Two suspected drug dealers were arraigned today following their arrests yesterday afternoon by Essex County sheriff’s detectives in unrelated investigations along with a male juvenile and an alleged drug buyer.
Responding to neighborhood complaints of open air narcotics trafficking in the area of Parker Street and Park Avenue and in the area of Springfield Avenue and South 6thStreet, Sheriff Armando Fontoura stated that officers from his department’s Bureau of Narcotics staged plainclothes surveillance operations at those locations on Tuesday.
“At 2:45 p.m., our BON detectives observed Luis Acevedo, 30, and a 17-year-old male loitering in front of 152 Parker Street,” Sheriff Fontoura said. “Acevedo was soon approached by an adult male who was riding a motorized bicycle. That male was later identified as Ivan Galarza. After a brief conversation, Acevedo gave a hand signal to the male juvenile who reached into his underpants and removed items which were exchanged with Galarza for cash.”
Believing they had just witnessed a narcotics sale, the sheriff’s BON detectives moved in to further investigate.
Acevedo and the juvenile were immediately detained while Galarza attempted to flee the scene on his bicycle.
“Galarza was chased and soon captured,” Fontoura noted. “During the pursuit, the suspect threw three glass vials, containing ‘crack’ cocaine, to the ground. A subsequent search of the male juvenile revealed that he was in possession of an additional 22 vials of ‘crack’ cocaine.”
Acevedo, Galarza and the juvenile are all Newark residents.
Acevedo and the juvenile were each charged with distribution of CDS, distribution of CDS within 1000 feet of Barringer High School, distribution of CDS within 500 feet of Branch Brook Park, possession of CDS, possession of CDS with intent to distribute, possession of CDS with intent to distribute within 1000 feet of Barringer High School and possession of CDS with intent to distribute within 500 feet of Branch Brook Park
Acevedo was additionally charged with employing a juvenile in a drug distribution scheme.
Earlier Tuesday afternoon, the sheriff’s BON detectives staked out the intersection of Springfield Avenue and South 6th Street.
Here, the sheriff’s detectives observed as Rayquan Holden, 20, of Newark, rode a conventional bicycle in circles around the intersection.
Holden was soon approached by a male and after a brief conversation, reached into pants pocket, retrieved items and exchanged them with the passerby for cash.
“Our detectives moved in and searched Holden,” Sheriff Fontoura said. “He was found to be in possession of an orange-tinted medicine bottle that contained 4 vials of ‘crack’ cocaine and 65 oxycodone tablets.”
Holden was charged with two counts each of possession of CDS, possession of CDS with intent to distribute and possession of CDS with intent to distribute within 1000 feet of Cleveland School.
A records check of Holden found him to be wanted on a burglary warrant issued by the Superior Court and a municipal warrant issued by Union Township.
At today’s arraignments, Acevedo’s bail was set at $100,000 cash bond only and Holden’s bail was set at $35,000. Both suspects were remanded to the county jail.
The juvenile was lodged at the Essex County Youth Detention Center where he awaits a hearing on Tuesday’s charges in Family Court.
Galarza issued summonses for possession of CDS and resisting arrest. He was released on his own recognizance and will be arraigned at a later date.