Woman in a Stolen Car Arrested in Front of a Funeral Home 1 Month Before her Death

Around 12:22 PM on April 20, 2024, Sergeant Dean Fusco with the North Haledon Police Department observed 2021 Jeep Cherokee traveling northbound on High Mountain Road. As the driver continued past him, his ALPR system alerted him to a stolen vehicle. He activated his emergency lights to initiate a traffic stop, and the driver pulled over in the parking lot of the Vander Plaat-Vermeulen Funeral Home at 530 High Mountain Road in the neighboring town of Franklin Lakes.

He exited his patrol car and made contact with the driver of the Jeep, who was later identified as Victoria Waltman. Her rear seat passenger was later identified as Thomas Tayburn. When Victoria was altered that the vehicle she was driving had been reported as stolen, she told the officer that she was “borrowing” the vehicle from a girl that she met in rehab. After Officer Janti Janouk arrived on scene to assist, Victoria was placed under arrest. A search of her vehicle revealed the presence of contraband, so her passenger was also placed under arrest.

Based on their suspicions, Sergeant Keith Heyman with the Passaic County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene with his K-9 to assist in searching the vehicle further. Additional needles and empty glassine folds were discovered as the vehicle was searched more comprehensively. Following the search, the vehicle was impounded by J&M Towing at the request of the State Police.

Both Victoria and Thomas were transported to the North Haledon Police Department for further processing.

Thomas was charged with the following:
-Possession (2C:36-3)
-Possession of prescription (2C:35-10A(2))
-Receiving stolen property (2C:20-7A)
-Unlawful taking means of conveyance (2C:20-10B)

On October 22, 2024, Thomas pleaded guilty to possession of prescription (2C:35-10A(2)) while his charge of unlawful taking means of conveyance (2C:20-10B) was downgraded to disorderly conduct (2C:33-2A(2) ). The other 2 charges were dismissed as part of a plea agreement. As a result of his 2 guilty pleas, Thomas had to pay a total of $1,166 in fines.

Victoria was charged with the following:
-Possession (2C:36-3)
-Possession of prescription (2C:35-10A(2))
-Receiving stolen property (2C:20-7A)
-Unlawful taking means of conveyance (2C:20-10B)
-Driving without a license (39:3-10)
-No liability insurance coverage on motor vehicle (39:6B-2)

The following month, Victoria died “suddenly” on May 23, 2024. Following her death, her charges in the North Haledon Municipal Court were dismissed on July 2, 2024. In addition to this arrest in North Haledon, Victoria had multiple prior arrests. She was arrested for allegedly shoplifting in Newton, NJ on February 14, 2024 and May 17, 2024. Another arrest involving her was for simple assault (2C:12-1A(1)) in Vernon Township, NJ on February 27, 2024.
----------------------------------------------
Please LIKE, SUBSCRIBE, and consider supporting this channel (email us for more information). Our content is shared for educational and news gathering purposes. We are in compliance with YouTube's Fair Use Policy because we edit several long clips into a concise story. This is similar to other law enforcement channels on YouTube. All videos and case documents were obtained pursuant to the New Jersey Open Public Records Act, N.J.S.A. 47:1A-1 et seq. (P.L. 2024, c.16). Defendants are considered innocent until proven guilty.

The New Jersey Supreme Court has previously affirmed in Salzano v. North Jersey Media Group, 993 A.2d 778 (2010) that “The fair-report privilege reflects the judgment that the need, in a self-governing society, for free-flowing information about matters of public interest outweighs concerns over the uncompensated injury to a person's reputation.” This video advances a compelling public interest. The summary of events was based on records that are “open to public view through open access to public records” as defined in the Salzano case. In Ramos v. Flowers, 429 N.J. Super. 13, the Appellate Division of the Superior Court has also affirmed the right to film law enforcement interactions.