The Passaic woman who was behind posting a video of a Passaic Police Officer questioning her and her family and starting protests has been arrested on drug and child endangerment charges.
Jazmin Vidal, a 21-year-old, woman was arrested on Sunday for allegedly smoking marijuana in the park while her daughter was crying in an unheated car in the vicinity. According to Passaic Police, officers observed the five people smoking marijuana in the park at approximately 8:40 p.m.
Shortly thereafter, Jazmin Vidal and two underage females were taken to police headquarters to be questioned. Passaic Police charged her with possession of drug paraphernalia, child endangerment, and two municipal ordinance violations. Police transported her and her child to the hospital to be evaluated for exposure to the cold. Both were released after the child was deemed medically stable.
Among the crimes for which she is accused, Vidal is facing much more severe penalties in connection with the alleged endangerment than the paraphernalia. Section N.J.S.A. 2C:36-2 of the New Jersey Criminal Code, which governs offenses for possession of drug paraphernalia, classifies these as disorderly persons offenses. Those accused of these crimes may have been found in possession of any item that can be used to inhale, ingest, grow or cultivate a controlled dangerous substance. A person found guilty of a disorderly persons will be looking at up to 6 months in the county jail. There is also a $500 Drug Enforcement Demand Reduction fee as well.
Under N.J.S.A. 2C:24-4 which is endangering the welfare of a child. It involves a person who has a legal responsibilty to care for a child, and takes advantage of the child and also puts the child in harm. It can involve sexual acts towards the child, putting the child in a harmful situation, any type of neglect of a child. It is a very serious crime and a person can be facing a crime of the 1st degree to a crime of the 4th degree. In this situation it was most likely a crime of the 3rd or 4th degree. A person found guilty of a crime of the 3rd degree will be looking at 3 to 5 years in New Jersey State Prison. A person found guilty of a crime of the 4th degree will be looking at up to 18 months in New Jersey State Prison.
More information can be found here
