A Bayonne High School security guard was arrested last week on child abuse charges that included offering an alcoholic beverage to an underage person, police said.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
Dominick Novella, 31, of Bayonne was charged with child abuse, endangering the welfare of a child and offering an alcoholic beverage to an underage person last week, according to Police Capt. Janine Foy.
Novella was arrested on April 12th at 12:14 p.m., near the area of 208 Avenue B, after child abuse allegations were made with police on March 2nd and a five-week investigation ensued, authorities said.
The Bayonne Police Department declined to comment on further, deferring any other inquires to the criminal complaint.
From there, the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office did not immediately return a call or email seeking any accompanying court documents for Novella’s case.
Back on March 7th, Hudson County View filed an Open Public Records Act (OPRA) request with the Bayonne Board of Education seeking “any and all records of discipline,” among other information, related to Novella after receiving a tip that an investigation was underway.
While the board declined to release any of his disciplinary records, citing N.J.S.A. 47:1A-10 and Executive Order 11, they did provide his date of hire, salary and job title.
Novella was hired on September 1, 2013 as a substitute teacher, specifically to serve as a security guard, before becoming a contracted security guard one month later on October 1, 2013. Additionally, his current salary is $30,140.
When reached on his cell phone this afternoon, Novella declined to comment or provide any information regarding his attorney in the matter.
Denis Wilbeck, the vice president of the Bayonne Board of Education, confirmed that the board has previously discussed Novella’s situation in closed session, but could not provide any details since it remains a personnel matter.
