Passaic Police arrived at the Alfred Speer Village public housing complex in response to a report of alleged gang activity and took eight individuals into custody. Among those arrested were four adults and four juveniles, all of whom are suspected members of the gang Dominicans Don t Play.
Officers from the Passaic Police Department reportedly arrived on the scene at the Alfred Speer Village public housing complex at approximately 8:41 p.m. on Tuesday, May 19th. Upon questioning some of the complex’s residents, they learned that members of two rival gangs, known as 301 and Dominicans Don t Play had gathered for a confrontation shortly before.
When police arrived, many of the individuals allegedly involved in the conflict fled the scene. However, eight people were taken into custody. The adults who were arrested include: 19-year-old Alexander Rapos, 21-year-old Jose Reyes, 18-year-old Jeffrey Espinal, and 21-year-old Eduardo Munez. The identities of the juveniles remain undisclosed due to their underage status.
A subsequent search of the premises revealed no weapons, although residents reported seeing a handgun, baseball bats, and a machete. There were also no reports of injured victims. As a result, police were confined to issuing charges of defiant trespass due to the fact that the defendants were not residents of the complex.
The adult defendants will now be required to face prosecution in Passaic Municipal Court. Defiant trespass is classified as a petty disorderly persons offense, which is the lowest-level criminal offense in New Jersey, with potential penalties including up to 3 months in the county jail and a fine of up to $500. This also means that the defendants will have charges on their criminal records if convicted.
On the other hand, the juvenile cases will be adjudicated in an entirely different venue, namely, the Passaic County Superior Court, Family Division, located in Paterson. The punishments to which they may be subject will be determined by a Family Court Judge, with a focus on rehabilitation and the juvenile court standard of the best interests of the child.
For additional information regarding this case, view the following article: Fight between rival Passaic gangs ends in eight arrests
