EAST BRUNSWICK – Police arrested a schoolchild’s parents last week on numerous drug charges after they failed to pick up their 6-year-old son at the bus stop.
Police charged the parents, Albert and Emelinda Owens, with possessing illegal drugs and alleged that Albert Owens was also involved in drug distribution.
The arrest was made shortly before 5 p.m. Friday after township police Detective Sean Goggins responded to Memorial Elementary School on a report of a minor child being returned to the school by the bus driver. School officials turned over the child, whose parents failed to pick him up at the designated bus stop after school, to the custody of another relative who responded to the school after notification.
Goggins then responded to the home of Albert Owens, 25, and Emelinda Owens, 24, to investigate why the child had not been picked up. While en route, Goggins encountered the parents on Jensen Street and approached them to inquire about the matter. However, both refused to provide identification, according to police.
The detective observed Albert Owens attempting to hide a canvas bag under his jacket. Upon inspection of the bag, which was connected to Owens’ pants by a cord, the officer discovered that it contained a quantity of unidentified pills. Owens was placed under arrest, and a subsequent search yielded a bottle containing pills identified by the suspect as morphine, police said. He also possessed a large amount of cash in his jacket pocket.
After placing Owens in a patrol vehicle, the detective spoke with Emelinda Owens. At this time, police said, a bottle fell out of the sleeve of her jacket and was found to contain a quantity of suspected cocaine. She also had a pill grinder, a straw for ingesting powder forms of drugs, and a folded piece of paper containing a white powder substance.
Both suspects were transported to police headquarters, and police said they gained evidence through a subsequent investigation that the large amount of cash possessed by Albert Owens had been stolen by Emelinda from a relative. Police also determined that the pills found on Albert Owens were ecstasy.
Emelinda Owens was charged with possession of cocaine, possession of morphine, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of stolen property.
Albert Owens was charged with possession of ecstasy with intent to distribute, possession of ecstasy with intent to distribute within a school zone, possession of ecstasy, possession of morphine and possession of stolen property.
Both suspects were transported to the Middlesex County Adult Correction Center, North Brunswick, and held on $20,000 bail.
Police contacted the state Division of Youth and Family Services with information regarding the failure to pick up the child, and that agency was to conduct a follow-up investigation.