3 Charged With Drug Offenses, Shoplifting After Wayne Traffic Stop: PD

WAYNE, NJ — Wayne Police said they arrested three people after a traffic stop where officers found stolen merchandise and illegal drugs.

The afternoon of Feb. 14, two officers noticed a Toyota sedan following another vehicle too closely, and one occupant was not wearing a seat belt. According to officials, none of the people in the vehicle could produce a driver's license, and the plate on the vehicle did not match the registration.

A William Paterson University officer came to the scene to help translate, as the occupants did not speak English, said Detective Captain Dan Daly in a news release.

The officers noticed suspected drug paraphernalia in the vehicle, and saw "numerous articles of clothing and perfume with store tags still attached." Officers said some of the items had been taken from Ulta Beauty, and a store employee confirmed a recent theft.

Police found ecstasy pills, drug paraphernalia, and more than $5,300 worth of stolen merchandise including clothes, shoes, and fragrances from Ulta, Kohl's, JCPenney, and Macy's.

Officers said that all three were lodging at the Roosevelt Hotel in Manhattan.

After police arrested the vehicle occupants, the trio reportedly provided false information as to their identities. Officials charged all three on complaint warrants, and they were lodged in the Passaic County Jail after police determined they were a danger to the community.

“In light of their shoplifting sprees which victimized numerous businesses, and apparent Controlled Dangerous Substance (CDS) use while operating an unregistered and uninsured vehicle without licenses, which endangered any pedestrians and motorists on our roadway, their true identities/addresses were unknown or subject to sudden change in light of their housing in an out of state hotel, further necessitating their detention," Daly said in the news release.

Two of the occupants, 23-year-old Yefferson Prieto-Galviz and 41-year-old Morelis Blanco-Cineros, face charges of receiving stolen property, possession of a controlled dangerous substance (CDS), possession of CDS paraphernalia, hindering apprehension, and shoplifting.

Police charged 28-year-old Dugleidy Gonzalez-Rivera with receiving stolen property, possession of a controlled dangerous substance (CDS), possession of CDS paraphernalia, and shoplifting.