Police: Two Arrested After Officer Observes Drug Deal

Police said the “hand-to-hand drug transaction” took place at the WaWa on Hickory Corner Road.

The following report is based on information released by East Windsor Township police. An arrest does not indicate a conviction. Anyone with information about any of these crimes is asked to call police at (609) 448-5678. *   *   * Drug Offense Two people were arrested and charged with drug offenses after an East Windsor police officer allegedly witnessed what police described as a “hand-to-hand drug transaction” at the WaWa convenience store on Hickory Corner Road about 2:10 p.m. on March 12. Detective James Vandegrift took Robert Mastellone and Seena Alipour into custody after he saw Mastellone give Alipour three oxycodone pills in exchange for a quantity of cash, police allege. Mastellone, 20, of Bristol Way in East Windsor, was charged…

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Surveillance Leads to Drug Arrests in Downtown Hightstown

Two East Windsor residents were charged.

Undercover police drug surveillance in downtown Hightstown Friday resulted in the arrest of a 19-year-old, and a 17 year-old he sold drugs to, according to police. Hightstown police saw a “hand-to-hand” drug transaction between East Windsor residents, Juan Cordoba, 19, and a 17-year-old female. The 17-year-old was pulled over around 3:30 p.m. and police found marijuana that was purchased from Cordoba. The undercover surveillance is part of an initiative in the Borough to crack down on drug distribution, said Police Director James Le Tellier. The 17-year-old was charged with possession of marijuana under 50 grams, possession of drug paraphernalia, loitering to obtain a controlled dangerous substance and possession of a controlled dangerous …

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Video: Hightstown Police K9 Demos Drug Sniffing at School Assembly

The four-legged officer is credited with more than 150 arrests.

Over a hundred fifth grade students piled into the Walter C. Black Elementary School gym Friday for a demonstration by Hightstown police. Police Officer Frank Marchione and his K9 partner, Niko, showed students how the police dog works by hiding a bag of marijuana under one of three cones and, on command, Niko sniffed out the drugs. By scratching at the cone, Niko told Marchione there were drugs hidden, and was rewarded with a toy to play with. Marchione told the students Niko was trained to sniff out drugs by associating them with playtime, which is why the K9 is rewarded with his toy. Since the Hightstown Police Department added Niko to the department, he has been credited with more than 150 arrests, has seized more than $90,000 in cash …

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It Takes a Village

LSD 2011: Have the Conversation

It is this lack of inoculation of the current generation with regard to the risks of LSD that makes them vulnerable if the drug returns to popularity. Be proactive; have the conversation.

How much do your sons, daughters, or grandchildren know about LSD?  If they are like the majority of 8th through 12th graders, they will not be well informed about how this drug works. LSD has not been popular since the mid-1990s, and school prevention efforts have come to focus more on current drugs of choice, such as marijuana, alcohol, and cigarettes. This gap in awareness is in contrast to the knowledge of their grandparents.  Most senior citizens and baby boomers will remember the youth culture in the 1960s, with its high regard for tie-dyed clothing, strobe lights, and integration of LSD into the hippie movement and counterculture music. Names like Timothy Leary, the Grateful Dead, Jimi Hendrix, or the Beatles will evoke stories …

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Judy Shepps Battle

11:36 am on Monday, July 11, 2011

Ezra, thank you for your comments. You are so very right about the need for parents reinforcing the prevention messages kids get in school and in the media. I wonder how many parents realize that these "conversations" aren't taking place. I mean, we used to all gather for meals and talk about our day. But now, it is unusual for families to all be home at the same time for a sit down meal, …   more ›

It Takes a Village

Ecstasy 2011: Have the Conversation

As the use of ecstasy expands, more kids will be subject to increased peer pressure to try a dose. There isn't a better time for parents to initiate dialogue with their teen about the attractiveness and dangers of ecstasy.

"E" is back in the news. That's ecstasy, the 1990s club-drug favorite associated with all-night dances, or "raves." After a decline in popularity, it has once again become increasingly fashionable with teens. The percentage of eighth-grade students across the country saying they used ecstasy at least once in the past year increased from 1.3 percent to 2.4 percent from 2009 to 2010. Past-year use for their 10th-grade peers increased from 3.7 percent to 4.7 percent during that time.* There is no reason to suspect that these figures are significantly different in South Brunswick. As the use of ecstasy expands, more kids will be subject to increased peer pressure to try a dose. There isn't a better time for parents to initiate dialogue with …

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It Takes a Village

Listen from the Heart: Have the Conversation

Many parents say they feel self-conscious talking about drug use and suicide and/or are afraid that bringing up these topics will only encourage their child to try the undesired behaviors.

Spring 2011 has been glorious. Clear, cool mornings, warm afternoons, and chilly nights have created early yellow flowers on tomato plants, and most lawns have already been cut four or five times. In a few weeks, local schools will release students for summer vacation. While some teens will head for camp or to a job, all will have an increased amount of free time to spend with friends. Ideally, during this period new skills will be learned, healthy relationships will be forged, and lasting memories will be created. For some teens, this increase in unstructured and unsupervised time will not be used as wisely. Teen experimentation with alcohol and other drugs, high-risk activities including sex, and illegal activities tend to rise during …

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Police Blotter: Lewdness, Harassment, Assault and Drugs

The following arrest information was supplied by the police departments of East Windsor Township and Hightstown Borough. It does not indicate a conviction.

John Xenos, 24, of Morrison Avenue, Hightstown, was charged Tuesday with aggravated assault, terroristic threats, possession of a stun gun, possession of fewer than 50 grams of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia. Hightstown Police said an investigation led to a search warrant, and that the ensuing search of Xenos’ residence revealed a stun gun, trace amounts of marijuana and assorted drug paraphernalia, all of which police seized. Xenos was released on 10 percent of $15,000 bail. Thomas O. Hager, 22, of Probasco Road, East Windsor, was charged May 27 with lewdness and endangering the welfare of a child. East Windsor Police said they responded to Probasco Road at 5:39 p.m. on a report of two adults fighting. Police said they …

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Lawrence Police Now Investigating East Windsor Brothers

Authorities have identified the men, already in East WIndsor custody, as suspects in the burglary of a relative's Lawrence Township residence.

Lawrence Police have identified two East Windsor brothers as suspects in a burglary that took place in Lawrence on Monday, authorities have confirmed. Jason T. Boehm, 30, and Ryan Boehm, 28, both of Bennington Drive, East Windsor, were arrested on Tuesday by East Windsor Police in connection with three residential burglaries they allegedly committed here recently. When they were apprehended Tuesday, the brothers allegedly were still in possession of property they had stolen from one of the East Windsor homes. While investigating those crimes, authorities said East Windsor police discovered prescription medications in the brothers’ possession belonging to a resident of the 100 block of Gainsboro Road in Lawrence Township. An East Windsor …

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