For Immediate Release: January 8, 2025 Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella, in partnership with local and federal law enforcement agencies, announces the recent implementation of the newly formed Bergen County Crime Suppression Team. This initiative was a special, directed patrol and investigative response task force that was assembled at the start of the recent holiday season. As a collaborative effort of combined resources from the Prosecutor’s Office, municipal police departments, and federal law enforcement, the Crime Suppression Team aimed to enhance public safety throughout the county during a particularly busy time of year. A new endeavor, the Crime Suppression Team was a purposeful deployment of additional law enforcement officers to strategic sections of Bergen County on a rolling basis throughout the month of December. The Crime Suppression Team sought to deter, disrupt, and detect criminal activity by focusing on the times of day when crimes of opportunity were likely to…

For Immediate Release: January 7, 2025 Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella announced the arrest of 28-year-old RONAL P. VASQUEZ of Ridgefield Park, NJ on charges of aggravated sexual assault, sexual assault, and endangering the welfare of a child. The arrest was the result of an investigation conducted by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office under the direction of Chief Matthew Finck, and the Garfield Police Department under the direction of Officer-in-Charge Joseph Delaney. On Sunday, December 29, 2024, the Garfield Police Department contacted the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victims Unit regarding an alleged incident of sexual assault that had occurred in the past. An investigation by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office and the Garfield Police Department revealed that RONAL P. VASQUEZ sexually assaulted a child between the ages of thirteen and sixteen in Garfield, NJ on one occasion, while also providing the child with marijuana and alcohol. The investigation further…

For Immediate Release: January 6, 2025 Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella announces the following information regarding an investigation into the two-alarm fire that occurred on Birchwood Road, Glen Rock, NJ, on Sunday, January 5, 2025. This joint investigation was conducted by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office under the direction of Chief Matthew Finck and the Glen Rock Police Department under the direction of Chief Dean Ackermann. On Sunday, January 5, 2025, at 9:21 p.m., the Glen Rock Police Department and Glen Rock Fire Department, along with mutual aid from surrounding agencies, responded to a fire inside a single-family, private residence on Birchwood Road. During their initial response and fire suppression efforts of the two-alarm fire, the Glen Rock Police Department and Fire Department evacuated an unresponsive, adult male victim located on the first floor. First responders began CPR on scene and the victim, later identified as 82-year-old Frederick Visser,…

For Immediate Release: December 18, 2024 Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella announced the arrests of 22-year-old ALTAMIR L. THORNTON of Newark, NJ; 20-year-old YASHIR T. PHILLIPS of Newark, NJ; 22-year-old RAHIEM A. MALDONADO of Newark, NJ; and two 17-year-old juveniles, on charges stemming from an armed robbery and assault. The arrests are the result of a lengthy investigation conducted by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office under the direction of Chief Matthew Finck and the Englewood Police Department under the direction of Chief Thomas Greeley. On Saturday, August 3, 2024, at approximately 12:11 a.m., the Englewood Police Department responded to a robbery of patrons dining outside of a restaurant on Engle Street. Responding officers quickly determined that a group of assailants armed with handguns and concealing their identities with ski masks committed an armed robbery of multiple patrons of the restaurant. Prior to robbing and assaulting the victims, the masked assailants…

For Immediate Release: December 17, 2024 Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella announced the arrest of 36-year-old SERVOLO M. MORALES DE LA ROCA of Fairview, NJ on charges of aggravated sexual assault, and endangering the welfare of a child. The arrest was the result of an investigation conducted by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victims Unit under the direction of Chief Matthew Finck and the Fairview Police Department under the direction of Chief Vincent M. Bellucci. On Friday, December 13, 2024, the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victims Unit was contacted by the New Jersey Division of Child Protection and Permanency regarding the alleged sexual assault of a juvenile that had occurred in the past. An investigation by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office and the Fairview Police Department revealed that SERVOLO M. MORALES DE LA ROCA had sexually assaulted the juvenile when the child was less than thirteen-years-old in Fairview,…

For Immediate Release: December 17, 2024 Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella announced the arrest of 45-year-old JOSE F. FAJARDO of Hackensack, NJ on charges of aggravated criminal sexual contact, criminal sexual contact, and endangering the welfare of a child. The arrest was the result of an investigation conducted by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office under the direction of Chief Matthew Finck and the Hackensack Police Department under the direction of Chief Michael Antista. On Friday, December 13, 2024, the Hackensack Police Department contacted the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victims Unit regarding the alleged sexual assault of a juvenile that had occurred in the past. An investigation by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office and the Hackensack Police Department revealed that JOSE F. FAJARDO sexually assaulted and endangered a juvenile in Hackensack, NJ on multiple occasions. As a result of the investigation, on Monday, December 16, 2024, JOSE F. FAJARDO was…

For Immediate Release: December 17, 2024 Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella announced the arrest of CHRISTOPHER J. GIGLIO, 34, of Staten Island, NY, on the charges of attempted sexual assault, luring, child endangerment, production of child sexual abuse material, and possession of child sexual abuse material. The arrest is the result of an investigation conducted by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office under the direction of Chief Matthew Finck. On Wednesday, December 11, 2024, the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Cyber Crimes Unit was notified by a local police department that a 12-year-old juvenile was in contact with an adult male via an online messaging application, and they were engaged in sexual conversations. The adult, who was only acquainted with the child through the Internet, appeared outside of the juvenile’s home on the evening of December 11, 2024. He fled the scene after the child’s parent observed his vehicle idling in front…

For Immediate Release: December 17, 2024 Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella announces the following information regarding the investigation into the three-alarm fire that occurred on Lawton Avenue in Cliffside Park, NJ, on Monday, December 16, 2024. This joint investigation was conducted by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office under the direction of Chief Matthew Finck and the Cliffside Park Police Department under the direction of Chief Marc Marano. On Monday, December 16, 2024, at 6:21 p.m., the Cliffside Park Police Department and Cliffside Park Fire Department, along with mutual aid from surrounding agencies, responded to a three-alarm fire inside a multi-family, private residence on Lawton Street. Upon arrival, first responders located two occupants of the residence with serious injuries as a result of the fire. The residents, a 58-year-old female and 33-year-old male, were able to evacuate the structure prior to the arrival of first responders. Both victims were transported to…

For Immediate Release: December 16, 2024 Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella announces the following information related to the ongoing investigation of a fatal crash that occurred in Saddle Brook, NJ on December 15, 2024. This continuing investigation is being conducted by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office under the direction of Chief Matthew Finck and the Saddle Brook Police Department under the direction of Chief John A. Zotollo, Jr. On Sunday, December 15, 2024, at approximately 9:11 p.m., the Saddle Brook Police Department responded to a motor vehicle accident involving a pedestrian on Route 46 East. Upon arrival, officers determined that a pedestrian was attempting to cross Route 46 East when she was struck by a vehicle. The pedestrian, later identified as 65-year-old Vilma Huamani-Centeno of Bloomfield, NJ, was pronounced deceased. The driver of the vehicle that struck the pedestrian remained on the scene. The Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Fatal Accident…

For Immediate Release: December 16, 2024 Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella announced the arrest of JONATHAN J. GAVIN, 48, of Hackensack, NJ, on the charge of possession of child sexual abuse material. The arrest is the result of an investigation conducted by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office under the direction of Chief Matthew Finck. On Monday, December 16, 2024, members of the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Cyber Crimes Unit executed a search warrant at the residence of JONATHAN J. GAVIN during the course of an Internet child sexual abuse material investigation. The investigation revealed that GAVIN used the Internet to view, download, and possess items depicting nude and/or sexually explicit prepubescent and pubescent children. As a result of the investigation, JONATHAN J. GAVIN was arrested on Friday, December 16, 2024, and charged with third-degree possession of child pornography, N.J.S.A. 2C:24-4(b)5(b)(iii). GAVIN was remanded to the Bergen County Jail pending a…