Aggravated Assault On Cop, Fraud, Burglary Of Restaurant Reported In Basking Ridge

BASKING RIDGE, NJ — Fraud, aggravated assault on a police officer, burglary to a Township restaurant were among the items reported in April.

Bernards Township Police blotter for April:

During the above timeframe, Bernards Township Police Officers responded to 23 motor vehicle crashes. There were seven injuries reported and 11 motor vehicle summonses issued.

Detective Kendall Kulik received approval from the Somerset County Prosecutors' Office to charge Clayton OBrien, 31, of Warren, with third-degree burglary, third-degree theft of movable property, and fourth-degree theft of movable property, in connection with a burglary and theft of a restaurant on Martinsville Road that occurred on March 20.

On April 1: Officer Michael Bruno initiated a motor vehicle stop for a vehicle parked improperly in a handicap parking spot at the Martinsville Exxon. Bruno contacted the driver of the vehicle and discovered he had an outstanding warrant from Ridgefield Municipal Court for $1,500. Bruno placed under arrest Edwin Moran, 32, of Palisade Park, for the warrant and issued him a summons for parking in the handicapped parking space. Moran was provided with a new court date for the warrant and released on his own recognizance.

On April 1: A resident of Queen Anne Drive reported falling victim to a common bank fraud scam. The victim received a call from an unknown person who reported to be an agent at their bank about fraudulent activity with their account. The scammer was able to convince the victim to give a total of
$20,000 in cash to a courier on two separate occasions. The Detective Bureau is investigating the incident.

On April 3 at around 7:11 p.m.: Patrol officers responded to the area of Countryside Drive after receiving multiple reports of a possible intoxicated driver in a White Jeep SUV. Officer Joshua
Filipovits saw the vehicle turning onto Countryside Drive and initiated a motor vehicle stop. After contacting the driver, Avis Krause, 66, of Basking Ridge, it was determined that she was
operating her vehicle while impaired due to alcohol or drugs. Krause was arrested and issued summonses for DWI, refusal to submit to chemical tests, and driving after driver's license/registration suspended/revoked. Krause was released to the care of a friend after processing.

On April 6: Officers went to a home on Summit Drive for a report of a structure fire. The fire is believed to have begun in the kitchen. No residents were at home when the fire began, but they were able to save their dog from inside after returning home and discovering the blaze. The Liberty Corner, Veterans Affairs, and numerous other surrounding Fire Departments responded and extinguished the blaze. The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Bernards Township Fire Marshall.

On April 12: Officer Dean Hogan initiated a motor vehicle stop of a vehicle for traffic offenses on Interstate 78 East. The driver of the vehicle, Elliott Sessoms, 37, of Elizabeth, was discovered to have outstanding warrants from Woodbridge, Newark and Alpha Borough. Sessoms was arrested and brought to police headquarters, and turned over to the Woodbridge Police Department.

On April 12: A resident from Aspen Drive reported identity theft in which someone opened a loan for $9,895 in the victim’s name. The Detective Bureau is investigating the incident.

On April 12: Officer Kyle McCartney initiated a motor vehicle stop for traffic violations on Mt. Airy Road near Lyons Road. The driver and registered owner, Shanice Dicks, 34, of Paterson, was discovered to have an active NCIC warrant from Orange Municipal Court. Dicks began to resist and fight with officers while they tried to place her in handcuffs. Dicks was placed in handcuffs after the struggle and brought to police headquarters for processing. Dicks was charged with aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, resisting arrest, and violation of court order from the warrant out of Orange Municipal Court. Dicks was taken to the Somerset County Jail pending a court hearing.

On April 15: A resident from Deer Creek Drive reported falling victim to a Crypto Currency Scam. The victim was asked to invest in Solana Bitcoin and told they would double the investment. The scammer sent a fake cashier’s check to the victim for $56,000. The Detective Bureau is investigating the incident.

On April 16: Corporal Slawomir Zolnierowski and Officer Michael Bruno initiated a motor vehicle stop on Valley Rd near Pleasant Valley Park. The driver of the vehicle, Curtis Boykins, 34, of Rahway, was discovered to have an outstanding warrant out of Essex Fells for $2,500. Boykins was able to post the 10 percent requirement for the cash bail and was released pending a new court date.

On April 16: A resident from Fellowship Village fell victim to a courier scam. The scammer contacted the victim and advised that they represented the Federal Trade Commission and had evidence they had child pornography. To avoid being prosecuted, the scammer told the victim they had to pay a fine. The victim met a courier at Fellowship Village and provided him with $15,000 in cash. The scammers then tried to get an additional $50,000 from the victim but were unsuccessful. The Detective Bureau is investigating the incident.

On April 17: Officer Olivia Strama initiated a motor vehicle stop of a vehicle on Interstate 78 East near mile marker 35.4. After contacting all the passengers in the vehicle, Strama discovered the front seat passenger, Iyannah Strange, 24, of Bloomfield, had multiple outstanding warrants for her arrest from East Orange Municipal Court for $500 and $3,000 from East Hanover Municipal Court. Both courts provided new court dates for Strange, and she was released on her own recognizance.

On April 21: A resident from Independence Drive reported identity theft where an unknown person used the victim’s personal information to open a new bank account and transferred $1,388.38 from their existing bank account. The unknown person withdrew the amount from the account and
transferred it to the Kraken Crypto currency platform. The Detective Bureau is investigating the incident.

On April 25: A resident of Fellowship Village reported someone had created forged checks with their bank’s account and routing numbers on it. In total, the unknown individual cashed 56 checks totaling $49,876. The Detective Bureau is investigating the incident.

On April 28: Detective James Moore received approval from the Somerset County Prosecutors Office to charge Patsy Ragonese IV, 34, of Basking Ridge, with third-degree exhibiting false government ID for using a victim’s Maryland driver’s license,
fourth-degree possession of false government ID for possessing a victim’s New Jersey driver’s license, fourth-degree credit card theft for possessing four victim’s credit cards, and fourth-degree impersonation for attempting to withdraw funds from a victim’s bank account. All the charges stem from an identity theft investigation. All the charges have been placed on a warrant for the arrest of Ragonese.

"The Bernard’s Township Police would like to continue to remind everyone to report suspicious activity observed by calling 908-766-1122. Please keep vehicles locked, without the keys in them and valuables out of sight. Please confirm all suspicious calls/emails/texts/messages requesting monetary payments with law enforcement or banking officials before sending funds," said police.

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