NJ Cops Covered Up Woman’s Assault By NYPD Captain: Officials

PATERSON, NJ — Three Paterson Police officers have been accused of covering up a domestic violence and kidnapping case that a New York City Police captain was charged in.

Members of the Passaic County Prosecutor's Office Integrity Unit arrested 29-year-old Juan Cruz-Fernandez, 42-year-old Giuseppe Ciarla, and 34-year-old Jason Schmid on Monday in Totowa, officials said. All three have been suspended without pay from the Paterson Police Department, Patch confirmed Tuesday.

Cruz-Fernandez, Ciarla, and Schmid been charged with failing to properly investigate Hariton Marachilian, an NYPD captain, upon finding a woman with "visible injuries to her face" during a domestic assault call. Officials said Marachilian seriously injured the woman after he kidnapped and assaulted her in December of 2022.

Cruz-Fernandez and Ciarla, of Paterson, and Schmid, of Vernon, face second-degree charges of official misconduct, conspiracy to commit official misconduct, and hindering the apprehension of another.

Cruz-Fernandez also faces a third-degree charge of tampering with public records or information, Prosecutor Camelia Valdes said Monday.

According to Valdes, the three officers were dispatched to a reported domestic assault on Dec. 10, 2022 at approximately 3:05 a.m. They arrived to find the woman injured and spoke to Marachilian, who identified himself as an NYPD captain, Valdes said.

Officials said Cruz-Fernandez, Ciarla, and Schmid did not collect any physical evidence, "did not sufficiently investigate how the victim obtained her injuries, and did not treat or obtain treatment for the victim’s injuries."

"Marachilian was permitted to drive away from the scene by the officers and was not charged with any domestic violence offenses at the time," Valdes said.

In their report, the officers wrote that "there was no evidence of domestic violence" and "both parties said there was no dating relationship," the prosecutor said — even though Marachilian stated they were in a relationship.

If convicted, Cruz-Fernandez, Ciarla, and Schmid face a maximum sentence of ten years in prison on the second-degree charges and five years on the third-degree charges. They were scheduled for initial court appearances Monday.

Officials charged Marachilian last December, almost a year after the reported assault happened, after identifying him "as the actor who kidnapped and assaulted a female victim causing her to sustain serious injuries," the prosecutor said.

A Passaic County grand jury indicted Marachilian in February on charges of first-degree kidnapping, second-degree aggravated assault (two counts), third-degree criminal restraint, and fourth-degree criminal coercion.

Marachilian and the woman were reportedly having an affair, and began fighting after a dinner with friends. According to NorthJersey.com, the woman said Marachilian chased her when she tried to run away from him, picked her up, and "slammed her into the ground."

Prosecutors said that witnesses who called 911 "feared the woman would be killed," the report said.

According to NYPD records, Marchilian joined the force in 2004, rising up the ranks before being named captain in 2019. A spokesperson for the department told Patch he’d been suspended without pay as of Dec. 7, 2023.

Officials ask anyone with additional information on the case to contact their tips line at 1-877-370-PCPO or email tips@passaiccountynj.org.

The alleged assault and misconduct took place before Attorney General Matthew Platkin's office took control of the Paterson Police Department in March of 2023. Six Paterson officers have also pleaded guilty in a long-running federal corruption probe in recent years.

Related articles —

• NYPD Captain Kidnapped, Assaulted Victim In Passaic County: Officials
• NYPD Cop Remains Jailed In Passaic Co. On Assault Charges: Report