Officers Uncover Suspected Marijuana in 3 Vehicles

This week Cranford Police reported a variety of marijuana-related arrests after further investigating drivers pulled over for violating minor traffic laws.

Tuesday, August 16

After stopping a white GMC Evoy around 4 p.m. for a broken brake light at the intersection of South Avenue and High Street, Officer Timothy O'Brien smelled marijuana and found a sandwich bag full of what appeared to be the drug on driver 21-year-old John Warner of Garwood, according to Detective Sgt. Gerard Quinn of the Cranford Police Department – Warner was then arrested. In addition to drug charges, Warner was issued a summons for the brake light, Quinn said. 

Monday, August 16

At the intersection of Centennial Avenue and Raritan Road around 12 a.m., Officer Brian Lopez stopped a 1992 green Honda because the passenger in the vehicle was not wearing a seatbelt. During the stop, Lopez smelled marijuana, found a suspected marijuana pipe and a suspected quantity of the drug in the car, according to Quinn.

The driver, who was arrested, identified as 30-year-old Linden resident Dustin Hanna, Quinn said. His passenger, a 22-year-old male from Clark, was issued a summons for not wearing a seatbelt.

Sunday, August 15

After stopping a gold-colored Ford Taurus for sporting an inoperable brake light around 3:45 a.m. around the intersection of South Avenue West and Elise Street, Officer Perrotta detected an odor of burnt marijuana drifting from the car and located a bag full of what is suspected to be the drug – the 23-year-old driver, Benjamin Carter of Newark, was then arrested, Quinn said.

In addition to the drug charges, Perrotta issued Carter a summons for the broken brake light. The 18-year-old passenger in the car, Autumn Detrich from Edison, was also arrested on an unrelated traffic warrant from Ivrington.