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AFTER-SCHOOL FRAY LEADS TO 7 ARRESTS; SOME FORMER STUDENTS INVOLVED

By michael o. allenHomepage, The RecordNo Comments

By Michael O. Allen, Record Staff Writer | Friday, January 10, 1992

The Record (New Jersey) | 5 Star | NEWS | Page B03

A fight involving a handful of current and former Ridgefield Park High School students broke out as a crowd of about 100 students walked home from the school, police said.

Police arrested seven people, including three students, during the fight Wednesday at about 2:30 p.m. at Overpeck Avenue and Union Place, about one-fourth mile west of the high school, Police Chief Walter Grossman said.

The dispute continued that evening in Little Ferry, where one of those arrested in the afternoon filed a simple assault charge against another who was involved in the after-school fight, Little Ferry police said. Little Ferry sends its high school students to Ridgefield Park.

“It’s all individuals who knew each other,” Grossman said. “Some were former students, and somehow or the other we don’t know how it happened they wound up at that intersection at that time.”

“There was a lot of pushing and shoving, some punching, that type of thing,” Grossman added, but he said it was unclear who fought with whom, or why. “That’s the big question. We don’t know if it’s from the past, when they knew each other.”

Charged with disorderly conduct were two 16-year-old boys who are high school students, one from Ridgefield Park, the other from Little Ferry; Lionel Quarales of Ridgefield Park, who was the third student; Horatio Hemmings of Englewood, Lawrence Pfaff of Hackensack, and Christopher Kaplan of Little Ferry, all 18-year-olds; and Amir Hakim-Davoud, 23, of Little Ferry. Hakim-Davoud and Pfaff also were charged with resisting arrest.

“They were all at one point fighting with each other,” Grossman said. “Right now, I couldn’t tell you who was fighting whom. Our officers got there just in time to pull them apart.”

No one was injured.

Later that night, the juveniles were released to the custody of their parents and the adults were released on their own recognizance pending a court date later in the month, the chief said.

“We’ll look into it further to determine why this thing happened,” Grossman said. “Occasionally, we’ve had kids have a little argument here and there, but not with the kind of number that we had here. And, of course, some of the kids were from out of town, which is dangerous.”

Little Ferry Police Capt. Dennis Hofmann said officers responded to a report of a crowd and a disturbance on Main Street at about 8:40 p.m. The crowd had thinned out by the time police arived, but Quarales, alleging that he had been hit with a pipe or a stick, signed a complaint of simple assault against Hemmings, Hofmann said.

January 10, 1992

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ROBBERY VICTIM PURSUES SUSPECTS

By michael o. allenHomepage, The RecordNo Comments

By Michael O. Allen, Record Staff Writer | Sunday, January 5, 1992

The Record (New Jersey) | All Editions | NEWS | Page A03

There was no smooth getaway for two Bronx men Saturday afternoon when they encountered a jeweler who chased them after the pair held up his store at gunpoint, Police Chief William Luciano said.

Officer Emma Jackson was patrolling the business district about 3 p.m. when she saw the owner of Goldfinger Jewelry Store running after two men on West Palisade Avenue.

“They just robbed my store, at gunpoint,” said the owner, whom police declined to identify. Jackson radioed headquarters for backup and followed the men in her patrol car.

Eight patrol cars raced to the area and chased the pair through McKay Park, into a nearby brook, and through back yards on Elmore Avenue, where police arrested them, Luciano said.

James Cornick and Lamonte Hampton were being held in the Englewood Police Department lockup Saturday night, awaiting a bail hearing, he said.

They were charged with armed robbery and illegal possession of handguns for unlawful purpose.

“You know the old saying: `You can run but you can’t hide’?” a jubilant Luciano asked later. “Too many blue uniforms, too many cops for them to get away. ”

For Jackson, a 16-year veteran of the department, it was the second chase in about two weeks. A robbery victim stopped Jackson’s car as she drove past a bar on West Street and, gesturing because he could not speak English, told her to follow a car occupied by four men he claimed had just robbed him.

The suspects abandoned the car and escaped on foot after crashing into Jackson’s patrol car at a traffic light.

Saturday’s suspects were not so lucky, Luciano said. Patrolman Timothy Torell chased Cornick, who was seen coming out of the window of a home on Elmore Avenue, in the direction of Lt. James Crowley, who arrested him.

Patrolman Joseph Archer saw Hampton about 100 feet down the street, walking at a leisurely pace, Luciano said. The store owner identified him later as one of the men who came into his store and robbed him and his wife, the chief said.

January 5, 1992

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POLICE NAB 2 IN MIDST OF BREAK-IN; NEIGHBOR SPOTS MAN, TEEN IN ACT

By michael o. allenHomepage, The RecordNo Comments

By Michael O. Allen, Record Staff Writer | Saturday, January 4, 1992

The Record (New Jersey) | All Editions | NEWS | Page A04

Responding to a call Friday in which a Franklin Road resident said that intruders had just broken into his neighbor’s home, police caught a 20-year-old man and a teenager going through the house.

Mikko Benjamin of Elmwood Avenue was charged with burglary, theft, and resisting arrest and was to be remanded to the Bergen County Jail Annex in Hackensack on $6,000 bail. His 17-year-old accomplice, charged with the same offenses, was being held in the Bergen County Juvenile Detention Center in Paramus, acting Police Chief William Luciano said.

The neighbor called police about 11:15 a.m., and told them the two had entered the home through a back door. Patrolman Anthony Cureton and Sgt. Warren Lewis entered while six officers surrounded the house.

“Once inside, they saw one suspect running through a room and they grabbed him. While they were scuffling with him, the other ran out through the back door,” Luciano said.

Leaving Lewis grappling on the ground with the juvenile, Cureton ran after Benjamin. Patrolman John Holdsworth strained a neck muscle as he jumped a fence running after Benjamin, Luciano said. Cureton hit his head on a rock as he tackled Benjamin, but he was able to subdue the suspect, the chief said.

Luciano said Lewis injured his hands and back bringing the youth under control. The officers received medical treatment and are expected to return to work next week, he added.

January 4, 1992

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MAN HELD IN HANDGUN ATTACK ON WIFE

By michael o. allenHomepage, The RecordNo Comments

By Michael O. Allen, Record Staff Writer | Saturday, January 4, 1992

The Record (New Jersey) | Two Star B | NEWS | Page A04

Yvone Kaiser told police her husband returned home a few days ago with a 9mm handgun he had just bought on the street in the Bronx and pointed it at her.

“It only takes one shot, right between the eyes,” Kaiser, 29, told police he said to her at the time.

On Thursday, after a dispute over money, Kaiser stood six feet away and fired the gun at his wife as she sat on a living room couch holding their 15-month-old daughter, Jacklyn, police Capt. Gary Fiedler said. The shot missed.

The couple’s other daughter, Julie, 4, was standing nearby, as were Yvone Kaiser’s two daughters from a previous marriage Crystle, 9, and Monique, 11. Her husband then left the room, and she called police.

Kaiser, 27, was being held in the Bergen County Jail Annex on Friday on $500,000 bail. He was charged with attempted murder, simple assault, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, and possession of a firearm without a permit.

Teaneck Municipal Judge James E. Young also issued a temporary restraining order against Kaiser, barring him from going to the couple’s Alpine Drive home, and granted temporary custody of the children to Yvone Kaiser. As mandated in the new Domestic Violence Prevention Act, a hearing will be held in two weeks to determine whether the order should become permanent.

The incident began shortly after 6 p.m. Thursday, when the self-employed transportation consultant closed his office, which is in the house. He sat next to his wife on their bed and asked her how much money they had. She took the money out of her purse and counted $2,200, Fiedler said.

“Impossible, it should be $3,200,” she told police he screamed, then slapped her. “You stole my hard-earned money. Where did you spend it?”

She then went into the living room, where her husband followed her with the gun.

Police later found the gun that they say was used in the shooting, along with empty shell casings and two other handguns. They also found ten $100 bills in the bedroom, but Fiedler said he did not know if that was the missing $1,000 that the couple were fighting over.

January 4, 1992

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HUNDREDS OF STUDENTS STAGE SIT-IN PROTEST PLAN FOR EXTRA PERIOD

By michael o. allenHomepage, The RecordNo Comments

By Michael O. Allen, Record Staff Writer | Friday, January 3, 1992

The Record (New Jersey) | 5 Star | NEWS | Page B01

Most of the students at Northern Highlands Regional High School spent Thursday in the auditorium instead of in classes, protesting the Board of Education’s plan to add an extra period to their school day.

Student Council President Hal Rudnick said the proposal to lengthen the school day by 47 minutes, starting in September, was put forward without seeking student input.

“We never find out when issues are going to be voted on, and the Board of Education seems to decide issues without student representation at the meetings,” Rudnick said, speaking above the din as the hundreds of students talked excitedly in the auditorium.

School Superintendent David K. Garrahan said he initially considered having teachers force the students back to classes. He reconsidered and talked to the students for about an hour. The students were allowed to go to the cafeteria for lunch, and Garrahan said they would not be disciplined.

Teachers remained in their classrooms, teaching students who chose not to participate.

Principal Jack Mintzer said more than half the school’s 690 students took part in the protest. He disagreed with students estimate of about 600 protesters.

School officials have said the proposal which would raise the required course load from five to six courses per semester, plus physical education would allow students to take more elective courses and enhance the quality of their education. Students said the change would simply mean more work and deny them time to concentrate on courses needed for college.

“Implementing this proposal will result in a decrease in the level of education,” said Shari Poller, 17.

The proposal, which is expected to come up for a final vote by the board on Jan. 13, would begin the school day at 7:30 a.m. and end it at 2:40 p.m.; the current school day is 8 a.m. to 2:23 p.m. Students said they were planning to show up en masse at the meeting.

The school, which is in Allendale, serves students from Allendale and Upper Saddle River.

Board of Education President James Ryan Jr. said students were involved in the proposal from its inception two years ago.

“I have a great deal of respect for most of our students, but I don’t think they understand that, perhaps, this decision is the culmination of a long process and that every constituency at the school was involved,” Ryan said.

Garrahan charged that teachers prompted the protest by directly involving students in contract negotiations through a series of job actions starting in the fall.

“And that is very sad and very unprofessional,” Garrahan said. “That was the first volley, so to speak, when they decided not to write letters of recommendation for students going to college.”

Garrahan said teachers told students that the eight-period day would mean more homework and a decline in grades, which would hurt their chances of admission to college.

David Valazzi, 15, who mounted a petition drive to rescind the proposal after attending a Board of Education meeting in December, said Garrahan’s charge is an insult to the students.

“That is so ridiculous,” said Vallazi, who said he collected 430 signatures. “What motivated me was that I attended one board meeting and I saw the impact it would have on the school. That made me start the petition drive.”

Teachers also vehemently deny they influenced the students.

They refrained from involving the students in the negotiations, said Inger Foerster, vice president of the teachers union. When the teachers declared a temporary moratorium on writing college recommendation letters last fall, it was to bring the issue of the eight-period day to the attention of the community, she said.

Mintzer said he was saddened by the students action Thursday, but he said that perhaps the Board of Education needs to listen to them.

“I just hate for the school to be torn up about something like this,” Mintzer said. “I’ve always believed this: It takes two things, two ingredients, to make a successful high school. It’s very simple. You need good students and good faculty. Those two groups have to be listened to.”

Ryan said the longer day is necessary, in spite of its controversy.

“People have to stop and think what is good for our country and what is good for education,” Ryan said. “Our high school is one of the best in the country, but you can’t stay that way by standing still. If you want to maintain a premier position, you have to keep advancing.”

Caption: PHOTO – CARMINE GALASSO / THE RECORD – Northern Highlands students gathered in the auditorium Thursday.

January 3, 1992

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MAN, 18, CRITICALLY HURT IN PRE-DAWN CAR ACCIDENT

By michael o. allenHomepage, The RecordNo Comments

By MICHAEL O. ALLEN | Thursday, January 2, 1992

The Record (New Jersey) | All Editions | NEWS | Page A08

An 18-year-old North Bergen man was hospitalized in critical condition Wednesday after he crashed his mother’s car into a telephone pole shortly before dawn on New Year’s Day, police and hospital officials said.

Bergen County Prosecutor John J. Fahy said Paul Ghibesi will be charged with having an open container of beer in the car, possessing alcohol while being under age, and driving a car after his driver’s license had been revoked.

“He has not been charged with DWI,” Fahy said. “The investigation is continuing as whether that charge would be brought. ”
Fahy said it was also unclear whether Ghibesi had been speeding.

Two passengers in the car, James Lucarelli of Guttenberg and Robert Baker, visiting from North Carolina, suffered minor injuries. Baker, 18, was in good condition at Hackensack Medical Center. Lucarelli, also 18, was in satisfactory condition at Englewood Hospital. Ghibesi was being treated at Hackensack Medical Center.

The crash occurred about 4:50 a.m. on Broad Avenue, at the intersection of Prospect Avenue, when Ghibesi lost control of the car and crashed into the pole, Fahy said.

January 2, 1992

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RESCUERS SEARCH IN VAIN FOR PLANE CRASH VICTIMS

By michael o. allenHomepage, The RecordNo Comments

By Michael O. Allen, Record Staff Writer | Thursday, January 2, 1992

The Record (New Jersey) | All Editions | NEWS | Page A08

Calmer waters Wednesday permitted a boat search of Rhode Island Sound, but rescue crews came up empty-handed in their attempt to locate a commuter airplane that vanished last week with three crew members, including a Dumont man.

New Year’s Day was the first day that weather was good enough to allow a sonar-equipped boat to get to the area of the crash, about eight miles east of Block Island.

Rescuers had little hope of finding any of the three men alive.

Pilot John E. Murphy Jr., 28, of Dumont had been training pilots Michael Kane, 31, of Walden, N.Y., and Michael Lurie, 28, of Massapequa, N.Y., on the twin-engine turboprop aircraft when it disappeared Saturday.

A helicopter had patroled the area, but high seas had prevented a search by a boat owned by American Underwater Search and Survey Ltd. A lobster boat east of Block Island dredged up pieces of the aircraft Sunday, including a 30-foot section of the right wing, a fuselage section with seats, a door with stairs, and part of a bulkhead.

Another boat found a four-foot tail section on Monday about four miles south of Block Island.

January 2, 1992

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3 NEWARK BOYS HELD IN CAR THEFTS AT MALLS; APPREHENDED AFTER CHASE IN TEANECK

By michael o. allenHomepage, The RecordNo Comments

Byline: By Michael O. Allen, Record Staff Writer | Saturday, December 28, 1991

The Record (New Jersey) | All Editions | NEWS | Page A02

Three Newark youths drove a stolen car to Bergen Mall on Thursday, abandoned it in favor of two other cars, and were arrested when the cars collided in Teaneck after a chase on Route 4, police said.

The boys 15, 16, and 17 years old were charged with receiving stolen property and eluding police and were being held Friday in the Bergen County Juvenile Detention Center.

“It’s a gang,” Hackensack Deputy Police Chief John Aletta said. “Every year we get this. After questioning by youth officers, it was learned that they arrived at the mall together in a car stolen from Linden, which they left, and stole two other ones.”

About 2:20 p.m. Thursday, Hackensack Police Officer Mart Kobin heard a report of a theft of a 1990 Pontiac and chased a car matching that description on Route 4, Aletta said.

The car exited Route 4 at Queen Anne Road in Teaneck, where it crashed into a 1989 Chevrolet Cavalier, which was later determined to have been stolen from the Toys “R” Us parking lot adjacent to the Bergen Mall parking lot, where the Pontiac was stolen, he said.

The 17-year-old driver of the Pontiac and the two youths in the Cavalier abandoned the cars and fled on foot, Aletta said. They were arrested after a foot chase that ended on Minelli Place and Allan Court.

December 28, 1991

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YEARLONG HUNT VEXES HIT-RUN VICTIM’S BOSS

By michael o. allenHomepage, The RecordNo Comments

By Michael O. Allen, Record Staff Writer | Saturday, December 21, 1991

The Record (New Jersey) | Two Star B | NEWS | Page A04

Spencer Joseph worked so long at the IGA supermarket and was so popular around town that he was affectionately regarded as a borough landmark.

“He was one of the best persons around Maywood,” said Harry Tzimoulis, the owner of the supermarket. “He helped everyone. He was very friendly, and they all knew him by his first name. ”

But last year Joseph, 50, died after a hit-and-run accident. Authorities have not caught the driver.

Joseph was struck about 6:30 p.m. on Dec. 19, 1990, as he crossed West Spring Valley Road near Edel Avenue. He died nine hours later in Hackensack Medical Center.

Although the case remains open, the investigation is dormant because no witness to the accident has come forward, Bergen County Prosecutor John J. Fahy said. Joseph was walking from his house to the Forum Diner on Route 4 when the accident occurred at the busy intersection.
A $1,250 reward donated anonymously by two residents and three borough businesses for information leading to an arrest did not help.

“We believe that the car that was involved was a late model Pontiac,” Fahy said. “We have a small fragment of a light that we think came off the car that hit him. ”

Joseph, who authorities said was mildly retarded and was taking medication for epilepsy, had worked in the IGA store for about 30 years.
Tzimoulis said he hopes the driver will develop a guilty conscience and come forward.

“It hurts me badly,” he said. “Spencer was somebody special.”

December 21, 1991

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JAIL NEGOTIATIONS BOG DOWN OVER WHO SHOULD PAY

By michael o. allenHomepage, The RecordNo Comments

By Michael O. Allen, Record Staff Writer | Saturday, December 21, 1991

The Record (New Jersey) | Two Star B |NEWS | Page A03

Negotiations over a lawsuit aimed at reducing overcrowding at the Bergen County Jail have reached an impasse over funding, the state Public Advocate’s Office says.

The office is expected to go back to court to pursue a class action suit filed on behalf of prisoners against the state and Bergen County in 1988. A hearing is scheduled for Jan. 3.

Negotiations, which had the advocate on one side and the state Attorney General’s Office and Bergen County on the other, had been going on for a year. Many issues, including a cap on the number of inmates, had been resolved, said Audrey Bomse, assistant deputy public advocate.

However, the talks broke down when the state and county feuded over who would pay the costs of meeting the terms of any agreement, Bomse said. “The hang-up is not coming from my end; the hang-up is coming from the county and the state. Both are saying the other should foot the bill,” she said.

State Corrections Department spokesman James Stabile declined to comment on the suit Friday. Bomse said the state maintains it does not have the money or space to move inmates who would be squeezed out of the jail as a result of the settlement. The county, however, says it could not make the improvements needed to meet the agreement at the current level of state funding.

Deputy Bergen County Counsel Murshell Johnson, who, with Bomse, holds out the possibility that an agreement can be reached before the court action resumes, confirmed that money is an issue holding up the settlement.

“You’ve got the executive order that gives the [corrections] commissioner power to house state prisoners in county facilities. However, the funding that is provided to house them is totally inadequate,” she said, adding that the $45 a day the state pays for each prisoner falls short of the $63 it costs the county to house an inmate.

Although it has a rated capacity of 423 inmates, the Bergen County Jail has 1,034. Under a state executive order signed in 1981 and renewed every six months, Bergen County is required to take 72 state prisoners. About 400 inmates are state prisoners.

Bomse said the state and county basically have agreed on a capacity of 800 inmates.

December 21, 1991

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