HOBOKEN SANTACON STATS: 14 Arrested, 46 Tickets Issued, 33 Ordinance Violations, 4 Cops Injured, Brawl at a Burger Joint… and a Partridge in a Pear Tree

Posted on December 16, 2018 in hNOW, News

Hoboken Police Chief Kenneth Ferrante held his annual twitter lighting ceremony yesterday, firing off the lowlights of Hoboken SantaCon 2018 for all the world to see.

And they did… with media outlets nationwide following along as the stats rolled in:

Between Noon-4am, the @HobokenPD responded to 429 calls for service, up from 282 during the same period at the 2017 SantaCon. This yr there were 14 arrests, down from 17 last yr. There were 33 City Ordinance summonses issued for drinking & urinating in public, down from 52 in ’17

— Chief Ken Ferrante (@KenFerrante) December 16, 2018

Of those arrested, all but one was from out of town. The lone Hoboken resident in the mix was picked up for burglary—trying to pull an Ocean’s Eleven in Sinatra’s hometown as Hoboken’s Finest were otherwise occupied. (For a full list of those arrested, see below.)

Also, driving in Hoboken was a BAD idea yesterday, as 46 tickets were handed out for moving violations. There was a report of one “sexual offense,” but there are currently no further details.

Meanwhile, four Hoboken Police Officers were treated for injuries/harmful incidents—including those exposed to blood following a brawl at a local burger joint:

We did have 4 officers who needed medical treatment. 1) Det. J. Quinones suffered a dislocated thumb. 2) Sgt. @W_Collins_ was punched in the jaw. 3) & 4) Sgt. E. Drishti & Officer M. DePalma had to be decontaminated after getting a lot of blood on them from combatnts at a fight.

— Chief Ken Ferrante (@KenFerrante) December 16, 2018

Bars were busy, lines were long, and while the bulk of incidents took place downtown, there were some instances where issues were reported further uptown:

This kid needs a rescue. 8/Washington st. KenFerrante @ravi bhalla @hoboken police ! @hMAG @njdotcom @HobokenPD pic.twitter.com/JzUzMMoEOp

— Theresa Minutillo (@TreeMinutillo) December 15, 2018

Obviously, bars do well on this day, and the hospitality industry is a vital machine for the Hoboken economy. That said, many bars actively chose to deny entry to SantaCon revelers—including Mulligan’s, Court Street, The Ale House, Northern Soul, Elysian Cafe and Antique Bar and Bakery…

Last year’s event sparked a heavy-handed backlash from Hoboken’s Administration, as squeaky wheels demanded an end to the event.

We have over 130 liquor licenses in the City. I stated to several media sites yesterday that almost all of the bars are running a professional operation and the owners have been working with us. Even where there were incidents, I did not hear of any bar management being a problem https://t.co/v5hLgxU9PL

— Chief Ken Ferrante (@KenFerrante) December 16, 2018

Hoboken SantaCon 2018 Arrests:

Arrestee: Denis M. Mucha Age 22 Hawthorne NJ
Charges: Disorderly Conduct, Resisting Arrest
Officers Involved: PO Michael Losurdo
Incident Details: While patrolling the area of 42 Newark Street, Officer Losurdo observed the defendant being escorted out of one of the establishments. The male then attempted to regain entry. The defendant was asked to leave the area but he refused, at one point, charging towards the officers. As he was placed under arrest, he became aggressive and resisted by not allowing the officers to handcuff him. He was safely placed under arrest and transported to headquarters for processing. He was later released with a summons to appear in court.

Arrestee: Raffaelle Spadavecchia Age 18 Hoboken NJ
Charges: Burglary & Theft
Officers Involved: PO Wilfredo Gomez, PO Ramon Calderon
Incident Details: Officers Gomez and Calderon were dispatched to the area of 13^th Grand Street on a report of a male who was stealing packages and leaving the scene pushing a shopping cart. A description was given to the officers on route. A male who fit the description was stopped a short distance away. After speaking to the defendant and witnesses, it was determined the defendant had taken the packages and was placed under arrest. He was transported to headquarters for processing. A warrant complaint was generated and he was remanded to the Hudson county Rehabilitation Center.

Arrestee: Mariana Rodriguez Age 21 Oakhurst NJ
Charges: Possession of CDS Marijuana
Officers Involved: Det. Robert Roman, PO Luke Zsezotarski
Incident Details: While patrolling the area of River and Newark Street, Officer Zsezotarski and Roman Detected a strong odor of burnt marijuana in the area. They noticed a group and as they got closer, they observed the defendant smoking what they believed to be CDS Marijuana. The defendant then observed the officers and immediately discarded the cigarette and began to walk away. She was stopped and placed under arrest. She was transported to headquarters for processing and received a summons to appear in court.

Arrestee: Louis Vigorita Age 22 Middletown NY
Charges: Aggravated Assault, Disorderly Conduct
Arrestee#2: Joseph Holt age 23 Staten Island NY
Charges: 2 Counts of Aggravated Assault, Disorderly Conduct, Resisting Arrest
Officers Involved: Det. Robert Roman and PO Jason Montalvo
Incident Details: As the officers patrolled the area of River Street, they observed a large fight taking place. The officersm, along with back up, attempted to disperse the crowd and break up the fight as the defendants continued to strike each other. Sgt William Collins attempted to place defendant Holt under arrest who then instead attempted to flee the scene. A struggle ensued causing both to fall onto the ground. At this time defendant Holt struck Sgt. Collins in the face with a closed fist. Other Officers assisted in attempting to place him under arrest. As they continued to struggle with the defendant, Det. John Quinones suffered a dislocated thumb. The defendant was eventually subdued and handcuffed. He, along with defendant Vigorita, was transported to headquarters for processing where they received summonses to appear in court.

Arrestee: Austin Bailey age 22 Stockholm NJ
Charges: Disorderly Conduct, Resisting Arrest
Officers Involved: PO Michael Losurdo
Incident Details: While patrolling the area of 42 Newark Street, Officer Losurdo observed the defendant being held back by a group. It appeared he was about to be engaged in a fight. He was ordered to step back which he complied while the officer issued a summons. When complete, the defendant was sent on his way but continued to be aggressive towards the officers, at one point charging towards them. Officer Losurdo attempted to then place him under arrest at which time he fled the scene. He was stopped a short distance away and placed under arrest. He was transported to headquarters for processing and later released with a summons to appear in court.

Arrestee: Jeremy Hreha Age 30 Wayne NJ
Charges: Criminal Sexual Contact
Arrestee#2: Alvaro Florez Age 25 Margate FL
Charges: Aggravated Assault, Resisting Arrest
Officers Involved: SPO Joshua Campoverde and SPO Christopher Soto
Incident Details: While patrolling the 200 block of Washington Street, Officers Soto and Campoverde observed defendant Hreha being escorted out of one of the bars. They also observed Defendant Florez strike defendant Hreha in the face with a closed fist causing defendant Hreha to fall to the ground suffering a cut to his lip and also lose consciousness. Florez was immediately placed under arrest and placed into a marked radio car. Florez began to kick the door, preventing the officers from closing it. They were able to control him and transport him to headquarters. While still on scene staff from Talley-Ho advised the officers there was a female victim inside who was inappropriately touched by defendant Hreha. He was placed under arrest after speaking with the victim. He was also transported to the Hoboken University Medical Center for treatments due to the injury suffered from being punched in the face.

Arrestee: Ayleen Vizcarra Age 22 Clifton NJ
Charges: Driving While intoxicated, Reckless Driving
Officers Involved: PO Matt Isler and PO Cynthia Rivera
Incident Details: Officers Isler and Rivera were dispatched to the area of 8^th Sinatra Drive on a report of a motor vehicle accident. Stevens Institute Officer Brian Murphy was already on scene. The officers observed a 2018 Toyota with its air bags deployed. The driver was standing outside of her vehicle. Officer Rivera was able to detect an odor of alcohol coming from the driver. She was also swaying and had a slurred speech. Sgt Ed Sellick conducted a field sobriety test which the defendant was not able to complete. She was placed under arrest and transported to headquarters for processing. A breath sample was taken and found to be above the legal limit. She was later released to a responsible party after receiving several motor vehicle summonses. The defendant did not suffer any injuries from the accident and refused medical attention.

Arrestee: Nila Najafi Age 47 Pine Brook NJ
Charges: Driving While Intoxicated, Reckless Driving, Suspended License, DWI in a school zone
Officer Involved: PO Steven Albert
Incident Details: Officer Albert was dispatched to the area of 11^th Willow Avenue on a report of a motor vehicle accident. Upon arriving he observed a 2017 Honda, 2011 Lincoln and a 2007 Nissan parked near the school. While conducting his investigation, it was determined that the defendant struck one vehicle which was at a stop, pushing into another vehicle causing damage to all. Officer Albert noticed the driver to have watery blood shot eyes and slurred speech. A field sobriety test was conducted which she was not able to complete. She was placed under arrest and transported to headquarters where a breath sample was taken. She was found to be above the legal limit. After receiving several motor vehicle summonses, she was released to a responsible party. No other parties involved suffered any injuries.

Arrestee: Steven A Leon Age 30 Clifton NJ
Charges: Disorderly Conduct
Officers Involved: PO Marvin DeJesus, PO Nathaniel Arocho
Incident Details: Officers While on patrol, Officers Dejesus and Arocho observed a male being followed by one of the bars security staff. The defendant had just walked out of the bar while still holding his drink. As they attempted to take the dink away, he became aggressive towards staff. He was given several verbal commands to stop his behavior which he refused to do. He was placed under arrest and transported to headquarters for processing. He was later released with a summons to appear in court.

Arrestee: Latisha Dean Age 42 Bronx NY
Charges: Possession of CDS Marijuana, Possession of CDS Paraphernalia
Officers Involved: PO Bernardo Munoz
Incident Details: While patrolling the area of Newark Street Officer Munoz detected a strong odor of burnt Marijuana. As he walked further ahead, he observed the defendant holding a cigarette of suspected CDS Marijuana. She was placed under arrest and transported to headquarters for processing. She was later released with a summons to appear in court.

Arrestee: Jameson M. Fisher Age 21 Cherry Hill NJ
Charges and Motor Vehicle Sumonses: Driving While Intoxicated, Possession of CDS Marijuana, Possession of CDS Paraphernalia, Possession of CDS in a Motor Vehicle, Failure to Exhibit Insurance
Officers Involved: PO Anthony Olivera, PO Luke Zsezotarski
Incident Details: While patrolling the area of Newark and Hudson Street the Officers observed a vehicle stopped at the traffic light continuously honking the horn at the traffic control officer. As the officers approached the driver side of the vehicle, they detected a strong odor of alcoholic beverage coming from inside. The driver’s eyes were also glassy and he also had slurred speech. The driver was asked to exit the vehicle so that Officer Zsezotarski could conduct a field sobriety test. The driver did not complete the test and was placed under arrest. A search revealed a plastic bag containing CDS Marijuana along with Paraphernalia. He was transported to headquarters where a breath sample was taken and found to be above the legal limit. He was processed and given a summons to appear in court along with several motor vehicle summonses. He was later released to a responsible party.

Note: the 14^th Arrest is a Domestic Violence Arrest considered confidential and information will not be released for that arrest.

***

Tags: SantaCon