MAN AND FIREFIGHTER INJURED IN BLAZE

By MICHAEL O. ALLEN | Wednesday, May 15, 1991

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

An 82-year-old man and a borough firefighter remained hospitalized Tuesday after a fire that heavily damaged a single-family home.
Although police said Justin D. Mahon of 4 Rutgers Terrace suffered a heart attack, a spokeswoman at The Valley Hospital in Ridgewood could not confirm the report. Mahon was listed in stable condition.
Fair Lawn firefighter Joseph Jasinski, who was overcome by smoke during the Monday evening blaze, was in stable condition at the hospital, Fair Lawn Fire Chief John Mamo said. Two firefighters were treated for heat exhaustion at the hospital and released. Three others were treat at the scene for heat exhaustion.
Mahon was unconscious in the kitchen when firefighters reached him, Mamo said. Mahon’s wife and daughter were not home when the fire broke out.
“He was apparently trying to make his way out of the house and was overcome by the heat,” Mamo said.
Mahon had no pulse when they found him, but was revived by two firefighters, said Mamo. About 50 firefighters fought the blaze, which appeared to be accidental, and had it under control in about 15 minutes, he said. It started in the family room and spread quickly through the house, causing heat and smoke damage.

Keywords: FAIR LAWN; HOUSING; FIRE

POLICE SEEKING MORE SUSPECTS IN RASH OF BURGLARIES

By Michael O. Allen, Record Staff Writer | Thursday, January 10, 1991

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

Police in Bergen and Passaic counties continue to investigate links between a string of burglaries in the two counties and a 20-year-old man in custody on charges of burglarizing his parents house in Oradell and intending to kill them and his brother if they were home.
Allen M. Essner was being held in the Bergen County Jail on Wednesday on $60,000 bail. He was being held on several charges, including attempted murder, burglary, and unlawful possession of a loaded weapon.
Oradell Detective Scott Bonsper said police believe Essner was working with other people, including 20-year-old Dennis Pereira, who was arrested with him on Dec. 26, in a series of burglaries in the area.
“We are dealing with quite a few people here,” Bonsper said. “That is what makes it so difficult. . . . We know of at least two weapons that we have not been able to recover or account for. There is a strong possibility that arrest warrants will be issued for other suspects. “
When Essner burglarized his parents home on Dec. 17, he went with a loaded gun and murderous intent, Bonsper said.
“Fortunately enough, the parents were not around, and his brother, although he was off work that day, was somewhere else,” he said.
Bonsper said police found out about the alleged plan to murder the family members from talking to people some of whom are being investigated for their link to the burglaries with whom Essner had conversations.
Working with North Haledon Police Detective Alan Swartz, Bonsper said, he and other Oradell police officers went to residences in Lodi, East Rutherford, and other communities before arresting Essner in Wallington on Dec. 26. They recovered a gun and also arrested Pereira a short time later, he said.

Keywords: PC; BC; HOUSING; THEFT; PROBE

TEANECK MAN CHARGED WITH BURGLARIZING SEVEN HOMES

By Michael O. Allen, Record Staff Writer | Sunday, December 16, 1990

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

A 20-year-old Teaneck man was being held on $35,000 bail Saturday, following his arrest the night before on charges of burglarizing seven homes.

Raphael DeJesus Diaz of 196 East Forest Ave., Teaneck, was arrested in a cordoned-off area of Sheffield and Grand avenues Friday by an officer, accompanied by a police dog, from the Bergen County Police Canine Unit.

Residents had reported two burglaries and a “suspicious person” in the area, Englewood Police Detective Robert Keane said. Police charged DeJesus with burglaries of seven homes, including the three Friday, and are holding him as chief suspect in about 30 burglaries, Keane said.

“This takes care of him, at least,” Keane said. “People in the community should be happy.

Unfortunately, there are others out there. They [the burglars] should know, with the canine unit out there, that they are going to be caught. “

Englewood police have strong evidence linking DeJesus to the burglaries, he said, although he did not elaborate.

The most recent wave of break-ins and burglaries to hit the city began in the East Hill section early in November, about a month after city police arrested a suspect in a series of burglaries in that area.

Most of the burglaries took place during the day, Keane said. County police assigned four officers from its canine unit to assist the city in the search, he said.

Physical descriptions of the suspects in the burglaries were similar, Keane said. The first sighting of a suspect was on Nov. 26 when a Linden Avenue resident saw a man inside his bedroom moments after he observed the same man ringing his doorbell.

Friday, a second floor apartment at 2080 Sheffield Ave., was broken into but the suspect did not take anything, Keane said. Shortly following this report, Englewood police received another report of a “suspicious person” coming out of an apartment at 25 East Sheffield Ave., he said.

County Police Officer Robert DiPalma, accompanied by the canine, arrested DeJesus near the site of the most recent apartments burglarized, Keane said.

Police recovered from DeJesus jewelry and coins later determined to have been stolen from 25 East Sheffield, Keane said.

Notes: Bergen page