JACKSON – A 31-year-old male resident of Lakewood was arrested and charged with drug offenses following a motor vehicle stop and foot pursuit on Cambridge Drive in Jackson.
According to the Jackson Police Department, at 7 p.m. Jan. 7, officers Michael Basso and Matthew Colangelo were on patrol on Buckingham Drive when they observed a 2003 Infiniti with equipment violations.
Buckingham Drive and Cambridge Drive are in a residential development off Brewers Bridge Road.
Police said that upon observing the equipment violations, the officers checked the vehicle registration and determined the registered owner had a suspended driver’s license. The officers attempted to catch up to the vehicle and observed that the driver had accelerated over the neighborhood’s 25 mph speed limit.
The officers followed the vehicle onto Cambridge Drive and activated their patrol unit’s emergency lights. At that time the driver pulled over to the side of the road and parked. Police said the male driver exited the vehicle and began to walk into the back yard of a residence.
As the officers instructed the man to stop, he ran into a wooded area behind the residence. Following a short foot pursuit into the woods, the officers caught and arrested the man, according to police.
A search of the man resulted in the recovery of several small bags of substances believed to be heroin and marijuana, and more than $1,000 cash. Several more bags of suspected heroin which were consistent with those packaged for sale were recovered from the vehicle. An additional quantity of marijuana was also recovered from the vehicle. Police said the vehicle was impounded.
Police said the 31-year-old male resident of Lakewood was charged with possession of heroin, possession of heroin with intent to distribute, possession of marijuana (under 50 grams), possession of drug paraphernalia, obstruction of the administration of the law by means of flight, operating a motor vehicle while in possession of a controlled dangerous substance, driving with a suspended driver’s license and equipment violations. The man was placed in the Ocean County Jail, Toms River.