Officers Who Saved Alleged Arsonist From Fire, Responded to Jewelry Heist to be Honored by Council

The officers who may have saved the life of a man accused of setting fire to his own house in early April, as well as the officers who responded to a bold midday bank heist in Wyckoff, will be honored by the Village Council at an upcoming ceremony, Mayor Keith Killion confirmed to Patch.

Two groups of officers will be up for awards at the council meeting, Ridgewood Police Chief John Ward said on Tuesday. Officers from Wyckoff and Glen Rock will be honored along with the six Ridgewood police who had taken down alleged robbers that had hit up Hartgers Jewelry store in Wyckoff. The three police officers who may have saved the life of an alleged arsonist on Garfield Place that sent two RPD patrolmen to the hospital are also up for a unit citation award, as well as a "lifesaving award."

Patrolmen Rosario Vacarella, Paul Dinice and Patrick Elwood were the on April 2 where Prosecutor John L. Molinelli said officers rushed into a bedroom and found a man unconscious with burns and smoke inhalation.

Officers Elwood and Vacarella grabbed the individual, 49-year-old Kenneth J. Novey, from the wood-framed Garfield Place home and pulled him out of the window. Both officers were treated at Valley Hospital for smoke inhalation and quickly returned to work.

Novey has since been charged with two counts of arson for allegedly splashing gasoline in the basement and lighting a fire to his own home. Jail records show Novey is still in the county jail.

Molinelli has not responded to multiple requests for updates on the case.

The council, Killion said, is also expected to honor the Ridgewood officers involved in the takedown of five men accused of a committing that ended in a high speed pursuit, injured police officers and authorities scouring bushes for hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of jewelry.

"After reviewing the reports and speaking with everybody, the officers did an excellent job coordinating measures," Ward said. "Officers were placed in strategic locations, along with officers from other towns, ultimately led to the arrests of the suspects without injury to the public or the suspects."

Ptl. Jeffrey Casson, Ptl. Patrick Elwood, Ptl. Jeff Kay Ptl. Michael Lembo, Sgt. Glenn Ender, Sgt. Brian Pullman all responded to the heist, Ward confirmed.

Three Glen Rock officers as well as Wyckoff officers will be honored, the chief told Patch. A unit citation to all involved will be given, and an additional citation for those involved in the takedown.

The dates, according to the mayor, are tentative but may be as soon as the May 11 council meeting.

"It unfolded rapidly, our officers heard it go off in the air when it went off. Sgt. Ender immiedately began to move people into place and they set up an area," Ward said of the tactics in the jewelry heist.

Casson and Lembo were involved in the physical apprehensions of a few suspects on the Wyckoff side of Goffle Road, Ward said.

, a former Ridgewood officer, was off-duty at the time but stopped in traffic and assisted with the apprehension of the fourth suspect fleeing the wooded area off Goffle Road, Ward said. "He also helped locate other suspect that had fled." That suspect was ultimately stopped by officers who found him in the woods just as the K-9 was approaching, Ward said.

"I'm real proud of the guys," Ward said. "It's not always [about] chasing bad guys," he said of the RPD's responsibility to the community.

"A lot of times police officers put themselves in harm's way going to a fire call, going to an accident with wires down. It can be dangerous," he said.

The council is likely to hold the ceremony at the May 11 Village Council Public meeting.