NORTH BERGEN
Find no girl prostitutes, but illegal unit gets fined

Friday, November 27, 2009
By KARINA L. ARRUE
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

NORTH BERGEN - Responding to a call that young girls forced into prostitution were being held at a residence in the township, police instead found 10 male immigrants living in an illegal basement apartment, officials said.

The owner of the building at 704 90th St. - Ozvaldo Lopez - was issued a $750 fine and pleaded guilty to maintaining an illegal dwelling unit, according to Brian Ribarro, the township's construction and zoning official.

Police received the false tip about the 13-and 14-year-old girls on Nov. 1 at 6:22 p.m., officials said.

When police went to the house and rang the doorbell, several men peeked outside, saw the cops, and then turned off music that had been playing and shut the blinds, officials said.

Police entered the house through a back door and confirmed that Lopez, who lives on the second floor, was the owner, officials said.

Police found roughly 10 men hiding in different parts of the house. None of them had identification and they are believed to be illegal immigrants who work as day laborers, officials said.

Police didn't find any young females in the building or any sign of prostitution.

The 10 men have been relocated, Ribarro said.