Three weapons recovered in series of arrests
NEWARK -- City police arrested five people in three separate incidents over the weekend, department spokesman Sgt. Ron Glover said.
Personnel with the Special Conditions Unit were patrolling near S. 11th Street and 11th Avenue around 1 p.m. Friday when they spotted a man in a vacant building wearing a fanny pack. Officers saw the man sell drugs to another person who approached him., Glover said.
Police stopped the alleged buyer, Delanci Chandler, 53, as he was driving from the scene and kept watching Keywon Savage, 19. When Chandler was found in possession of drugs, officers arrested Savage, who had several envelopes of heroin and vials of cocaine, Glover said. A SigSauer handgun was found in Savage's pack, which had been placed in the hallway of the building, Glover also said.
Chandler was charged with possession and issued a summons for possession in a motor vehicle. Savage was arrested and charged with the unlawful possession of the gun as well as several other weapons-related offenses. He was also charged with multiple narcotics violations.
Shortly after midnight Saturday, personnel with the Newark Violence Reduction Initiative were patrolling near Avon Avenue and S. 11th Street. NVRI has officers from the Essex County sheriff's and prosecutor's offices, the State Parole, State Police and FBI.
The officers saw a group arguing on the corner and approached, with one person yelling that the police were coming. A second person turned and adjusted the butt of a handgun sticking out of his waistband, Glover said.
Krishna Bennett, a 19-year-old Irvington resident, then ran but tripped as he was being chased by police, Glover said. Bennett was arrested after police recovered a loaded .40-caliber Smith and Wesson. Bennett was also in possession of a small amount of crack, Glover said.
The following morning, around 2 a.m., a car sped by patrolling officers near the New Community Corp. housing complex and later travelled the wrong way down a one-way street. When police pulled up on the vehicle as it was being parked, two of the three occupants were caught as they attempted to run. Police also spotted a .40-caliber Glock handgun inside the vehicle.
Marcus E. Kelley, 23, and 32-year-old Jermaine S. Collins were arrested and charged with the unlawful possession of a handgun as well as other weapons-related offenses.
"To meet the needs of our community, the department has reinforced its manpower in the field as well as increased patrols throughout the city. As a result, we are seeing the fruits of the officers' labor. Three loaded guns, drugs and five criminals arrested over the weekend," said Police Director Eugene Venable.