Cops Shoot Pit Bull During Drug Raid Near Essex County Church

A police officer shot a pit bull that allegedly attacked during a drug raid that took place “virtually in the shadow of the Basilica Cathedral of the Sacred Heart” in Newark on Tuesday afternoon, authorities said.

According to the Essex County Sheriff’s Office, detectives from the Bureau of Narcotics and Irvington police officers staged a plainclothes surveillance operation of a basement apartment at 246 Clifton Avenue in Newark’s North Ward.

The apartment is located about a quarter of a mile from the Basilica Cathedral of the Sacred Heart on Ridge Street, according to Google Maps.

With a search warrant in their possession, officers allegedly observed two men - later identified as Andy Ravert, 26, of North Arlington, and Dennis Nunez, 24, of Newark - enter the backyard of the apartment building and meet with Aldaberto ‘Pepsi’ Garcia, 35, and Ramon Vega, 56, both of Newark.

According to police, after a brief conversation, Garcia and Vega exchanged “items” for cash. At that time, believing that they witnessed a narcotics sale, police moved in and detained all four men.

As the task force officers entered the apartment, two off-leash pit bulls ran into the backyard, police allege.

After one of the dogs reportedly attacked the other, it turned and “aggressively charged” at one of the officers, authorities stated.

“For officer safety, the charging pit bull was neutralized with fire from the officer’s service weapon,” the Essex County Sherriff’s Office stated in a release.

Once inside the apartment, officers discovered resident Sonia Diaz, 49, and detained her while searching the premises.

During the search, officers found two large laundry bags containing numerous zip-lock plastic bags and medicine bottles which held 523 grams of cocaine, 1,561 grams of marijuana, 165 grams of MDMA, 95 oxycodone tablets, 71 grams of suboxone and 81 grams of Xanax.

The estimated street value of the narcotics is nearly $100,000, police stated.

Authorities charged Garcia, Vega and Diaz with six counts of possession of a controlled dangerous substance, possession of CDS with intent to distribute, possession of CDS with intent to distribute within 1000 feet of the Franklin School, possession of CDS with intent to distribute within 500 feet of the Branch Brook Park Library, and conspiracy to violate New Jersey’s narcotics laws and possession of narcotics paraphernalia.

Garcia and Vega were additionally charged with three counts of distribution of CDS.

Ravert and Nunez, who were each found to be in possession of a “small bag of marijuana,” were issued summonses for possession of CDS and released in their own recognizance, police stated.