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Oakland Man Charged With Sexual Assault of Child Under 13

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Oakland Man Charged With Sexual Assault of Child Under 13

Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella announced the arrest of 39-year-old Victor G. Sayas of Oakland, NJ on charges of sexual assault and endangering the welfare of a child.

Investigation

On Monday, September 7, the Oakland Police Department contacted the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victims Unit regarding an alleged sexual assault. The investigation, conducted by the BCPO under the direction of Chief Jeff Angermeyer and the Oakland Police Department under Officer-In-Charge Stephen Broek, revealed that Sayas sexually assaulted a female victim under the age of thirteen in Oakland.

Arrest and Charges

Sayas was arrested on Wednesday, September 9, in Oakland and charged with:

  • First-degree aggravated sexual assault (N.J.S.A. 2C:14-2a(1))
  • Second-degree sexual assault (N.J.S.A. 2C:14-2b)
  • Third-degree endangering the welfare of a child (N.J.S.A. 2C:24-4a(1))

Sayas was remanded to the Bergen County Jail pending a first appearance in Bergen County Superior Court in Hackensack.

All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Bergen County to Unveil Twin Towers Steel at 9/11 Memorial Rededication

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Bergen County to Unveil Twin Towers Steel at 9/11 Memorial Rededication

Bergen County will rededicate its 9/11 memorial with the unveiling of steel from the Twin Towers during the county’s annual ceremony marking the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks.

Bergen County Executive James J. Tedesco III and the Bergen County Board of Commissioners will host the event on Friday, September 11 at 3:30 p.m. at the Bergen County 9/11 Monument in Overpeck County Park.

Event Details

The ceremony serves as the county’s official observance of the anniversary. County officials will unveil the recovered steel as part of the rededication of the existing monument.

Information about the ceremony was provided in a press release issued by Bergen County Government.

Equinix Data Center Spills 5,500 Gallons of Diesel Into Meadowlands Creek — Advocates Call for Statewide Ban

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Equinix Data Center Spills 5,500 Gallons of Diesel Into Meadowlands Creek — Advocates Call for Statewide Ban

An Equinix data center in Secaucus spilled at least 5,500 gallons of No. 2 diesel fuel into Anderson Creek, a tidal tributary of the Hackensack River, over the weekend, according to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.

The spill at the Equinix NY4 facility was reported on Saturday, September 14. The fuel leaked from a storage tank at the site, which operates 18 diesel generators rated at 2.5 megawatts each for backup power.

Anderson Creek is a 52-acre tidal wetland that has been classified as a candidate restoration site. The creek has been monitored since 1993 by the Meadowlands Research and Restoration Institute, providing baseline data for contamination assessment.

Cleanup Underway

NJDEP spokesperson Larry Hajna confirmed that contractors were removing oil and water from the creek, with work continuing into the coming week. The creek is small and narrow in the area of the spill, and authorities say the fuel was contained before it reached the Hackensack River.

Environmental experts warn that diesel fuel contains toxic petroleum compounds that can harm fish, shellfish, insects, and aquatic organisms. Native marsh cordgrass — critical for sediment stabilization and wetland function — faces potential injury depending on exposure duration and soil penetration.

Calls for Statewide Data Center Ban

The spill has intensified calls from environmental advocates for a statewide moratorium on data centers.

“This is what happens when the data center industry is allowed to operate without any rules, and new ones are popping up all over New Jersey,” said Ben Dziobek, Executive Director of the Climate Revolution Action Network (CRAN).

Nearly 100 New Jersey municipalities have already banned data centers this year. Last month, the DataOne data center in Vineland was found operating at least 45 unpermitted gas generators.

Advocates argue that individual municipal bans are insufficient and that a statewide moratorium is necessary to address environmental and public health concerns that extend beyond municipal borders.

Equinix has not yet issued a public statement on the spill. Bergen TV has reached out for comment.

Runners Forced Through Waist-High Floodwaters During Bergen County Half Marathon

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Runners Forced Through Waist-High Floodwaters During Bergen County Half Marathon

Race organizers are facing intense criticism from participants and safety experts after runners were forced to wade through waist-high floodwaters during the Racefaster Half Marathon on Sunday morning, September 13.

Photos and videos shared on social media showed runners navigating flooded sections of the course in Bergen County, with water reaching above their waists in some areas.

Participants say they were not warned about the conditions before the race began, and that no alternative routes were offered once flooding became apparent along the course.

“I signed up for a half marathon, not a swim,” one runner posted on social media. Others questioned why the race was not called off or rerouted given the dangerous conditions.

Safety Concerns

Running safety experts say floodwaters pose serious risks to runners, including hidden obstacles, contaminated water, and the potential for hypothermia in cooler temperatures.

The flooding came after heavy rain hit parts of Bergen County over the weekend. On the New Jersey Turnpike/I-95 near Teaneck, lanes were also flooded during the same weather event.

Race organizers have not yet issued a public statement addressing the criticism. Bergen TV has reached out for comment.

Hackensack Appoints Toney Jackson as City’s First Poet Laureate

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Hackensack Appoints Toney Jackson as City’s First Poet Laureate

The City of Hackensack has appointed educator and spoken word artist Toney Jackson as its first-ever Poet Laureate, the Mayor and City Council announced.

The appointment, which was approved by unanimous vote, recognizes Jackson’s decades of artistic leadership and dedication to uplifting the community through the arts.

Jackson is a veteran educator, author, and spoken word artist who has long been a fixture in Hackensack’s cultural life. As Poet Laureate, he will serve as a public ambassador for poetry and the literary arts, participating in civic events and promoting creative expression across the city.

“This appointment recognizes decades of artistic leadership and a lifelong dedication to uplifting the community through the arts,” city officials said in a statement.

The Poet Laureate position is a ceremonial role that has been adopted by municipalities across the country to elevate the role of poetry in public life.

Hackensack joins a growing list of New Jersey cities that have established the position, including Newark, Jersey City, and Paterson.

Four Bergen County Residents Charged in Major Drug Trafficking Ring — 57 Kilograms of Cocaine, $520K Cash Seized

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Four Bergen County Residents Charged in Major Drug Trafficking Ring — 57 Kilograms of Cocaine, $520K Cash Seized

Four Bergen County residents have been charged for their alleged roles in a large-scale drug trafficking operation that spanned New Jersey and New York, according to the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office.

Kwang Joo, 40, of Palisades Park; Hannah Oh, 29, of Palisades Park; Sung Sohn, 45, of Englewood Cliffs; and Benjamin Oser, 41, of Fort Lee were arrested following a months-long investigation that ran from April through August 2026.

All four face first-degree conspiracy charges for allegedly distributing cocaine, ketamine, MDMA (ecstasy), Adderall, Xanax, psilocybin, tusi (“pink cocaine”), oxycodone, and marijuana.

What Was Seized

The investigation yielded a massive haul of drugs, cash, and weapons:

  • $520,000 in cash
  • 57 kilograms of cocaine
  • 1 kilogram of ketamine
  • 250 grams of tusi
  • 880 grams of MDMA
  • 1,675 grams of psilocybin mushrooms
  • 38,337 Adderall pills
  • 332 Xanax pills
  • 42 oxycodone pills
  • 2 handguns, 1 rifle, and large-capacity ammunition magazines

Agencies Involved

The operation was a coordinated effort between the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office, the Division of Criminal Justice, the New Jersey State Police, the DEA New York Task Force Division, the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office, and local police departments in Irvington and East Rutherford.

“Drug trafficking is not just a criminal enterprise — it is a direct engine of violence,” said Acting State Police Superintendent Jeanne Hengemuhle.

Joo faces the most serious charges as the alleged organizer of the conspiracy.

All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.