John Helmke, 23, of Nanuet, N.Y., faces gun charges, cops said.
FRANKLIN LAKES - A man who was terminated from his landscaping job returned to his former work site Monday armed with a handgun, according to police.
John Helmke (Franklin Lakes PD) John Helmke, 23, of Nanuet, N.Y., was arrested when officers found him with a loaded .38-caliber handgun at a work site on Old Mill Road, according to Det. Lt. John Bakelaar of the Franklin Lakes Police Department.
Police had been called to the site about 1:30 p.m. regarding a dispute between Helmke and his boss, Kelly Popek, who had just terminated Helmke, Bakelaar said.
At 7:22 p.m. Popek called police to report that Helmke had returned with a gun.
Helmke was charged with possession of a handgun for an unlawful purpose and possession of an unregistered handgun, police said.
He was taken to the Bergen County Jail. Bail information was not available on Tuesday.
Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at tattrino@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyAttrino. Find NJ.com on Facebook.