Union County Police Announce Arrests in Three Separate Investigations

The Union County Police Department has announced arrests resulting from three separate investigations involving assaults in a County park, an intentionally set fire at a park facility and the theft of electronic equipment.

Union County Police responded to reports of two separate assaults involving women in Conant Park in Hillside on June 24 and August 1, 2026. The park is located along the eastern side of the Kean University campus.

During one of the incidents, the victim's cellphone was reportedly stolen. Neither victim suffered serious injuries, and the suspect fled before officers arrived in both instances.

Detectives Capra and Rodrigues of the Union County Police Investigations Division were assigned to the cases. Their investigation led to the arrest of 19-year-old Erick Santiago Cabrera-George of Elizabeth.

Cabrera-George was charged with one count of second-degree robbery, two counts of third-degree aggravated assault, one count of third-degree aggravated assault with a weapon, one count of fourth-degree aggravated assault, one count of third-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and one count of fourth-degree unlawful possession of a weapon.

He was processed on the charges and is currently being held in Essex County pending court proceedings.

On September 1, 2026, Union County Police officers conducting a routine security check at Phil Rizzuto Park in Union observed smoke, soot and fire damage inside one of the park's restrooms.

The Union Fire Department, Union County Arson Task Force and New Jersey State Fire Marshal K-9 Unit responded to the scene. Investigators determined that the fire had been intentionally set. The incident caused several thousand dollars in damage to the facility.

Officer Mascitelli of the Union County Police Investigations Division was assigned to the case. The investigation led to the September 15 arrest of 18-year-old Richard Ramos of Elizabeth.

Ramos was charged with one count of second-degree aggravated arson, one count of third-degree arson and one count of third-degree criminal mischief. He was processed at Union County Police Headquarters and is being held at the Essex County Jail pending a first appearance in Union County Superior Court.

On July 22, 2026, Union County Police responded to a report that a large quantity of electronic equipment had been stolen from a property located at 61-99 West Grand Street in Elizabeth.

Officer Gray of the Union County Police Investigations Division was assigned to investigate. The investigation led to the recovery of several thousand dollars' worth of electronic equipment and the September 14 arrest of 32-year-old Nicolas Penagos of Roselle.

Penagos was charged with one count of second-degree dealing in stolen property and one count of second-degree receiving stolen property. He was processed at Union County Police Headquarters and is being held at the Essex County Jail pending a first appearance in Union County Superior Court.

This investigation remains active.

Under New Jersey law, second-degree crimes generally carry a sentencing range of five to 10 years in state prison, third-degree crimes generally carry a sentencing range of three to five years, and fourth-degree crimes may carry a term of up to 18 months. A conviction for second-degree robbery is also subject to New Jersey's No Early Release Act, which generally requires an individual sentenced to incarceration to serve 85% of the sentence imposed before becoming eligible for parole.

All charges are accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.