Man with heroin, three firearms arrested after car chase, police say
'This is the type of work we're doing to make sure our community is safe'
A man in possession of three firearms and a large amount of heroin was arrested yesterday afternoon after a car chase, Police Chief Mark Kinmon has said.
Just after 3 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 8, the department’s street crimes unit attempted to stop a vehicle on Second Avenue as part of an active investigation, Kinmon said. When they attempted to stop the car, the driver, Christopher Melendez, 26, of Asbury Park, immediately fled and the police pursued him, Kinmon said.
The police were able to make an arrest when the car came to a stop in the 800 block of Bond Street, between Asbury and First avenues, Kinmon said. During the pursuit, the driver was observed throwing two handguns out the window of the car. A third handgun was located in the vehicle along with 203 plastine bags of heroin, Kinmon said.
Melendez also purposely struck a police vehicle with his own vehicle, resulting in two aggravated assault charges, Kinmon said.
He received 20 charges, including eluding; resisting arrest; three counts of unlawful possession of a weapon; one count of possession of a defaced firearm; three counts of possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose; possession of a controlled dangerous substance [CDS]; possession of CDS with intent to distribute; possession of CDS with intent to distribute within a school zone; possession of CDS with intent to distribute within a public park zone; tampering with evidence; two counts of aggravated assault on a police officer; and receiving stolen property, as one of the handguns was stolen, Kinmon said.
Melendez is being held at Monmouth County Correctional Institution at $1,150,000 bail, Kinmon said.
“This is a perfect example here of the community, our patrol division and our investigative division working collectively to take dangerous guns off of our city streets,” Kinmon said. “This is the type of work we’re doing to make sure our community is safe. We’re pleased nobody was hurt, and this is a good person to have off of the streets.”
The officers affecting the arrest were Sgt. Carmen Gagliano, Officer Joe Spallina and the department’s street crimes unit.
