55°
After picking off several buyers, police moved in, seizing three dealers – one of them only 16 years old.
They collected 811 heroin folds, 26 crack vials and a high-powered handgun, among other contraband, city Public Safety Director Jerry Speziale said.
Responding to neighborhood complaints, detectives quickly discovered that Mike Jones, 29, Pedro Santiago, 44, and the 16-year-old boy said ran a brisk open-air business from the brick walkup near Straight Street, the director said.
After detectives seized 11 buyers, backup units went after the drug-dealing trio, he said.
Police had to chase down Jones while snagging Santiago and the boy without incident, he added.
Along with the drugs – which included 14 Xanax pills and nearly a pound of pot – police seized a 9mm Taurus handgun, Speziale said.
It had a large-capacity magazine and was fitted with a laser sight, the director said. Nearly $1,900 in proceeds also was seized, he said.
Jones and Santiago were sent to the Passaic County Jail to await a first appearance in Central Judicial Processing Court in Paterson. The boy was detained pending a closed-door hearing in the Family Part of Superior Court, also in the Silk City.
The buyers ranged in age from 27 to 55. Some came from Paterson, others from Lodi, Pompton Plains, Clifton, Bloomingdale and Pequannock, Speziale said.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Elizabeth and receive free news updates.
