Man Called, Threatened Bergen Businesses On Nationwide Trip: Cops

A man traveling around the country who targeted Bergen County officials and businesses owners on the phone was charged with making terroristic threats, Bergen County Prosecutor Dennis Calo announced.

Steve Ortiz, 44, of Union City was charged with bias intimidation, terroristic threats, false public alarm, and stalking, said acting Bergen County Prosecutor Dennis Calo.

Members of the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office Cyber Crimes Unit investigated a pattern of phone calls where the caller threatened violence to government officials and a private business in Edgewater from December 2018 to February 2019, Calo said.

The caller referenced people of Jewish and African-American descent. Authorities said Ortiz used technology to hide his phone number and placed similar calls to other towns as well, including River Edge and West New York, Calo said.

Authorities traced similar calls Ortiz made to New York, New Mexico, and North Carolina, Calo said. Ortiz was traveling across the country and made 25 calls to victims in and around Bergen County between December 2018 and February, Calo said.

Ortiz was found in Nassau County in New York and taken into custody. He was extradited from New York to the Bergen County Jail where he is being held pending his first court appearance and detention hearing.

Email: daniel.hubbard@patch.com