Officer Nicole DiPasquale stopped the Peterbilt truck for multiple motor vehicle violations on the southbound highway shortly after 8 a.m. Saturday, April 27, Lt. Michael Blondin said.
The occupants gave conflicting accounts of where they were coming from and headed to, leading to a search request that was granted by the driver, Karel Reza-Perez, a 39-year-old Louisville, KY, resident, the lieutenant said.
The search turned up a loaded Glock 9mm handgun, along with the coke, drug paraphernalia and stolen New Jersey and Tennessee license plates, Blondin said.
Reza-Perez and his passengers, Yorkiel Crespo-Garcia, 34, of Kearny, and Dayana Duran-Ramirez, 25, of Hialeah, FL, were all taken into custody and charged with drug and weapons offenses, he said.
Reza-Perez was also charged with having a bogus license plate and received several motor vehicle summonses, Blondin said.
All three were sent to the Bergen County Jail, where they remained at last check Monday evening.
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