Heroin Den On Wheels: User Had 4-Year-Old Boy, Drugs, More In Car, Palisades Parkway Police Say

A bag of cocaine fell from the waistband of Michael Rivera, 55, of the Bronx after police asked him to step out of the vehicle on the parkway in Englewood Cliffs, Palisades Interstate Parkway Police Sgt. First Class Raymond E. Walter said.

Officer Thomas Shine had stopped Rivera after watching him drive the northbound vehicle extremely slow in the fast lane and abruptly change lanes without signaling, Walter said.

It also had a brake light out and two different license plates, he said.

Rivera told Shine that he was headed to Port Jervis, NY to see his family, the sergeant said.

He produced a suspended driver’s license and had no registration or insurance, Walter said.

“He also had fresh track marks up and down both of his arms,” some of which were bleeding into his shirt, he said.

Police found the boy sleeping in the back seat.

Officer Edward Volmer also spotted a hypodermic needle in plain view in the driver’s door panel, Walter said.

A search of the vehicle turned up 29 wax heroin folds, two small baggies of heroin, another knotted sandwich bad of cocaine, a Suboxone film and two containers of liquid methadone, as well as the syringes, 150 unused wax folds and plastic baggies, two rubber stamps labeled “4x4” and “Heavy Duty” and an ink pad, the sergeant said.

“They also found used wax folds that had those stamps on them and a kit that made it clear that he was stamping the folds,” he said.

What’s more, Rivera had a scale, two strainers, tourniquets, 12 tin “cookers”, a large bag of small rubber bands, and a glass powder mixer.

Police charged Rivera with a variety of drug and paraphernalia possession counts, as well as illegal possession of a knife and child endangerment.

The boy was turned over to his mother and the state Division of Child Protection and Permanency responded to interview the child, mother and Rivera, Walter said.

Rivera was processed and released on a summons before being voluntarily committed to Bergen New Bridge Medical Center in Paramus for drug treatment.

Click here to follow Daily Voice Ridgefield Park-Hasbrouck Heights and receive free news updates.