TEANECK, NJ — A 17-year-old juvenile has been charged with bias intimidation and weapons offenses following a gel pellet gun shooting incident.
Deputy Chief Seth B. Kriegel announced the arrest of the juvenile male in connection with a bias-related assault that occurred in the township.
On Sunday, March 8, at approximately 6:10 p.m., Teaneck police officers responded to the area of 641 West Englewood Avenue on a report that a male had been shot with a gel pellet gun, commonly referred to as an “Orbeez-style” gun.
These toy-style devices use a spring-loaded or battery-powered electric mechanism to propel small water-absorbing gel beads through a barrel using compressed air.
While often marketed as toys, these devices are capable of causing injury, particularly when fired at the face or exposed skin.
Upon arrival, officers met with the victim, a 19-year-old Teaneck resident, who reported that at approximately 6 p.m., he had been walking nearby on Ogden Avenue when a black sedan pulled up near him.
An occupant of the vehicle asked the victim whether he supported Israel or Palestine.
The victim stated that he did not respond and continued walking.
According to the victim, the vehicle was reportedly occupied by three males.
One of the occupants then said something in what the victim believed to be Arabic before firing a gel pellet gun and striking him.
The vehicle subsequently fled the area.
The victim attempted to follow the vehicle to determine the direction it had traveled but eventually lost sight of it and returned to his residence briefly.
A short time later, as he walked back toward the area, the same vehicle was observed traveling on Jefferson Street.
The vehicle stopped at the corner and an occupant yelled for the victim to come over.
When he again did not respond and began recording with his cellular phone, a male leaning out of the open passenger-side window fired numerous gel pellets at him as the vehicle drove eastbound on Ogden Avenue, striking him approximately 10 times in the upper torso.
The victim reported that he was not injured.
Officers responding to the scene observed small orange gel beads on the ground, consistent with ammunition used in gel pellet guns.
The victim advised officers that he believed he was targeted due to his religious background.
In addition to the statements made to him by the actors, at the time of the incident, he was wearing visible religious garments.
The victim was able to capture part of the vehicle’s license plate on video during the second encounter.
Detectives immediately began investigating this incident and utilized Automated License Plate Reader cameras in the area to identify the suspect vehicle.
ALPR imagery also captured an occupant holding what appeared to be a gel pellet gun from the vehicle window.
Shortly after detectives arrived at the registered owner’s residence, the vehicle was located and stopped.
A juvenile male, age 17, was operating the vehicle.
As a result of the preliminary investigation conducted, the juvenile was taken into custody and his parents were notified.
A search of the juvenile’s vehicle was conducted, and detectives located and seized one gel pellet gun, one water gun, and a container filled with gel pellets.
As a result of the investigation, the juvenile was charged on a juvenile delinquency complaint with simple assault, conspiracy, two counts of bias intimidation and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose.
The juvenile was subsequently remanded to the Bergen County Juvenile Detention Center.
This investigation remains ongoing and detectives are endeavoring to identify the other involved individuals.
Anyone with information about this or other investigations is urged to contact the Teaneck Police Department at 201-837-2600 or Crime Stoppers.
Tips can be made anonymously and confidentially on the group’s website at www.bergencrimestoppers.org or by calling 844-466-6789, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Crime Stoppers pays cash rewards for tips that lead to an arrest.
