Category: North Caldwell NJ

North Caldwell Schools Custodian, Christopher M. Lucas, 30, of Clifton, Arrested on Child Porn Charges

2/13/2021

by Carolyne Volpe Curley / Carolyne@WestEssexNOW.com
Published 5:18am

Christopher Lucas IMAGE: Passaic County Prosecutor's Office

Yesterday, Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes and Passaic County Sheriff Richard H. Berdnik announced that on Thursday, Christopher M. Lucas, 30, of Clifton, was arrested and charged with four counts involving distributing, maintaining and possessing images of suspected child pornography.

Since September, 2020, Lucas had been employed as a custodian for the North Caldwell Public Schools System.

INVESTIGATION

Throughout their investigation, detectives from the Passaic County Sheriff’s Department Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Unit were able to identify Lucas as the individual responsible for emailing himself about 133 image and video files of child sexual abuse.

Reportedly, Lucas did not know the identities of the Child Victims but found their images on the internet.

CHARGES

Lucas is currently detained at the Passaic County Jail and his case is expected to be heard by a Superior Court Judge. He has been charged with the following:

Maximum 10 years in New Jersey State Prison, with mandatory minimums:

One count of second degree Distribution of Child Pornography
One count of second degree Maintaining Child Pornography in a file sharing program

Maximum 5 years in New Jersey State Prison:

Two counts of third degree Possession of Child Pornography

Upon a conviction, Parole Supervision for Life and Megan’s Law provisions would be applicable.

ONGOING INVESTIGATION

Anyone with information should contact:

Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office
1-877-370-PCPO
tips@passaiccountynj.org
Passaic County Sheriff’s Department
973-389-5900

NORTH CALDWELL POLICE INVESTIGATE WOODLAND AVENUE FRIDAY EVENING BURGLARY

5/10/2019

NORTH CALDWELL POLICE investigate WOODLAND AVENUE
FRIDAY EVENING BURGLARY

by Carolyne Volpe Curley / Carolyne@WestEssexNOW.com
Published 11:45pm

IMAGE: North Caldwell Police

NORTH CALDWELL, NJ - At about 8:55pm tonight, North Caldwell Police headquarters received notification of an activated alarm at a home on Woodland Avenue and responded immediately.

By 8:57pm, officers at the scene found an open front door and proceeded to do an interior check.

North Caldwell officers determined by 8:58pm that the door had been kicked in and mutual aid was requested from West Essex area police in order to conduct a perimeter investigation of the surrounding streets.

Within minutes, police from Caldwell, Cedar Grove, Essex Fells and Fairfield arrived as the road was shut down and the area searched for the confirmed burglary.

A North Caldwell Police Detective soon after responded to the scene and police were able to obtain the suspect's image from a camera located at the residence.

Police determined that there were two suspects, both black males. One (shown in photo) is described as:

Heavy Set
wearing Black ski mask
wearing blue and light blue hooded sweatshirt
wearing black gloves

Cedar Grove Police witnessed two individuals at 9:45pm whom they believed to be connected to the burglary. The suspects were described as two black males, riding together on one motorcycle and were seen in the location of East Greenbrook Road, turning right onto Mountain Avenue. When police attempted to make a stop, the motorcycle took off at a high rate of speed. One of the males was wearing jeans described as ripped, and acid-washed.

According to North Caldwell Police Chief Mark Deuer, the investigation continues tonight. Residents are asked to check their monitor cameras and contact North Caldwell Police if they have any further information:
973-226-0800

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NORTH CALDWELL POLICE SERGEANT HOSPITALIZED AFTER POLICE PURSUIT: five arrests made

4/3/2019

North Caldwell Police Sergeant Hospitalized After Police Pursuit: Five Arrests Made

by Carolyne Volpe Curley / Carolyne@WestEssexNOW.com
First Published 5am

NORTH CALDWELL, NJ - Early Wednesday morning, North Caldwell Police received a report of suspicious individuals running through a backyard on Mountain Avenue near White Oak Road.

The incident led to a responding officer, North Caldwell Police Sergeant John Belotta, being hospitalized after reportedly being dragged by the driver of a stolen car. Multiple departments responded and ultimately five were arrested, while two cars which were reported stolen in Morris County were recovered.

At about 4:51am this morning, North Caldwell Police responded to Mountain Avenue investigating the suspicious individuals and at the same time called in Caldwell Police Department and West Caldwell Police Department to assist with the investigation. Caldwell and West Caldwell officers patrolled Mountain Avenue while North Caldwell officers patrolled the side street areas.

A few minutes later, at 4:54am, another call came into North Caldwell headquarters from a resident reporting that they could seeing individuals running on Mountain Avenue toward Knollwood Drive. At 4:57am, Cedar Grove Police were also dispatched to assist.

While patrolling the area at 5:03am, Sergeant Belotta spotted two cars driving on Deer Trail Road headed to Brookside Terrace. Police later determined that the two cars were stolen last night out of Morris Plains and Maplewood:

Grey Nissan Rogue
Black Jeep Wrangler

"The driver of the stolen Jeep
attempted to hit Sergeant John Belotta,"
stated North Caldwell Police Chief Mark Deuer.
"As the officer grabbed onto the car's window,
the driver then sped away,
and the officer was dragged by the car.
Sergeant Belotta is now hospitalized
with non-life-threatening injuries."

North Caldwell officers were able to apprehend two individuals on Brookside Terrace and placed them under arrest. Although injured, Belotta was able to report that the cars drove away towards Mountain Avenue and by 5:05am, Verona Police was also sent out to assist the investigation.

At 5:26am, a Verona patrol officer on Smull Avenue saw the two wanted cars drive past him on Mountain Avenue headed towards Bloomfield Avenue.

At 5:30am, another Verona patrol officer witnessed multiple persons bail out of a car at Ryerson Avenue near Grove Street in Caldwell. The officer followed after the suspects on foot and reported to the other responding units that they were running in the area of Fells Road and Devon Road, in Essex Fells.

At 5:32am, Roseland Police were dispatched to assist after the suspects were seen behind Devon Road residences near Avon Drive. Soon after, Livingston Police were dispatched to assist at 5:36am.

North Caldwell officers were on foot as they witnessed individuals running through the backyards of Devon Road going through the connecting Fells Road backyards. At the same time, at about 5:39am, Verona officers reported seeing suspects near a residence on Fells Road.

By 5:49am, the Verona patrol office witnessed a suspect on Devon Road. Soon he was subdued, and the final arrest was made.

Deuer reported that, in total, five arrests were made in Essex Fells and North Caldwell and 1 gun was recovered. The individuals arrested reside in Maplewood, Newark and Irvington.

Within minutes, Caldwell Police reported they were with the two
stolen cars which were located at the dead end of Grove Street, Caldwell.

North Caldwell Chief Mark Deuer:
"Due to multiple towns experiencing vehicle theft and robberies, the Essex County Sheriff's Department Crime Scene Unit is currently processing this morning's incident, along with officers from the Maplewood and Morris Plains Police Departments."

PHOTO: North Caldwell Police Department

According to Deuer, by 9:45am, Essex County Sheriff's Department Crime Scene Unit, along with the Prosecutor's Office and officers from Maplewood and Morris Plains Police Departments responded to the scene and police headquarters to process the incidents.

This investigation is ongoing, and police request that anyone with video or information should contact them:

North Caldwell Police
(973) 226-0800

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North Caldwell Schools Custodian, Christopher M. Lucas, 30, of Clifton, Arrested on Child Porn Charges

NORTH CALDWELL POLICE INVESTIGATE WOODLAND AVENUE FRIDAY EVENING BURGLARY

NORTH CALDWELL POLICE investigate WOODLAND AVENUE
FRIDAY EVENING BURGLARY

NORTH CALDWELL POLICE SERGEANT HOSPITALIZED AFTER POLICE PURSUIT: five arrests made

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POLICE

North Caldwell Schools Custodian, Christopher M. Lucas, 30, of Clifton, Arrested on Child Porn Charges

NORTH CALDWELL POLICE INVESTIGATE WOODLAND AVENUE ​​FRIDAY EVENING BURGLARY

NORTH CALDWELL POLICE investigate WOODLAND AVENUE ​FRIDAY EVENING BURGLARY

NORTH CALDWELL POLICE SERGEANT HOSPITALIZED AFTER POLICE PURSUIT: five arrests made

Archives

Categories

NORTH CALDWELL POLICE INVESTIGATE WOODLAND AVENUE FRIDAY EVENING BURGLARY

NORTH CALDWELL POLICE investigate WOODLAND AVENUE
FRIDAY EVENING BURGLARY