Police took several people into custody during an operation/sweep to remove illegal guns off the streets.
Police say with the assistance of tips received through the Crimestoppers program, members of the Essex County Sheriff's Bureau of Narcotics recovered five weapons in less than a week.
According to authorities, on Feb. 1st, a noon-time raid of a house on 7th Street near the corner of West 1st Street yielded a defaced Smith & Wesson 44 Magnum, a .22-caliber Ruger stolen out of North Carolina and a 9mm Taurus, along with ammunition including hollow point bullets hidden inside a 2004 BMW that was parked in the driveway.
Officials say that sheriff's Tactical Response Team gained entrance to the house through the front door, which had been fortified with several two by fours.
The sheriff's Tactical Response Team ultimately gained entrance to the house through the front door, which had been fortified with several two by fours.
Police say once inside officers arrested Christopher Thomas, 30, and Griselda Guerrero, 38 - the registered owners of the vehicle. In addition, a warrant was issued for Lloyd Darby, 53, after police found eight grams of marijuana and a small digital scale inside his room.
"This proves our Crimestoppers program works," said Essex County Sheriff Armando Fontoura. "People are fed up with drugs and guns in their neighborhoods, and our detectives are doing a great job responding to these complaints."
Another tip took police to a house on Van Ness Place near Millington Avenue on Thursday were detectives recovered a loaded .45-caliber handgun - reported stolen out of West Virginia - inside a mailbox.
Earlier in the week, on Jan. 29th, officials say narcotics detectives in the neighborhood of Seymour and Clinton Avenues pulled over a black Dodge Challenger with illegally tinted windows.
A strong odor of marijuana was emanating from the car, and the driver, Courtney Watson, 34, of Newark, admitted to having some in his possession, which he willingly handed over.
While officers arrested Watson on the drug charge, they spotted a 9mm loaded handgun with hollow point bullets. Police also charged him with unlawful possession of a handgun.