Cops Make a Dozen Arrests This Week for Drugs, Weapons Offenses

Newark police arrested a score of people on weapons and other charges this week, recovering $4,000 in narcotics and 13 guns, including two assault rifles.

The string arrests began Sunday Feb. 28, when officers from the Vailsburg Task Force responded to an anonymous 2 am call of a dispute involved an armed man near South Orange Avenue and 19th Street.

Responding officers reportedly observed Dashon Miles, 20, of Newark, flee the area on foot. Miles was captured after a brief chase and a “violent” struggle, police said. A 9 mm gun was found in his waistband.

He was charged with unlawful possession of a weapon, possession of a defaced firearm, and resisting arrest.

At 9 pm that same day gang unit detectives on patrol reportedly observed two males talking in front of 428 Leslie St. The two separated and walked away after noticing the officers, with one, a 17-year-old Newark resident, heading towards a nearby driveway. As police approached the driveway they heard a metal object hitting the ground as the suspect returned. Police detained both suspects briefly and discovered the teenager had discarded a .40 caliber firearm which was later found to have been reported stolen from North Carolina last year. Both the teenager and the other suspect,  18 year-old city resident Khari Brown, were found to be in possession of marijuana. The pair was taken into custody without incident and charged with several weapons and narcotics related offenses.

 

On Monday, Feb. 27,  shortly after 11 am, police responded to a report of a person stripping an abandoned house at 82 Scheerer Ave.  Police were unable to locate any suspects inside the residence but did recover a 9mm firearm on the floor near the doorway.
 

Later that day, hortly before 1 pm, several units converged on the Seth Boyden Housing Complex in response to numerous citizen complaints of narcotics trafficking. As officers entered the complex they spotted two males, who immediately fled on foot upon observing the officers, with one of the fleeing men discarding what was later determined to be several vials of cocaine. Officers chased the pair into 118 Seth Boyden Terrace to a second floor apartment where the suspects were observed attempting to conceal a .357 revolver loaded with hollow point bullets and drug paraphernalia inside a bedroom. Police said the suspects, a 16 and a 17-year-old,  both from Newark, both had illegal narcotics in their possession. The pair was charged with numerous weapons and narcotics related offenses.

 

At 9 am on Tuesday, Feb. 28,  a sergeant assigned to the Drug Enforcement Administration, along with federal agents, responded to 140 Chancellor Ave. to execute an arrest warrant for Jamar Collins 33 for narcotics offenses. Collins, of Newark,  was observed leaving the location but was taken into custody, at which time police discovered he was in possession of five decks of heroin. A search of the suspect’s apartment resulted in the recovery of a loaded .38 caliber revolver, a box of 50 rounds of .38 caliber ammunition, and an additional 12 decks of heroin, police said. Collins has been charged with numerous weapons and narcotics related offenses and already has nine prior felony convictions and well over a dozen arrests for weapons and narcotics related charges.

 

Less than an hour later,  police responded to 270 Schley St. where a citizen reported discovering a weapon. The man, while inspecting an 1989 Dodge Van he was preparing to scrap, found a plastic bag sitting on top of one of the tires which police said contained a loaded .45 caliber firearm.
 

On Feb. 29, shortly after midnight, detectives assigned to the gang unit were conducting proactive patrols in the City’s 2nd Precinct when they allegedly observed 18 year-old Christopher Ojeda of Newark in front of 664 Broadway holding a firearm, which was later determined to be a loaded .38 caliber revolver. Upon observing police, Ojeda immediately fled on foot during which time he discarded the weapon near the intersection of Broadway and Carteret Street. Police immediately recovered the weapon and arrested the suspect a short distance away without further incident. Ojeda, who has more than half dozen prior arrests, was charged with unlawful possession of a weapon and resisting arrest.


Also yesterday,  at 7 am, members of the Fugitive Apprehension Section responded to 369 Morris Ave. to execute an arrest warrant. Police were met by a woman who identified herself as 21 year-old Tashirah Turner, the suspect’s sister. Turner advised police that her brother was not present and invited police inside to search the residence. Tashirah Tiurner was not found but police reportedly discovered the handle of a 7.62 assault rifle loaded with a 30 round magazine protruding from a nylon bag on the rear staircase. Also recovered were 23 shotgun shells and 39 other rounds of ammunition. The three occupants of the residence,  Turner and 20-year-old Thomas Pearson along with 24-year-old Tyreeese Webb of Irvington, were all arrested and charged with unlawful possession of an assault weapon and possession of a high capacity magazine. Webb, who is a three-time convicted felon, was additionally charged with violating a law prohibiting felons from possessing firearms.
 

Also yesterday,  at approximately 1:30 pm, police  again responded to the Seth Boyden Housing Complex following anonymous complaints of weapons and narcotics offenses. As officers entered 113 Seth Boyden Terrace undetected they allegedly observed 21-year-old Leonard West standing on a ladder leading to the roof. The suspect was seen removing a firearm from his waistband and placing the weapon inside a chute leading to the roof. The suspect was then observed placing a padlock on the chute before observing police and jumping off the ladder and fleeing into a nearby apartment with police in close pursuit. The suspect alegedly yelled to alert his girlfriend,  later identified as 29 year-old Jennifer Richardson.

As officers pursued the suspect into the apartment Richardson tossed a hair spray can that subsequently broke open and containing a small amount of heroin, cocaine and marijuana stored inside. Police arrested the couple inside the apartment and, with the assistance of the Newark Fire Department, gained access to the locked chute leading to the roof. In total police recovered the .357 police observed West place into the chute along with an SKS assault rifle, 9mm Ruger, a 9mm Glock, a .357 Taurus, as well as 340 decks of heroin and 40 vials of cocaine worth an estimated $3,800. A check of the weapons recovered revealed that the 9mm Ruger and the .357 Taurus were both stolen from Georgia and Virginia, respectively. Both suspects were charged with more than a dozen narcotics-related charges while West was additionally charged with nine more weapons-related charges for the firearms retrieved from the roof area.

 

Police Director Samuel DeMaio stated, “Community involvement coupled with excellent police work continues to net positive results in our efforts to combat and prevent crime. Equally important to recovering these narcotics and weapons are the arrests of these heavily armed and/or career criminals with a high propensity for violence. I applaud our officers for their bravery, professionalism, and restraint as they routinely arrest these armed and dangerous suspects without incident or injury to police or the general public.”