5 Arrests By Brick Street Crimes Unit; DUI, Drug Charges Filed

BRICK, NJ — The Brick Township Police Department Street Crimes Unit arrested five people in the last two weeks of July, including two people who are facing charges after a stop in the Wawa parking lot on Drum Point Road, police said.

Robert Trella Jr., 46, of Toms River, and Crystal Rella, 36, of Brick, were arrested July 14 after a traffic stop at the Wawa, 383 Drum Point Road, Brick Sgt. Jim Kelly said.

Trella, who was driving a blue Honda CRV east on Drum Point Road, was pulled over at 8:15 p.m. after detectives saw several motor vehicle violations, including littering, failing to maintain its lane of travel, and an equipment violation, Kelly said.

Trella pulled into the parking lot at the Wawa and Brick Patrol Officers Andrew Bajor and Brennan Lanni assisted with the motor vehicle stop, Kelly said.

Detectives suspected there were drugs in the car and called for a K-9 officer; while they waited for the officer, Lakewood Officer Joseph Dellavella and K-9 Shim, to arrive, Rella began getting angry and yelling obscenities at the officers, Kelly said. Rella's behavior caused a disturbance in the Wawa parking lot despite warnings from officers to calm down, and she was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct, he said. She also was charged with littering and was released on summonses.

During the investigation detectives saw Trella put something into his mouth, and tried to arrest him to retrieve it, Kelly said. Trella tried to fight officers off but was eventually handcuffed and the evidence retrieved; the small package appeared to contain methamphetamine, Kelly said.

Trella was charged with possession of a controlled dangerous substance (CDS), drug paraphernalia, failure to turn over CDS, hindering apprehension, obstruction and criminal mischief, and released with summonses. He also received summonses for the motor vehicle violations, including possession of a CDS in a motor vehicle, Kelly said.

On July 19, the Street Crimes Unit pulled over a vehicle in the area of Brick Boulevard and Yorktowne Plaza, and a passenger in the vehicle, Clifton Tancemore, 38, of Brick, was arrested on an outstanding warrant out of Lavallette in the amount of $200, Kelly said. Tancemore was released after posting bail.

On July 22, Omar Aragon-Mendoza, 44, of Lakewood, was arrested on cocaine and driving under the influence charges following an investigation in the parking lot at Pleasure Zone on Brick Boulevard, Kelly said. Detectives conducting surveillance saw suspicious activity and several motor vehicle infractions and discovered the vehicle had fictitious license plates from Illinois, he said. Detectives stopped the vehicle and identified the driver as Aragon-Mendoza, and he was arrested; they also discovered a plastic bag containing cocaine, Kelly said.

Aragon-Mendoza was charged with driving under the influence, possession of CDS and paraphernalia, and issued traffic summonses for reckless driving, careless driving, refusal to submit to a breath test, failure to maintain lane, speeding, CDS in a motor vehicle, failure to provide a driver’s license, failure to provide insurance and registration, fictitious license plates, not wearing a seatbelt, uninsured motorist, improper passing, and driving with a suspended driver’s license. Aragon-Mendoza was taken to the Ocean County Jail and later released to await future court proceedings.

On July 23, Dajon Reid, 30, of Brick, was arrested following a two-week narcotics investigation into heroin distribution, Kelly said. Reid was charged with distributing CDS, and possession of CDS and paraphernalia. An undisclosed sum of cash believed to be proceeds from the drug distribution was seized by Detectives, and Reid was lodged in the Ocean County Jail.

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