Wanted for attempted murder for 20 years, NJ fugitive caught in traffic stop

🔴 A routine Route 4 traffic stop turned into the capture of a Paterson man who had been wanted on an attempted murder warrant for more than 20 years.

🔴 The suspect allegedly gave police a false name during a Paramus traffic stop, but an officer noticed inconsistencies that led to the arrest.

🔴 Police say tattoos, scars and conflicting answers helped an alert Paramus officer identify a fugitive who had evaded authorities for decades.

PARAMUS — A Passaic County man has been arrested on charges of attempted murder after being wanted for more than two decades.

On Wednesday, Aug. 5, just before 4 p.m., Officer Nicholas Perna conducted a motor vehicle stop on Route 4 West. He noticed a 2009 grey Kia with a Florida license plate obscured by a heavily tinted license plate cover.

False identity raises officer's suspicions

The driver identified his passenger as his brother, “James Haywood.”

The officer became suspicious after the passenger was unable to provide identification and gave inconsistent responses regarding his identity, police said.

ALSO READ: Surprise! Massive python rescued from a NJ backyard shed

A records check revealed that the information matched an alias used by Yancy Haywood, who was wanted by the Passaic County Sheriff’s Office on an active warrant for first-degree attempted murder.

Perna also noticed distinctive physical characteristics, including a tattoo and scars that matched the warrant description.

Although the passenger kept insisting that he was James Haywood, Officer Perna recognized multiple inconsistencies in his statements, continued his investigation, and ultimately confirmed the suspect’s true identity as Yancy Haywood, 52, of Paterson.

Fingerprints confirm identity of wanted suspect

Haywood was taken to Paramus Police headquarters, where detectives found that fingerprints positively identified the suspect as Yancy Haywood.

During processing, Haywood acknowledged the investigation by telling Officer Perna, “Officer, you did your job.”

Haywood is currently in the Bergen County Jail. The driver was released at the scene and issued motor vehicle summonses for driving while suspended, driving without a license, and failure to provide documents.

“I commend Officer Perna for his exceptional work. This arrest is an excellent example of the professionalism, instincts, and investigative skills our officers bring to work every day," Police Chief Robert Guidetti said.

Report a correction 👈 | 👉 Contact our newsroom