240 Decks of Heroin Found at South Brunswick Motel, Police Say

South Brunswick, NJ - South Brunswick police unearthed a large cache of heroin Saturday night being sold from a local South Brunswick motel, police announced Thursday afternoon.

Police found 240 decks of heroin, along with ½ an ounce of cocaine, after executing a search warrant at the motel, they said. A Hightstown man, Lazaro Ruiz-Caceres, 46, pictured, was selling the heroin out of area motels, police said.

Police would not specify the exact name of the motel.

Officer Raymond McCarthy observed Ruiz-Caceres and a woman; Megan Knowles, 24, of Jamesburg at the motel Saturday night. The police officer spoke to the two and during the conversation, he observed 20 decks of heroin in plain view in the room.

After that, police then searched the room, where they found a safe. After obtaining a search warrant for the safe on Tuesday, police opened it and found 220 additional decks of heroin along with cocaine inside.

Ruiz-Caceres was charged with multiple drug counts, and surrendered Wednesday morning at police headquarters. He was processed and released after posting a $20,000 bail.

While the opiate epidemic is widespread across New Jersey, Middlesex County has seen the highest growth rate for deaths associated with heroin between 2010 and 2014, according to data reported by the New Jersey State Medical Examiner's Office. In 2014, the last year for which data has been reported; there were 78 heroin-related deaths in Middlesex County alone, the second highest count for counties in the state.