Crime & Safety
Police Officer Stuck With Needle in Belleville
The information provided in the Police Blotter comes solely from the Belleville Police Department. All suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty.
Controlled Dangerous Substance/Driving While Intoxicated Arrests
April 15
A police officer was stuck with a hypodermic needle during a drug arrest. A woman was charged with two drug-related offenses after police said she ran a red light at the corner of Franklin Avenue and Joralemon Street just before midnight.
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Police said one of the hypodermic needles was sticking out of her purse, and the needle stuck a police officer, whose name was not given. A search revealed the other needles and the spoons. The police officer stuck with the needle was taken to Clara Maass Medical Center for evaluation.
Caitlyn Vanicky, 21, of Belleville was arrested for possession of drug paraphernalia, which was two metal spoons and possession of four hypodermic needles after her car was stopped.
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April 17
A car crash led to the arrest of Bernard Blauvet, 40, of Belleville just after 7 p.m. for driving while intoxicated.
Blauvet said he was following another car that struck his car in the area of Liberty Avenue and Ligham Street. He was found to have a strong odor of alcohol on his breath and police said they found an open bottle of vodka in the vehicle’s center console. Blauvelt also received summonses for driving violations. He was released on his own recognizance.
April 15
A man was stopped after police said he drove erratically in Branch Brook Park, and he was later arrested for possession of a controlled dangerous substance.
Police arrested and charged Francis J. Marino, 43, of Bloomfield with possession of both an envelope believed to contain heroin and possession of a white, rocky substance believed to be “crack” cocaine.
His name was run through the police data base and he had four outstanding warrants, one from Newark for $1,300, one from Bass River, NJ for $1,203, another from Galloway Township for $350, and one from East Orange for $182. He was taken to the Essex County Jail.
Robbery Attempted
April 16
Police are looking for three Hispanic men after an attempted robbery was reported in the township’s Silver Lake District at about 10:26 p.m.
A man said he was assaulted leaving a train near the Heckel Street train station, and three men tried to steal his backpack and then ran without grabbing the backpack.
The first man was about five feet, five inches tall, with a slim build, dressed in a red shirt, red shoes and a denim vest, possibly with writing on the back. The next man was a black man with a slim build and long dreadlocks. The third was a Hispanic man also said to have on a denim vest with writing on the back.
The case is under investigation.
Disorderly Person Arrested
April 14
A man found sleeping in his car was arrested for being a disorderly person after yelling and swearing at police officers at 6:41 a.m. on Franklin Avenue.
Christian T. Acosta, 30, of Jersey City had his car parked against the traffic flow, and became angered when police found he had no valid driver’s license. He passed several field sobriety tests, but was arrested when he refused to stop screaming and cursing the police officers.
He was released on his own recognizance.
Outstanding Warrants Arrest
John Michael Tarrazzino, 52, of Newark had two outstanding warrants, one for $750 and another for $700 from Newark. He was arrested after arguing with a woman on Honiss Street on April 15 and being questioned by police. A search of his name in the police data base turned up the warrants. He was turned over to Newark Police.
