Police Blotter: Litter Suspect Arrested on Drug Charges

Drug Arrest

Most people would probably agree that it’s never really smart to litter.

Most people would also probably agree that it’s especially not smart litter within sight of a police officer – particularly when you’ve just used an illegal drug and don’t really want to draw attention to yourself.

But that, allegedly, is exactly what Timothy D. Williams did while driving through Lawrence Township during the evening of Thursday, June 9, according to Lt. Charles Edgar, spokesman for the township police department.

Williams, 23, of the 100 block of North Johnston Avenue in Hamilton Township, was driving northbound on Princeton Pike, near Pine Knoll Drive, about 6:15 p.m. when he allegedly tossed fountain soda cup out the window of his car just as Officer Richard Laird III was driving by in the opposite direction, Edgar said.

He said Laird – seeing the soda cup go flying – turned his police car around and stopped the 2006 Mitsubishi Eclipse that Williams was driving.

Upon approaching the vehicle and speaking to Williams, Laird smelled an odor of burnt marijuana coming from within the Mitsubishi, Edgar said. He said Laird then spotted a small quantity of marijuana in the car, along with plastic baggies typically used to hold marijuana.

Williams was taken into custody and charged with marijuana possession and possession of drug paraphernalia, according to Edgar. 

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DUI

Irena V. Vranjes, 24, of the 200 block of Fountayne Lane in Lawrence Township was arrested on suspicion of drunk driving during the early hours of Thursday, June 9, Edgar said.

Officer Joseph Radlinsky was on patrol when he allegedly spotted Vranjes driving a 2010 Toyota in an “erratic” manner, drifting in and out of lanes along southbound Brunswick Pike (Route 1) about 2 a.m., Edgar said. He said Radlinsky followed the Toyota as it headed onto Interstate 95 and then stopped the vehicle after Vranjes allegedly drove over a curb at the top of the ramp leading onto the interstate.

Edgar said Vranjes allegedly had an odor of alcohol on her breath while she spoke to Radlinsky. Field sobriety tests were administered, after which Vranjes was charged with driving under the influence, reckless driving, and failing to maintain a lane, he said.

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DUI

Fritz Mineus, 18, of the 2100 block of Princeton Pike, was arrested on suspicion of being under the influence of alcohol or drugs, resisting arrest and related offenses after an incident that took place in the 2000 block of Princeton Pike about 11:45 p.m. on Thursday, June 9, Edgar said.

Police were called by a witness who allegedly saw Mineus, driving a 1995 Toyota Avalon, hit a parked car and then start to walk away, Edgar said. He said officers searched the area and found Mineus nearby. He said Mineus allegedly became “distraught” while police administered field sobriety tests to him.

Mineus allegedly became “combative” with officers and had to be subdued, according to Edgar, adding that Mineus was taken to a local hospital for treatment. He was subsequently charged by police with DUI, DUI in a school zone, DUI while under 21 years old, resisting arrest, reckless driving, leaving the scene of an accident and failing to report an accident. 

Mineus was previously arrested by Lawrence Township police on following an incident near the Brunswick Circle Extension.

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DUI

Michael Madden, 52, of Henry Street in Hamilton Township was arrested about 4:15 p.m. on Wednesday, June 8, and charged with driving under the influence of prescription medications and possession of prescription medications not in their original containers, Edgar said. He said the arrest was made after Madden’s vehicle was involved in a motor traffic accident in the 2900 block of Brunswick Pike (Route 1).

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Shoplifting

Jason A. McManus, 27, of Pennsville was arrested about 12:50 p.m. on Tuesday, June 7, after he allegedly stole a $100 pair of Timberland boots from the Sears department store at Quaker Bridge Mall in the 3300 block of Brunswick Pike (Route 1), Edgar said.

Store loss prevention officials allegedly observed McManus remove the security sensors from the boots and put the boots on his feet, Edgar said. He said McManus then allegedly put his old boots in the Timberland box, returned the box to its place on the display rack and then walked out of the store without paying for the boots he was wearing.

Store employees followed and detained McManus. He was charged with shoplifting by Officer Chris DiMeglio and then sent to the Mercer County Correction Center because he was wanted in connection with outstanding warrants from Camden, according to Edgar.

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Forgery

Hector A. Chuya, 57, of Garden View Terrace in East Windsor, was arrested about 11:05 a.m. on Wednesday, June 8, and charged with exhibiting false documents after he allegedly presented a fraudulent immigration document in an effort to obtain a New Jersey driver’s license, Edgar said.

Officials at the state Motor Vehicle Commission’s Bakers Basin facility in the 3200 block of Brunswick Pike (Route 1) called police after identifying the document as a fake, Edgar said. After taking Chuya into custody, he said, Officer Andres Mejia discovered Chuya was wanted in connection with an outstanding $780 warrant from East Windsor.

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Theft

A 19-year-old Hamilton Township resident called police at 5:20 p.m. on Wednesday, June 8, to report that someone had stolen her purse, which containing her driver’s license, debit card, a gift card, sunglasses, a necklace worth $52, a ring valued at $20, and $7 in cash, according to Edgar.

He said the purse was stolen from the woman’s place of employment, a modeling agency kiosk located at Quaker Bridge Mall. The victim told Sgt. Chris Longo that her purse might have been taken by a woman who had been hanging around the kiosk earlier in the day. She described the suspect as black, 35 to 40 years old, 5 feet 7 to 8 inches tall, and 140 to 160 pounds,  

Anyone with information about any of the above crimes is asked to call Lawrence Township police at (609) 896-1111.

 A copy of Lawrence Township's police dispatch log for Tuesday, June 7, through Thursday, June 9, 2011, can be viewed from the PDF box above. This log lists all significant calls for service and incidents for which officers filed a written report. Routine administrative assignments are omitted. Some data has been redacted to protect the identity of crime victims.