Crime & Safety

Mother Surrenders After Holding Kids Hostage in Bloomingdale, Authorities Say

Two children safe in Reeve Avenue incident Tuesday morning.

A mother held her two children hostage for more than an hour Tuesday morning in a Bloomingdale home before surrendering to authorities.

The woman, who was not immediately identified, was charged with two counts of child cruelty and neglect and one count of possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose. Authorities did not identify what type of weapon she allegedly had in her possession.

Pompton Lakes Police dispatcher Mike Finello received the 911 call from a "distraught woman who was contemplating hurting herself," according to a post on the Pompton Lakes Police Department's Facebook page.

Finello alerted the Bloomingdale Police and area departments as well as the Passaic County Sheriff's Department and SWAT team responded to the Reeve Avenue home shortly after 10 a.m. Tuesday.

Finello maintained contact with the woman before convincing her to surrender at about 11:30 a.m. The two children were removed safely and released to the custody of a family member, police said. The boy and girl, ages 5 and 7, were not injured.

The woman “appeared to be emotionally disturbed,” Passaic Sheriff's Department spokesman William Maer told NorthJersey.com.

No one was injured during the incident.


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