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Rochelle Park Police Arrest Accused Drug Dealers After Traffic Stop

ROCHELLE PARK, N.J. -- A nervous driver from Rockland County who was stopped for making an illegal turn led Rochelle Park police to cocaine, heroin, and stolen goods -- as well as the arrests of two accused drug dealers.

Omry Lopez Mejia, Jonathan Elwell, Jose Lopez

Omry Lopez Mejia, Jonathan Elwell, Jose Lopez

Photo Credit: MUGSHOTS: Courtesy ROCHELLE PARK PD

Lt. Dean Pinto stopped the Acura on Passaic Street around 10:30 p.m. Wednesday.

After talking with an "extremely nervous" Jonathan Elwell, 35, of Suffern, Pinto and backup Officers Franklin Laboy and Jared Shatkin found a dozen small bags -- two containing cocaine and 10 filled with heroin, Detective Sgt. James DePreta said Thursday. They also found several uncapped syringes, he said.

Suspecting the sellers were still in the area, Shatkin stopped a van with a shattered rear window circling the area of the Garden State Plaza.

He smalled raw marijuana, searched the van and found two bags of pot, 75 bags of heroin, and $1,205 in suspected drug proceeds, DePreta said.

The driver, 23-year-old Omry Lopez Mejia of New York City, also had a large kitchen knife hidden in his pant leg, he said.

A tablet and a laptop belonging the the New York City Department of Education were also found in the van, the sergeant said.

Mejia was arrested, along with passenger, Jose Lopez, 23, also of New York City, he said.

Mejia was being held on $185,000 bail and Lopez on $175,000 bail in the Bergen County Jail on a variety of drug and stolen property charges. Mejia also was charged with illegal weapons possesion.

Elwell was released on a summons charging him with possession of cocaine, heroin and drug paraphernalia.

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