On Tuesday, May 10, 2011 at approximately 6:50 p.m., multiple units responded to Aldene Park at the corner of Webster Avenue and Myrtle Avenue on a report of a theft of $20.00 cash. Dispatch advised via radio transmission that the victim was still on the line with dispatch. The victim’s vehicle was described as a maroon Ford Contour. The victim stated that the suspect was described as a black male, wearing a purple shirt and shorts. Upon arrival, police observed a group of individuals playing basketball on the west end of the basketball court and one (1) of the individuals matched the description as the suspect. Patrolman Nicholas Vaughan was advised by the victims who were parked curbside in a maroon Ford Contour. The victims were identified as two (2) 16 year old females from Union, one (1) 17 year old female from Kenilworth, and Melanie Carugan, age 18 of Union, NJ. All four (4) of the females pointed to a subject who was in the above-mentioned group and stated that he was the subject who stole their money. The subject they were pointing to was a 16 year old male from Roselle Park.
Officers detained the 16 year old suspect for further investigation.
An investigation by Detective Manuel Jimenez revealed the four (4) females in the vehicle spoke with Luis Galindo, age 18 of Roselle Park, in order to meet him at Aldene Park to purchase $20 of marijuana. When the females arrived, Mr. Galindo and the 16 year old male approached the vehicle to make an exchange of the marijuana for the twenty dollars. One of the victims in the vehicle, the 17 year old from Kenilworth, had the twenty dollars in her hand, which included one (1) five dollar bill and 15 one dollar bills. She then handed the money to the 16 year old male and expected to receive the marijuana. When this did not occur and the 16 year old male did not give the money back.
Carugan announced that she was calling the police. Both the 16 year old male and Galindo left the area of the vehicle. The 16 year old male passed the twenty dollars to galindo. The two went in different directions. The 16 year old went back to the playground area and Galindo left the area westbound on Webster Avenue.
The four (4) female victims inside the Ford Contour were placed under arrest at police headquarters and charged with 2C:33-2.1 (loitering in a public place to obtain CDS). Carugan was released pending a municipal court first appearance of May 26, 2011. The three (3) female juveniles were released to the custody of their parents pending a Union County Family Court hearing.
The 16 year old male was placed under arrest and charged with 2C:33-2.1 (loitering in a public place to distribute CDS) and 2C:20-3 (theft) and released to a parent pending a Union County Family Court hearing.
A search for Galindo that evening was unsuccessful. On Wednesday May 11, 2011 at 11:30 p.m., Luis Galindo, age 18 of Roselle Park, was apprehended by Patrolmen Nicholas Vaughan and Robert Sobocinski outside of the Wendy’s restaurant located at the corner of First Avenue and Locust Street in Roselle.
Galindo was charged with 2C:33-2.1 (loitering in a public place to distribute CDS) and 2C:20-3 (theft). He was released pending a Municipal Court first appearance of May 26, 2011.