August 11, 2017

Contact: Sheriff Armando Fontoura (973) 621-4105

Newark – An alleged female member of the Crips street gang was arrested Thursday night at her North Ward apartment by a law enforcement task force comprised of Essex County sheriff’s detectives and Irvington police officers.  Multiple drug charges were filed against her.

Sheriff Armando Fontoura stated that when the task force, armed with a search warrant for 356 North 5^th Street, knocked and announced their presence at the ground floor entry to the multi-family residence, Edda Vasquez, 37, the target of the investigation, appeared on her second floor balcony and quickly retreated into her apartment.

Fearing destruction of evidence, the task force officers made a forced entry into the building and into the upstairs apartment.

“Here, our officers watched as Vasquez tossed a clear plastic bag onto her kitchen floor,” Sheriff Fontoura said.  “The bag contained 20 grams of ‘crack’ cocaine.  Vasquez was placed under arrest and searched.  She was found to be in possession of $131 which was confiscated.”

The sheriff added that an orderly search of the apartment was conducted.

“In the dining room, our detectives discovered and seized an additional 19 grams of “crack”, 35 plastic jugs filled with ‘crack’ cocaine and an assortment of drug packaging processing materials and $2,000 in cash.  A shoebox in the bedroom was found to contain 20 films of Suboxone and 33 Endocet tablets.  Apparently, this mini-drug store was catering to multiple tastes,” Fontoura noted.

The estimated street value of the narcotics is approximately $4,500.

Vasquez was charged with three counts each of possession of a controlled dangerous substance, possession of CDS with intent to distribute, possession of CDS with intent to distribute within 1000 feet of William H. Horton School and possession of CDS with intent to distribute within 500 feet of Branch Brook Park.  The suspect was also charged with one count of the possession of narcotics paraphernalia.

Vasquez was lodged at the Essex County jail where she awaits a bail hearing on the charges.