Wildlife In The Yard, Garbage Strewn About, Drugs For Sale; 'Deplorable' Howell Home Raided: Police

Howell, NJ -- Garbage strewn everywhere inside. A yard so overgrown that had attracted wildlife. A swimming pool the color of pea soup.

These are the sights that greeted Howell police officers executing a search warrant at a Woodside Drive home early Thursday morning, Howell police said.

Police arrested the residents of the home -- Nichol Summa, 45, and her boyfriend, Michael Phipps, 50 -- on drug charges, the result of a monthlong investigation into complaints from citizens about drug dealing at the home, Sgt. Christian Antunez said.

Members of the Howell Police Department Crime Suppression Unit -- Lt. Thomas Rizzo, Patrolman TJ Hurley, Patrolman Ryan Richards, and Patrolman Nicholas Bonadrew along with Detective Christopher Nagy, Patrolman Riaz Motani and Patrolman Vincent Bonner executed the search warrant, Antunez said.

"The officers found the home to be in deplorable condition and uninhabitable for most people and animals, with garbage strewn about the home," Antunez said.

The yard was overgrown and had wildlife living within it, he said, and the pool in the backyard has also been abandoned for years." The water was green and the cover was ripped," he said, and the gate to the backyard was also open.

"The combination of the two (was) an extremely dangerous situation for children or special-needs adults," Antunez said.

Police suspect the home may have only been used to facilitate drug sales, he said. Code enforcement was contacted and responded to the scene to assess the situation, he said.

Antunez said officers seized 103 bags of heroin stamped “Wu-tang, Wall St. and Scorpion;” a total of 23 unlawfully possessed prescription pills, including oxycodone, alprazolam and buprenorphine; crack pipes, marijuana, other assorted paraphernalia and a ledger detailing drug sales.

They also seized a butterfly knife, Antunez said, which is described a knife where the handles rotate around and conceal the blade when closed.

Also at the scene was a pit bull owned by the couple; the dog was transferred to the custody of the Associated Humane Society as a result of both owners being arrested, he said. No cash was seized.

Summa and Phipps both were charged with distribution of CDS (heroin); possession of CDS (heroin, pills); possession of marijuana under 50 grams; possession of drug paraphernalia and unlawful possession of a weapon (butterfly knife), he said.

Summa and Phipps both are being held at the Monmouth County Correctional Institute in lieu of bail set at $127,500 each, no 10 percent option, he said.

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