WCNYH

Longshoreman Suspended After Arrest for Causing the Death of Off-Duty Police Officer

January 15 2019

Today, the Waterfront Commission temporarily suspended longshoreman Ricardo O. Dos Santos, 29, of Union, New Jersey, pending the outcome of an administrative hearing in connection with his arrest for causing the death of Officer Giovanni Esposito of the Hillside Police Department.

As a longshoreman, Dos Santos operated machinery at Maher Terminals, in Elizabeth, New Jersey. On January 12, 2019, following an investigation by the Linden Police Department, Dos Santos was arrested for Death by Auto, a crime of the second degree. He allegedly caused the death of Officer Esposito, while he was off-duty, by driving while intoxicated at over 90 mph in a 45 mph zone and striking a tractor-trailer in Linden, New Jersey.

Today, the Waterfront Commission suspended Dos Santos’s longshoreman registration after issuing a Notice of Hearing alleging that his presence at the piers or other waterfront terminals in the port of New York district represents a danger to the public peace or safety.

The Union County Prosecutor’s Office is prosecuting the criminal matter.