Three Arrested After Alleged Drug Deal Interrupted

A Lawrence Township teenager allegedly led authorities on a brief car chase after two township police officers interrupted what authorities believe was a drug deal in the Manors at Lawrenceville development Monday, police spokesman Lt. Mark Ubry confirmed yesterday.

The suspect, identified as Jamie Strasser, 18, of Winthrop Road, managed to get away Monday evening but police caught up with him later, taking him into custody at his home about 7:15 a.m. Tuesday and charging him with eluding, marijuana distribution, marijuana possession and loitering to comment a drug crime, according to Ubry.

Strasser was .

Ubry said it was shortly before 10 p.m. Monday when Officers Sean Kerins and Erini Papafilipakis, while on patrol in the Manors development off Lawrenceville-Pennington Road, observed two young men standing outside a vehicle parked on Adele Court. Deeming the situation somewhat “suspicious,” the officers stopped to investigate, he said.

As a result of that investigation, Ubry said, the officers concluded the men were waiting to buy marijuana. As the officers were conducting their investigation, they spotted a blue vehicle approaching and saw that the driver was Strasser, he said.

The officers attempted to stop the vehicle, but Strasser allegedly sped away and the officers gave chase, Ubry said.

While on Dayna Court, according to Ubry, Strasser allegedly discarded a package of marijuana that was later recovered by police. Strasser’s auto was last seen on Lawrenceville-Pennington Road, and Lawrence Township police issued a radio “crime alert” to police in Hopewell Township and other neighboring municipalities with a description of the vehicle.

(An off-air recording of that alert can be heard in the media box above)

Having identified Strasser as the driver, police waited for him to return home and arrested him Tuesday morning, Ubry said. He said police are still working to determine if anyone else was in the vehicle with Strasser at the time.

Ubry said bail for Strasser was sent at $25,000 by Lawrence Township Municipal Court Judge Kevin Nerwinski.

The two men stopped by police on Adele Court were identified by Ubry as a 17-year-old boy from Newtown, Pa., and Stephen Kaschak, 19, of Holland, Pa. He said they were each charged with possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of fireworks and loitering to commit a drug crime.