Saintil v. Borough of Carteret
| Decision Date | 15 September 2022 |
| Docket Number | Civil Action 17-00433 (FLW) |
| Parties | RONALD SAINTIL, Plaintiff, v. BOROUGH OF CARTERET, BOROUGH OF CARTERET POLICE DEPARTMENT, TOWNSHIP OF HAMILTON, TOWNSHIP OF HAMILTON POLICE DEPARTMENT, ET AL., Defendants. |
| Court | U.S. District Court — District of New Jersey |
NOT FOR PUBLICATION
Plaintiff Ronald Saintil (“Plaintiff”) filed this suit against various municipalities and individual law enforcement officers for alleged violations of his constitutional and civil rights under 42 U.S.C § 1983 and the New Jersey Civil Rights Act (N.J.S.A. 10:6-1 et seq.), and for alleged violations of state tort laws under the New Jersey Tort Claims Act (N.J.S.A. 59:8-1, et seq.), from January 30, 2015 to February 9, 2015, in connection with a homicide investigation that occurred. Pending before the Court are three motions for summary judgment, filed by three separate groups of defendants (collectively “Defendants”): (i) the “Carteret Defendants,” including the Borough of Carteret, the Borough of Carteret Police Department, Carteret Police Chief John Pieczyski, Det. Thomas O'Connor, Det. Lt. Robert Wargocki, and Borough of Carteret Police Officers 1-10; (ii) the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office (or “MCPO”) Defendants, including Sgt. James Napp Det. Gregory Morris, Sgt. Scott Crocco; and MCPO Detectives John Does 110; and (iii) the “Hamilton Defendants,” including the Township of Hamilton, the Township of Hamilton Police Department, Hamilton Police Chief James Collins, Sgt. Kyle Thornton, Sgt. Terry King, Det. Lt. Joseph Mastropolo, Officer Christopher DiMeo Officer Jonathan Woodhead, Officer Christopher Schuster Officer David DeLeon, Officer Chester Embley, Officer David H. Leonard, Officer Mark Horan, Officer Patrick R. Guido, Officer William P. Murphy, Officer James M. Stevens, Officer Sean B. Mattis, Officer Leonard J. Gadsby, and Hamilton Township Police Officers John Does 1-10.
For the reasons set forth below, the Court GRANTS the motions for summary judgment in full. Plaintiff's claims are dismissed.
To resolve these motions for summary judgment, the facts recounted here are largely undisputed. Disputes as to the timing, circumstances, or characterizations of certain events are noted for clarity where necessary and appropriate.
A. The Murder of Anthony Mocci and the Initial Homicide Investigation
On the morning of January 30, 2015, the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office (“MCPO”) and the Carteret Police Department responded to 76 Essex Street in Carteret, New Jersey after having received a call from Adison Trigueno explaining that he had discovered his employer, Anthony Mocci, unresponsive at the location. ECF No. 116-1, Carteret Defendants' Statement of Material Facts (“Carteret Facts”) ¶ 1. When law enforcement arrived, Mocci was found face down in a pool of blood and pronounced dead at the scene. ECF No. 122-2, MCPO Defendants' Statement of Material Facts (“MCPO Facts”) ¶ 2. A murder investigation ensued in which Det. Andreea Capraru (formerly “Zebib”) served as the lead investigator from the MCPO, with the assistance of Det. Greg Morris, and Det. Thomas O'Connor, who served as the lead investigator for the Borough of Carteret. MCPO Sgt. Scott Crocco supervised the investigation. Carteret Facts ¶ 3.
That same day, the investigative team conducted interviews of certain individuals deemed to have potentially relevant information, including Adison Trigueno, Jacklyn Cruz, Ronald Ozechowski, and Lisa Mocci. Carteret Facts ¶ 4. Adison Trigueno, who had been employed by Mocci, gave a formal statement to Det. Zebib and Det. O'Connor at the Carteret Police Department, which stated, among other things, that Mocci owed money to a man named Ronald (later confirmed to be Ronald Saintil by the detectives) who had previously worked for him. Id. ¶¶ 7-8. Trigueno explained that any relationship between the two had soured, and that Mocci had once mentioned that if Ronald showed up to his house he would “leave in a body bag.” Id.; MCPO Facts ¶ 6, Ex. E. Trigueno further stated that Ronald was Haitian, provided the detectives with his phone number, and stated that he drove a black Jeep Cherokee. Carteret Facts ¶ 8-10; MCPO Facts ¶ 7, Ex. E. Jacklyn Cruz, who lived next door to the crime scene and a tenant of Mocci, told the detectives in an interview that the previous evening, January 29, she noticed a black SUV that looked like a Jeep Cherokee on Essex Street near the address at which Mocci's body was found. Carteret Facts ¶ 5; MCPO Facts ¶ 4.
Around 5:00 p.m., the detectives conducted a motor vehicle records check, which confirmed that a 1999 black Jeep Grand Cherokee was registered to Ronald Saintil. Carteret Facts ¶ 12; MCPO Facts ¶ 8. With this information, Saintil became a person of interest in the homicide investigation, and the investigative team, including Sgt. Crocco, Det. Zebib, Det. Morris, Det. O'Connor, and Lt. Wargocki, drove to Saintil's residence in Hamilton Township to conduct an interview. Carteret Facts ¶ 13; MCPO Facts ¶ 9. B. Saintil's Arrest and the Search of His Residence
i. Law Enforcement's Initial Attempt to Interview Saintil
At approximately 7:30 p.m., on January 30, 2015, the Carteret and MCPO detectives arrived at Plaintiff's residence. Carteret Facts ¶ 14. The Hamilton Police Department had been informed of the investigation and potential interview, and Hamilton officers arrived at Plaintiff's residence around the same time as the detectives. MCPO Facts ¶ 10. At some point shortly after law enforcement arrived at the residence, all of the lights inside the residence were turned off. Carteret Facts ¶ 16; MCPO Facts ¶ 11. A 1999 black Jeep Grand Cherokee was parked outside. Carteret Facts ¶ 15. Sgt. Crocco knocked on the front door of the residence[1] and at least one officer announced the presence of law enforcement. Carteret Facts ¶ 17, 18. Looking out his window, Plaintiff saw several men outside the front door,[2] but did not answer. Pl Facts ¶ 32. At 7:35 p.m., Sgt. Crocco attempted to make contact with Plaintiff by calling his cell phone, but likewise received no answer. Carteret Facts ¶ 27.
After receiving no response to the initial knock, Det. O'Connor and Lt. Wargocki walked to the back of residence. Carteret Facts ¶ 20; MCPO Facts ¶ 12. Having heard voices toward the rear of his apartment, Plaintiff proceeded to his bedroom window and observed Det. O'Connor outside the window. Pl. Facts ¶ 34. Det. O'Connor similarly observed Plaintiff at the window before Plaintiff ultimately retreated into the living room area of the apartment. Carteret Facts ¶ 23; MCPO Facts ¶ 14.
The parties' version of events of what took place at Plaintiff's back window differ. Plaintiff maintains that he merely looked through the window shade, that the window remained shut and locked, and that he never made any attempt to escape. Pl. Facts ¶¶ 34-35. On the other hand, Det. O'Connor claims to have seen Plaintiff with his hands and body positioned in a way that would indicate an effort to push out the window, which he believed evidenced a potential escape effort. Carteret Facts ¶ 22; MCPO Facts ¶ 16.
Immediately following this encounter, Det. O'Connor informed officers in the front of the residence, including Sgt. Crocco, that he had seen a black male seemingly attempt to exit the apartment through the back window, before returning to the apartment's interior. Carteret Facts ¶ 22; MCPO Facts ¶¶ 15, 17. Officers had also heard Det. O'Connor yelling at someone in the back of the residence. MCPO Facts ¶ 13. Once back in his living room, phone records indicate that Plaintiff placed or received seven phone calls from his cellphone between 8:21 p.m. and 9:29 p.m. Carteret Facts ¶ 28. Plaintiff remained unresponsive to the law enforcement officers' efforts to speak with him.
ii. Sgt. Crocco Obtains Telephonic Warrant
At approximately 8:28 p.m., Sgt. Crocco called the Court Smart Phone Line to apply for a warrant to search Plaintiff's residence. Pl. Facts ¶ 37; Certification of David A Schwartz (“Schwartz Cert.”), Ex. 16. Present on the line with Sgt. Crocco were Middlesex County Superior Court Judge John Jorgensen and Middlesex County Assistant Prosecutor Scott LaMountain, who is not named as a defendant in this suit. Id. Prior to the call, Sgt. Crocco had communicated with LaMountain about the homicide investigation, evidence gathered up to that point, and the situation at Plaintiff's residence. MCPO Facts ¶ 18; McGuire Decl. Ex. A at 5. Sgt. Crocco provided sworn testimony in support of the warrant, explaining the context of the homicide investigation and the preceding effort to make contact with Plaintiff. Sgt. Crocco stated that Carteret Police had responded to 76 Essex Street that morning and discovered a deceased male, identified as Anthony Mocci. See Schwartz Cert. Ex. 16. He further explained that police had spoken to one of Mocci's employees, Adison Trigueno, who had found Mocci unresponsive at the residence. Id. Sgt. Crocco testified that Trigueno had given a sworn statement in which Trigueno said that the victim had an “ongoing dispute with an individual by the name of Ronald who had a heavy Haitian accent,” and who was later identified as Ronald Saintil. Id. Sgt. Crocco further stated that law enforcement ascertained from Trigueno and Mocci's wife, Lisa Mocci, that Saintil was a former employee of Mocci who had been “fired 2 months ago.” Id. Sgt. Crocco explained that as part of the “ongoing dispute” between Saintil and Mocci, “in the last several weeks Mr. Ronald Saintil showed up at the victim's residence in Colonia, New Jersey and a verbal argument ensued where death threats were made by both parties.” Id....
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