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Newark, Hillside Residents Arrested on Weapon, Drug Charges

Newark Hillside

Authorities announced today the arrests of Kenneth Portis, 42, of Hillside, Jocelyn Polanco, 37, and Arleathea C. Edwards, 47, both of Newark, for handgun possession.

According to police, at approximately 1:50 am, authorities were informed by residents that a person was engaged in drug sales in the 200 block of Weequahic Avenue.

Police said officers, responded to an unoccupied home where they observed three individuals inside the residence.

Police said they detected a strong odor of marijuana after they ensued a search and recovered a Mac 11 subcompact machine pistol, 45 bullets, two hollow point bullets, 712 glassine envelopes of heroin, 317 small Zip-Lock bags of cocaine and 25 bags of marijuana.

Authorities took Portis, Polanco, and Edwards into custody without incident.

Police charged each of them with Unlawful Possession of a Weapon, Possession of Prohibited Ammunition (hollow point bullets) and Criminal Trespass.

In addition, police charged Portis with Possession of a Weapon for an Unlawful Purpose, Certain Persons Prohibited from Weapon Possession, three counts each of CDS Possession, and CDS Distribution while Polanco and Edwards are each further charged with Contempt of Court.

These charges are merely accusations.

Each suspect is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

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