HANOVER TOWNSHIP — Police Officer Jake Crane arrested Joseph Norton, 32, of Parsippany, on Wednesday, August 19, for defiant trespassing at Performance GMC.
Hanover Township Police Officer Crane was on patrol just prior to midnight when he observed a male in the parking lot of the business well after it had closed for the evening. The male was seen looking into vehicle windows and pulling on door handles.
Police Officer Crane had seen the same male at the business four to five hours earlier, but since the business was open at the time, he took no action. When he pulled in to speak with the male, he found that it was Norton and questioned him.
Norton was not being truthful and gave several different reasons for being at the location, and was not making sense. Due to his untruthful answers, Police Officer Crane issued him a special complaint for trespassing after hours and released him with a court date after processing him at the location.
Norton was charged with:
Defiant Trespassing (N.J.S.A. 2C:18-3b)
Editor’s Note: The charges outlined in this publication are merely accusations, and the defendant and/or defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Tabitha, left, a female medium mixed-breed Australian Shepherd, and Dug, right, a 7.7-pound male Chihuahua, are available for adoption through Mt. Pleasant Animal Shelter.
MORRIS COUNTY — Land Rover Parsippany will host its second annual Pet Adoption and Family Fun Day on Saturday, September 12, from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the dealership, located at 220 Route 46 in Parsippany.
The event will benefit Mt. Pleasant Animal Shelter, a nonprofit dedicated to rescuing homeless animals and helping them find homes. Adoptable cats and dogs from the shelter will be on-site throughout the day.
Attendees can enjoy food trucks, a disc jockey playing music, arts and crafts for children, a vendor village featuring pet-related local businesses, and a raffle with giveaways.
All proceeds and donations from the event will benefit Mt. Pleasant Animal Shelter.
File Photo. Photo for illustration purposes only. The actual incident may not reflect the photo.
HANOVER TOWNSHIP — Police Officer Mamdouh Hassan arrested Maliaha Morris, 18, of Phillipsburg, on Sunday, August 16, for disorderly conduct, obstruction and resisting arrest.
Patrols responded to the Hyatt House on Ridgedale Avenue on a report of a teenage female attempting to enter a room. Patrols found that Morris was intoxicated and had a disagreement with a relative and was trying to enter the room to get car keys.
Morris was being loud in the hallway and acting disorderly, and was told multiple times to be quiet as it was late and she was disturbing other guests. Morris then attempted to walk away while still creating a disturbance and was told that she was under arrest.
While Police Officer Hassan and Police Officer Manney were attempting to handcuff her, Morris resisted arrest but was ultimately handcuffed and walked out to a patrol car and transported to police headquarters for processing.
Morris was charged with:
Disorderly Conduct (N.J.S.A. 2C:33-2)
Obstruction (N.J.S.A. 2C:29-1)
Resisting Arrest (N.J.S.A. 2C:29-2a)
She was released with a court date.
Editor’s Note: The charges outlined in this publication are merely accusations, and the defendant and/or defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
HANOVER TOWNSHIP — Police Officer Trevor Smith charged Luis Navarro, 45, of Hopatcong, with theft by deception after investigating him for a theft that occurred on Monday, July 20, when Navarro picked up an item from a shelf and returned it for a refund of $229 without having purchased the item.
Loss prevention reported the theft and provided police with the suspect’s vehicle registration. Police Officer Smith, who had just investigated a prior shoplifting incident on Thursday, July 2, was able to positively identify the actor as Navarro.
Because Navarro was leaving the country to assist family members recently affected by an earthquake, he was again mailed a complaint summons rather than arrested in person.
Navarro was charged with:
Theft By Deception (N.J.S.A. 2C:20-4)
Editor’s Note: The charges outlined in this publication are merely accusations, and the defendant and/or defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
HANOVER TOWNSHIP — Police Officer Joseph Dambra arrested Michael Quatrine, 62, and John Coles III, 44, both of the Red Carpet Inn, on Monday, August 10, following a brief investigation.
Police Officer Dambra, along with Police Officer Line, responded to the Shell gas station after a man who identified himself as Edgar Petricio reported that he had been assaulted by Coles and that items were taken from his possession. He said he had been looking at vehicles for sale in the Red Carpet Inn parking lot when he was confronted and assaulted by Coles, who owned one of the vehicles.
Officers responded to the Red Carpet Inn and spoke with Coles, who said he only struck the other man after the man entered his personal space when Coles told him to stay away from his vehicle.
It was later learned that the man who identified himself as Edgar Petricio was not using his real name and was in fact Michael Quatrine. Officers reviewed video footage from the Red Carpet Inn and found that Coles had not been truthful, and that he had in fact assaulted Quatrine as Quatrine tried to walk away.
Quatrine was charged with:
Hindering Apprehension By Giving False Information (N.J.S.A. 2C:29-3b)
Possessing A False Document (N.J.S.A. 2C:21-2.1d)
Coles was charged with:
Simple Assault (N.J.S.A. 2C:12-1a)
Harassment (N.J.S.A. 2C:33-4)
Both men were released with a court date.
Editor’s Note: The charges outlined in this publication are merely accusations, and the defendant and/or defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
HANOVER TOWNSHIP — Hanover Township Police Officer Patrick Thompson arrested Samuel Poff IV, 57, of Wharton, on Friday, August 7, on an active criminal warrant issued by the Parsippany-Troy Hills Municipal Court, with bail set at $1,000.
Police Officer Thompson was observing traffic when he saw Poff walking along Route 10 and recognized that he had a warrant for his arrest. Police Officer Thompson followed him to the Red Carpet Inn, where he was placed under arrest and transported to police headquarters for processing.
Poff was able to post ten percent of the bail and was released with a new court date in Parsippany.
Editor’s Note: The charges outlined in this publication are merely accusations, and the defendant and/or defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Photo for illustration purposes only. The actual incident may not reflect the photo.
HANOVER TOWNSHIP — Police Officer Jake Crane arrested Alfredo Perez-Pineda, 38, of Cedar Knolls, on Monday, August 3, on multiple charges including driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs.
Captain Vitanza and Sergeant Eric Prach were working an overnight extra duty job on Route 10 East when a vehicle was stopped by the captain. The driver opened the car window, and the captain detected the odor of an alcoholic beverage and observed signs of impairment in the lone driver.
The driver was able to pull the vehicle out of the roadway and was removed from it so that field sobriety testing could be conducted. At the conclusion of the testing, Perez-Pineda was placed under arrest for driving while intoxicated by Police Officer Crane, who was on duty at the time.
Perez-Pineda was transported to police headquarters for processing, and his vehicle was impounded under John’s Law. He provided samples of his breath for testing, which showed his blood alcohol concentration was over the legal limit.
He was issued the following summonses:
Driving While Intoxicated (N.J.S.A. 39:4-50)
Reckless Driving (N.J.S.A. 39:4-96)
Failure To Use Signals (N.J.S.A. 39:4-126)
Improper Use Of High Beam Headlamps (N.J.S.A. 39:3-60)
Perez-Pineda was released to a responsible driver pending his court date.
Editor’s Note: The charges outlined in this publication are merely accusations, and the defendant and/or defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Teddy Bear Clinic co-founders Duncan Felch and Francesca Piccolo stand outside Morris County School of Technology ahead of the clinic's Teddy Bear Clinic and Touch a Truck event.
MORRIS COUNTY — What started as a childhood fear of doctors and firefighters has transformed into a rapidly growing initiative aimed at changing how children view community helpers.
Founded by Morris County School of Technology students Francesca Piccolo and Duncan Felch, the Teddy Bear Clinic was created to replace pediatric anxiety with familiarity, turning terrifying doctor visits and intimidating uniforms into positive, fun-filled memories.
Morris County School of Technology student volunteers pose with members of the Denville Fire Department in front of a fire engine during the Teddy Bear Clinic event.
The idea was sparked in December, leading to the launch of the group’s first clinic the following May. Rooted in the founders’ background at Morris County School of Technology within the Academy for Education and Learning, the Teddy Bear Clinic’s core mission was clear: use play-based learning to demystify healthcare and emergency services.
How The Clinic Works
The interactive event invites children to bring their favorite stuffed animals and walk them through three specialized sections. First is the Medical Clinic, where children act as the caretakers while their teddy bear becomes the patient, experiencing mock X-rays, height checks, bandages and shots. Next is the Fire Section, where children can interact directly with firefighters to learn that the uniform is just an extension of a helpful human being. And lastly, the Police Section allows local officers to engage with families to build trust and approachable relationships.
The goal is to eliminate issues like the “white coat effect,” where a child’s heart rate spikes purely from medical anxiety, and to prevent tragedies like children hiding from firefighters during emergencies out of fear.
A High School Idea To Regional Initiative
Building the clinic required tapping into local networks, starting with MCST’s principal, a retired school police officer, law and public safety instructors, and education teachers. The program bridges multiple career and technical education fields, allowing healthcare, law and policy students to combine their skill sets for community impact.
Funding was secured through grassroots efforts and major sponsors, including a $1,000 New Jersey Education Association Pride in Public Education (PEP) Grant, a $300 Parent-Teacher Organization (PTO) donation, $5,000 from Colgate, $3,000 from Morgan Stanley and $1,000 from NJ Pitch. Every dollar raised goes straight back into funding future clinics.
Overcoming Early Hurdles And Looking Ahead
The first major Teddy Bear Clinic event was a true test of adaptability, with founders Francesca Piccolo and Duncan Felch and other volunteers needing to manage backed-up lines, troubleshoot stations on the fly and run on a tight budget.
By the second year, the team formalized a corporate structure, establishing a C-Suite so the clinic could thrive independently. With local partners expanding to include libraries, Orangetheory and the Morris County Sheriff’s Office, Francesca and Duncan are shifting their focus to broader expansion.
With chapters already reaching places like Metuchen and the University of Michigan, the ultimate goal in the next five to ten years is to establish a Teddy Bear Clinic in every county in New Jersey and beyond, ensuring no child is ever afraid of the people who are there to save them.
Children decorate first aid kit boxes and enjoy craft activities with volunteers during the Teddy Bear Clinic event at Morris County School of Technology.
Photo for illustration purposes only. The actual incident may not reflect the photo.
HANOVER TOWNSHIP — A Pennsylvania man was charged with nine counts of disorderly conduct after police said he used a cellphone to take photographs up women’s skirts at a Wegmans in Hanover Township.
Police responded to the store on Friday, August 21 after loss prevention personnel reported a man was taking photographs up women’s skirts.
According to police, loss prevention personnel showed officers surveillance footage that allegedly depicted the man photographing women from behind while holding his cellphone camera low. Police said the same man was also captured engaging in similar conduct involving several women at the store on Friday, August 7.
Officers located the man, identified as Andre Bell, 41, of Allentown, Pennsylvania, as he was leaving the store and questioned him. Based on the surveillance footage, Bell was taken into custody and transported to police headquarters, according to police.
Police said Bell was questioned and his cellphone was seized as evidence.
Bell was charged with the following:
Disorderly Conduct (N.J.S.A. 2C:33-2) — nine counts, in connection with incidents on Friday, August 7 and Friday, August 21
He was released pending a court appearance.
Editor’s Note: The charges outlined in this publication are merely accusations, and the defendant and/or defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Photo for illustration purposes only. The actual incident may not reflect the photo.
MORRIS COUNTY — A 49-year-old Morristown woman was charged with driving while intoxicated and resisting arrest following a traffic stop on Route 46 Wednesday night, according to police.
Police said an officer on routine patrol observed a silver Honda traveling east on Route 46 at a high rate of speed at about 9:29 p.m. September 2. The officer stopped the vehicle near TG’s Barber Shop.
The driver was identified as Sintialey Naklicki, 49, of Morristown.
While speaking with Naklicki, police said the officer detected the odor of an alcoholic beverage and observed signs that she appeared to be impaired. Naklicki was asked to exit the vehicle for field sobriety testing and was subsequently determined to be intoxicated, according to police.
Police said Naklicki resisted when officers attempted to handcuff her and place her in a patrol vehicle. Following a brief struggle, she was taken into custody and transported to police headquarters.
Naklicki was charged with:
Resisting Arrest (N.J.S.A. 2C:29-2)
Obstruction (N.J.S.A. 2C:29-1)
Driving While Intoxicated (N.J.S.A. 39:4-50)
Reckless Driving (N.J.S.A. 39:4-96)
Careless Driving (N.J.S.A. 39:4-97)
Failure to Yield to an Emergency Vehicle (N.J.S.A. 39:4-91)
Driving Without a License (N.J.S.A. 39:3-10)
Possession of an Open Alcoholic Beverage Container in a Motor Vehicle (N.J.S.A. 39:4-51b)
She was released pending a court hearing.
Editor’s Note: The charges outlined in this publication are merely accusations, and the defendant and/or defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
