Crime & Safety

Police Blotter: Three Charged with Drug Possession

Cranford Police highlights other activity from Oct. 12-19.

Sunday, Oct. 16

A routine traffic violation resulted in the arrest of three East Orange residents for alleged possession of marijuana.

Cranford Police Officer Brian Lopez noticed a blue Mazda traveling north on Centennial Avenue around 11:21 p.m. After noticing a broken rear brake light on the vehicle, Lopez pulled it over. When he approached the vehicle, Lopez saw that the driver, Latwan Simpkins, 27, exhibited an open container of alcohol.  Additionally one passenger, Chris Fields, 22, was not wearing a seatbelt.

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After reportedly finding the marijuana and related paraphernalia, Lopez arrested Simpkins, Fields and a third passenger, 24-year-old Lamar Chapman.

In addition to the drug charges, Simpkins, the driver, also received summonses for the open container of alcohol and the broken tail light. Lopez also issued Fields a traffic summons for not wearing a seatbelt. 

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Saturday, Oct. 15

Officer Thomas Stiansen arrested a Cranford resident, Christine Perez, 24, for possession of less than 50 grams of marijuana and related paraphernalia.

Perez was honking her car horn repeatedly in the early-morning hours on Lincoln Avenue by Benjamin Street, and a resident called to alert the Cranford Police. After reportedly finding the marijuana in the vehicle, Stiansen arrested Perez at around 2:24 a.m.

Tuesday, Oct. 12

Officer Stiansen arrested John Butner, 22,  for drunk and careless driving after observing the Roselle Park resident strike a curb on Myrtle Street with his vehicle around 8:48 p.m. He was also charged for possessing an open container of alcohol.


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