For Immediate Release: May 23, 2025 Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella announced the arrest of 43-year-old MARK S. HETTINGER of Elmwood Park, NJ on the charges of tampering with public records and falsifying records. The arrest is the result of an investigation conducted by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office under the direction of Chief Matthew Finck. On April 16, 2025, the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Confidential Investigations Unit received information regarding the alleged tampering of public records and falsifying of records associated with the Borough of Elmwood Park Fire Prevention Bureau. An investigation conducted by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office revealed that on or about April 14, 2025, MARK S. HETTINGER, a Fire Inspector for the Borough of Elmwood Park, falsely completed a Fire Inspection Report and Fire Inspection Certificate. As a result of the investigation, on Thursday, May 22, 2025, MARK S. HETTINGER was arrested and charged with one…

For Immediate Release: May 23, 2025 Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella announced the arrests of 32-year-old JIBRIL M. BEAMON of Somerset, NJ and 35-year-old SHEDRICK A. GOODRIDGE, III of Jersey City, NJ on charges stemming from two armed robberies of area hotels. The arrests are the result of a months-long investigation conducted by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Chief Matthew Finck; the Teaneck Police Department, under the direction of Chief Andrew McGurr; and the Newark Police Department, under the direction of Chief Sharonda Morris. On Saturday, September 21, 2024, at approximately 5:15 a.m., the Teaneck Police Department responded to an armed robbery at the Hampton Inn. Officers arrived and located two employees who reported that a masked man with a gun entered the lobby and motioned to the sales register. The armed suspect stole cash and fled the scene before the police were summoned. The Bergen…

For Immediate Release: May 23, 2025 Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella announced the arrest of 29-year-old ADRIAN OCEGUERA of Weehawken, NJ for theft by unlawful taking or disposition. The arrest is the result of an investigation conducted by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office under the direction of Chief Matthew Finck. On January 6, 2025, the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Confidential Investigations Unit received information regarding an alleged theft associated with the Fairview Fire Department. An investigation by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office revealed that there was a series of unauthorized purchases and ATM cash withdrawals from financial accounts associated with the Fairview Fire Department between January 2023 and November 2024. The investigation revealed that ADRIAN OCEGUERA, a firefighter and account treasurer for the Fairview Fire Department’s Tiger Hose Company 1, misappropriated the funds for personal use, totaling approximately $6,721.00. It should be noted that the finances involved in the theft…

For Immediate Release: May 22, 2025 Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella announced the arrest of 24-year-old PATRICK J. McARDLE of Ridgefield Park, NJ on charges stemming from a serious motor vehicle crash. 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 Ridgefield Park Police Department, under the direction of Chief Joseph Rella. On Wednesday, May 21, 2025, at approximately 9:41 a.m., the Ridgefield Park Police Department responded to a serious crash involving two vehicles along Bergen Turnpike in Ridgefield Park, NJ. Responding officers determined that a Honda Civic, which was traveling northbound on Bergen Turnpike, crossed over the painted double-yellow line into the southbound lane of travel, striking a Toyota Corolla. Both drivers were transported to area hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries. Accordingly, detectives from the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit and investigators from…

For Immediate Release: May 16, 2025 Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella announced the arrest of 45-year-old RICHARD A. SOLIMANDO of Emerson, NJ on charges of forgery and falsifying or tampering with records. The arrest is the result of an investigation conducted by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office under the direction of Chief Matthew Finck. On January 27, 2025, the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Confidential Investigations Unit received information regarding the alleged forgery and falsifying of records associated with the Emerson Fire Department. An investigation conducted by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office revealed that between January 7, 2025, and January 27, 2025, RICHARD A. SOLIMANDO, while acting in his capacity as a Senior Fire Captain for the Borough of Emerson Fire Department, improperly conducted respirator fit tests for members of the Emerson Fire Department and fraudulently signed acknowledgements for each report. As a result of the investigation, on Friday, May 16,…

For Immediate Release: May 13, 2025 Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella announced the arrest of 20-year-old WALFRED SANTIZO-SIMON of East Rutherford, NJ on charges of 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 Rutherford Police Department, under the direction of Chief John Russo. On Monday, May 12, 2025, the Rutherford Police Department contacted the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victims Unit regarding the alleged sexual assault of a juvenile. An investigation by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office and the Rutherford Police Department revealed that WALFRED SANTIZO-SIMON sexually assaulted and endangered a juvenile in Rutherford, NJ on May 12, 2025. Detectives also determined that SANTIZO-SIMON sexually assaulted and endangered the victim on February 1, 2025, in Fairview, NJ. As a result of the investigation, WALFRED SANTIZO-SIMON…

For Immediate Release: May 6, 2025 Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella announced the arrests of 18-year-old JASON N. AMADOR of Newark, NJ; 23-year-old RAHIEM A. MALDONADO of Newark, NJ; 22-year-old ALTAMIR L. THORNTON of Newark, NJ; and a 17-year-old juvenile of Woodbridge, NJ on charges stemming from a string of occupied residential burglaries that occurred during the early morning hours of November 26, 2024. The arrests are the result of a months-long investigation conducted by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Chief Matthew Finck; the Cresskill Police Department, under the direction of Chief James Domville; the Englewood Police Department, under the direction of Chief Thomas Greeley; the Paramus Police Department, under the direction of Chief Robert Guidetti; and the Tenafly Police Department, under the direction of Chief Robert Chamberlain. On Tuesday, November 26, 2024, at approximately 12:50 a.m., the Englewood Police Department responded to a burglary in…

For Immediate Release: May 2, 2025 Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella announced charges against a second 16-year-old student involved in the Fort Lee High School stabbing incident on April 8, 2025. The charges in this matter are the result of a continuing investigation conducted by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Chief Matthew Finck, and the Fort Lee Police Department, under the direction of Chief Matthew Hintze. As previously reported, on Tuesday, April 8, 2025, the Fort Lee Police Department responded to an emergency radio call from a uniformed officer assigned to Fort Lee High School. The officer reported a stabbing at the school, and additional police units were dispatched, which included assistance from neighboring jurisdictions and agencies. Responding Fort Lee Police Officers discovered a male juvenile student had been stabbed multiple times. First responders and school security personnel provided first aid before the victim was promptly…

For Immediate Release: May 2, 2025 Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella announced the arrests of 19-year-old JOSUE E. CATALAN of Cliffside Park, NJ on charges of sexual assault and endangering the welfare of a child; and 20-year-old LUIS ROSAS of Ridgefield, NJ on charges of sexual assault, criminal sexual contact, and endangering the welfare of a child. The arrests were the result of an investigation conducted by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Chief Matthew Finck; the Cliffside Park Police Department, under the direction of Chief Yakup Zoklu; the Fairview Police Department, under the direction of Chief Vincent Bellucci; and the Ridgefield Police Department, under the direction of Chief Thomas J. Gallagher. On Sunday, April 27, 2025, the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victims Unit initiated an investigation into the alleged sexual assault of a child under the age of sixteen that occurred on multiple occasions and…

For Immediate Release: May 2, 2025 Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella announced the arrest of 62-year-old KURT A. HILDENBRAND of Closter, 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 Wednesday, April 30, 2025, members of the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Cyber Crimes Unit, in coordination with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), initiated an Internet child sexual abuse material investigation. The investigation revealed that KURT A. HILDENBRAND used the Internet to view, download, and possess items depicting nude and/or sexually explicit prepubescent children. As a result of the investigation, KURT A. HILDENBRAND was arrested on Friday, May 2, 2025, in Paramus, NJ and charged with third-degree possession of child pornography, N.J.S.A. 2C:24-4(b)5(b)(iii). HILDENBRAND was remanded to the Bergen County Jail pending a first appearance…