Raid of Alleged North Ward Stash House Yields Several Arrests

Three people were arraigned Tuesday after being arrested on drug charges last week by Essex County Sheriff’s officers, Sheriff Armando Fontoura said in a statement.

The arrests followed a raid Friday by Bureau of Narcotics detectives at an alleged North Ward stash house at 410 Summer Ave.

Ricardo Martinez, 53, Augustine “Mexico” Cabrera, 31, and Eliza Cruz, 41, were all found inside the house and taken into custody. Also arrested were Hector Manuel Molina Pagan, who was allegedly hiding 77 vials of crack and eight envelopes of heroin inside a shoe. Detectives also found 43 vials of crack inside a dresser in a second-story bedroom, Fontoura said.

Cabrera, Cruz and Molina Pagan were all placed under arrest. Two other people inside the home, Irsaddis Rios, 29, of East Orange, and Hugo Lopez, 52, of Newark, were arrested on open warrants out of Newark and Jersey City, respectively.

Cabrera, Cruz and Molina Pagan were all charged with a variety of narcotics offeneses, including possession and possession with intent to distribute.  

Cabrera and Cruz were being held on $40,000 bail and Pagan Molina on $50,000 bail Tuesday.