North Bergen man arrested on weapons, drug charges

NORTH BERGEN – Police arrested a 62-year-old man after he was caught on camera using his building’s parking lot wall for target practice, a spokesman said.

Police Lt. Frank Cannella said officers also found banned hollow point bullets, crack pipes and a white powder when they raided the apartment of Francis T. Durante, of Granton Avenue, on Thursday.

Building surveillance cameras captured Durante holding what appeared to be a silver handgun when he and an unidentified man entered the property at 7:20 a.m., Cannella said on Friday.

Durante then fired one round into the wall of a lower level of the parking garage, which a resident heard and reported to a building maintenance worker about an hour later, Cannella said.

Building security replayed the surveillance footage, identified Durante and called the police, according to the lieutenant.

“Police responded and got a shell casing and some bullet fragments near a wall on the level,” Cannella said.

Officers and the tactical unit then evacuated the 18th floor and knocked on Durante’s door, Cannella said. He was arrested and taken to the Jersey City Medical Center under prisoner watch after he complained he was sick and needed medication.

Officers left the apartment, applied for a search warrant and returned to find spoons for cooking drugs, two crack pipes and a powder that appeared to be heroin or cocaine, the lieutenant said.

They found two handguns, a Walther PPK .380 and a Smith & Wesson .357, a Ruger Mini 14 rifle and a shotgun barrel. Officers also found two illegal large-capacity magazines for the rifle and handcuffs, Cannella said.

Durante was charged with possession of a handgun, unlawful possession of handgun, possession of hollow point bullets, criminal mischief, possession of large-capacity magazines, possession of drugs and drug paraphernalia, and possession of handcuffs.

Cannella said the weapons were registered, but Durante was charged with possession of a handgun because he used it in an illegal manner.

Municipal Court Judge Nino Falcone set bail at $100,000 with no 10 percent option.

E-mail: vandusen@northjersey.com