MAHWAH COP SHOOTS SUSPECT WHO HELD RIFLE

By Michael O. Allen, Record Staff Writer | Sunday, March 22, 1992

The Record (New Jersey) | All Editions | NEWS | A01

A Mahwah police officer on Saturday shot and critically injured a 29-year-old man whose father had reported was drunk and firing shots in the basement of their home, Bergen County Prosecutor John J. Fahy said.

Police Officer Richard Kikkert shot Stephen Michael Megles of 83 Eastview Ave. after Megles pointed a .22-caliber rifle at the officer, Fahy said.

“The bullet hit him [Megles] in the left arm in the shoulder area, then traveled into the ribs, and into the abdomen area,” Fahy said.

Megles was taken in a helicopter to University Hospital in Newark, where he was listed in critical condition. Megles, a welder, was recently laid off and was depressed, his father told authorities.

Megles was charged with attempted murder of a police officer, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, and illegal possession of a weapon.

The incident began about 1:10 p.m., when Stephen Megles Sr. called police.

Fahy said that when four officers arrived at the house a few minutes later, they heard loud music accompanied by the sound of gunshots coming from the basement.

Kikkert and police Lt. Thomas Brennan entered the house and tried unsuccessfully to persuade the younger Megles into giving up his gun, Fahy said.

“At a point in time, Officer Kikkert was on the landing at the top of the stairs, trying to get the defendant to come upstairs and put his gun down,” Fahy said.

Megles raised his gun to shoot, and the officer fired his 9mm pistol once, hitting Megles, Fahy said.

In the basement, the officers found an empty vodka bottle and evidence that Megles fired dozens of shots in the room, Fahy said.

The younger Megles was known to Mahwah police, but had not been convicted of a serious crime, Fahy said. He added that the father told police his son had fired shots in the house, of which they were the only occupants, several times before.

Kikkert has been with the Mahwah Police Department for four years. Before that, he spent 12 years with the Carlstadt Police Department. He had never fired his weapon on duty while on the Mahwah force, Police Chief Samuel Alderisio said.

Kikkert, 39, was scheduled to be off work the next four days. He will be on an additional four-day medical leave, after which he will undergo medical and psychological evaluation to see if he is fit for duty, Alderisio said. He would first be assigned to desk duty if he is found to be fit, the chief added.

The Megleses have an unlisted telephone number and could not be reached for comment. A relative living nearby declined comment.

TRUCK HITS MOTHER, 2 TOTS ON SIDEWALK

By Michael O. Allen, Record Staff Writer

Sunday, September 15, 1991

The Record (New Jersey) | All Editions | NEWS | Page A07

A 36-year-old borough woman was in critical condition at Hackensack Medical Center on Saturday following an accident in which a motorist drove onto a sidewalk and struck her and her two young daughters, officials said.
Francine Culver suffered extensive head and chest injuries in the accident, which occurred about 6:25 p.m. Friday, Bergen County Prosecutor John J. Fahy said. Her 3-year-old daughter suffered a broken leg and was being treated at the hospital. Another daughter, a 4-year-old, escaped with scrapes and bruises, Fahy said.
Michael Gass, 24, driver of the Ford Ranger that hit the Culvers, was released Saturday after posting 10 percent of his $20,000 bail in cash. Gass, of 52 Susquehanna Ave., Rochelle Park, was charged with reckless driving, driving while intoxicated, refusal to take a Breathalyzer test, assault with auto, and two counts of aggravated assault, Fahy said.
Culver and her children were walking south on Caesar Place, about 100 feet from Moonachie Road, the borough’s main thoroughfare, when the truck hit them. The vehicle stopped about 200 feet away and Gass walked back to the spot where Culver and her children were lying on the sidewalk, Fahy said.
Fahy said the case would be referred to a grand jury.

Keywords: MOONACHIE; MOTOR VEHICLE; ACCIDENT; VICTIM; ALCOHOL; ABUSE

HUDSON COUNTY INVESTIGATOR CHARGED IN AUTO DEATH

MICHAEL O. ALLEN | Sunday, May 12, 1991

The Record (New Jersey) | Edition: All Editions | NEWS | Page A05

An investigator for the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office was charged Saturday with causing death by auto and driving while intoxicated. A passenger in his car died after the vehicle struck a traffic light, then a tree.
Hudson County Prosecutor Paul M. DePascale immediately suspended William Heaney, the 30-year-old investigator.
The front-seat passenger, Gregory Blicharz, 29, of Bayonne, died about 4:45 a.m. Saturday at Bayonne Hospital during treatment for a head injury. DePascale said in a news release announcing Heaney’s suspension that the medical examiner would determine the exact cause of death. It was unknown Saturday when an autopsy would be performed.
Shortly after 3 a.m. Saturday, Heaney’s car left the roadway at Kennedy Boulevard and North Street, police said. They said it struck and knocked over a traffic light, then came to rest against a tree.
Bayonne police administered a Breathalyzer test to Heaney, who lives in Jersey City, and determined that his blood-alcohol level was above the level at which a person is presumed to be too intoxicated to drive, DePascale said in the release. Policy dictates that any case involving a member of the prosecutor’s staff be referred to the state Attorney General’s Office, which DePascale said he would do Monday.

Keywords: HUDSON COUNTY; MOTOR VEHICLE; DEATH; VICTIM; ACCIDENT; ALCOHOL; ABUSE; ATTORNEY; WILLIAM HEANEY; GREGORY BLICHARZ

PRESS COVERAGE OF DEAD TEEN ASSAILED

By Laura Impellizzeri and Michael O. Allen, Record Staff Writers | Sunday, May 5, 1991

The Record (New Jersey) | All Editions | NEWS | Page A06

Fair Lawn residents said Saturday that autopsy results showing that alcohol played no role in the death of a local 15-year-old at a New Year’s Eve party also indicate that her family and the party hosts were treated unfairly by the press and the justice system.
They agreed, however, that teenage drinking is a dangerous problem and should not be ignored by parents or prosecutors.
Autopsy results released Friday show that Coleen Draney, captain of Fair Lawn High School’s junior varsity soccer team, died of heart failure while attending a party given by a classmate, Susan Gennat.
Susan’s mother, Gisela Gennat, was ordered in March to pay a $1,000 fine, perform 25 days of community service, and write an essay on “Why One Should Not Serve Alcohol to Minors,” which was published in The Record on Friday. Gennat declined to comment Saturday.
Fair Lawn Prosecutor Ira Levine said Gennat was prosecuted because alcohol was made available to minors, not because of Draney’s death. Fair Lawn police initially suspected that Draney died of an alcohol overdose after drinking and consuming “Jell-O shots” gelatin laced with vodka.
Margaret Wilde, a neighbor of both families, said: “The media . . . crucified the Gennats. That same thing that happened to the Gennats and the Draneys could have happened to anyone who has teenage kids. “
“It’s unfortunate they had to be in the spotlight for no reason,” agreed another neighbor, who would not give her name.
Prosecutor John J. Fahy said: “It’s the media that made that portrayal, not my office. We didn’t have the toxicological report, and I know I was very careful not to say what the cause of death was. “
Draney’s father, Robert, criticized the release of the autopsy report, but would not elaborate. He, too, complained about press coverage, which he said “crucified” his daughter.
Jerome Weiner, president of the Fair Lawn Board of Education, said: “I certainly hope that it’s a lesson, whether it’s a teenager or adult, what might happen when you are not careful. I would really hate to think that students would have the perception that it was OK [to drink] since it [Draney’s death] has not been related to drinking. “

Keywords: FAIR LAWN; ALCOHOL; ABUSE; YOUTH; FAMILY; DEATH; VICTIM; HEALTH; FINE

BOGOTA POLICE HUNT MAN WHO FLED; SOUGHT FOR NON-PAYMENT OF FINE IN AUTO DEATH

By Michael O. Allen, Record Staff Writer | Thursday, December 27, 1990

The Record (New Jersey) | Four Star B | NEWS | Page B03

A 22-year-old man who was convicted of drunken driving in the 1988 death of a 5-year-old boy escaped through a window on Tuesday as his wife prevented police from arresting him for not paying a fine levied as part of his sentence, police said.

Peter Lamanna, who police said was still at large Wednesday, did not pay the $1,645 fine imposed by a Superior Court judge in Bergen County in May. The court referred his case to Teaneck Municipal Court, which issued a warrant last week, said a Bogota police spokesman.

Lamanna answered the door at 389 Linden Ave., where his in-laws live, after police Officer Daniel Maye knocked at the door about 11:40 p.m. Tuesday, the spokesman said. Police said Lamanna married a Bogota woman and moved to Florida after his June 19 release from the Bergen County Jail.

When Maye tried to arrest him, Lamanna allegedly ran into the house. Joanne Lamanna, 24, grabbed Maye and prevented him from going after her husband, police said. The Bergen County Police canine unit later searched the area for Lamanna, but was unable to find him.

Mrs. Lamanna was charged with interfering with a police officer and with assault on a police officer. She was released on $450 bail Wednesday.

Lamanna was acquitted May 23 of a death-by-auto charge in the death of Sultan Chaudhri, who was crossing the street with his mother when Lamanna hit them with his Chevrolet Camaro. The mother, Nighat Chaudhri, 32, suffered minor injuries.

Lamanna was sentenced to 30 days in jail on drunken-driving and other charges. His license was revoked for two years, consecutive to a four-year suspension imposed in 1988 by the Division of Motor Vehicles.

TWO BOYS BADLY HURT IN RTE. 80 CAR CRASH

By Michael O. Allen, Record Staff Writer | Sunday, December 23, 1990

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

Two Fairview boys were seriously injured Saturday when the car they were riding in overturned after it was struck by another car, whose driver was charged with drunken driving by police.

A spokeswoman for Hackensack Medical Center said David Gandelman, 7, was in critical condition with head injuries, and his brother, Alan, 9, was in serious condition with unspecified injuries.

Their father, Vladimir Gandelman, 39, the driver of the car, and Zima Spevak, 52, their grandmother, were treated and released, the spokeswoman said.

Frank Farron, 32, of East Rutherford, the driver of the other car, was given a summons for driving while under the influence of alcohol, said state police Sgt. Robert Martin. Farron was not injured, Martin said.

The crash occurred about 6:45 a.m. on Interstate 80, near Exit 66 in Hackensack.

Both cars were eastbound when Farron, in the center lane, collided with Gandelman’s car as he tried to move into the right lane, Martin said.

POLICE CHECK NABS 28, SNARLS GWB TRAFFIC

By Michael O. Allen and Corky Siemaszko, Record Staff Writers | Sunday, October 28, 1990

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

A police checkpoint on the George Washington Bridge netted 28 arrests for drunken driving and other charges, but was called off less than two hours after it started because of severe traffic backups.

Westbound traffic on the bridge’s lower level was merged into two lanes at 8 p.m. Friday while a contingent of officers peered into passing cars looking for signs of intoxicated drivers. The checkpoint one of several mounted this year was ended around 10 p.m.

Bergen County Prosecutor John J. Fahy called the roadblock the first at the bridge in two years a success and said his office will set up checkpoints on the bridge on a regular basis.

Twenty-eight people three from Bergen County were arrested on a variety of charges, including driving while under the influence of alcohol or other intoxicants, possession of controlled dangerous substances, and possession of drugs with the intent to distribute.

Bail amounts ranging from $250 for a 27-year-old East Orange man charged with driving under the influence and possession of drug paraphernalia to $25,000 for a Paterson man arrested on charges of possession of cocaine and drug paraphernalia were set at the scene by Fort Lee Municipal Judge John R. DeSheplo.

Most of the defendants were released on their own recognizance.

The checkpoint was conducted by the Prosecutor’s Office, Port Authority Police, Bergen County Police, and the Bergen County Sheriff’s Department. Police pulled over one of every 20 cars, but suspended the checks several times to let traffic through, Fahy said.

“The rule that we put in place was that if traffic backed up more than one mile that’s approximately 10 minutes we were going to let all the cars through,” Fahy said.

The roadblock was terminated when officials noted that traffic had not returned to normal after one of the suspensions.

Lt. Michael Koretzky, a Port Authority Police tour commander, said an accident two miles away, but unrelated to the roadblock, added to the backup.

“The last time we did a roadblock on the bridge, we were criticized because of long traffic delays,” Fahy said. “We were determined that that would never happen again.”

He said there had not been a roadblock in the past two years because of bridge construction.