Traffic Stop Yields Discovery of Suspected Illegal Occupants

Township police reported that a van with Arizona plates stopped last Wednesday at the Exxon Station off King George Road was crammed with passengers from Mexico who had allegedly paid the driver to transport them from Phoenix to Manhattan.

Jesus Jurado, 47, reportedly presented police with a Mexican drivers license, but is listed as a resident of Phoenix, police said. Jurado was arrested on the basis of a reported arrest warrant from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement bureau, being an unlicensed driver and failure to properly signal his vehicle, according to township police.

Police said the van being driven by Jurado allegedly contained 11 passengers, ranging in age from 15 to 48, all of whom later listed home addresses in Mexico. Ten males were accompanied by one 24-year-old woman, according to police.

Police said that at approximately 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 2, Patrol Officer Slawomir Zolnierowski reportedly observed a white 2000 Dodge Caravan van with Arizona license plates enter the Exxon gas station on King George Road without making a turn signal.

A short time later, the vehicle exited the gas station near the interstate 78 overpass, and turned south onto Martinsville Road, police said. Zolnierowski noted that the driver again allegedly failed to use the turn signal prior to turning onto Martinsville Road, according to the police report.

The vehicle turned into the West Gate Corporation complex, and Zolnierowski conducted a motor vehicle stop at that time, according to police.

Police said the driver, Jurado, presented Zolnierowski with a drivers license from Mexico when asked to produced his license, and allegedly admitted that he did not possess a valid license from any state within the U.S.

According to police, Zolnierowski also observed that the van contained numerous individuals and that it appeared as though the van had been lived in. Jurado allegedly told the officer that he was not related to, or friends, with any of the individuals in the van, police said.

Zolnierwoski spoke to all of the occupants in the van, who allegedly told him they had paid Jurado to drive them from Phoenix to Manhattan, N.Y. Two of the occupants reportedly told Zolnierowski that they had paid Jurado $500 for the transportation, police said.

Police said that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (I.C.E) was contacted and provided information indicating Jurado previously had been deported from the United States and that I.C.E had an active warrant for Jurado’s arrest.

Jurado and the 11 passengers in the van were taken to township police headquarters, according to the police report. All 11 passengers provided Mexican addresses as their place of residence, police said.

Special agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement responded to headquarters, and are conducting a human trafficking investigation, police said.
As result of the preliminary I.C.E investigation, Jurado and the 11 passengers were turned over to the I.C.E agents, and were then transported to the I.C.E detention facility in Elizabeth, according to the police report.

In an unrelated incident, police reported that a 43-year-old Newark man was last Sunday arrested on charges of receiving stolen property, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of a syringe.

At about 1:30 a.m. last Sunday, Patrol Officer Christopher Baxter reportedly observed a 2000 Pontiac with a broken rear license plate light heading west on interstate 78.

Baxter  then conducted a mobile data terminal look up on the Pennsylvania license plate, and reportedly turned up data from Easton, Pa. that the vehicle was reported stolen, according to police.

Baxter then continued to follow the vehicle westbound on Route 78 while waiting for backup officers to catch up with him, police said. Police said Baxter initiated a suspected felony car stop on westbound 78 in Clinton Township following the arrival of assisting officers.

The car's driver, Toyce Saxton, was taken into custody without incident, according to police.

Police allege that a personal search of Saxton resulted in the discovery of a hypodermic needle in his jacket pocket, and an empty wax heroin fold in his pants pocket.

Police said they also found a black ski cap and white sneakers inside the vehicle consistent with the description from Easton police as the articles of clothing worn by the person who had allegedly stolen the vehicle.

Saxton the was transported to headquarters for processing, police said. The vehicle was towed by Somerset Hills Towing. Saxton later was transported to the Somerset County Jail with bail to be set at a later date, police said.