4 Accused Of Illegal Gun Possession In Poughkeepsie

POUGHKEEPSIE, NY — Investigations into gun violence in the city of Poughkeepsie led to the arrest of four people who were accused of having illegal weapons.

One of the people was found to be wanted for murder in New Jersey.

The City of Poughkeepsie Police Department said officers conducted a vehicle and traffic stop Thursday near 185 N. Hamilton St. in the city, during which two unlawfully possessed, loaded handguns, both equipped with high capacity magazines, were recovered.

Police said Jack D. Ramirez, 20, Spring Valley, was charged with second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, a felony. He was also found to be wanted from Paterson, New Jersey, for intentional murder with a gun.

Latrell Pittman, 18, of Poughkeepsie, was charged with two counts of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, a felony, false personation and no seat belt.

Adrianna M. Pena, 18, of Hyde Park, was charged with second-degree criminal possession, a felony, and failing to stop at a stop sign.

A juvenile girl, whose name and age were withheld, was charged with second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, a felony.

All four were held pending arraignment, police said.

Poughkeepsie City Police Chief Tom Pape said the traffic stop was not random but "the result of being focused on known illegal firearm-carrying persons."

Pape said the city has, since the beginning of the year, seen 33 confirmed shots-fired incidents, resulting in two homicides, six shootings with injuries and nine properties that were damaged by gunfire.

"To date, we have removed 25 handguns through investigation and 49 through a gun buyback program funded by the New York State Attorney General's Office," he said.

Many of the 25 handguns were recovered through special investigations funded by the Division of Criminal Justice Services Gun Involved Violence Elimination Grant, or G.I.V.E.

Pape said the public should be reminded that the city maintains a cash for guns program. The city will pay $250 to anyone who provides information that leads to the recovery of an illegal gun and $500 for information that leads to an arrest of a person possessing an illegal gun. All callers will remain anonymous.

A tip may be submitted through the online tip411 program by going to the city's website or by calling the tip line at 845-451-7577.

Like Hudson Valley Patches' Facebook Pages.