Newark New Jersey police arrested a man who was allegedly carrying a submachine gun on a city street.
Newark police officers were on patrol in the area near South 15th Street and 14th Avenue when they reportedly saw the 22-year-old suspect and another man enter the backyard of an abandoned house. The residence was located on South 15th Street.
The two suspects allegedly gained access to the home through a first-floor window. After a few minutes, the suspects reportedly emerged from the house carrying what appeared to be weapons.
Newark NJ police officers announced their presence, prompting the suspects to run in different directions. According to police, the suspect tossed a loaded weapon onto the ground while running away from police.
Police officers caught up to the suspect a short time later and arrested him. The other man fled the scene and remains at large.
After police placed the suspect under arrest, they found the weapon that had been tossed to the ground. The weapon was reportedly a loaded .22 caliber semi-automatic variant of the HK MP5 submachine gun. Authorities were initially uncertain about whether the gun was equipped with a silencer.
The suspect has been charged with a number of weapons offenses, including unlawful possession of a weapon, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, possession of a high-capacity magazine, and possession of a prohibited device. He has also been charged with resisting arrest.
If the suspect is convicted on the weapons charges, he faces significant penalties. As set forth by N.J.S.A. 2C:39-5, anyone who illegally possesses a prohibited weapon such as a handgun or a machine gun can be charged with a second degree felony. A conviction on second degree weapons charges could result in a sentence of 5-10 years in New Jersey State Prison.
For further information about this case, view the NJ.com article entitled “Man Arrested with Loaded Gun, Newark Cops Say.”
