20 prostitutes arrested in sheriff’s quality of life sweep
By Jonathan Greene
Published: May 31, 2014
A quality of life sweep in the city’s 4th and 5th wards resulted in the arrest of 20 prostitutes many with outstanding warrants on Thursday evening, announced Richard Berdnik, the Passaic County Sheriff.
Sheriff’s officers were deployed from Straight Street to East 18th Street in the 5th Ward and Broadway to 16th Avenue in the 4th Ward to crack down on prostitution in the area. “This quality of life operation was established to address the many citizen generated prostitution complaints from Straight St. to E. 18th St. and Broadway to 16th Ave.,” said Berdnik.
12 detectives were deployed from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the area in undercover capacity, said Berdnik. The sheriff said sex workers approached the officers soliciting sex. 14 of the prostitutes arrested were city residents: Felicia Collins, 55; Christina Misko, 33; Karyn Eisengart, 43; Jodi Devita, 32; Michelle McDermott, 32; Dawn Jefferson, 51; Stephanie Tissot, 29; Kashona Wynter, 19; Clarissa Zenquis, 25; Shadira Jones, 22; Reynada White, 27; Elizabeth Laureano, 38; Jaquelyne Diaz, 31; Dorothy Morgan, 53.
Collins had an outstanding $660 warrant out of the city; Jefferson had an outstanding $500 warrant out of the city; Tissot had an outstanding $600 warrant out of the city; Zenquis had an outstanding $719 warrant out of Passaic City; Jones had an outstanding $420 warrant out of Clifton; White had an outstanding warrant out of Essex County; Morgan had an outstanding $683 warrant out of the city.
The rest of the six prostitutes were out of towners. Amanda Tintle, 24, Clifton resident with an outstanding $1,133 warrant out of Fairlawn; Melissa Smith, 43, resident of Englewood; Jill Christian, resident of Ringwood, with an outstanding warrant out of Haledon; Catherine Hubber, 31, resident of Oradell, with an outstanding $753 warrant out of Clifton; Lauren Barco, resident of Little Ferry; and Bambilynn Black, 48, resident of Passaic City.
“The Sheriff’s Office will continue to conduct quality of life operations focusing on weapons, narcotics and prostitution enforcement.”