Newark Man with Assault Rifle Arrested

A 27-year-old Newark man who was found with a loaded assault weapon  Monday, has been arrested, Newark police announced Wednesday.

Jihad K. Coles was arrested Tuesday night as he was getting out of a car in a parking lot near Kemsco Village in Newark, said Det. Hubert Henderson, a police spokesman.

Information released Wednesday by police about Coles does not connect the 27-year-old to Monday's shooting.

Henderson said officers with the Safe City Task Force Gang Unit approached Coles, as he exited the car, to gather "possible intelligence" about Monday's shooting.

The detective said the officers then asked Coles if he was the car's owner. When Coles said no, the officers shined a light into the rear of the Toyota and found the assault rifle with an extended magazine, according to Henderson. Once officers arrested Coles, they checked the car's registration and found it was reported stolen earlier Tuesday.

Coles was charged with weapons offenses and receiving stolen property, according to Henderson. The detective did not have information about bail, but said Coles was lodged in Essex County jail.

"I want to allay any fear that residents may have because the department intends to saturate the area with foot patrols, as well as motor patrol officers, as we continue to work with our public to abate the narcotics and violent attacks occurring in Kemsco Village," said Newark Police Director Samuel DeMaio in a statement.

On Monday afternoon, Kemsco Village was the scene of a multiple shooting that left "at least four" people injured, according to police. It's unclear what prompted the incident, though some reports indicate it was drug related.

said Monday they heard between 16 to 20 gunshots.

Jeremy Hernandez, 16, who works at Big John's Grocery on Crane Street, said he heard gunshots shortly after 1 p.m. and witnessed two African-American men running west from the village towards Cutler Street, "The men weren't injured and seemed to be running from the bullets." The teen said the gunfire sounded "like a machine gun."

— Joshua Wilwohl