Morris County man faces multiple charges after late-night birthday party at Fairfield warehouse
FAIRFIELD TONWNSHIP, N.J. (Essex County) — A late-night birthday party held inside a Fairfield Township warehouse over the weekend resulted in multiple criminal, ordinance, and fire code violations, according to the Fairfield Police Department.
Victor Montana, 44, of East Hanover Township, was charged following the alleged incident, which occurred around 1:14 a.m. on June 1 at Canasis Express, a trucking business located at 23 Commerce Road. Officers were dispatched to the scene after receiving complaints about loud music. A caller also reported seeing event details posted on social media.
Upon arrival, officers found numerous vehicles and individuals at the site. Music could be heard coming from the building and was turned off when attendees became aware of the police presence. Montana, who rents a unit in the multi-tenant warehouse, had allegedly sublet the space to host a birthday party that included car detailing, in exchange for a fee, police said.
While awaiting backup from surrounding jurisdictions, officers observed dozens of attendees leaving the area, some of whom did so recklessly. Two motor vehicle crashes occurred on Commerce Road as a result. Officers then cleared the remaining crowd from the premises.
Inside the building, officers found the warehouse filled with smoke and scattered debris, including alcoholic beverage containers. All exterior doors were locked — some with deadbolts — and windows were covered with cardboard. Officers also reported that several fire and carbon monoxide detectors had been removed to avoid triggering alarms.
Five modified vehicles with external rooftop speakers were located inside and identified as the source of the noise complaint. The Fairfield Fire Department responded and cited multiple fire code violations. All five vehicles were impounded by police and towed by Eagle Towing in Parsippany.
Montana was charged with maintaining a nuisance, general noise violations, operating a disorderly business, and violations from both fire and zoning officials.
“The Fairfield Police Department, along with our fire and zoning officials, take these pop-up style events seriously and will prosecute those involved to the fullest extent,” said Public Information Officer Stacy Chiarolanza. “Public safety is of utmost importance and the Township of Fairfield will have zero tolerance towards those who engage in these types of events.”
The incident took another turn the following day. On June 2 at approximately 1:11 p.m., Parsippany police notified Fairfield police that one of the impounded vehicles — a tan Honda CRV with large rooftop speakers — had been stolen from the Eagle Towing impound yard.
Fairfield Officer Jayson Sickles later spotted the vehicle on Interstate 80 East and conducted a traffic stop. The driver, Angel Suazosoto, allegedly took the vehicle from the impound lot without paying the required fees. He was detained until Parsippany police arrived and arrested him. The vehicle was re-impounded, and charges against Suazosoto are pending through Parsippany police.
“It is ironic that Suazosoto, who apparently did not want to pay the initial impound fees, now owes double the impound fees and faces criminal charges when he did not face any as a result of the initial incident,” Chiarolanza said.
