OCEAN TOWNSHIP — Two Leonardo residents are facing drug charges for allegedly possessing and using heroin in the parking lot of the Seaview Mall.
On Jan. 29 at approximately 2:02 p.m. Ocean Township Police Detective Lt. Steven Peters observed two people acting suspiciously in a vehicle parked near the southern section of the Seaview Mall parking lot, according to police reports.
Further investigation by Peters revealed that one of the car’s occupants, identified as Melody A. Taylor, 26, of Leonardo, was injecting herself with a hypodermic syringe believed to be containing heroin, according to reports.
A search of the car turned up various items used to prepare the heroin for injection, as well as an additional hypodermic syringe, according to reports.
Taylor was subsequently placed under arrest by Peters with the assistance of Ocean Township police officers Scott Valenti and Jesse Orbach.
The driver of the vehicle, identified as Raymond J. Schmidt, 29, of Leonardo, was also arrested. Both Schmidt and Taylor were taken to Ocean Township Police Department for further processing.
Taylor was charged with possession of heroin, being under the influence of heroin, possession of a hypodermic syringe and possessing drug paraphernalia. She was later released on a criminal summons.
Following his arrest, Schmidt was found to have an active warrant for his arrest out of the Middletown Municipal Court. He was charged by township police with possession of a hypodermic syringe and possessing drug paraphernalia. He was later released on $1,353 bail, according to reports.