Man Leaves Loaded Gun on East Brunswick Train Tracks, Police Say

East Brunswick, NJ - On Tuesday, East Brunswick police arrested a California runaway who they said left a loaded Taurus .22 caliber handgun he had taken from his father on the railroad tracks in town.

The gun was first found at 8:45 p.m. Monday evening, June 13, on the railroad tracks near Fifth Street. Next to the loaded gun, there was also hollow-point ammunition and a Tennessee driver’s license belonging to a 22-year-old male named Alan McCoy, police said. At that time, police saw an individual walking down the railroad tracks, and as they attempted to talk to him, he fled the area into the woods between Fifth and Sixth streets.

Patrol units from East Brunswick, South River, the East Brunswick Independent Fire Company and the New Jersey State Police K-9 unit searched the area with negative results.

Then on Tuesday morning, at approximately 8:00 a.m., Patrolman Maria Miller saw a young man walking in the area of Ryders Lane and Hollis Road that matched the description of the suspect. Miller and other units approached the man, who identified himself as Alan McCoy and admitted that he had left his belongings on the railroad tracks the night before.

Further investigation revealed he had traveled to New Jersey from California and he had taken the handgun from his father while in California. He was also listed in the national database as a missing person, as his father had reported him missing to California authorities. His father was subsequently notified.

McCoy was charged with possession of the firearm and bail was set at $75,000. He was transported to Middlesex County Adult Correction Center in lieu of bail.

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