10/16/2026
For Immediate Release:
October 16, 2026
HACKENSACK WOMAN CHARGED WITH AGGRAVATED ASSAULT
Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella announced the arrest of 52-year-old ROHWENIVEN BACANI of Hackensack, NJ, on the charge of aggravated assault. The arrest was the result of an investigation conducted by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Chief Jeff Angermeyer, and the Leonia Police Department, under the direction of Chief Scott Tamagny.
On Friday, September 11, 2026, the Leonia Police Department received information regarding a resident who was already hospitalized and being treated following a serious medical episode that may have been the result of a poisoning. The Leonia Police Department notified the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit, as well as the Robbery-Homicide Division, and a joint investigation was initiated. Detectives learned that the victim, who was hospitalized for several days and now recovering, believed she had been poisoned by an acquaintance, later identified as ROHWENIVEN BACANI.
A weeks-long, joint investigation revealed that the victim had agreed to meet ROHWENIVEN BACANI at a restaurant in Fort Lee, NJ, on Tuesday, September 8, 2026. The meeting was arranged so that the victim and BACANI could discuss unauthorized banking activity that the victim detected within her financial accounts, to which BACANI had shared access.
Detectives determined that when the victim arrived at the restaurant, ROHWENIVEN BACANI was already present and had a cup of tea waiting for the victim. The victim drank some of the beverage but did not finish it after detecting an unusual taste. Subsequently, the victim collapsed while leaving the restaurant and woke up in the hospital with no knowledge of how she arrived. Ultimately, the investigation revealed that BACANI had poisoned the victim with a controlled dangerous substance, namely a benzodiazepine, added to the tea.
As a result of the investigation, on Wednesday, October 14, 2026, ROHWENIVEN BACANI was charged with third-degree aggravated assault, N.J.S.A. 2C:12-1b(7). The following day, Thursday, October 15, 2026, detectives from the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office and the Leonia Police Department located BACANI outside of her residence in Hackensack, NJ, and placed her under arrest. BACANI was remanded to the Bergen County Jail pending a first appearance in Bergen County Superior Court in Hackensack, NJ.
Prosecutor Musella states that the charge is merely an accusation, and that the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. He would like to thank the Leonia Police Department for its partnership and assistance throughout this investigation. Moreover, Prosecutor Musella thanks the Fort Lee Police Department and the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office for their assistance with this investigation.
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