Clifton Officer Finds Wanted Pennsylvania Man In Stolen Gun Case

CLIFTON, N.J. -- A Clifton police officer making a traffic stop found a wanted man from Pennsylvania who'd ducked authorities for nearly five months.

The arrest ended a five-month search.
Photo Credit: *IMAGES: Courtesy PEWPEWTACTICAL.COM / CLIFTON PD*

Jerry DeMarco

01/24/2018 9:52 a.m.

Gerard Manzueta-Abreu, 25, of Tobyhama, PA had tossed a handgun after bailing out of a car and fleeing through the streets of Passaic before dawn on Aug. 30, Detective Lt. Robert Bracken.

He'd remained in the wind until Officer Christopher O'Brien stopped a car that Manzueta-Abreu was driving Tuesday night on Route 21 near Ackerman Avenue, he said.

Manzueta-Abreu was arrested without incident and charged with weapons and drug offenses in connection with last summer's incident, which began with a stop at Lexington and Highland avenues.

The 24-year-old Paterson driver in that incident was charged with having a bogus insurance card.

Manzueta-Abreu, meanwhile, was chased for several blocks before he vanished in the area of President Street, Bracken said.

Police found a loaded .45-caliber handgun that the lieutenant said Manzueta-Abreu had tossed away. It turned out to be stolen, he said.

Manzueta-Abreu remained held in the Passaic County Jail early Wednesday.

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