Stabbing In Hackettstown 1/10
http://wrnjradio.com/rnj-news-department/2016/police-searching-for-suspect-in-hackettstown-stabbing/
ooonoo 
JD4020 
truth
DannyC Yes I live right there, No I didn't hear or see anything, Yes, I still feel safe in this town - one random act probably fueled by drugs and/or alcohol will not effect me.
trekster3- 
Bessie Nmc it's a bit more than just or town!!! This country is going to hell on many different levels... Why?? Because we are to liberal and these criminals have to many rights!!! If they catch this person cuff, stuff, throw them in a cage and throw away the key!!!!!
Mr.tone You didn't get stabbed in the back now did you..? trekster3. Has this man been caught?
pampurr Pamurr what an insensitive question. No town no matter how prestigious is not immune from crime.
I hope the victim is alright.
positive Yes Pampurr and no we are not in Kansas anymore. This is NOT a safe town no matter what anyone says nor is any town these days. In Hackettstown we need to watch ourselves wherever we are in town. Neighborhoods tend to be a little more sheltered. Always always always be on your guard. Not to say "panic" but always be on your guard wherever you may be. And then just "go on". That's all...
angelina I was never a proponent for guns but I'm slowly changing my stance. I mean if I was walking alone at night and someone stabbed me. Maybe I could have pulled a gun and defended myself. Just so you know most of my friends would laugh at the idea of me wielding a pistol. I would probably shoot myself in the foot. I hope the victim a speedy recovery and hope the perp is found.
Natari It's smart to be aware and cautious, but to live in fear is no way to live. I'm not going to give up my quality of life for what "could happen".
Crime is dropping, according to an accounting in the state's Uniform Crime Reports, compiled by the New Jersey State Police. Still, someone is victimized every 2 minutes and 43 seconds. An accounting of major crime in New Jersey.
Just in Today's Ledger
2 stabbed Critically in Lindenwold
1 stabbed to death in Bridgeton
4 shot, 2 died in Trenton
1 shot in Paterson
1 shot in Lakewood.
Old Gent Great job to the person that stopped and helped! That's terrible and this very sick person needs to get caught and off the streets. We have families and children to protect.
Htown746 Something tells me, given the hour, that alcohol was involved. Doesn't justify anything but agree that these incidents can happen in the most upscale of places to Hackettstown. I wasn't in these parts when long timers who pine for the good old days were but the times are a changin, everywhere.
iRun Guess the white guy doesn't have moves like Steven Segal. Hope he's ok. And if they catch the Hispanic guy they better check if he's legal and make him serve some time then deport his ass...
Metsman Wait a minute Metsman, is there an updated article that I'm not aware of?
The initial article does not state the race of the victim and they are not sure about the ethnicity of the perpetrator.
Besides, ethnicity/race has nothing to do with this.
@positive - the original report indicated a "white or hispanic male" and of course on HL the white part of the description gets left out. Hopefully more information will become available and the person caught.
Bonv You're absolutely right, Positive. Don't "court trouble" just have your senses about. That's all. Use common sense and don't be dumb. And just go on with your life. Shine on (if you will).
I have lived and worked in H'town for over 20 years and have always felt safe. Didn't have any issues with the change in diversity over the past few years. I have even made comments on here to those nervous about walking in town. I felt that their fears were unnecessary.
In saying all of that.....it does seem as though more violent crimes have been occurring and are more frequent. In just the past month or so we had a gas attendant robbed & pistol whipped, a guy stabbed while sitting at a traffic light, and now someone stabbed in the back for not giving up a cig or money. There does seem to be a lot more fighting where cops are being called on Main st. as well. I, myself have witnessed drunk men passed out on the benches in town during my early morning walks. There will always be crime and I think everyone is aware of that. Hopefully it will stay under control in our town so people will continue to feel just as safe.
JRT Pretty sure crimes late at night is not something new, wasn't Tillie Smith killed around that time about 150 years ago?
Hope the victim recovers and the criminal is apprehended. I live within a block of there, have no intention of moving and am not afraid. Would not suggest kicking knives out of anyone's hand, there are much better strategies when fighting a knife. If you don't know them, drop a couple bucks on the ground and run. Much cheaper than a visit to the Emergency room.
Of course a class in unarmed combat is also cheaper than a visit to the ER.
Agust @JRT - agree with your post but would like to add that at least one of those crimes was related to drugs. Over the last several years (and longer I'm sure) there have been more and more issues with drugs which are often manifested in other criminal activities.
Nope late night crime is nothing new Agust...the problem comes when they happen on a weekly/monthly occurrence. You are right nobody should involve themselves in a fight unnecessarily. Suggesting a class in unarmed combat...great idea. Although I think that the point people are trying to make is that a class like that was never needed or thought to be needed in our area until now maybe, and that is what is scary to them!
Yes, Bonv you are right there has been an increase in drug use as well, which is why we have also seen a dramatic increase in car/house break-ins.
What ever the cause and with all due respect to Tillie Smith there is no denying there is clearly an uptick in violent crime in Hackettstown.
Denis 
Embryodad I agree drug abuse is a huge problem, not just here but globally which ultimately manifests into crime and violence.
Agust, I faced several would-be attackers/muggers and just threw my purse at them and thankfully they left me alone.
Oh come on, you know it's one of the many illegal Hispanics that are overwhelming Main Street. Keep ignoring that problem everyone, trying to be politically correct, and you see what happens!
Larry Here we go again Larry. The more you talk the worse it gets.
Give it a rest Larry..
It is scary that this happened off Main and that the perp actually chased the guy down to stab him again. Bless the good Samaritan for helping out.
strangerdanger I think the fact that we are all shocked at this occurrence tells us how rare this is. I think that is a good thing. If we shrugged this off as just another stabbing, I think we would be in trouble. There have been random incidence throughout time everywhere. I don't believe this is an indication of any direction this town is going in. I could imagine when the Tilly Smith incident happened that the residence might have said the same thing. "What's happening to our little town?" I think any time and anywhere you have to be aware of your surroundings and realize that anything can happen. Unfortunately that's the reality. Not just today, it's always been the case.
JB400 
5catmom I think the point people are trying to make here is that these crimes are becoming LESS rare in our town. Nobody wants it to get to that point where we just shrug it off which is WHY it is being seen as a potential problem. Yes,crime is everywhere and I think we all are very aware of that. You only have to turn on the news each morning to hear about it. The crimes that are happening more frequently around our town are more typical in urban type areas. I don't know all of the details surrounding the Tillie murder. I would assume since we are still talking about it that it was an extremely rare event for the town. I don't believe that there was multiple crimes occurring, but could be wrong. So let's see....since these crimes we are experiencing are so rare which one do you think the people that live here in H'town 150 yrs from now will talk about? This particular stabbing, the one a few weeks ago, the pistol whipping, the drug use, or the robberies and car break ins?
So are we going to ask for more laws on stabbing devices and back round checks
Caged Animal What bothers me about this. The stabber is still walking our streets. I hope he gets caught real soon, or has left town. The thought of someone walking around town who just stabbed someone is not cool.
auntiel I don't know about you but my bet is adding more low income housing to our town will defiantly help with problems like this. (extreme sarcasm). I'm so glad there going to attract more lazy people who can't seem to work hard enough to join society and contribute solutions to our towns problems. And I thank you for all that will come with it. Lowering our houses resale value. Adding multiple children to our schools with poor role models (not the child's fault). More crime, More drugs, More tax burden, And a worse reputation. Way to go I give to you the honerary asshat award. Dumbasses!
Calico696 I for one am grateful we have Hispanics living in our town. If gives us an entire group of if people to blame for ALL of our problems even if there is no facts or evidence. Having a scapegoat is great.
I'm really going to miss them when President Trump rounds them all up.
U idiots Yep,
So crime are solely committed by people who have a low personal income? BTW, low income doesn't mean lazy. Doesn't mean lots of children nor does it mean poor role models.
So what are YOU personally doing Yep to help contribute to solving Hackettstown's problems?
JerryG Again another person in denial. No not all crime is commeted by low income but the chances of a person who works there ass off to get what they have is a lot less likely to stab some one for a cigarette or a few dollars. The fact that most children grow up to be like there parents suggests that if you didn't put the work in, to not be living in low income or government assisted housing your children will think it's OK to take something that wasn't earned in my opinion stealing. And I can't say I have a fundraiser for towns problems but I am paying my taxes I am not committing crimes I don't do drugs. If every one did that we wouldent be having this discussion. In that case that's my contribution to our town. Doing what I was tought was the right thing.
So if you honestly think more low income housing will aid in the repair of our towns drug and crime problem please give me your address I will send you an asshat award as well.
I am below the poverty level, but definitely not lazy, looking for better paying, non part-time work, having had no luck during the holiday season, and hoping the job market picks up soon. I am not Hispanic, but I have great respect for them. Most who I know are patriotic, hard-working, with good family values. IMO, they are not part of Hackettstown's problem, but more of an asset. I have confidence that the assailant will be captured by HPD soon, and put an end to this discussion. At least it was an apparently isolated local crime and not related to ISIS allegiance.
Glad to hear it DannyC. I am sure that you're in the vast majority of people: struggling to make ends meet, providing a good example for your family and not joining the small number of posters here who seem to delight on blaming all the problems on "low-income illegal-alien Hispanics."
Oh, and thank you for showing your true first name and not hiding behind a pseudonym like most of the bigots do.
"I think the point people are trying to make here is that these crimes are becoming LESS rare in our town"
Last time I checked the statistics that was not the case. Problem is, I can't recall where those statistics came from to check again! I thought fbi.gov, but it's mostly by state. My gut tells me that it only appears that crimes are increasing, but long-term I think we are about where we've always been.
justintime DannyC,
"patriotic, hard-working, with good family values. IMO, they are not part of Hackettstown's problem, but more of an asset."
That is great! However, the issue is, if they are drawing on services (using taxpayer funded roads, police, emergency medical care, etc.) and not paying into the tax base, and not paying into social security, then that is a draw on us, not really an asset.
Eng. Prof.
Of course there are individuals in low income housing that are honest, good citizens who would never commit a crime. However, once you increase those populations, there is no denying the statistical trend that comes with it.
somechik English Prof: Having worked for some of the cheapest bosses and owners in the local food industry, I am guilty of, at their unconditional demand, working part-time off the books, "drawing on services (using taxpayer funded roads, police, emergency medical care, etc.) and not paying into the tax base, and not paying into social security." Drawing minimal Social Security for five years, I am now in the trap of paying more into SS than I could ever hope to recover in my lifetime, and paying mandatory fees to Medicare that do not cover my medical costs as a type one diabetic. So are the Hispanics any more guilty than me? What do you suggest?
To listen to some of the bigots on here we should have the town put up a wall and not let people in unless they meet minimum income requirements.
somechik, what statistical trend are you referring to: the more low-income or English-as-a-second-language people move in, the more anonymous bigots that open their mouths?
Dannyc, I didn't use the word Hispanics. I was referring to people that work off of the books, so yes that includes you.
EP
EP - I am in favor of enforcing laws to stop businesses from demanding that people work part-time off the books, usually not knowing what their hours will be from week to week. This is the worst kind of exploitation, but so prevalent these days. It's not about race or ethnicity, it's about business people in a bad economy.
Ok, JerryG please explain to me then why you want to increase the population of Hackettstown? low income or no low income, we do not need more people in this area and if we continue growing the population, we'll continue increasing the crime rate. I live in this area because it's quiet, in a less populated part of the state, surrounded by nature/farms and has low crime. People just want to preserve those things.
JIT..I don't know what the statistics say, but I have been here a long time and it does appear to be changing a bit....
I agree somechik
Does anyone have any idea of what defines "low Income"? its not what you think it is
I work full time and make just under 60K and guess what? from 2011-2014 I lived in low income housing right across the street in Washington twp. I was approved for one of the 3 bedroom apartments that were built by homeless solutions over on drakestown rd.
I got the apartment by entering into a lottery system and when the person before me couldn't meet the stringent background checks, credit checks, income verification and criminal checks I was next in line and was able to pass them all. The amount of clearances I and my whole family had to go through you would think I was an FBI agent or secret service.
Those same checks are done every year when I had to renew my lease and if I didn't pass I would have 30 days to vacate the apartment.
I guess in this town..ignorance is bliss!
H-town Mama somechik,
The only only way to stop the population from increasing is to not let new people move in, and to not let people have children. Are you advocating a wall and mandatory population control? In your favor, I very much doubt that is what you had in mind with your comment. Failing that, our population will always continue to increase.
As an example, people moved out of the cities to "rural" Morris County thirty years ago seeking peace, quiet, and rural open spaces. I dare say a great part of what may have met that description thirty years ago does not today. Since Horace Greeley advocated "Go west, young man, go west" in the 1800s people have always sought more space.
Face facts, an increase in population does not automatically equate to an increase in the rate of crime, whether the average annual salary per person is $10k, $100k, or $1 million.
Jails are full of well-educated high-earning, so called "white collar criminals"...or at least they would be if everyone who commits a crime were treated equally.
Booster90 H-town Mama....WOW!!!! Is all that I can say. $60,000 and you were allowed low income housing??
http://www.neighborhoodscout.com/nj/hackettstown/crime/
hate to tell you - Hackettstown is still one of the safest cites in the state.
"The greatest number of Hackettstown residents report their race to be White, followed by Asian. Hackettstown also has a sizeable Hispanic population (people of Hispanic origin can be of any race). People of Hispanic or Latino origin account for 19.58% of the town’s residents"
http://www.neighborhoodscout.com/nj/hackettstown/
I blame the Asians personally :)
Skippy JerryG - There is a HUGE difference between building new apartments that will quickly increase the population density vs people having babies. Typically people moving into a new town are moving into a previously occupied space and replacing the prior inhabitants who moved out not a straight add to numbers.
At least a white collar criminal isn't going to STAB ME on the sidewalk because I didn't give them a cigarette or a dollar. Considering this with other recent events, I think that the "what is happening to this town?!" conversation is one we should be having all points of view.
As long as people are people criminals will not be treated equally. Is it ok? Nope. But human nature will always be swayed by opinion, $$, politics etc.
No, population growth doesn't automatically equate to an increase in crime, but how can you deny the correlation of larger, denser populations and higher violent crime? http://www.countyhealthrankings.org/app/new-jersey/2013/measure/factors/43/map
somechik,
We should be welcoming new residents that bring life to Hackettstown and new buildings that increase the tax base rather than decrying the inevitable rise in population. There is a tremendous diversity on Main Street that we should embrace rather than scorn.
If you are that afraid then maybe you should just barricade yourself in your home so the evil low income apartment dwelling criminals you seem to fear so much don't stab you.
For those that like statistics: http://www.usa.com/hackettstown-nj-crime-and-crime-rate.htm
One thing I found interesting is while H-town's overall crime rate is that it's really not bad but the Hate Crime index is higher than NJ and the US overall. What's that about?
RAD "JerryG - There is a HUGE difference between building new apartments that will quickly increase the population density vs people having babies. Typically people moving into a new town are moving into a previously occupied space and replacing the prior inhabitants who moved out not a straight add to numbers. "
my wife and I brought our home from an 80+ year old woman and then had 2 kid, so we quickly quadrupled the population of that house :)
darwin JerryG - You misinterpret my valid concerns for extreme paranoia, which I don't think I have been expressing. I love our Main Street and the diversity it brings to this town (which I never said I didn't, so I'm not sure where you're getting that) and I love this town. I just don't go around saying "Gee! If only we had MORE people here!! That would make this place SO much better!"
And what good will an increased tax base bring us? Our property taxes certainly will not go down, in fact the opposite will probably happen initially because we will need to pay for all of the infrastructure to support all of our brand new residents.
"And I do believe more people would =less jobs. Making Dannyc predicament more precarious"
Danny is a cook so more people means more potential customers :)
and how would more people = less jobs exactly? I would guess only a small percentage of residents work in town. most of us commute to work.
And what good will an increased tax base bring us? Our property taxes certainly will not go down, in fact the opposite will probably happen initially because we will need to pay for all of the infrastructure to support all of our brand new resident
Thank you somechik for being the voice of truth here!
botheredbyuu2 RAD,
Hate crime?
Read the comments on many of the threads on HL, and you'll see just how many people here are full of hate towards others who aren't the same as they are.
botheredbyuu2 - WRNJ released an update so the new item replaces the old. This is the current link:
http://wrnjradio.com/rnj-news-department/2016/police-stabbing-in-hackettstown-isolated-incident/
GC BBU go to Hackettstown Patch. The victim is in intensive care..I hope he makes it through. Very sad.
GC you must of posted at the same time I did. Didn't know there was an update. Thanks.
Philliesman Don't worry Danny even bigots need to eat. Lol. Just couldn't resist. Kidding of course.
Seriously we should really get back on track and concentrate on the victim and pray/wish him a full recovery.
C'mon guys. How can I try to sell my cooking to you when all you want to do is call each other bigots? While the real challenge is having no fear to deliver food anywhere in the Hackettstown area, despite a single crime. You take a chance every time you get out of your car in an unknown or poorly lit area, packed with hot food for delivery. Mangia!
Crime statistics by year, 2005 - 2014, presented visually, courtesy the link above posted by RAD...
RAD: if I remember correctly the hate crime stat is a low aggregate number where we had a few instances piled together to make a high percentage. Could have been an anomoly from a short spree versus a trend.
It's not a hate crime.. Read between the lines. They said it's an isolated incident. How would they know that.. Think about that..
Letssee JerryG, when you have people here in town that are not legal, they don't contribute to the tax base. Just the opposite, they require services such as education for children in already over crowded schools that is paid for by the taxpayers. I've been here 20+ years and as the town has become more crowded I certainly haven't seen a drop off in taxes!
Everyone can spout opinions and statistics all day long. A specific fact being ignored is that an attempted murder occurred. The violent person is still living among us. Nobody so far can prove it was a one-time, drug induced occurrence. Even if the two knew each other, a violent man is a violent man.
Of course, don't live your lives in fear, but don't forget that either.
maja Better watch it Denis there gonna call you a bigot now or a racist. And not take your Donald Trump like opinion. I for one agree.
Trump like is exactly right - Trump panders to what people "just feel" is going on instead of the reality.
Like "it feels like overcrowding" when the town population has actually gone down from about 11,000 to 9,600.
Like "it feels like Main St is expanding" when the last expansions in 15 years are actually Brook Hollow and Hunters Brook.
Like education where anyone who rents, including all the people in Greenview or Van's apartments, pays for the landlord to pay the taxes but "it feels like they don't contribute".
Like violent crime "feels like its on the up swing" but the statistics over a 10 year period show it about the same with a slight drop over the past two years.
Like "it feels like our schools are over crowded" but have capacity for Hackettstown. The crowding is at the high school level, caused by increases in Allamuchy and to some extent Independence.
maja & positive are right. There's a victim out there that would be nice to have some more concern about. And some attention on trying to apprehend the culprit.
Statistics provide context maja, that's all. They are helpful in defining the scope of a problem but not a predictor by any means. Personally I think it's important to know the scope of problems because that scope can be used to give a sense of urgency (or the lack of) of a problem.
There is good reason to be concerned about this specific incident, and being cautious is always a good thing. What we shouldn't do, IMO, is extrapolate these isolated incident to something they are not, which is why statistics are important.
"The violent person is still living among us"
You are 100% correct. There are *always* violent people living among us. The question primarily being what will set them off...
emaxxman Sorry GC the those population statistics do not include all those who are here illegally which are numerous, so not accurate. They don't contribute to the tax system, but drain from it. "feels like violent crime is on the upswing" Gee I wonder why, in the last 2 months two stabbings, and an armed robbery where the victim was pistol whipped, yes no aberration at all just the way good old Hackettstown has always been, that must be part of the "slight drop".
Denis,
You do realize that when someone rents an apartment, a portion of the rent is to cover what the landlord pays to the municipality for taxes? If someone rents, no matter their immigration status, they are indirectly paying municipal taxes. If they buy anything taxable, they pay sales tax.
To state that illegal immigrants do not pay taxes is just plain wrong.
Although I do not agree with people who do not pay INCOME taxes, when you really think about it, they are still contributing. They have to buy groceries, clothes, everything needed to live, and when they spend money on these items they do pay sales tax. So to say some people are not contributing is actually a false claim, but to say they are not contributing as much, or as required would be correct.
Darrin well 1 of the 2 stabbings was from a Chester man...who knew his victim. so I guess Chester has a crime issue :)
http://www.njherald.com/article/20151123/ARTICLE/311239997
JerryG the burden of the tax dollars falls on the homeowners in town. Many of these houses and apartments are filled way beyond the capacity they are zoned for. The fire department saw that first hand a few years back when there was a fire in one of the Main st. apartments and there were 2 room filled with wall to wall mattresses. The house right next door to me was rented out for a year, and I had no idea who actually lived there so many people came and went, When they suddenly vacated and it was sold, the same thing a basement full of mattresses. Yes everyone pays sales tax, but how about state taxes, payroll taxes. The portion of tax revenue generated per person is minute, and when service such as education and health services have to be provided it's a net loss.
So Darwin crime statics should be based on town of origin of the perp, not where it takes place. They will have to rewrite all the statistic now to fit your model.
in this particular case the location was irrelevant. the guy from another town bumped into someone he knew and stabbed him. I don't see how that is a reflection on our town or our crime rate.
So any crimes committed by residents who are not living in Hackettown at the time, should not be included in Hackettstown crime statistics, yes that makes sense. Brilliant.
you're beyond an idiot trying to put words into my mouth. my point was this was an isolated incident between two people who knew each other. I was trying to put it into perspective when you said "feels like violent crime is on the upswing" Gee I wonder why, in the last 2 months two stabbings"
this last stabbing, yes is very troubling, but the 1st one had nothing to do with crime in our town.
You are the one who said location was irrelevant, not me. I guess your the arbitrator of what's isolated and whats not. If the last one you find troubling turns out to be perpetrated by someone from another town, it will go from troubling to irrelevant. Typical Darwin fashion hurl insults when you can't make sense of what you said.
ps It's two stabbings and an armed robbery with an assault.
If the last one you find troubling turns out to be perpetrated by someone from another town, it will go from troubling to irrelevant.
did I say that? DID I IMPLY THAT? nope
That's right you get to pick and choose. Give yourself one of your own awards, I have to get back to work.
brown bear2 
1988JL - "kool aid from left field" You're just trying to force me to be PC because you don't like the results. WAKE UP! ;-)
Denis - "and another thing...." Don't confuse the issue. By your logic all the people in Greenview can'd go to school because that's actually the one place where a stacking citation was issued.
GC I didn't say anyone can or can't go to school, just pointing out who is paying for it. Homeowners like me paying local property taxes with no kids in the school system.
FYI "undocumented" folks are included in the census, so those population estimates and distributions are probably more accurate than "feelings".
Personally I blame the Icelandic element for all my problems, since they are all related to me i guess that might not apply to any of the others on here.
Those damn vikings cause nothing but problems.
Does anyone else get a feeling there is more to this story? Ever since I read it I cannot make sense of the victims story.
Christine Really Agust how does one accurately document those who are here illegally, by word of mouth?
Which Icelandic element are you related too? As a Icelander I'm sure you are aware there are no indigenous Icelanders, and the population is made up to a large extent of settlers from Britain, and Ireland as well. Or do you have your linage documented directly from Scandinavia to Iceland?.
GC, what dates encompass the drop in population from 11,000 to 9600? One would think there should not be a need for the two new developments that are being built with that population decline.
kb2755 Press Release(1/13/16): Arrest Made In Stabbing
On 1/10/16 at approx. 1:23AM the Hackettstown Police responded to the area of Madison St and West Moore St for a report of a stabbing. An investigation conducted by the Hackettstown Police Department and the Warren County Prosecutors Office determined that the earlier information provided by the victim about an attempted robbery was false. Further investigation revealed that 25yro Steven Haar of Hackettstown, NJ, the 28yro victim and the witness agreed to meet in the area of Madison St and West Moore St to a settle an earlier dispute. During the meeting with all three individuals, Steven Haar produced a knife and stabbed the victim once in the foot and once in the back. Steven Haar left the area and was then chased by the victim’s friend.
On 1/13/16 Steven Haar was charged with aggravated assault (2nd degree), possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose (3rd degree) and unlawful possession of a weapon (4th degree). Steven Haar was unable to post the $100,000 bail and remains in the Warren County Correctional Facility. On 1/10/16 at approx 8:30PM Haar was arrested by this agency in the area of Rt46. Haar was charged with 2 counts possession of heroin, 2 counts possession with the intent to distribute heroin and 2 counts distribution of heroin. Haar was lodged in the Warren County Correctional Facility in default of the $10,000 bail.
Assisting in the investigation was the Warren County Regional Crime Scene Investigations.
The Hackettstown Police Department would like to thank everyone who came forward with information regarding this incident.
Hack28 Metsman,
Gee, an arrest was made and judging by the name, he doesn't sound Hispanic..
Sorry.
so no good Samaritan, no random act. a couple of idiots picked a street corner to have a fight and someone brought a knife. Good job by our police Dept.
oh and the guys were white... too bad we couldn't blame the Hispanics just like we couldn't blame them for the last stabbing.
Glad to see it just wasn't a random attack on an innocent person. There had to be more to the story. Not much good happens after midnight on the street.
It's always good to wait for the real story before jumping to conclusions. This site never ceases to amaze me.
Hack in Town 
CraftBeerBob Lock your doors, take back our neighborhood, such crap being spewed here over and over from the same people. Try getting the facts before the lynchmob mentality comes into play. It's disgusting.
"Oh come on, you know it's one of the many illegal Hispanics that are overwhelming Main Street. Keep ignoring that problem everyone, trying to be politically correct, and you see what happens!"
-Larry 2 days ago
nope sorry Larry it was a homegrown white boy
They have made an arrest..
https://local.nixle.com/alert/5565620/?sub_id=928328
michelemorp @ Darwin, Oh and the guy was from Hackettstown...... to bad some of us couldn't shift the problem to another town this time.
cmg Denis it wasn't a random act there was no bogie man waiting to stab us as we walked our streets. couple of idiots got into a fight/drug deal. The town residents weren't in any danger, just like they weren't in any danger after the first stabbing.
so how are you going to spin this one or the last stabbing on the low income, renters, or illegals?
I see Darwin, so once again in your infinite wisdom you are dismissing this one as not relevant to Hackettstown also. Please point out to everyone where I ever blamed this on illegals, renters, or low income in this thread. Hint you won't be able to. You are so predictable, always changing on the fly to try and make the facts fit your spin, instead of the facts speaking to for themselves.
Also please point out to everyone where I ever blamed this on illegals, renters, or low income in this thread
I didn't say you did, I asked how you were going to :)
I guess you reread all my comments on the thread and realized you couldn't back up what you said. When you said how "I am going to spin this one on them" your insinuation was clear. You and facts just don't get along lol.
You're right Bessie. Several individuals on here demonstrated that in addition to being racists they are also hypocritical. Outcome is what many others anticipated (i.e. drugs/most likely not committed by a Hispanic man).
Kevmo Cmg, don't wonder why you moved here, it's a nice town (not perfect), but nice. There's a lot of friendly people and after a while, the usual ranting of some just becomes something you ignore.
Heroin in Hackettstown is getting out of control ! Downtown is no longer our town, where have you been?Numbers don't lie,the train brings in more trouble then business,we need a cop at the station,just saying!
LoBo Correct me if i am wrong but there were 3people involved and only one name was released!! We don't know what the nationally of the other 2 are?
I knew there was more to the story.
The same people are always making accusations and it comes back to nit them in the a**. It sickens me!
Story over MOVE ON!!
ianimal 
Mark Mc. Thought the same thing, especially with a shoe on. That's assuming he wasn't walking barefoot in January. Maybe when he tried to kick the knife out of his hand, Steven grabbed his foot and then stabbed the top (arch?) or side of his foot. Who knows....
Okay ... Deep breathe ... Ahhhhh ... I feel much safer now! No worries ... It was only a drug deal gone bad that finished with a stabbing.
No need to worry about the pistol whipping that occurred a few weeks back at a local gas station either ... I read the injuries were minor.
We can get back to living in our "safe" happy land again. :)
So what's the protocol here? Should we have a conversation about how white people are ruining the town?
Gadfly Maureen while I enjoy your sarcasm you are missing the point. No one is saying this isn't a big deal. But knowing it was an isolated incident and the victim knew the suspect makes it somewhat better then the original story.
People were panicking and had a "it could have been me" mentality thinking there was a crazy running around randomly stabbing people. Heck 1lady commented on the police FB page that their kids were sleeping in her bed because they were scared. not to mention those who went on a racist rant blaming an entire group of people for this crime.
My daughter just informed me that she knows Steven and the mother of his baby. Sad to say that the two have had major drug issues for years.
Goes to show this incident is not about race, income, ethnicity nor geographics.
It's about drugs, an on going world wide epidemic..every town, city, state, country is effected by it.
The gut reaction of many to accept sketchy victim or witness statements is natural and widespread. Initial information is very often difficult to decipher without being privy to iinterviews conducted as well as information received by investigators. Bias, ignorance as well as fear is often reflected in these gut reactions. Change in itself is inevitable and not limited to Hackettstown, Warren County or any other area be it urban,suburban or rural. Like any other vice which can result in abuse or dependance, Crimes against Persons or Property often accompany the activity and it becomes difficult to tag the victims or perps without a scorecard. After Years of experience dealing with street crime of this type, I agree that it is disturbing.However, Users are pathetic liars who can not be believed and Dealers are amongst the lowest scum of the earth who not unlike pimps, exist off of others misery. What is reassuring to me is that this, as I suspected ,was not a random street crime involving an innocent victim but rather a "Risk of Game" crime which was quickly solved thanks to excellent Police work by the H.P.D. as well as valuable information received from concerned citizens. May the victim fully recover and take advantage of recovery options, the Perpetrator be adjudicated and sentenced to a lengthy bid and may all those who react out of Bias or Fear be a bit more open minded.Again, job well done to the Officers and Detectives of the H.P.D.and Prosecutors office involved in the quick closure. Let's watch out for change and rather than accept it or endlessly complain, work together to be vigilant and a step ahead of those that seek to endanger our accepted Quality of Life.
EX CHIEF It's funny, we make fun of the concept of a zombie apocalypse but heroin users and zombies don't really look all that different to me.
Res2 I, for one, think it is a big difference between 3 people who meet with the intent of "settling a dispute" and someone gets shanked up and someone randomly demanding money or cigarettes and stabbing them when denied.
as I have said repeated - Heroin is a HORRIBLE drug.
I just can't imagine waking up one day and thinking, "Heroin. Now that sounds like a good idea." Obviously no one thinks that, but seriously...everyone knows that is some baaad stuff. I can't understand why people even try it.
eperot I can't understand it either eperot. I know many people that have ruined their lives because of it. I heard the initial high is so wonderful that's how people get hooked and continue to search for that initial euphoria but never get that same high again.
I lost a sibling to heroin many years ago. It was a terrible addiction then, and a worse one now. I think part of the problem now is that it's a fairly cheap drug to use. It's a horrible, horrible thing. Obviously, its a very big problem in our area.
Has anyone heard any up-dates on the victim? Last I heard he was in ICU, which is not good. Regardless of the reasons, he could probably use some good wishes and prayers.
Dansker Gadfly,
If we have that conversation, be sure to come down hardest on the white American citizens.
(And before everyone jumps on me, that was sarcasm.)
But the true facts seem to prove how eager some folks are to jump to totally wrong conclusions, if only to support their personal agendas.
Most people don't just wake up one day and "try" heroin. They move to it because they can't get or afford what they are currently using to ease their pain or anxiety. If you have ever taken Xanax, Percocet, Oxy or anything in that category of drugs, you can count yourself in with the "club" of people who manage pain or anxiety in a dangerous way. It may be what you have to do at the moment, but you are dancing with the devil and you should be VERY careful. You may also contribute to the drug problem in this town if you don't properly dispose of your unused prescription. Our kids buy these pills from other kids who get them in their own medicine cabinet.
I would say it's very likely that someone you know is a prescription pill addict, not a heroin addict, yet.
I hate what Heroin us doing to our town, but I can feel some compassion for these folks. They are not addicts because they are scum. They are addicts because they have suffered and made some poor decisions for relief. None of you are immune and you can't say with certainty how you will manage pain until you experience it.
Xanax is a benzodiazepine. It is not an opiate painkiller, or *any* type of painkiller.
There is no "club" of people who "manage pain in a dangerous way" by taking what their doctor prescribes them. There are addicts and there are non-addicts.
I understand you are concerned, but you need to get your facts straight in your head first, and certainly before sharing them in a public forum, I would say.
Rebecka "but you need to get your facts straight in your head first"
What if you're head is crooked?
He clearly stated OR anxiety. Many people abuse prescriptions drugs which I think is the point he was trying to make. Then when that no longer works or they need something more they turn to drugs to try to alleviate their pain, depression, or whatever they are feeling.
Yes, I get his point, and share his concerns!
But when misinformation is transmitted as fact, or when the facts are muddled, it hurts the cause (opiate prescription reform).
"Some people say 'I do drugs to accentuate my personality'. Yes, but what if you're an asshole?" - Bill Cosby
I was watching a documentary last night on heroin in Cape Cod, that is until I tired of watching people sticking needles and that $___ in their own and their "friend's" bodies!
One addict (after the EMTs had discussed the use of NARCAN to "bring back" an addict) mentioned that she kept ODing and didn't care, because after the first time they'd brought her back, she then knew and took advantage of that fact by doing it over and over again!
Others talked about how that became the ONLY focus of their life and everything revolved around scoring and doing more. If they had money for rent, the rent didn't take precedence, they'd buy drugs and the rent money was worried about only when that "problem" got there. Some said they've lied and stolen and hurt others to get the money to do them, while only one said she'd do other things, but nothing that would hurt someone else, but you had to wonder at what depth would they get to where even that scruple went "out the window".
When you worry about violence, yes there are random acts from time to time, or twisted idiots, but I have said before and STILL say that the thing to be most aware of is the drug issue and the failing "war on drugs" that enables not just individual theft and violence, but also enables and encourages gangs and gang violence.
One mention was made of an OCD-like complex of addictive behaviors, and one person made mention of the fact that they would be addicted to something(s) else besides that and it was an indicator of likelihood of their own drug addiction.
A dealer actually said that some people take drugs to get away from their pain and/or problems. The pain may be muted and you may feel good, but the problems are not only still there, but it also compounds them, because you know you can take more drugs to not think of the problems, but in doing so the problems only compound and get worse, because they never are dealt with.
Phil D. A quote from Bill Cosby about drugs? Quite the authority on that now isn't he... (oh right allegedly..)
JrzyGirl88 Exactly, brings a whole new (old?) meaning to the term "drug use": use drugs on others for other purposes (allegedly, of course).
Xanax is used by heroin users when they are experiencing withdrawal so they tend to end up abusing it in large quantities
Finally some answers...
http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/warren-county/index.ssf/2016/03/suspect_admits_stabbing_a_man.html#incart_river_index
sorry "in the news" but that article referenced an old and later proven wrong account of what happened. So there was no answers in that article except for an admission of guilt by the stabber. typical lazy journalism by the writer of the article to not check to see there was updated information.
the correct account of what happened was given by the police when the arrest was made:
Press Release(1/13/16): Arrest Made In Stabbing
On 1/10/16 at approx. 1:23AM the Hackettstown Police responded to the area of Madison St and West Moore St for a report of a stabbing. An investigation conducted by the Hackettstown Police Department and the Warren County Prosecutors Office determined that the earlier information provided by the victim about an attempted robbery was false. Further investigation revealed that 25yro Steven Haar of Hackettstown, NJ, the 28yro victim and the witness agreed to meet in the area of Madison St and West Moore St to a settle an earlier dispute. During the meeting with all three individuals, Steven Haar produced a knife and stabbed the victim once in the foot and once in the back. Steven Haar left the area and was then chased by the victim’s friend.
On 1/13/16 Steven Haar was charged with aggravated assault (2nd degree), possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose (3rd degree) and unlawful possession of a weapon (4th degree). Steven Haar was unable to post the $100,000 bail and remains in the Warren County Correctional Facility. On 1/10/16 at approx 8:30PM Haar was arrested by this agency in the area of Rt46. Haar was charged with 2 counts possession of heroin, 2 counts possession with the intent to distribute heroin and 2 counts distribution of heroin. Haar was lodged in the Warren County Correctional Facility in default of the $10,000 bail.
Assisting in the investigation was the Warren County Regional Crime Scene Investigations.
The Hackettstown Police Department would like to thank everyone who came forward with information regarding this incident.
How do you only get aggravated assault for stabbing someone in the back? He could have killed the guy.
Metsman, that's basically the definition of 2nd Degree Ag Assault in NJ:
"In New Jersey, it is aggravated assault to:
•attempt to cause a serious bodily injury or actually cause such an injury, purposely or knowingly or recklessly, under circumstances manifesting extreme indifference to the value of human life (second degree crime)"
In order to charge him with something more severe, like attempted murder, they would have to prove that he was trying to kill the guy.
Any act that is directly done in furtherance of an intent to kill is a direct step. The required direct act may consist of using a weapon against another, such as a gun or knife.
https://www.judiciary.state.nj.us/criminal/charges/inchoate2.pdf
It is easier to get the aggravated assault conviction though
What happened?!
1980's - Centenary was a Girls School.
It was hard to find an apartment in this town.
We overbuilt. Section 8s moved in.
Doctors (who own all the crappie rental houses on Main Street ) realized that Section 8s are a STEADY source of income!!
Centenary "diversified" =lots of students on government grants, ( mostly fashion majors, )who flunked out after 1 semester.
Meanwhile, Hackettstown made the "best this places to live" list.
THEN we got conned into the train. We thought it would make it Easier /Faster to get back and forth to NY city- All it did was make it Easier /Faster for illegals to get from Dover to Hackettstown.
They brought their Food stamps /Work off the books Lifestyles here.
They were happy to fill up the empty apts. (Section 8s).
AND they popped out Illegitimate kids left and right. WHY Marry? Chester not to. Then WE PAY (They are on Welfare and Medicaid, and they stand in line at OUR Church Pantries for the NEEDY(used to mean temporarily widowed or unemployed), smoking cigarettes, with their manicured nails, gold jewelry, and designer sneakers!
Our schools need more $, so they can teach their kids English.
And we have MONEY stores/Check Cashing stores on Main Street, so they can wire their $ back to Mexico!
And CASH for Gold--Wow- It's a Heroin addicts Paradise here!!!- Oh-the Heroin addicts LOVE that train- easy assess, AND they can doze off while riding here...with drugs...for YOUR kids...and YOUR grandkids.....
How to fix this?
Lose the train. Lose the Cash for Gold stores. Lose the Money Store.
GET the Cops to enforce the "No Loitering" laws. Maybe have them Walk the Beat.
Lose the stores with "We accept EBT cards." signs in the windows.
Check into HOW these Empty Ethnic restaurants and Consignment shops are REALLY making their money!
Ask the Town Meeting Board Members WHY
Our "Victorian Town" now sucks.
Plusgirl +girl - please tell us you meant that as a joke. a cognizant person cant possibly be that ignorant. :)
"temporarily widowed"?
Did the town rally around the widow and get her married off to a successful businessman?
Are we in Stepford or Hackettstown?
Renter 
mom of two boys Skippy, the English professor was right, and so am I.
I have lived here for 5 decades. Open your eyes/grow up.
You are living in a fool's paradise.
I probably won't be posting again soon, because I have to work extra hours ( to pay my property taxes, which are huge, because of the new and numerous leeches in our town)
Plusgirl, please see the graphic in this thread here:
http://www.hackettstownlife.com/forum/724821#t725153
plusgirl..you forgot the town rodeo..on Stiger Street down by the cow and pig auction..lol..
It's amazing that we constantly blame the "Dover" element for the crime in town. I wonder why the HPD Facebook arrest log doesn't reflect that?
emaxxman, its much easier to blame everything on "them" than it is to admit the stores on our main street, suffer the same fate as stores on every main street in the US. "We" are shopping at Walmart and the Mall. Donald Trump has a ready made audience of folks who will happily blame "illegals" for all our woes, instead of blaming the criminals on wall street and in the banks who drove the jobs we used to do in America off shore and the politicians who refused to tax the companies that did so.
Saying it's Dover's fault instead of people like plusgirl who refuses to spend money on Main St is akin to blaming Mexico for hiring the day laborers to work on Trumps golf course.
Well said.
No one is denying that there are some that commit crimes but crimes are committed by all groups. To act like only one group is committing crime and imply that that's all that they do is just downright ridiculous.
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