Lawsuit: Garbage collector attacked Paterson man who refused him a beer
PATERSON — A thirsty garbage collector allegedly assaulted a Paterson restaurant worker who refused to give him a free beer, according to a lawsuit filed in state Superior Court last week.
And Paterson taxpayers could end up paying for the May 2021 incident.
That’s because the garbage collector was working for Fairfield-based Suburban Disposal, also known as Roselle Inc., the company that the city of Paterson hired for trash collection services under a $4.5 million contract.
The lawsuit says Paterson failed to conduct proper background checks on Roselle’s employees, because otherwise it would have found that the garbage collector who allegedly committed the assault had a criminal record and a “proclivity and propensity for violent harmful behavior to the general public as well as being unfit for his duties.”
New Jersey court records indicate that someone with the same name as the accused garbage collector was indicted on aggravated assault charges in 2017 and pleaded guilty to lesser charges in 2018.
Officials at Roselle could not be reached for comment about their employee background checks. City Public Works Department officials did not provide a response when asked if they took any action regarding the accused driver’s role in handling Paterson’s collection routes.
“The whole thing was an outrage,” said Gregory Tierney, the attorney who filed the lawsuit for the restaurant worker. “My client made a humane gesture on a hot day and offered this man a water and he was assaulted. They drove away on their garbage truck and left my client lying on the sidewalk.”
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The incident happened on May 4, 2021, at a restaurant at 246 McBride Ave. The alleged victim, Gehu Ramirez-Gonzalez, was working as delivery driver when he offered the Roselle garbage crew water, the lawsuit said.
One of the garbage collectors, David Manradge, said he wanted a beer instead and went inside the restaurant to get one, the lawsuit said. After being refused, Manradge allegedly then assaulted Ramirez-Gonzalez.
Tierney said his client had to go to a hospital emergency room for the injuries he suffered and later needed surgery. Tierney said criminal charges were filed against Manradge over the incident, but he could not provide details. The Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office said it knew of no pending charges against Manradge.
Roselle has come under fire for years from City Council members and residents complaining about poor garbage collection service. The company’s current contract with Paterson is scheduled to expire this spring.
Joe Malinconico is editor of Paterson Press.
Email: editor@patersonpress.com
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Roselle Inc. garbage collector attacked man who refused him beer, suit says
