Police allegedly discovered 37 decks of heroin marked "HIV," along with crack cocaine and marijuana.
By: Joseph Harvie
A 46-year-old South Brunswick woman was charged early Friday morning after police seized heroin, cocaine and marijuana during a raid of her mobile home.
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.
Police said they also charged a third person with trying to buy narcotics after he asked a plainclothes officer if he had any crack cocaine for sale.
Ms. Averette was charged with possession of cocaine, heroin and marijuana and possession with intent to distribute, police said.
Leonard Riley, 49, also of the mobile home park, was charged with unlawful possession of a weapon and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose after he allegedly approached police with a loaded .357-cailber Magnum while they were about to question someone they believed to be part of Ms. Averette’s drug circle.
In addition, police charged Radames Vasquesz, 43, of Piscataway with soliciting for narcotics.
South Brunswick police spokesman Detective James Ryan said residents of the mobile home park informed police of suspicious activity at Ms. Averette’s trailer. Detective Ryan said the residents told police that there was an increase in traffic in the mobile park at all hours of the day, with people speeding up to Ms. Averette’s residence and then leaving quickly.
"This woman had a stranglehold on the daily lives of the people living over there," Detective Ryan said. "They were suffering because of the increase in traffic and many of the people said that they were afraid to let their kids go out and play because of people speeding through the neighborhood. It may not seem like much, but it is the equivalent of taking back a block in the city."
Police said Ms. Averette is the ringleader of a "drug ring" and suspect that other Oakdale residents may have been working with Ms. Averette.
Ms Averette was processed and taken to the Middlesex County Adult Correction Center in North Brunswick and was released after posting $35,000 bail. Detective Ryan said she has returned to her Oakdale Mobile Home Park home.
Ms. Averette has served two prison terms in the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women in Clifton, according to the state Department of Corrections Web site: from Jan. 25, 1999, to Dec. 6, 1999, for theft by deception and distributing drugs on school property and from Aug. 10, 2000, to Oct. 20, 2000, for a violation of her parole.
Mr. Vasquesz was charged after allegedly calling Ms. Avrette’s trailer during the police search, Detective Ryan said. Police picked up the phone and the caller said he would be stopping by, Detective Ryan said.
When Mr. Vasquesz arrived, he asked one of the plainclothes police officers if he could buy "two $20s," which Detective Ryan said meant the man wanted crack cocaine. He was charged and released on his own recognizance.
Mr. Riley was charged with unlawful possession of a weapon and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose after allegedly approaching police with a .357-caliber Magnum handgun in his hand. His was released after posting 10 percent of $25,000 bail.