Category: School Safety

West Caldwell Police, with the Assistance of Mutual Aid, Arrest Two after Friday Morning Crash of Stolen Van and Manhunt

4/27/2018

by Carolyne Volpe Curley / Carolyne@WestEssexNOW.com
Published 12pm

CREDIT: Carolyne Volpe Curley

WEST CALDWELL, NJ - At about 10:18am this morning, West Caldwell Police received notification of a van onto a property on Passaic Avenue near, Lombard Drive.

When patrol officers responded to the location, they discovered the van had hit a retaining wall alongside the driveway. Investigators ascertained that two individuals had run from the van and headed west into the wooded area behind Crane's Mill.

Suspects:

2 Hispanic Males
- 1 wearing white sweatshirt
- 1 wearing brown hooded sweatshirt

The owner of the Contracting company was immediately contacted by the police. Soon police determined that the plate on the Van came back stolen out of Paterson. Mutual Aid was requested from Roseland and Caldwell Police Departments.

At 10:23am, a resident on Hasemann Court notified police that they saw two individuals in their yard.

As a precautionary measure, at 10:27am, students at the nearby Wilson School and James Caldwell High School were placed on a "Shelter in Place" order . Police set up a perimeter search around the area as they set out to locate the two individuals.

Investigating police soon determined that the suspects likely broke a fence on Pine Tree Place and residents on the street reported seeing the suspects looking into cars.

At 10:30am, police followed a lead that the two individuals were seen in the Knoll Terrace area running southeast towards Harrison Avenue. Officers from Fairfield Police responded at 10:35am, to search the wooded areas.

A resident on Ellis Road reported at 10:41am that they were viewing two individuals hiding underneath the deck of a home on Brian Road. Police immediately responded to the area and observed the individuals near a home on Brian Road; and one was quickly taken into custody.

The other male, who was seen in the distance running west in the backyards of Brian Road towards Passaic Avenue, was pursued by the officers. At 10:49am, the individual was next seen by Fairfield Police near Pine Tree Place at Passaic Avenue.

An Essex County Sherif K-9 unit responded to the area at 10:53am and began tracking the individual starting in the vicinity of the crashed van.

Slightly more than one hour after the pursuit of the two individuals began, the second suspect was taken into custody at 11:08am on Brian Road, near Passaic Avenue.

The Shelter in Place order was removed from the area schools after notification that the police investigation had concluded.

No further information, including charges, is available at this time.

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A Timeline of Events in Saturday's Police Investigation at James Caldwell High School

2/25/2018

by Carolyne Volpe Curley / Carolyne@WestEssexNOW.com
Published 10:30pm

WEST CALDWELL, NJ - On Saturday, Feb. 24, West Caldwell Police and police from the surrounding West Essex community responded immediately to James Caldwell High School on reports of an individual possibly at the school with a gun.

What follows is a timeline of events which eventually led to the arrest of former student Michael Schmitt, 18, of West Caldwell.

Michael Schmitt

Saturday, Feb. 24, 2018

2:16pm

A call came into West Caldwell Police from a student at James Caldwell High School stating that she had received a Tweet from a student with a gun displayed in his photo, along with a disturbing soundclip
The student and many of her classmates were present at the school to participate in the school's annual Music Marathon which was scheduled to take place until 6pm
Within seconds a call went out, first to West Caldwell patrol units, and then to all West Essex police patrol units, asking them to report to the school to investigate the possible presence of a handgun
The female student sent a copy of the Tweet to her mother who contacted a school administrator

Besides the threatening photograph of a male holding a gun, police were also presented with a recording which was attached to it, presumably recorded by the same male
- The recording was attached to the image shown above which specified JCHS, the initials of the high school
- In the recording, the male is screaming a highly explicit and violent verbal attack against either a specific female or females in general
- The recording can be found online here under the user name illschmitt

2:17pm

Patrol units from West Caldwell Police, Caldwell Police, Essex Fells Police, Fairfield Police and North Caldwell all responded to the school and formed a perimeter around the exterior
A West Caldwell officer who had gone inside of the school reported that all appeared normal

2:19pm

The school administrator and the student's mother met a West Caldwell officer outside of the building and displayed the content of the Tweet

2:22pm

School Administration asked students and guests to report immediately to the auditorium
Performers for the music production all reported to a music room where they went into a practiced locked down, which included:
- door locked
- lights off
- staying silently in a closet
- or lying down on the floor
- windows locked and shades drawn

2:23pm

Four armed West Caldwell officers began an interior inspection of the school, in practiced formation
The entire outside exterior perimeter of the school was declared "locked down" and waiting patrols units surrounded the school in a protective formation

2:38pm

A search of all of the hallways in each wing and all of the unlocked rooms in the building was completed and declared safe
Police asked for a custodian to unlock the other classrooms

2:48pm

A group of Students from the auditorium were led out of the building to the safety of the waiting exterior patrol units

2:49pm

A second group of Students from the Auditorium were led out to safety

2:55pm

The Custodian was located and an inspection of the locked rooms began

2:58pm

A third group of Students from the locked down room were led out to safety

2:59pm

A fourth group of Students from the locked down room were led out to safety

3pm

The school was turned over to the school administration
All mutual aid police were released from protective duty

West Caldwell Police Chief Gerard Paris then released the following statement:

West Caldwell Police was notified
of a potential threat at the high school.
Officers were sent to investigate and administrators
put the school in to a lock down as a precaution.
No danger was found to the students.
Our investigation continues.

Michael Schmitt PHOTO: Essex County Jail

On Sunday, afternoon, Paris then stated the following information about Saturday's incident:

The West Caldwell Police received a report of a threatening message which was sent through social media during the school's Music Marathon
Caldwell, Essex Fells, Fairfield and North Caldwell all assisted West Caldwell Police while the school was placed on lock down and no threats were found
Police tied Michael Schmitt to the social media post and took him into custody
Schmitt was charged with False Public Alarm, 2nd Degree
Schmitt was brought to the Essex County Jail and is awaiting a hearing

The following notice was then sent out to parents from the school administration:

Dear JCHS Students and Parents/Guardians,

I know many of you have been waiting for additional details regarding yesterday's lockdown and tomorrow's school procedures. I have been in close contact with the West Caldwell Police and here is some of the information that I now have permission to share with you.

The student who posted the threatening message and song on social media was arrested, is in the Essex County Jail and is awaiting a hearing (which will not happen until tomorrow afternoon).
This student acted alone.
The student was never on the JCHS campus on Saturday,
- he never indicated having plans to go to the JCHS campus or hurt random people at the high school,
- but since "JCHS" was in his post, the building was put into lockdown.
- Fortunately, the police quickly had the boy in custody.
The West Caldwell Police confirmed that there is no threat to the high school and it is safe to have school on Monday.
Although there is no threat to the school, we will have an increased police presence at the school tomorrow so students, faculty, and parents feel more secure.
As far as procedures at our school tomorrow, there will be a few slight adjustments:
- We will be cancelling 7:10 classes tomorrow so I have time to speak with the teachers before they start their school day. Zero labs will meet tomorrow.
- Since there will not be 7:10 classes, we are asking that no student arrive at school before 7:45 a.m. tomorrow.
- We also want all students to enter the building in the morning through the Athletic Lobby doors or the Auditorium Lobby doors.
- Again, there is no threat, but we will have administrators at both entrances so we see if anyone seems upset or nervous, and be a resource if needed.
- Students may still be dropped off on Park Street, but those students will have to walk to the front of the building to enter.
- Detective Mazzeo and I will be meeting with the music students during mod 1-2 and mod 3-4 to help bring closure to this event.

After the Parkland shooting, Detective Mazzeo and I decided to meet with every student to review our security procedures and answer questions. We planned to meet tomorrow to develop a schedule because I wanted these meeting to be with relatively small groups to make sure all students are heard. We still plan to have these security meetings, but if any student would like to speak with either of us sooner, please see me or send an email.

I know that despite the assurances of the West Caldwell Police, some students are still nervous about coming to school tomorrow, I hope this additional information makes most of you feel more comfortable and secure. Certainly, the police presence tomorrow will make it one of the safest days to come to school.

As I mentioned in my email on Saturday, I regret that our students had to experience this lockdown, but I am proud of the actions of our students, faculty, administrators, and the West Caldwell Police.
Please contact me with any questions.

Sincerely,
Jim Devlin
Principal
James Caldwell High School
973-228-6981

While the investigation continues, West Caldwell Police are asking anyone who has information about this matter to contact them at:
973-226-4114.

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DUI Driver, Reportedly using Heroin, Slams into Target Wall after Driving through Goddard Nursery School Lot Wednesday

7/8/2017

by Carolyne Volpe Curley / Carolyne@WestEssexNOW.com
Published 8:10am

Credit: Fairfield Police

FAIRFIELD, NJ - On Wednesday afternoon, John Catania, 27, of Montville was arrested by Fairfield Police after driving his 2017 BMW into the Little Falls Road side of the Target store in Fairfield.

According to Fairfield Chief Anthony Manna, at about 3:07pm, the BMW crashed through a large cinder block portion of the exterior wall. Officer Brian Holzmann responded to the scene and found Catania unconscious behind the wheel.

Atlantic Ambulance and the Fairfield Fire Department also responded and EMS administered NARCAN which is believed to have assisted with Catania’s recovery. Police then accompanied him to Chilton Hospital for further evaluation.

"Catania allegedly consumed a quantity of heroin
while in or around the Dunkin Donuts located on
Passaic Avenue in Fairfield," commented the Chief.

"He then drove through the rear driveway of the Dunkin Donuts, which is also shared with the Goddard School."

Credit: Fairfield Police

"Surveillance video shows the BMW stopping for about five minutes in the parking lot of the nursery school just before the vehicle is seen accelerating across Little Falls Road, nearly striking two passing vehicles."

"I was in the store when it happened,"
commented Michele Chiaia.
"Inside the store it sounded like an explosion.
The wall was hit which caused
all the frozen pizzas to fly out of the freezers.
It was very scary.
I hope the driver is ok, it looks really really bad."

Credit: Fairfield Police

After investigating the incident, Holzmann charged Catania with:

operating a motor vehicle while under the influence
use of a controlled dangerous substance
driving while under the influence in a school zone
careless and reckless driving

He is scheduled for an initial appearance in the Fairfield Municipal Court on July 13.

“Thankfully, no one else was injured during this incident
especially children from the nursery school,"
commented Chief Manna.

"Our nation’s heroin epidemic continues to jeopardize,
not only those who have fallen to its addictive spell,
but as this case almost showed,
the innocent citizen who happens to be
in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

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West Caldwell Police, with the Assistance of Mutual Aid, Arrest Two after Friday Morning Crash of Stolen Van and Manhunt

A Timeline of Events in Saturday's Police Investigation at James Caldwell High School

DUI Driver, Reportedly using Heroin, Slams into Target Wall after Driving through Goddard Nursery School Lot Wednesday

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