Crime & Safety

Man With Needle Lurked in Parking Lot, Cops Say

Off-duty officer arrests Hackettstown resident after spotting him trying to open car doors, police report.

A Hackettstown resident was arrested after an off-duty police officer saw him attempting to open car doors not belonging to him, Hackettstown Police Sgt. Darren Tynan said.

Patrol arrived at the parking lot of Bea McNally’s on Grand Avenue around 7 p.m. Sunday after receiving a report of a suspicious male, Tynan said.

The off-duty officer saw Erik Mitchell, 21, looking into vehicles in the parking lot and attempting to open the car doors, Tynan said. The off-duty officer placed Mitchell under arrest, and found a hypodermic needle in his possession, Tynan said.

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Mitchell was charged with possession of a hypodermic needle and released.

For questions about this post, email jason.koestenblatt@patch.com.

Find out what's happening in Hackettstownfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

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