OPRA Request – Arrest of Valerie Demoleas on October 14, 2024 (Shoplifting, Drug Charges – Walmart, Secaucus)

woodlfilms made this OPRA request to Town of Secaucus Automatic anti-spam measures are in place for this older request. Please let us know if a further response is expected or if you are having trouble responding.

Response to this request is long overdue. By law, under all circumstances, Town of Secaucus should have responded by now (details). You can complain by requesting an internal review.

Dear Town of Secaucus,

Please accept this electronic request for public records made under OPRA and the common law right of access. I am not required to fill out an official form or use a particular software platform to submit my request per NJSA 47:1A-6(f), which states that an email from a requestor including all of the information required on the adopted form shall suffice in place of a completed form as a valid government record request.

I HAVE NOT been convicted of any indictable offense under the laws of New Jersey, any other state, or the United States.

I WILL NOT use the requested government records for a commercial purpose.

I AM NOT seeking records in connection with a legal proceeding.

Records requested:

Pursuant to the New Jersey Open Public Records Act (OPRA), I respectfully request access to the following government records:

All body-worn camera footage, dash camera footage, and rear seat camera footage (if applicable) related to the arrest of Valerie Demoleas (30 years old, of Tenafly, NJ) on October 14, 2024, at approximately 7:12 p.m.

The incident occurred at Walmart in Secaucus, NJ, involving charges of Shoplifting [2C:20-11B(1)], Receiving Stolen Property [2C:20-7A], Possession of CDS believed to be Methamphetamine [2C:35-10A(1)], Possession of CDS believed to be Heroin [2C:35-10A(1)], Possession of CDS believed to be Crack Cocaine [2C:35-10A(1)], and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia [2C:36-2A].

Ms. Demoleas was also found to have one outstanding NCIC warrant issued out of Teaneck, NJ (no bail) and one outstanding warrant issued out of Piscataway, NJ ($1,000.00).

She was issued a complaint warrant and transported to Hudson County Jail.

Please include footage from shortly before, during, and after officers' arrival at Walmart; all investigative interactions; the arrest of Ms. Demoleas; any discovery of narcotics or paraphernalia; and the transport to Hudson County Jail. If multiple officers or recording devices were present, please provide footage from each.

If any footage will be withheld or redacted, please notify me in advance, provide a specific explanation for each withholding, and cite the legal basis. Given the strong public interest in transparency regarding drug-related offenses, outstanding warrants, and retail theft enforcement, full disclosure is essential.

I respectfully request that any associated fees be waived, as this request is made in the public interest for purposes of transparency and news reporting. If fees are necessary, please inform me first before fulfilling the request.

My preferred delivery method for response(s) to this request is by E-mail as attachments. Please confirm you have received this request. If you are not the custodian of records, please forward my request to that person and provide their email address to me for future reference.

Yours faithfully,

woodlfilms