Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez announced that on Sept. 5th, a Hudson County Grand Jury returned an Indictment against a Jersey City Police Officer who discharged his weapon this past July in Lincoln Park while off-duty.
Officials say the Indictment charged Cesar Celestino, 46, of Jersey City, with seven counts related to the off-duty incident which occurred on July 28th.
Police charged Celestino with Possession of a Weapon for an Unlawful Purpose, Aggravated Assault, Aggravated Assault, Endangering the Welfare of a Child, two counts of Endangering the Welfare of a Child and False Incrimination,
The Internal Affairs Unit of the Office of the Hudson County Prosecutor arrested Celestino this morning after he surrendered himself without incident at the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office in Jersey City. He is currently housed at the Hudson County Correctional Facility in Kearny, New Jersey.
According to authorities, Celestino made his first appearance on these charges via video link earlier today in Criminal Justice Reform Court in Jersey City.
This case was presented to the Grand Jury following an investigation by the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office Internal Affairs Unit. It is standard protocol for the Prosecutor’s Office to investigate any incident involving the discharge of an officer’s weapon in Hudson County.
The above charges are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.