A Newark man was charged today with committing two armed carjackings in Newark and North Bergen, New Jersey, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.

Nifees Ingram, 32, was charged in two complaints with the carjackings and with using a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. He made his initial appearance this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge James B. Clark III in Newark federal court.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

On March 4, 2018, Ingram contacted the owners of a 2005 Ford Mustang who had advertised the car for sale on Facebook. Ingram lured the sellers to a location in Newark, ostensibly to purchase the car. When the victims arrived at the location to sell the car, Ingram got into the driver’s seat and began to drive away with one of the victims still in the car. After he drove some distance away, Ingram showed the victim a handgun, and ordered the victim to get out of the car. Ingram then drove away in the car, which was later recovered in Newark.

On March 12, 2018, Ingram went to a residence in North Bergen, New Jersey, under the pretense of being a potential buyer for a 2007 Audi Q7 that the victim had posted for sale on Facebook. Ingram lured the victim from the home and asked the victim if he could take the vehicle for a test drive. Once in the car with the victim, Ingram displayed a handgun and refused to let the victim leave the car. Ingram then drove the victim from North Bergen to Newark and forced the victim to leave behind his cell phone and get out of the car. Ingram then fled with the car, which was later recovered in Newark.

The carjacking charges each carry a maximum of 15 years in prison, and the firearms charge carries a statutory mandatory minimum of 5 years in prison, consecutive to any other sentence imposed, and a statutory maximum term of life in prison.

The charge and allegations in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Bradley W. Cohen; the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Esther Suarez; the North Bergen Police Department, under the direction of Chief William Dowd, and the Newark Department of Public Safety, under the direction of Anthony Ambrose, with the investigation leading to the charge.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Desiree Grace Latzer of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Violent Crimes Unit in Newark.

Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez released the following information:

On Wednesday, March 21, 2018, at approximately 4:30 p.m., the North Bergen Police Department received reports of a possible working fire on 43rd Street and Grand Avenue in North Bergen. Responding Police Officers found a residential building on fire at 1502 43rd Street. Firefighters from the North Hudson Regional Fire Department were engaging the fire.

After firefighters extinguished the fire, first responders entered the structure and located the lifeless body of a female on the second floor. The woman, later identified as Kimberly Henson, age 57, a resident of the building, was pronounced dead at the scene at approximately 5:45 p.m. A dog, believed to be owned by the deceased, was also found dead on the second floor.

All other occupants of the residence were safely evacuated. Approximately 12 individuals were displaced by this fire.

Two firefighters with the North Hudson Regional Fire Department were injured in the fire. They were transported by Emergency Medical Services to Palisades Medical Center where they were treated for minor injuries and released.

Members of the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Homicide Unit are investigating the fatality and the origin and cause of the fire, with assistance from the North Bergen Police Department, the North Hudson Regional Fire Department and the New Jersey State Division of Fire Safety.

Based on the preliminary investigation, it appears that the fire may have started in a first floor apartment. At this time, the fire does not appear to be suspicious and no arrests have been made.

The investigation into the origin and cause of the fire is ongoing and anyone with additional information is asked to contact the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Homicide Unit at 201-915-1345.

Just as the most recent nor’easter began lashing the area with high winds and heavy snow, firefighters were called to the Woodcliff Treatment Plant on River Road to extinguish a four-alarm fire. The fire was apparently started accidentally by contractors engaging in renovations at the site at about 9 a.m.

When the workers were unable to extinguish the fire themselves they called in the fire department. North Hudson Regional Fire and Rescue had to deal with both smoke and blinding snow conditions but were able to get the fire under control within about two hours, with mutual aid on site from Jersey City, Bayonne, Hoboken, and other locales.

Residents in neighboring communities were initially advised to keep their windows closed due to the smoke. Jersey City provided hazmat units to monitor the air and officials advised that no hazardous materials were involved in the incident.

The fire was contained to the building where it began, with firefighters successfully keeping it from impacting neighboring buildings which power the plant.

NORTH BERGEN TOWNSHIP PRESS RELEASE

On Tuesday, March 13, 2018, at approximately 7:05 p.m., the North Bergen Police Department received a report of a man brandishing a gun while driving a motor vehicle in the area of 45th Street and Tonnelle Avenue. The vehicle was immediately identified as being stolen out of Jersey City earlier that day.

Responding North Bergen police officers observed a vehicle matching the reported description. One of the officers was able to stop the vehicle on 46th Street and a female passenger immediately exited from the front-passenger door of the vehicle. The driver shot himself as the officer approached the vehicle.

The driver was later identified as Joshua Nunez, age 24, with a last known address in Jersey City. Nunez also used the name Frank Hernandez. He was found inside the vehicle with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound to his head and a gun was recovered from inside the vehicle. Nunez was pronounced dead at the scene at approximately 7:25 p.m.

The female passenger, who investigators believe may have been taken under duress, was treated for non-life threatening injuries at the scene.

The North Bergen officer involved with this incident was uninjured, but was transported to the hospital for evaluation, in accordance with departmental policy. He was treated and released.

The Prosecutor’s Homicide Unit is actively investigating this case with assistance from the North Bergen Police Department. It appears at this time that this death is the result of a suicide, however the determination is still pending the final report of the Regional Medical Examiner’s Office.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Office of the Hudson County Prosecutor at 201-915-1345 or to leave an anonymous tip on the Hudson County Prosecutor’s official website at: http://www.hudsoncountyprosecutorsofficenj.org/homicide-tip/ .

All information will be kept confidential.

Sources say a man was shot on 46th St. between Liberty & Grand. The North Bergen Police could not comment at the moment. We will update when we have more information.

Firefighters were called to battle a blaze at 1200-1220 26th St. on Friday, March 2. By 2 p.m. it had grown to a 5-alarm fire in the 12-unit Applied Housing residential apartment complex.

Applied Housing employees helped rescue and guide residents to safety. One of Applied Housing’s senior vice presidents was treated for smoke inhalation while assisting at the scene.

Firefighters from North Hudson Regional Fire and Rescue found themselves battling difficult weather conditions in addition to the blaze itself. High winds buffeted the area and heavy smoke filled the street, while water that was sprayed at the fire appeared to quickly turn to ice.

The fire started half a block from Kennedy Boulevard, across from Union City High School. North Bergen police and OEM were among the first responders, along with representatives from Union City, Jersey City, Hoboken, and the Hudson County Sheriff’s Office.

NB C.A.R.E.S. is said to be “working hard to assist any displaced families.”

“We will be working with American Red Cross and NB CARES to get any families affected into hotels and get them the supplies needed.,” says Mayor Nicholas Sacco who was at the scene. “All students will be brought to a reunification location for parent pick up. Lunch was ordered for the residents while North Bergen Police Department secure the area and North Hudson Regional Fire & Rescue battle the fire.”