Newark officials are reporting that police arrested Mr. Jose Soto Vargas, 39, of Newark, for the discharge of a firearm Monday and made seven arrests this week as part of the Violence Reduction Initiative, aimed at removing firearms and apprehending gun possession.
According to Newark Police, at approximately 10:45 a.m., April 18, Soto Vargas engaged in a physical altercation with a man in front of a business at 102 Market Street.
During the fight, Soto Vargas attempted to remove an object from his pocket and a shot was fired.
No injuries have been reported.
The suspect was taken into custody without incident and a loaded and defaced handgun was recovered. Soto Vargas faces charges of aggravated assault, unlawful possession of a weapon and possession of a firearm for an illegal purpose.
Over the weekend, officials said Newark Police arrested seven suspects for weapon possession, beginning with two men and a male juvenile on Sunday in separate incidents. Terry J. Rice, 25, of East Orange, was arrested Sunday at 15th Avenue and South 18th Street following a motor vehicle stop.
Rice was observed with a loaded handgun.
He faces charges of unlawful possession of a weapon and possession of prohibited weapons (large-capacity magazines).
Tyrese Naraine, 21, of Newark, was also arrested Sunday in the 200 block of Irvine Turner Boulevard following a motor vehicle stop.
Police observed a handgun, which was loaded, in the vehicle’s door panel. Naraine is charged with unlawful possession of a weapon and possession of prohibited weapons (large-capacity magazines and hollow-point ammunition).
A 17-year-old male was taken into custody Sunday following a motor vehicle stop in the area of 16th Avenue and South 20th Street.
Police recovered a loaded ghost gun from the juvenile, who faces charges of unlawful possession of a weapon and possession of prohibited weapons (large-capacity magazine and machine gun capacity).
On Saturday, Police arrested Quasin S. Lee, 21, of Newark, following a ShotSpotter notification in the area of Brookdale Avenue near Arbinger Place.
After Lee arrived at St. Barnabas Hospital in Livingston for treatment of a gunshot wound, Major Crimes detectives identified him as a suspect in the shooting and he was arrested. Lee faces a charge of unlawful possession of a weapon.
Davon West, 18, of Newark, was also arrested on Saturday after he was observed with a handgun in the area of 7th Avenue West and North 14th Street.
West ran from police and tossed the handgun in the 400 block of 7th Avenue. He was located hiding in a basement stairwell in East Orange, where he was arrested without incident.
The loaded weapon was recovered. West faces charges of unlawful possession of a weapon, resisting arrest and obstruction of the administration of the law.
On Friday, Police arrested Qualee Jones, 19, of Newark, after he was observed with a handgun in the 200 block of Irvine Turner Boulevard.
Upon becoming aware of police presence, Jones fled and tossed the handgun. He was apprehended and the loaded weapon was recovered. He is charged with unlawful possession of a weapon, resisting arrest and obstruction of the administration of the law.
Haywood Covington, 29, of Irvington, was also arrested on Friday after he was observed with a handgun in the 100 block of Alexander Street. Upon becoming aware of police presence, Covington ran, tossing the handgun, which was recovered and found loaded.
Police also recovered 81 plastic jugs containing suspected CDS cocaine and one glassine envelope containing suspected CDS heroin in Covington’s possession. He faces charges of unlawful possession of a weapon, possession of prohibited weapons (hollow-point ammunition), certain persons prohibited from weapon possession, CDS possession, CDS distribution and distribution of CDS within 1,000 ft. of a school.