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The nine illegal handguns, recovered since Friday, April 29, bring the city's total gun recoveries in 2022 to 251 — a 54 percent increase over the same period a year ago, Newark Public Safety Director Brian A. O’Hara said.
On Monday, May 2, 2022, police arrested Darrell Hodges, 27, and James Hailey, 41, both of Newark, in separate incidents, O'Hara said.
Police received a Crime Stoppers tip about a man with a firearm in area of Bergen and West Runyon streets. Based on the description provided, police located Hodges, who was found in possession of a .9MM defaced and loaded handgun. Hodges faces charges of unlawful possession of a weapon, possession of prohibited weapon (defaced), and certain persons prohibited from weapon possession.
Hailey was arrested at Aldine Street near St. James Place after he was seen by police with a handgun, which was loaded. He faces charges of unlawful possession of a weapon, possession of prohibited weapon (large capacity magazine), and certain persons prohibited from weapon possession.
Quashon Sullivan, 27, of Newark, and Divine Zion, 48, of Elizabeth, were arrested on Sunday, May 1, in separate incidents. Sullivan was seen with a handgun in the area of 16th Avenue and South 6th Street. The handgun was found to be loaded.
He was charged with unlawful possession of a weapon and certain persons prohibited from weapon possession. Divine was arrested after police received a Crime Stoppers tip about a man armed with a handgun in the 200 block of Chadwick Avenue.
When he saw police, Divine dropped a bag containing a loaded .9MM handgun and ran, authorities said. He was quickly apprehended and faces charges of unlawful possession of a weapon, resisting arrest, and obstruction of the administration of the law.
On Friday, April 30, Zaheer Collier, 24, and Taheerah Ross-Mayers, 40, both of Newark, and Patrick Woodyard, 25, of Matawan, were arrested in separate incidents. During a motor vehicle stop, police observed a .9MM ghost gun inside a vehicle driven by Collier in the area of Voorhees and Fabyan streets.
Collier was also found in possession of 80 glassine envelopes of heroin and $1,021 in suspected proceeds from drugs sales, O'Hara said. He faces charges of unlawful possession of a weapon, possession of prohibited weapon (large capacity magazine), possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, drug possession.
Ross-Mayers was arrested after police responded to a domestic violence incident in the area of Kent and Brenner streets. It was reported to police that Ross-Mayers had a gun. She was found in possession of a handgun that was reported stolen from Wake County, North Carolina in February 2020.
Ross-Mayers is charged with unlawful possession of a weapon, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, simple assault, terroristic threats, and receiving stolen property.
Woodyard was arrested during a motor vehicle stop in the 500 block of South 18th Street. Police saw him with a handgun that was loaded, O'Hara said. He was charged with unlawful possession of a weapon and possession of a prohibited weapon (large capacity and hollow point ammunition).
Two additional handguns were recovered by Newark's law enforcement partners Monday, May 2 at St. James Place. One of the recovered weapons was a ghost gun.
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