Brick Police Charge Man Seen Injecting Drugs in Wawa Parking Lot, Then Driving Away

Handcuffs (Shorebeat File Photo/ banspy/ Flickr)

Members of the Brick Township Police Department’s Street Crimes Unit arrested two men after one was seen injecting drugs into his arm in the parking lot of a Wawa store, then driving away in his car.

Detectives on Thursday were conducting surveillance at the Wawa store at 166 Brick Boulevard when they observed the driver of a parked, grey Chevrolet Equinox injecting a hypodermic syringe into his arm, said Sgt. Jim Kelly. The vehicle, which was carrying a passenger in the front seat, started to leave the area when the detectives stopped it, Kelly said.

A search of the vehicle uncovered heroin, cocaine, paraphernalia and a hypodermic syringe, according to police, leading to the arrest of the driver, Michael Ritz, 27, of Jackson, who was charged with possession of heroin, cocaine, drug paraphernalia and driving while intoxicated, along with several other motor vehicle violations.

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Ritz’s charges were placed on a summons and he was released pending a court date.

The passenger, Robert Daly, 27, of Jackson, was charged with possession of cocaine and drug paraphernalia. He was also released pending a future court date.