Robbery Arrest

Newark – An adult male and two juvenile males were arrested early this morning by Essex County sheriff’s officers and charged with robbery with bodily injury.

Sheriff Armando Fontoura stated that officers from his department’s Patrol Division were conducting quality of life operations in the area of Newark’s Riverbank Park shortly after midnight when they were flagged down near the intersection of Raymond Boulevard and Somme Street by a 42-year-old male victim who had just been assaulted and robbed by three suspects.

“The victim, an East Orange private security officer, told our officers that he was returning home from work when three young suspects attached him from behind, punching him in the back of the head and knocking him to the ground before rifling through his pockets,” Sheriff Fontoura stated.

Taken in the robbery were the victim’s smart phone, I Pod, wallet and $50 cash.

“We placed the victim into our cruiser and canvassed the area,” Fontoura added.  “Within minutes, we came across three suspects who the victim positively identified as the persons who robbed him.”

Najee Taylor, 19, along with a 16-year-old and a 17-year-old who are all residents of Newark’s Hawkins Street, were placed under arrest and charged with the crime.

Early this morning, Newark municipal court Judge Marvin Adames set bail on Taylor at $100,000 and he was lodged at the county jail where he awaits arraignment.

The two juveniles were remanded to the Essex County Youth Detention Center where they await a hearing on their charges in Family Court.

$250K Narcotics/Weapons Seizure

August 24, 2016, Newark – Nearly one quarter of a million dollars in illegal narcotics and prescription medicines, along with two fully loaded shotguns, were seized yesterday afternoon during the arrests of an alleged Latin Kings gang member and his accomplice during a raid at a residence in the city’s North Ward by a law enforcement task force comprised of detectives from the Essex County Sheriff’s Office and officers from the Bloomfield and Irvington police departments.

Sheriff Armando Fontoura stated that the task force officers, armed with a search warrant for 246 Clifton Avenue, surrounded the residence of Ramon ‘Tone’ Vega, age 57, prior to executing the warrant on Tuesday afternoon.

“After observing Vega interact with numerous passersby in front of his residence and then escort them down his driveway to the rear of his home the detectives from our Bureau of Narcotics believed they had witnessed drug transactions,” Sheriff Fontoura said.  “As they moved in to further investigate, the task force found Vega and his alleged accomplice, Adalberto ‘Pepsi’ Garcia, 36 also of Newark, inside a garden shed in the backyard.”

Vega then passed a black plastic bag to Garcia who threw it into a nearby garbage can.

“The bag was recovered and found to contain significant quantities of cocaine, marijuana, Endocet, Xanax and Ecstasy,” Fontoura noted.  “Vega was in possession of $400 in cash which was also recovered and both suspects were then placed under arrest.”

In executing the search warrant for the residence, the task force officers discovered an additional 1,800 grams of cocaine, nearly 3,000 grams of marijuana, 1,850 Ecstasy tablets, 25 grams of Oxycodone, 175 grams of Xanax and 21 grams of Tramadol.

“The exterior of the house was monitored by surveillance cameras and inside the residence we seized an incredibly wide variety of drug processing materials, along with a sawed-off Savage Arms shotgun, a second fully loaded shotgun and thousands of rounds of ammunition,” the sheriff added.

Vega and Garcia were each charged with 32 criminal counts, including possession of CDS, possession of CDS with intent to distribute, possession of a defaced weapon, possession of a weapon by a convicted felon, conspiracy to violate New Jersey’s narcotics laws, possession of narcotics paraphernalia and maintaining a fortified structure.

Newark municipal court Judge Marvin Adames set a speedy bail of $850,000 cash bond only in each suspect and they were lodged at the county jail.

Vega and Garcia are scheduled for arraignment later today.

News Release

Newark – A reputed Crips street gang member was arraigned today on multiple weapons and drug charges following his arrest Thursday night by Essex County sheriff’s detectives.

Sheriff Armando Fontoura stated that plainclothes detectives from his department’s Bureau of Narcotics were conducting quality of life operations in the area of Frelinghuysen Avenue and Center Terrace in Newark yesterday evening when the observed a 2015 Hyundai Accent traveling at a high rate of speed and in a careless manner.

“Our BON officers pulled the suspect vehicle over and ordered the driver, later identified as David Butler, 29 of Irvington, out of the car when they spotted a marijuana cigarette on the center console,” Sheriff Fontoura said.  “While retrieving the narcotics our officers noticed the grip of a handgun protruding from underneath the front passenger’s seat.”

The sheriff’s detectives recovered a fully loaded, 9mm, Steyr Mannlicher semi-automatic handgun.  Butler was also found to be in possession of one Xanax tablet.

Butler was charged with the unlawful possession of a weapon, possession of a  weapon by a convicted felon, and two counts of possession of a controlled dangerous substance.  The suspect was also issued summonses for careless driving and possession of CDS in a motor vehicle.

At today’s arraignment, Butler was ordered held at the county jail in lieu of $100,000 cash bond only.