BY LEV D. ZILBERMINTS
NEWARK – The grandson of Essex County Sheriff Armando Fontoura has been arrested for allegedly threatening two ex-girlfriends.
The sensational allegations sent shock waves through Essex County, where outgoing Sheriff Armando Fontoura is well-known. Fontoura, 81, decided not to seek re-election earlier this year, after holding the post since 1991. He is the grandfather of David Fontoura, a lieutenant with the Essex County Prosecutor’s office, according to nj.com.
In order to find out more about this story, “Local Talk” did its usual diligent research for facts. Multiple sources were checked to gather the facts. These included both local and national news outlets. What follows is the story.
Information
According to Grandson of Essex County Sheriff, ECPO Lieutenant Charged in Domestic Violence Case (rlsmedia.com) the incident happened on August 29, but was first reported on September 10.
According to msn.com, “David Fontoura, 37, of Roseland, was suspended without pay last month after his arrest on six counts of third and fourth-degree aggravated assault, multiple weapons offenses and two counts each of criminal restraint and terroristic threats, according to court documents.
“The women, who both work in law enforcement, told police in August they had dated Fontoura in 2019 and 2020 and he allegedly became abusive during that time in his Nutley apartment.
“One woman told police Fontoura said he could make her disappear and ‘make it look like an accident,’ according to an affidavit of probable cause in the case.
“The woman also told police Fontoura placed a knife to her throat while restraining her in his kitchen and put the barrel of his service weapon in her mouth while pinning her to his bed.
“Another woman told police she was in Fontoura’s apartment on Sept. 15, 2019, when he allegedly struck her inner left leg near her knee with a police flashlight. ‘Victim provided a still photo of evidence of the injury,’ the affidavit states.
“The victim also told police Fontoura allegedly struck her with a police baton or flashlight, bruising her left upper thigh and buttocks on Oct. 28, 2019. She provided police with a photo of the bruise, according to the affidavit.
“Fontoura is also accused of walking up behind one of the victims while she was sitting on his couch and holding a firearm to her head.
“The victim said Fontoura described how he would kill her, tell her friends she went on vacation, then dump her body in the river, according to an affidavit.
“One of the victims told police she recorded an hourlong conversation with Fontoura on Feb. 14, 2021, in which she told him she ‘did not like when you would pin me on the bed and put your f—— gun to my head and I hated that and I always told you to stop.’
“Fontoura allegedly responded on the recording by asking the victim if she ‘had disclosed that information to her therapist or friends,’ according to the affidavit.
“Fontoura was arrested Aug. 29 at the Nutley Police Department while accompanied by an attorney. He was released on court summonses. He’s due to appear at a pre-indictment conference, though a date has not been set.
“After his arrest last month, Fontoura was suspended without pay from the prosecutor’s office.”
Fontoura’s Lawyer Responds
According to msn.com, Fontoura’s attorney, Patrick Toscano, of Fairfield, said the allegations are more than four years old and filed by two former girlfriends after Fontoura ended his relationships with them.
“Other than these preposterous accusations, having no basis whatsoever in reality, his work record in the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office throughout his law enforcement career has been nothing other than pristine and first-rate,” Toscano said.
On Monday, Toscano said the allegations contained in the affidavits are “fantastical.”
Fontoura’s attorney said the charges appear to be politically motivated and noted that one of the women claims Fontoura threatened to use his connections to have her transferred out of the sheriff’s office.
“The lieutenant is the grandson of Armando Fontoura, the longest serving sheriff in the state of New Jersey, whose reputation precedes him,” Toscano said. “If anyone actually believes that Sheriff Fontoura can be influenced to reassign an employee for any reason other than merit and fitness, they are certainly unfamiliar with his long-established history of integrity and veracity.”
Charges
According to nj.com, at the time of his arrest on August 29, David Fontoura was charged with six counts of third- and fourth-degree aggravated assault.
How much does a prosecutor’s lieutenant earn?
According to Lieutenant in N.J. prosecutor’s office charged with assaulting 2 women – nj.com, David Fontoura was hired as a police officer for the county on Dec. 1, 2013, rose through the ranks, and now earns $136,832 a year, according to public records.
Suspended without pay
According to RLSMedia, nj.com, and other sources, Thomas S. Fennelly, chief assistant prosecutor, said Fontoura was removed from duty after the charges were filed.
“Upon learning of the allegations, the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office immediately suspended Lt. Fontoura,” Fennelly said in an email on Tuesday.
Fennelly said the case has been moved to the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office to avoid a conflict of interest.
Unanswered Questions
The big question is, if the domestic assaults happened in 2019 and 2020, why is this coming up only four to five years later? Isn’t there a three-year statute of limitations in New Jersey?
What will happen next? Will Sheriff Fontoura’s legacy be darkened by the alleged actions of his grandson? Only time will tell.
