Store owner fatally shot in Saturday afternoon robbery attempt

Owner of Leaty Grocery was fatally shot during Saturday afternoon robbery.

The holiday mood of Plainfield's July 4th weekend was shattered Saturday afternoon by an attempted robbery at a corner store in which three were shot, one fatally.

An attempted robbery was reported to police around 4:00 PM Saturday afternoon of the corner store at East 6th and Central Streets.

One of the owners was shot in the chest and first responders tried to save him with CPR, but were unsuccessful.

An employee was shot in the arm, perhaps more than once, and an as yet unidentified third person was hit.

The violent robbery comes after a holiday crowd witnessed the 88th Annual Independence Day Parade along East Front Street late in the morning, and the afternoon commencement of the third Latino-sponsored Independence Day fiesta in the city parking lot between the Green Brook and East Front Street, from Park to Watchung Avenues.

UPDATE SATURDAY NIGHT: There are conflicting reports about whether a third person was shot. More as information becomes available.

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-- Dan Damon

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Mayor Sharon's CNN interview on Plainfield foreclosures

Mayor Robinson-Briggs, with residents and Jacques Howard,
in CNN story on Plainfield foreclosures.

Once again, Plainfield gets bashed by the national media, this time in a lurid story on foreclosures featured on CNN yesterday (see video here).

Painting with breathless broad brush strokes and exclamation-point statements ('foreclosures are nearly three times the national average'..., 'crime is now rampant in Plainfield'..., 'police spend their time breaking up gang activity'...), CNN correspondent Poppy Harlow does a pretty one-sided job of trashing Plainfield under cover of a 'news' story.

Using RealtyTrac information that there are 900 foreclosed properties in a city with approximately 9,000 residential structures, Harlow's story fails to provide any sort of nuanced picture, and then, worse, gins up a 'connection' between the foreclosures and crime, a point into which she draws Mayor Sharon Robinson-Briggs.

Here is a transcription of part of Harlow's voiceover --

...crime is now rampant in Plainfield, and the police spend their time breaking up gang activity, and determining which came first is a chicken-and-egg situation for Mayor Sharon Robinson-Briggs...

The suggestion is that there is a connection between crime and foreclosures, and Mayor Robinson-Briggs falls for it.

RealtyTrac map of a portion of Plainfield.

The reality is far more complex, but hey this is TV. Consider --

• Plainfield's real estate market has collapsed as elswhere, because of MARKET CONDITIONS not because of CRIME;
  
  
• Plainfield was especially hard hit by the SUB-PRIME MORTGAGE BUBBLE, foisted on uninformed buyers by hustling realtors and mortgage reps;
  
  
• This is a totality of foreclosures that have ACCRUED OVER THE PAST THREE YEARS, and is more than the market can absorb;
  
  
• There is no attempt to separate out the properties that are DELINQUENT IN PAYMENTS, those in FORECLOSURE PROCEEDINGS, and those already FULLY FORECLOSED;
  
  
• No distinction is made between SINGLE FAMILY homes in which the homeowners couldn't keep up and MULTI-FAMILY properties where INVESTORS were caught out by the real estate bubble's bursting;

It is beyond me why Mayor Robinson-Briggs did not take on Ms. Harlow on the spurious crime-and-foreclosure connection.

And then Robinson-Briggs says, 'Do we want more help from the banks? Absolutely.'

No details are in the clip about what that would mean, whether or not the Mayor offered any to Ms. Harlow. (But we can recall this is the same Mayor whose idea of 'help' for those in danger of foreclosure was to host a bus tour of the City for PROSPECTIVE INVESTORS IN FORECLOSED PROPERTIES.)

Followers of Plainfield's struggle to get a handle on its finances will be surprised to learn from the piece that '50% of the city's workers have been cut since February'. How could the Mayor let an outrageous statement like that go unchallenged?

Bad as all this is -- and I don't think the piece will have a long-term impact on the local real estate market -- it pales in comparison with the trashing Plainfield received at the hands of the New York Times in 2002 after our local police broke up an international sex trafficking operation on West Front Street.

Though Plainfield protested to the Times over the shabbiness of the story, we never got so much as an apology. (See my coverage of that story here, and here -- with links to the NYTimes and Slate magazine's coverage.)

Is Plainfield better off for the Mayor's participation in CNN's 'foreclosure' charade?

You tell me.

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• CNN:  "The bank owns my town!"

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7th murder of 2011 over weekend

Plainfield's 7th homicide of 2011 reported at 1348 West Front on Sunday.

 

A Plainfield Today reader advised around noon on Sunday that there was a fatality at 1348 West Front Street. Was later told the body of a male was discovered inside the building and that it was confirmed as a homicide.

I drove by mid-afternoon and saw the Union County Sheriff's crime scene unit at the multi-story apartment building near the corner of West Front and Johannis Place, across from the old Mack plant.

As of late afternoon I was unable to get more information except to be told that the original suggestion the victim had been shot would need to await the outcome of an autopsy slated for Monday.

Will post more as information becomes available.

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-- Dan Damon [follow]

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Unnamed Plainfield schools official involved in sports equipment fraud against District

An unnamed Plainfield school official allegedly took part in fraud against District.

 
Plainfield's school district was among a number in New Jersey allegedly defrauded by a sports equipment distributor, according to reports in today's Courier (see here), Lehigh Valley Live (see here), the New York Times (see here), and Forbes (see here).

An extended version of the story in the Courier's PRINT EDITION ONLY, lists the gift of golf clubs and a PalmPilot device (correction, only golf clubs were involved -- see 'NJ School #12' on page 19 of the indictment) to an unnamed Plainfield High School official as among the many items in the indictment (see here, PDF) against two of the firm's executives.

The firm would routinely engage in double-billing the victimized school districts -- apparently with the collusion of school athletic officials -- and would recoup the cost of such gifts as those given in the Plainfield case by submitting inflated bills.

In the same way, the firm would recover amounts donated to school fundraisers such as golf outings.

The investigation has been going on for about four years.

While many school officials are unnamed, it would not be unusual for the feds to pressure those who accepted gifts or participated in the fraud into testifying against those indicted in exchange for lesser charges against themselves.

So far, there has been nary a word from the Plainfield school district about who the official involved is (or was), when the alleged incidents happened, or what action has been taken.

Look for the Plainfield angle on this story to expand as the case unfolds.

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• Courier:  "Two indicted in fraud against NJ schools"
• Lehigh Valley Live:  "Executives accused of double-billing schools almost $1M"
  
• New York Times:  "Circle Systems Group accused of defrauding many schools"
• Forbes:  "2 sports gear firm execs charged in NJ fraud"
  
• Federal District Court, NJ:  "Indictment: Kurlander and Abeshaus (PDF)"
  

-- Dan Damon [follow]

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Mother's Day Weekend Violence: Shooting, gunplay

Mother's Day weekend in Plainfield did not escape violence-free.

Sunday Saturday (sorry, brain not fully engaged) evening a Hispanic male was shot in the chest and hand in the 600-block of West 3rd Street. The victim was transported by ambulance to RWJ University Medical Center. No further word available as yet.

Friday evening, as I pulled out of my driveway at 10:30 PM to go pick up a pizza, I was passed by three Plainfield Police Division cars speeding westbound with sirens and lights.

Am told they were on the way to a shooting incident on Pond Place, and that at the same time other police officers were responding to reports of gunfire on Johnston Avenue.

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-- Dan Damon [follow]

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Cabbie thwarts robbery attempt

Driving a cab is a dangerous occupation;
here a memorial to a cab driver slain on Spooner Avenue last October.

 

A Plainfield taxi cab driver thwarted a robbery attempt overnight Wednesday. The passenger pulled a knife on the driver in the 1300-block of Myrtle Avenue and demanded his cash. The driver fought the would-be robber off and he fled, only to be captured shortly afterward by police on patrol and the Union County Sheriff's K-9 unit. More as details emerge.

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-- Dan Damon [follow]

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6th murder of 2011 with Piscataway man's death; another man shot Sunday night

6th murder victim was shot inside convenience store at West 3rd and Rushmore.

Ricci Askew became Plainfield's sixth murder victim of 2011 when he expired after life support was withdrawn, I have been told over the weekend.

Askew, of Piscataway, was shot in the head while inside the a convenience store at 1348 West 3rd Street early last Wednesday morning. His death has not yet been reported in the media, nor have authorities made a statement concerning upgrading charges against the as-yet-unknown perpetrator.

Sunday witnessed two more gun-related incidents in the city's West End.

An assault rifle was fired Sunday evening on Manson Place, I have been told. Though there were no hits, shell casings have been recovered.

Early Monday morning, a man suffered three gunshot wounds at the Elmwood Gardens complex. No details available yet on how serious the wounds, and whether police have found suspected shooters.

Will post  more details as information becomes available.

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-- Dan Damon [follow]

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Man shot in head, medevaced

1300-block of West 3rd Street (Google).

Violence in Plainfield's West End continued early Wednesday morning when a man was shot in the head in the 1300-block of West 3rd Street.

The critically wounded victim was medevaced to RWJ Medical Center in New Brunswick.

More as details become available.

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-- Dan Damon [follow]

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Shooting Good Friday evening

A man was shot in the arm on Good Friday evening in the West 3rd Street and Halsey Street area. More when info becomes available.

UPDATE SUNDAY AM: The Courier has an online report here; the unnamed and uncooperative victim may lose part of his arm.

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-- Dan Damon [follow]

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Friday night shooting victim medevacked

A shooting incident on East 6th Street near Berckman Street around 10:30 PM Friday resulted in the victim being rushed by medevac to RWJ Medical Center with a single gunshot wound to the chest.

More as information becomes available. The Star-Ledger has an early report on the shooting here.

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-- Dan Damon [follow]

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Homicide No. 5 Monday evening

Convenience store at West 3rd and Monroe Avenue. (Google Maps)

A reader texted me of Plainfield's fifth homicide of 2011 at 7:22 PM, shortly after City Council President Annie McWilliams' press conference on Council support for Recreation broke up.

The owner of the corner store at West Third Street and Monroe Avenue was fatally shot in the chest. MORE INFO AT 11:00 PM: The shooting happened outside the store, and it appears the victim was not an employee, but an innocent bystander and not the intended target.

Corner store, site of 5th homicide of 2011. (Google Street View)

Motive and perpetrator's identity not known at this time.

We can at least be thankful that someone responsible has stepped up to the plate on the gun issue in the person of Shiloh Baptist Church's pastor, the Rev. Dr. Gerald Lamont Thomas (see here), who called together last week's summit on guns and gun violence.

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• Plainfield Today:  "Violence picks up in Plainfield after 4th homicide, gun summit"

-- Dan Damon [follow]

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Violence picks up in Plainfield following 4th homicide, gun summit

Following Plainfield's fourth homicide of 2011, violence has picked up across the city on Thursday.

A reader reports gunfire with a man wounded on Johnston Avenue, near North Avenue, at 12:20 AM Thursday morning. Police arrived very quickly, as did an ambulance and the wounded man was transported to hospital, as police took to searching the neighborhood.

This shooting came just hours after a summit on gun violence and how to deal with it was held at First-Park Baptist Church on Wednesday evening.

The summit, organized by Shiloh Baptist Church's pastor, the Rev. Dr. Gerald Lamont Thomas, drew a crowd of about 150, including religious leaders, elected officials and community activists, as well as Assemblyman Jerry Green, Council President Annie McWilliams and Union County Prosecutor Theodore Romankow. Plans are in the works for a followup to further organize a response to gunplay in the community, according to Councilors Adrian Mapp and Rebecca Williams, who were also in attendance.

Mayor Sharon Robinson-Briggs was noted by her absence, as well as Public Safety Director Martin Hellwig, and Councilors Bill Reid, Bridget Rivers and Vera Greaves.

The violence continued Thursday evening with reports of the following incidents, all before 11:00 PM --

• FIGHTS and report of a person with a gun at Netherwood Village on East Front Street;
  
  
• Male arrested for GUN POSSESSION, carrying two guns in the George Street/Garfield Avenue area;
  
  
• SHOTS FIRED at Liberty and West 3rd Streets, with callers reporting upwards of 20 shots heard; one bullet went into a home.

With Mayor Robinson-Briggs showing little recent interest in the hard work of developing a plan to attack the continuing gun violence, we can only be thankful that Pastor Thomas organized the summit and is willing to take the lead in mobilizing the community.

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-- Dan Damon [follow]

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Gunplay: Shots fired at three Tuesday night

The area is no stranger to drug-related violence.

The lull in Plainfield's gun violence was broken Tuesday evening as three individuals are reported having been shot at in the 1000-block of West 3rd Street.

The block is in the area of a longtime Plainfield drug dealing 'hot spot', West 3rd Street and Monroe Avenue.

Details as they emerge.

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-- Dan Damon [follow]

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Would-be burglar discovered frozen to death

Body of would-be metal thief was found in a vacant North Avenue industrial building (Google  maps).

A would-be copper thief was found frozen to death in a vacant Plainfield industrial building I learned Monday evening.

I was told that a male who had apparently fallen from a ladder while trying to strip copper wiring from the vacant Howell Electric Motor building on North Avenue near Johnston Avenue was found dead yesterday, presumably from hypothermia.

This is the building that my PSE&G meter reader told me a few weeks ago he had found open on his rounds and discovered metal thieves at work. He notified the police and I am told arrests were made.

Copper, which has increased in price about 50% over the last year, is fetching around $4.50 per pound, making it quite attractive to both those who are 'professional' metal thieves and others who may engage in such theft casually out of economic circumstances (for a news story on copper theft running today, see here).

There have been reports over the past year or two of such thefts, mostly from vacant and foreclosed homes, scattered around Plainfield, but industrial buildings offer richer pickings.

Will post more about this hapless would-be thief as details emerge.

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-- Dan Damon [follow]

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BREAKING: Two shot in Plainfield early Saturday

Plainfield started off the weekend with two Hispanic males being shot near West Front and Central Avenue just after 4:00 AM.

I am told one was hit twice, in the back and abdomen; the other was shot in the hand.

Gun violence involving Hispanics has been relatively rare until recently, and I am told is associated with turf wars between the MS-13 and Latin Kings gangs.

More as info develops.

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-- Dan Damon [follow]

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Plainfield gang warfare moving to 'collateral damage'?

Tags in investigation of bullet holes in vehicle.

 

Is Plainfield 's gang warfare moving to 'collateral damage'** -- attacks aimed at targets other than gang member themselves?

Could be.

While the City Council wrestled with filling a vacant seat, rejiggering the layoff plan and other business on Tuesday evening, it appears the gangs spread their violence to a quiet corner of the Second Ward.

In an early morning email on Wednesday, I was told of 5-7 gunshots reported around 8:45 PM on Tuesday, in the Watchung/Carlton/Cedarbrook Road neighborhood.

Two cars were hit on Carlton Avenue and, I am told, the house of the parents of a gang member was shot at.

This was confirmed by other residents later.

In addition, got word that the home of a well-known 4th Ward figure was shot up by gang members.

How can the police ever cope if they not only have to shadow gang members, but worry about extended family members' homes, and attacks on property?

Where is the so-called 'plan' Mayor Robinson-Briggs told Gov. Christie at the Frontiers breakfast that her administration is working on (see here)?

Meanwhile, I am told that Public Safety Director Hellwig is on an unnanounced and unexplained leave as of today, and that Capt. (and former police chief) Edward Santiago is in charge of the Police Division.

Nothing but drama with Robinson-Briggs.


**'Collateral damage' is military language for unintended casualties or civilian property damage as the result of a military operation.

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• Courier:  "Christie in surprise visit to Plainfield in wake of 2nd homicide"
  

-- Dan Damon [follow]

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BREAKING: Third homicide of 2011 reported

UPDATE MONDAY PM: Am now told the victim was a roomer in an illegal boardinghouse, and that friends persuaded the police to break in after he was not seen or heard from for two days. 

Plainfield's third homicide of 2011 is being reported late Sunday evening. I am told the body of an Hispanic male was found in a house at 316 East Front Street. His throat had been slashed, I am told.

This follows the killing of 16-year-old Shawne Lovely on John Street overnight Saturday, as well as a shooting on Berckman Street at the railroad underpass.

The Courier has a story up about tonight's discovery (see here).

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• Courier:  "Plainfield authorities investigate third homicide of 2011" 
  

-- Dan Damon [follow]

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UPDATE: Details on 2nd homicide of 2011

UPDATE SUNDAY EVENING: The Courier has posted a story identifying the victim as Shawne Lovely of Plainfield Avenue, with further details (see here). Plainfield witnessed two shootings overnight Saturday of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend, one of them the second homicide of 2011 in as many weeks.

A 16-year-old male was shot multiple times on John Street just after midnight. He was pronounced dead at RWJ Medical Center after being transported there.

This follows the shooting of another male on Berckman Street in the East End around 9:30 PM Saturday evening.

Don't know condition of victims or if the two shootings are related.

More as information becomes available.

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-- Dan Damon [follow]

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BREAKING: Man stabbed in head Sunday evening

 

Plainfield's violent weekend continues with report of a man stabbed in the head in the 400-block of West Front Street about 6:00 PM Sunday evening.

More when more info available.

UPDATE: Told police ID'ed and apprehended suspect later same evening. Good police work!

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-- Dan Damon [follow]

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UPDATED: Two shot in Plainfield overnight Saturday, one now a homicide

Got word of two Plainfield shootings overnight Saturday.

First, at approximately 1:44 AM near 310 West Front Street. Single victim, two gunshot wounds, one to chest. CPR performed while awaiting EMTs. 'Doesn't look good'. Site is in vicinity of El Palacio bar and across street from Pueblo Viejo, both of which have had prior incidents. [UPDATE, 11:15 AM: Victim died, is first homicide of Union County in 2011. See breaking Ledger story here.]

Second shooting at approximately 2:40 AM in 400-block of West Seventh Street. Hispanic male, gunshot to leg.

Not known if two incidents are related.

More as news becomes available.

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-- Dan Damon [follow]

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