Jersey City police chase leads to unrelated drug bust of 3

Monday, March 22, 2010
By MICHAELANGELO CONTE
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

A motor vehicle stop led Jersey City police to recover a gun and drugs when three men, unrelated to the traffic stop, took off running when they saw police, officials said.

The incident began at 11:53 p.m. Thursday when cops on Grand Street spotted Travis Thomas, 20, of Fremont Street, driving.

Knowing he doesn't have a driver's license, cops tried to pull him over, but he sped off and led them to the Booker T. Washington housing complex where he and three passengers jumped out and ran, reports said.

Thomas was caught and charged with eluding police, resisting arrest and obstruction of a government function and issued summonses for motor vehicle violations, reports said.

When backup officers chasing after one of the passengers came across a group of men in the courtyard, one of the men yelled "cops" and they began running, reports said.

Cops then ran after them and chased Tyquan Smith, 22, of Montgomery Court, Bernard Clark, 18, of Montgomery Court, and Daniel Wilson, 19, of Grant Avenue into a Merseles Court apartment, reports said.

Behind the couch, police found bags containing a .22 caliber revolver and 100 bags of suspected heroin, as well as seven vials of suspected cocaine, reports said.

All three men were charged with burglary, weapons offenses, and drug charges including possession of heroin and cocaine with intent to distribute within 1,000 feet of a school and 500 feet of public property, reports said.

The 64-year-old tenant inside the apartment, who was not arrested, told police the three men didn't live there and refused to go when she asked them to leave.