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Remy Castillo, 35, of Newark was released this past November after serving a mandatory five years in state prison for a drug-dealing conviction out of Hudson County, records show.
Castillo was part of a group arrested by DEA agents and North Bergen police in 2013 with $250,000 worth of uncut, high-quality cocaine, heroin, crystal meth and pot in a township apartment on Broadway near 74th Street.
He was sentenced to a maximum of 10 years in state prison and was up for parole in September 2018 but remained imprisoned until last fall after serving five years, records show.
A Clifton police officer was on patrol on Route 21 shortly after 8:30 p.m. Monday when he saw Castillo speeding and erratically changing lanes Detective Sgt. Robert Anderson said.
The officer tried to stop him, but Castillo hit the gas of the Honda Accord and exited at Exit 10 for River Road, Anderson said Tuesday.
Castillo turned into dead-ended Old River Road, then popped out of the sedan and ran into the commercial area, the sergeant said.
Additional Clifton officers were joined by a Passaic County Sheriff's K9 unit, which found Castillo lying in the snow about 40 minutes later.
The Clifton Fire Department EMS was requested because of possible exposure to the elements, but Castillo refused medical attention, Anderson said.
He was charged with eluding, issued several traffic summonses and sent to the Passaic County Jail to await a first appearance in Central Judicial Processing Court in Paterson.
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