Cops: Stalker-mugger is an illegal

Saturday, September 29, 2007

By RICHARD COWEN
STAFF WRITER

CLIFTON -- A bus-stop flirtation that turned violent Wednesday night has led to the arrest of an illegal immigrant living in Paterson, police said.

Natasan Venkataraman, 44, an illegal immigrant from India, had become infatuated with a young woman who waited for a NJ Transit bus each night at the corner of Crooks and Main avenues, police said.

After meeting the 22-year-old woman two months ago, Venkataraman returned several times to make amorous advances, police said.

"She told us that he would come by and say things like, 'I want to be your man,' " said Capt. Robert Rowan, a Clifton police spokesman.

The woman wasn't interested, and things took a nasty turn shortly before midnight on Wednesday. The man pulled out a 12-inch kitchen knife, grabbed her purse and fled, Rowan said.

From previous conversations, the woman knew that her wannabe suitor worked at the Jersey Gas station on Lakeview Avenue. The woman, who was unharmed in the attack, led police to the gas station on Thursday, and they arrested Venkataraman.

Police said they did an ID check on Venkataraman and found that he was an illegal immigrant from India who had been living in Paterson. That information has been turned over to federal authorities, Rowan said.

Venkataraman was arraigned Friday on charges of robbery, stalking, weapons possession and making terroristic threats. Bail was set at $90,000 and he was transferred to the Passaic County Jail.

E-mail: cowen@northjersey.com

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ICE wasn't mentioned in this article. Hopefully this jerk will spend jail time and then be deported.