One Man Dead In North Bergen Industrial Incident

One Man Dead In North Bergen Industrial Incident


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:  Raymond Worrall

PHONE: (201) 795-6400 Ext. 6737

EMAIL:  rworrall@hcpo.org

DATE: Friday, January 3, 2020

ONE MAN DEAD IN NORTH BERGEN INDUSTRIAL INCIDENT; UNLICENSED VEHICLE OPERATOR CHARGED

Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez has released the following information:

On January 2, 2020, at approximately 3:20 p.m., the North Bergen Police Department received a report of an injured party inside of Lincoln Recycling located at 4711 Dell Avenue in North Bergen. Upon arrival, responding Police Officers found the apparent lifeless body of a male at that location.

The man was identified as Horacio Juarez Diaz, age 61, of Union City. He was pronounced dead at the scene shortly after 3:30 p.m. The cause and manner of death are pending an investigation by the Regional Medical Examiner’s Office.

The initial investigation by the Hudson County Regional Collision Investigation Unit and the North Bergen Police Department determined Diaz was a worker at the Lincoln Recycling facility and that he was pinned between a dumpster and a concrete wall. The dumpster was apparently being pushed by a bulldozer.

The operator of the bulldozer was identified as Santiago Ventura Blanco, age 38, of East Newark. Blanco was arrested at approximately 4:00 p.m. at 4711 Dell Avenue in North Bergen. He has been charged with Causing a Death While Driving Unlicensed in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:40-22a, a third-degree crime.

Blanco was released on his own recognizance pending his first appearance. He is scheduled to make his first appearance in Central Judicial Processing Court at 1:00 p.m. on January 23, 2020.

Prosecutor Suarez credited the Hudson County Regional Collision Investigation Unit and the North Bergen Police Department with the investigation and the arrest.

The Hudson County Regional Collision Investigation Unit continues to investigate this case with assistance from the North Bergen Police Department. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Office of the Hudson County Prosecutor at 201-915-1345 or to leave an anonymous tip at http://www.hudsoncountyprosecutorsofficenj.org/homicide-tip/. All information will be kept confidential.

The above charges are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty. R.P.C.3.6(b)(6).