Crime & Safety

Hoboken Cops Find Man Asleep At Wheel Of Damaged Car: PD

Officers also discovered a loaded handgun in the vehicle, Hoboken police said.

HOBOKEN, NJ — Hoboken police arrested a Jersey City man after allegedly finding him asleep behind the wheel of a damaged car early Tuesday morning. Officers also discovered a loaded handgun in the vehicle, authorities said.

According to the Hoboken Police Department, around 2:40 a.m., a pair of officers on patrol in the area of 42 First Street came across a “heavily damaged,” parked 2006 Ford Wagon. The officers found the driver, Jason Cabrera, 33, of Jersey City, apparently “asleep at the wheel.”

After several failed attempts to wake Cabrera, the officers were finally able to get his attention. Officers noted that Cabrera’s eyes were “bloodshot” and “watery,” and his speech was “slurred,” police said.

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

The officers asked Cabrera to exit the vehicle and take a field sobriety test. At that time, they saw that there was a handgun “in plain view” on the driver side seat. They immediately placed Cabrera under arrest and handcuffed him, later finding a “small amount” of marijuana on his person and in his car, police said.

After completing the field sobriety test, the officers determined that Cabrera was under the influence and not capable of driving. However, his blood alcohol level did not register a reading, police stated.

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

A Hoboken police officer qualified as a “drug recognition expert” then conducted a series of tests which determined Cabrera to be under the influence of CDS, authorities said.

Authorities said they charged Cabrera with offenses including Driving Under the Influence, Unlawful Possession of a Weapon, Prohibited Weapon/Large Capacity Ammo, Unlawful Possession of a Handgun Ammunition, Possession of CDS Marijuana, Possession of CDS Paraphernalia, Driving under the Influence in a School Zone and Possession of CDS in a Motor Vehicle.

Keep updated with local public safety alerts at the Patch Hoboken Facebook page. Send local news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com

Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.