Denville Police made five arrests during motor vehicle stops between Aug. 8 and Aug. 19, according to a department press release. Three cases involved suspected drunken driving, one turned up an outstanding warrant and one ended with a third-degree eluding charge.
The first stop came Aug. 8 at about 10:56 p.m. on Route 53 South near Fox Hill Road, where an officer pulled over a car drifting out of its lane. Police identified the driver as James Elsman and determined he was driving while intoxicated. He was issued summonses for driving under the influence, careless driving, reckless driving and failure to maintain a lane, then released pending a date in Denville Municipal Court.
On Aug. 12 at about 5 p.m., officers stopped a vehicle after seeing a front-seat passenger without a seat belt. Police said the passenger, Juan Torres Rivera, was wanted on a no-bail warrant out of the Essex County Sheriff’s Office. He was taken to the Morris County Correctional Facility and cited for the seat belt violation and for an open container of alcohol.
Two more impaired driving arrests followed that week. Officers stopped Blanca Kaye on Route 53 at about 11:34 p.m. Aug. 13, and Zarko Tamburin on Route 10 West at about 1:27 a.m. Aug. 14. Both were arrested on suspicion of driving while intoxicated and released pending court appearances. Tamburin also received summonses for an open container and for refusing a chemical test.
The last case began Aug. 18 at about 10:57 p.m. on East Main Street. Police said the driver, Christopher Cox, handed over a New York license but would not produce vehicle paperwork, then drove off. Officers already had his license and knew his identity, so no pursuit was started. The department’s Detective Bureau located Cox the next day. He was charged with eluding law enforcement officers, a third-degree offense, cited for nine motor vehicle violations and lodged in the county jail pending an appearance in Morris County Superior Court.
The department reported a similar run of four arrests from traffic stops in late July and logged 2,964 calls for service that month. Denville Police also post traffic safety guidance for local drivers.
Charges are merely accusations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
