Police Find Loaded Handgun During GWB Traffic Stop

FORT LEE, N.J. — Police found a loaded .45-caliber, semi-automatic handgun in a vehicle crossing the George Washington Bridge Tuesday afternoon, police said.

A Port Authority saw a 2003 Volvo on the New Jersey side of the bridge heading north and noticed the car's windshield was cracked, said Joe Pentangelo, a Port Authority spokesman.

The officer pulled the Volvo over and, while speaking with the driver, noticed the smell of burnt marijuana, Pentangelo said.

Police found a loaded .45-caliber, semi-automatic handgun and a small bag containing suspected heroin was found under the passenger seat, Pentangelo said.

Ariel Paulin, 20, of Jersey City, was arrested and charged with unlawful possession of a weapon and possession of a controlled dangerous substance. The Volvo was impounded.

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Photo: The loaded. 45-caliber handgun police found under the passenger seat in a Volvo that was stopped on the George Washington Bridge Tuesday, police said. — Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Police Department/Patch file photo of GWB