Police charge woman with selling heroin, cocaine and marijuana from mobile home.
By: Hank Kalet
A 46-year-old South Brunswick woman was charged Friday after police seized heroin, cocaine and marijuana.
Wanda Averette, 46, of 83 Oakdale Village was charged after the police Emergency Response Team raided her mobile home Thursday night. A dozen ERT members arrived at the mobile home at about 10 p.m. to execute a search warrant issued as a result of a two-month investigation led by Patrol Officer John Avalone, police said.
Police were investigating Ms. Averette because of two previous felony convictions for drug distribution and because police allegedly observed dozens of customers frequenting her residence on a daily basis.
The ERT team pried the two doors off the mobile home and quickly subdued Ms. Averette, police said. Police discovered 37 decks of heroin marked "HIV," along with crack cocaine and marijuana, police said. The street value of the drugs seized was $1,000.
The raid and a door-to-door search of the neighborhood also led to a brief standoff with an armed neighbor, police said.
Detective Jim Ryan and Patrol Officers Frank Lombardo and Mike Rogers were about to enter a nearby mobile home when they were approached by the neighbor. Police said that Leonard Riley, 49, had walked down the sidewalk and approached the officers to ask what was going on. Officer Lombardo advised Mr. Riley that it was a police investigation and that he should return to his home, police said.
Mr. Riley left but returned a couple of minutes later, police said. Officer Lombardo again told Mr. Riley to go back to his home. Police said that Mr. Riley’s demeanor was suspicious and Officer Lombardo asked that he show his hands. Mr. Riley picked up his left hand, but held his right hand at his side as he began to side step away from the officer, police said. Officer Lombardo’s view was partially obstructed by a 4-foot fence. He repeated his request several times, but Mr. Riley would not comply, police said.
At this point, Officer Rogers stepped out of the fenced in yard and saw that Mr. Riley was holding a handgun in his right hand, police said. Officers Rogers and Lombardo repeatedly commanded Riley to drop his gun, but Mr. Riley stood for several seconds with his gun at his side, police said. Mr. Riley then dropped the gun to the ground and began to go to the ground as Detective Ryan jumped on him, police said.
Mr. Riley was handcuffed and taken to police headquarters, police said. The handgun, a .357 magnum, was loaded, police said.
Mr. Riley later said he just wanted to help out his friends and did not that it was the police at the residence, police said. He was charged with unlawful possession of a weapon and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose. His bail was set at $25,000, of which he posted 10 percent.
Ms. Averette was charged with possession of cocaine, heroin and marijuana and possession with intent to distribute. Her bail was set at $35,000 and she was placed in the Middlesex County Adult Correction Center.
A third person, Radames Vasquesz, 43, of Piscataway was charged with soliciting for narcotics after he walked up to one of the plain clothes officers at the scene and asked if he could buy cocaine, police said.