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After stopping the sedan, Lt. Jeffrey Dino “noticed a lot of movement in the interior of the vehicle by the driver and the front seat occupant,” Police Chief James Batelli said earlier today.
The driver, 24-year-old Kristin Lee Tibbetts, said she, her husband and a friend were headed to upstate New York to visit friends.
Nicholas Tibbetts, who lives with his wife of two years in Handley, West Virginia, is originally from Cohoes, NY.
Kristen Tibbets “exhibited nervous mannerisms during a conversation with Lt. Dino,” Batelli said.
After a brief conversation with her and her male passenger, the lieutenant recovered a .45-caliber handgun, an empty magazine, 20 rounds of ball ammunition and two rounds of hollow-point ammunition in the glove compartment “within easy reach by either the driver or passenger,” the chief said.
“An additional search located 50 rounds of .45 caliber ammunition and a large katana style knife,” Batelli said.
Tibbetts was charged with possession of a handgun and possession of hollow points bullets, in addition to various motor vehicle summonses.
She was released pending a Nov. 19 Municipal Court hearing.
PHOTOS: Replicas of the weapons seized (MUGSHOTS: Courtesy MAHWAH PD)
Batelli also announced an additional pair of separate arrests also prompted by tailgating:
During a traffic stop yesterday on Route 287, Officers John Lange and Scan Hayes said they noticed fresh puncture marks on the hand of the driver, 22-year-old Heather Heidt of Lake Pleasant, NY.
Heather Heidt, Joseph Chaplain (MUGSHOTS: Courtesy MAHWAH PD)
Heidt “admitted to being in possession of a syringe and also having pills in the car,” the chief said.
Given consent to search the vehicle, the officers found the syringe – as well as morphine, oxycodone and a cotton ball “used to ingest intravenous drugs,” he said.
Hedit was charged with drug and drug paraphernalia possession. She also received summonses for tailgating, having a suspended New Jersey driver’s license and operating a vehicle with an obstructed view. Heidt is due to answer all of the charges on Tuesday in Municipal Court.
Officers Ryan Hill and Sean Hayes were patrolling on Route 17 south when they stopped a Ford Explorer for following too closely and making an unsafe lane change, Batelli said.
Smelling marijuana, the officers obtained consent to search the car from the driver, Josiah Chaplain, 22, of West Milford, the chief said.
After finding a joint, they arrested Chaplain, he said.
A frisk turned up “several pharmaceutical folds of heroin and a white plastic straw with white powder residue inside,” Batelli said.
Chaplain was charged with possession of heroin, marijuana and drug paraphernalia and issued several traffic summonses.
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