Newark NJ police seized four illegal guns and made five arrests related to illegal weapons possession during the week after Christmas.
Newark police officers arrested the first suspect after allegedly observing him place a .40-caliber handgun into a trash can near the intersection of Chapel Street and Riverview Court. The officers quickly moved to detain the 22-year-old suspect, who was later charged with illegal possession of a handgun.
A short time later, members of the Newark Police Department Firearms Interdiction Team made another weapons-related arrest. The officers were investigating a shooting near 12th Street and Gould Avenue when they allegedly saw a 16-year-old place a loaded .38-caliber gun into his pocket. The officers approached the suspect, who reportedly tried to flee the scene on foot. A short chase ensued; the suspect was eventually apprehended and taken into custody.
Just a day later, Newark patrol officers allegedly saw a 14-year-old flash a silver handgun while standing in the vicinity of Renner Avenue and Bergen Street. When the officers approached the suspect, he reportedly ran up Scheerer Avenue; however, officers caught up to the suspect in the backyard of a home on Renner Avenue.
Newark police made yet another weapons-related arrest a few days later. Members of the Newark Violence Reduction Initiative pulled over a car for an alleged traffic violation near 18th Avenue and Jacob Street. During the traffic stop, an officer reportedly saw a man in the front passenger seat hand a .32-caliber handgun to another man in the backseat. Officers subsequently arrested the two suspects, who are both from Newark. The suspects have been charged with a number of weapons offenses, including unlawful possession of a weapon.
The Newark Police Department is actively investigating all of the incidents. Anyone with information about any of the suspects has been asked to call the CrimeStoppers tip line at 877-695-8477 or 877-695-4867.
For additional information about this case, see the NJ.com article entitled “Newark Police Arrest 5, Seize 4 Guns in Separate Incidents over Weekend.”
