Officers Jeffrey Welsh and Kris Duci were on a quality-of-life detail when they stopped a 2020 Honda Accord with heavily tinted windows whose driver failed to signal a turn onto West Broadway, Capt. George Guzman Jr. said.
A computer check showed that the passenger, Yahzier Hudson, 18, of Paterson was wanted for gun possession out of Passaic County, the captain said.
The officers were joined by Detective Sgt. Timothy Lindberg, Officer John Bonilla and Class II Special Officer Antonio Parisi.
Hudson, who wasn't wearing a seatbelt, was taken into custody and the Honda was searched, Guzman said.
Police found a .45-caliber FNX handgun -- which was loaded with 14 rounds and had been reported stolen out of South Carolina -- in a rear seat cupholder compartment, the captain said.
Hudson and the driver, Arielfran Mendoza, 19, of Paterson were both charged with weapons possession, possession of a high-capacity magazine and receiving stolen property.
They were sent to the Passaic County Jail to await first appearances in Central Judicial Processing Court in Paterson.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Newark and receive free news updates.