TEANECK, N.J. — The Teaneck Police Department issued a warning Thursday against privately conducted “stings” targeting suspected child predators, reportedly in response to press inquiries after a viral video showed a private group confronting a Paterson man at a Teaneck IHOP.
Jose Aquino-Arias, 33, of Paterson, was arrested following the May 24 incident and charged with fourth-degree obstructing the administration of law under N.J.S.A. 2C:29-1(a). He was released on a summons complaint.
The video, posted Aug. 30 on the Omma YouTube channel, shows members of a private group confronting Aquino-Arias at the IHOP while filming an episode of To Catch a Creep, an online “predator-catching” series. The channel has more than 1.3 million subscribers and the video has received more than 255,000 views.
Police have not charged Aquino-Arias with child luring or any other sex offense.
According to Teaneck police, the incident began with a 911 call reporting that Aquino-Arias had fled after being confronted by someone associated with the group. The group’s members pose as minors online and attempt to arrange in-person meetings with people they believe may be seeking sexual activity with a minor.
The group is a private, loosely organized grassroots operation. It is not law enforcement and should not be confused with established community security organizations such as Bergen County Shomrim, which operates with formal leadership, protocols, vehicles and established relationships with law enforcement.
Police responding to the 911 call were directed to River Road near Kent Avenue, where Aquino-Arias was reportedly last seen. Officers located him walking in the area, identified themselves and ordered him to stop.
Police said Aquino-Arias ignored repeated commands and fled through several residential backyards before officers located and arrested him.
In a press release Thursday, reportedly issued in response to press inquiries, Teaneck police warned against privately conducted “stings.”
“While the Department recognizes and supports the importance of protecting children from sexual exploitation and other crimes, privately conducted 'stings' can interfere with legitimate law enforcement investigations, compromise or improperly preserve evidence, create legal issues that may jeopardize a prosecution, and potentially place both the public and suspects in dangerous situations,” the department said.
Police urged anyone who believes someone may be attempting to exploit or lure a child to immediately contact law enforcement rather than confronting or attempting to apprehend the person themselves.
The department said trained law enforcement personnel are equipped to safely investigate these cases, preserve evidence, identify potential victims and suspects and pursue appropriate criminal charges.
The warning also comes against the backdrop of previous disagreements involving then-Deputy Chief Seth Kriegel and community organizations over how suspected crimes, particularly antisemitism complaints, should be handled.
As previously reported, last year, while then-Chief Andrew McGurr was out on medical leave, Kriegel met with members of Bergen County Shomrim to discuss cooperation on antisemitism complaints.
Shomrim wanted to work with Teaneck police, not replace them. The organization proposed immediately reporting complaints to the department while conducting complementary fact-finding, including canvassing for surveillance footage and turning collected evidence and camera footage over to police.
But according to people familiar with those discussions, Kriegel personally sought the ability to decide whether an antisemitism complaint would be investigated in the first place. He would not commit to having Teaneck police investigate every complaint that was reported.
Kriegel was also adamant that community groups should not go above his head to county or state investigators if he personally decided that Teaneck police would not investigate a complaint.
The issue therefore went beyond who would gather evidence. Shomrim was prepared to report complaints to Teaneck police and provide the department with whatever information it uncovered. The dispute centered on whether Kriegel would have the final say over whether a complaint was investigated at all.
Shomrim ultimately maintained that it would report complaints to Teaneck police, conduct its own fact-finding and provide its findings to police while retaining the ability to bring matters to the Bergen County Sheriff’s Office, Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office or New Jersey Attorney General’s Office when necessary.
The group involved in the IHOP incident is a very different operation. Unlike Shomrim, it is not an established community security organization working through formal protocols with local law enforcement. Its members conduct online stings independently and publish the encounters publicly.
Still, the episode highlights the increasingly complicated relationship between law enforcement and community members who believe they have information about potential crimes. Police can ask residents to report what they know and leave investigations to trained officers. Community organizations, meanwhile, can seek assistance from other law enforcement agencies when they believe a matter requires further attention.
In this case, Teaneck police said the May 24 investigation remains active in conjunction with the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Cyber Crimes Unit.
Anyone with information can contact the Teaneck Police Department at 201-837-2600. Confidential tips can also be submitted to Bergen County Crime Stoppers at 844-466-6789.
