Teens Arrested on Weapons Charges

Two city teenagers were arrested yesterday on weapons charges, suspects whose ages and criminal records a top police official referred to as “alarming.”

Newark police said in a statement that around 2 pm yesterday, officers on patrol were flagged down by a bystander near Littleton and 13th avenues, telling police a youth was seen placing a firearm in his jacket pocket. Shortly afterward, officers canvassing the area spotted a youth matching the description provided by the bystander. The suspect fled when the officers left their patrol car, running on foot along South Orange Avenue and then onto S. 7th Street, where police reportedly observed the suspect discard a gun near 264 S. 7th St.

The suspect, 16, was caught by police after he scaled a backyard fence and emerged on S. 6th Street, where officers were waiting.

He was charged with unlawful possession of a weapon, a loaded .380 caliber handgun, and possession of a defaced weapon. 

Last night, shortly after 10 pm, members of the department’s Gang Enforcement Unit were patrolling in the 2nd Precinct when they received a report of narcotics activity in the area of Dickerson and N. 6th streets. As the unit approached the area they observed a group of males, one of whom abruptly walked off after noticing the officers, police said.

Officers pulled up directly behind the suspect, later identified only as a 17 year-old Newark teen, as he was observed removing a firearm from his waistband and dropping it into a trash can. Officer immediately exited the vehicle and detained the suspect, also recovering  the loaded .22 caliber revolver from the trash can. The youth was charged with unlawful possession of a weapon.

The two teens had more than a half-dozen prior arrests between them for robbery, burglary, receiving stolen property, and narcotics and weapons-related offenses.


“While I am thrilled that we were able to get these guns off our streets, I am also very disturbed by the ages and criminal backgrounds of these latest arrestees,” Police Director Samuel DeMaio said. “Our city’s youth carrying guns instead of school books is very alarming and unacceptable practice. Just as we need our entire community to band together to report criminal activity, it is equally important that our community’s parents band together and assume greater responsibility and roles in parenting and shielding our city’s youth from the ills of drug dealing, gang activity, and violent crime.”