Clifton PD Nabs Fugitive Sought By US Marshals

CLIFTON, NJ – A fugitive sought by the U.S. Marshals led police on two separate foot chases in Clifton before he was captured and arrested, according to authorities.

Around 1:30 p.m. on Sept. 12, police responded to the La Quinta Hotel after receiving a report of a suspicious man and woman trying to book a room using possibly stolen credit cards, Clifton Police Detective Lt. Robert Bracken said

When officers arrived, the woman, Paige Leah Rosado had left, but they spoke with the remaining man, 32-year-old Vincent Winfield of New York, who was seated in front of the hotel with luggage and a dog, the lieutenant said.

After further investigation, police began to suspect he was an individual currently sought by the U.S. Marshall’s Office. When officers tried to check his arm for a matching tattoo, the man fled on foot, leaving behind his dog and belongings, Bracken said.

A foot chase ensued away from the hotel and through a neighborhood off River Road, where the man jumped over a bridge railing and down into a condominium complex, Bracken said.

Officers searched the area, but he was unable to be located, Bracken said. However, an hour later, police spotted a man walking near a wooded area along Route 3 that matched the description of the man who ran off, he said.

A second foot pursuit began, but detectives were able to capture him, Bracken said.

While at headquarters, officers retrieved the following items from the men’s luggage: a 9mm blank pistol, one pound of crystal meth, GHB, over 20 stolen credit cards, a ski mask, handcuffs, a ledger containing the stolen identities of over one hundred people from throughout the country, and a significant amount of cash.

Winfield now faces charges of Being a Fugitive from Justice, Obstruction, Resisting Arrest, Hindering Apprehension, Possession of CDS Crystal Meth with Intent to Distribute, Possession of CDS Crystal Meth with Intent to Distribute within a School Zone, Possession of a Weapon for an Unlawful Purpose, and Certain Person not to Possess Weapons.

The next day, Rosado, a 27-year-old West New York woman, showed up at police headquarters and tried to obtain some of the property she left behind at the hotel, Bracken said.

She was arrested on an outstanding warrant and also charged with the following stemming from the incident at La Quinta: Wrongful Impersonation, Forgery, Credit Card Theft, Fraudulent Use of a Credit Card, Possession of Gamma Hydroxybutyrate, and Possession of CDS Paraphernalia.