NEWARK, NJ – On Friday, September 15, at approximately 8:58 am, a Newark police officer on patrol on Capitol Trail attempted to stop a vehicle for a traffic violation.
However, instead of stopping, the vehicle pulled into a nearby parking lot, seemingly trying to escape the officer’s pursuit. The escape was short-lived as the vehicle reached a dead end, prompting the driver to attempt a getaway on foot.
A bystander, having observed the chase, intervened by pushing the suspect to the ground, enabling the officer to make the arrest. Subsequent to the arrest, suspected narcotics – believed to be heroin or fentanyl and crack cocaine – were found close to where the suspect, identified as Rey Sanchez, 28, of Wilmington, tried to dispose of them.
Sanchez’s vehicle, left in drive during his exit, rolled and caused minor damage to another car in the lot. Despite initially providing a false identity, Sanchez was later correctly identified.
He was presented before Justice of the Peace Court #11 and has since been remanded to the Howard R. Young Correctional Institution in Wilmington, with bail set at $83,500.