Paterson Panhandler Struggles with Police, Arrested for Drug Possession in Fair Lawn

By Travis Tormey posted in Drug Charges on Sunday, May 26, 2013

A Paterson man was arrested in Fair Lawn after he attempted to hide drugs from a police officer.

49-year-old Terrence Hayes spent a rainy afternoon panhandling at the intersection of River Road and Morlot Avenue. When a Fair Lawn officer arrived in the area, he walked Mr. Hayes out of the rain to an overhang at a River Road home. As they walked, the officer observed Mr. Hayes dumping a handful of items into a trashcan. The officer looked inside the trashcan and found a pair of hypodermic needles and a pill bottle filled with narcotics.

At that point, Mr. Hayes fled the scene and attempted to avoid arrest by running through several backyards in the area. In a joint effort, officers from Fair Lawn, Glen Rock, and the Bergen County Police Department came together to form a perimeter and prevent Mr. Hayes from getting away. Sometime later, Mr. Hayes emerged from a property, at which point he was arrested and taken into custody at Fair Lawn police headquarters.

Mr. Hayes was charged with possession of a controlled dangerous substance and obstruction.

In New Jersey, possession of a controlled dangerous substance is governed by N.J.S.A. 2C:35-10. The penalties vary, depending on the type of drug and the amount of drugs found in the person’s possession. We do not yet know exactly what type of drug Mr. Hayes was seen disposing of, but if he is charged with third degree possession, he could be looking at between three (3) and five (5) years in state prison.

For more information, see the NJ.com article entitled “Panhandler from Paterson Arrested after Struggle with Fair Lawn Police.”