Heroin Sting at Sayreville Pharmacy: Man Charged with Attempted Murder

Sayreville, NJ - A Middlesex County man has been indicted on charges including attempted murder for allegedly striking and injuring a police officer with his car while trying to flee a drug arrest at the Sayreville Rite Aid in January of 2015. Another officer then fired at the suspect, but no one was struck by the gunfire.

Isaiah D. Roberts, 39, of Parlin, was indicted Thursday on charges of first-degree attempted murder, aggravated assault, possession of a weapon, and intending to sell heroin, the state Attorney General's office said.

Sting set up outside Sayreville Rite Aid

At approximately 5:15 p.m. on Jan. 22, 2015, members of the Middlesex County Gangs, Guns and Drugs Task Force were conducting a narcotics investigation in Sayreville. Arrangements had been made for an undercover detective to purchase five “bricks” (or bundles of approximately 50 single-dose glassine folds) of heroin from Roberts in the parking lot of the Rite Aid store at 3553 Washington Avenue. Roberts allegedly had already made four heroin sales to undercover officers during the investigation, the state AG said.

An operations plan provided for numerous police personnel and vehicles to be used in arresting Roberts. Upon arrival, Roberts entered the parking lot through one of two entrances but did not park next to the undercover vehicle to conduct the sale as anticipated. He continued past the undercover vehicle and attempted to flee through the second driveway, which was blocked by police vehicles. Seeing that his route out of the parking lot was blocked, Roberts allegedly put his vehicle into reverse and drove in reverse through the parking lot at a high rate of speed, while disobeying commands to stop. Roberts allegedly struck an officer with his vehicle, sending him flying into the air, and continued to drive erratically, positioning his vehicle so it was pointed directly at the fallen officer he had just struck.

The police officer who fired at Roberts witnessed the officer being struck by Roberts’ car, and he allegedly saw Roberts accelerate the vehicle in the direction of the fallen officer. At that time, he fired five rounds from his service rifle. The officer discontinued firing when Roberts’ vehicle steered away from the fallen officer, while continuing to drive erratically. Roberts was not struck by the gunfire and continued to flee the parking lot, striking marked and unmarked police vehicles. Roberts’ vehicle came to a stop only after it was disabled as a result of crashing into the police vehicles. Roberts was arrested and allegedly was found to be in possession of five bricks of heroin. The officer who was struck was taken by ambulance to Robert Wood Johnson Hospital, where he was treated for an injured wrist.

The AG's office investigated the officer firing his gun, and Division of Criminal Justice Director Elie Honig concluded that the officer who fired at Roberts used an acceptable level of force to protect the fallen officer from imminent danger of death or serious bodily injury, and to prevent the escape of Roberts.