perna’s bail in half Tuesday because he is a low flight risk, NorthJersey.com reported Tuesday. Perna, 53, was charged with aggravated assault and endangering the welfare of a child last week for allegedly having sexual contact with a 13-year-old boy in 2000, authorities said. Perna lives in Wayne. “I really don’t think he’s going to flee anywhere,” Joseph Del Russo, Passaic County chief assistant prosecutor, said at Perna's arraignment Tuesday. Perna, 53, must strictly follow the conditions of the bail, which includes no unsupervised contact with children younger than 18 or the victim, the website reported. The case was forwarded to the grand jury. Perna was employed as a Special Deputy Sheriff and was a …
Sunday, February 17, 2013
Here is a recap of the top Wayne news this week.
Crime, taxes and education dominated the headlines this week. A Wayne man, James Perna, 53, was charged with aggravated sexual assault and endangering the welfare of a child for alleged sexual contact with a 13-year-old boy in 2000, authorities announced this week. The school portion of the average homeowner’s tax bill could increase $205 if the Board of Education approves the 2013-14 budget as it is currently constructed. The Board discussed the budget at a special public meeting this week. The Board of Education selected Rogger Ortiz to fill a vacant spot on the board. Ortiz will serve the rest of former trustee Robyn Kingston's term. Kingston resigned from the board in January and moved to Texas. A Wayne man was charged with driving …
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
James Perna, 53, accused of sexual contact with boy who worked at his health food store in Totowa.
A Wayne man was charged with aggravated sexual assault and endangering the welfare of a child for alleged sexual contact with a 13-year-old boy in 2000, Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia Valdes and Sheriff Richard Berdnik announced Wednesday. The now-26-year-old victim told authorities that James Perna, 53, committed sexual acts on him throughout a period of eight weeks from June to August 2000 while he was employed at Perna’s health food store in Totowa, authorities said. The sex acts sometimes occurred in the store, authorities said. The prosecutor’s office said in a statement: “Although Perna’s arrest was based upon the complaint of a single victim, the evidence suggests that there may be additional victims who are reluctant to come …
Thursday, February 7, 2013
Police say man was found with prohibited items including pepper spray and a billy club.
A Wayne resident faces charges of charges of receiving stolen property, having a prohibited weapon, and possession of pepper spray, the Parsippany police said. Parsippany police charged Richard Coviello, 37, last Thursday, the Parsippany Police Department said in a statement. Sgt. Yvonne Christiano said Officer Paul Levi was conducting random license plate checks at about 9:17 a.m. when he discovered a gray Lexus RX350 reported stolen out of Rochelle Park Jan. 13. The vehicle was parked in the lot of the Ramada Inn located at 949 Route 46, she said. According to Christiano, police gained entry to the Lexus and found information identifying a suspect who was found in a room in the Ramada. Police discovered that Coviello once worked for …
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Here is a recap of the top news stories from January.
Crime stories dominated January as authorities charged several women with soliciating of prostitution and an alleged cocaine dealer living near Anthony Wayne Middle School was arrested. Six women were charged with solicitation of prostitution after the Passaic County Sheriff’s Office conducted a sweep of hotels throughout the county, including two in Wayne. After much speculation, Robyn Kingston resigned her seat on the Board of Education. Kingston was elected to the board in 2011. She moved to Texas. Josue Ramirez, 31, was charged after detectives from the Passaic County Sheriff’s Office Bureau of Narcotics searched Ramirez’s Towsen Road home near Anthony Wayne Middle School. Authorities conducted a month-long investigation of Ramirez. …
NJ Steel
9:15 pm on Sunday, April 21, 2013
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