Tony Gicas

Staff Writer, @tonygicas

CLIFTON – A Passaic man was arrested four times on separate drug-related offenses during a 30-hour period this week, said police.

Victor Brito-Arias, 28, was first arrested on March 19 at 5:30 p.m. after patrol officers observed evidence of drug use as he sat in a vehicle parked on Madison Avenue. According to police reports, patrol officers Timothy Taffin and Garrell Middleton noticed Brito-Arias asleep behind the wheel of the vehicle. Brito-Arias and an occupant of the car were charged with possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia and released on a summons, said police spokesman Detective Lt. Robert Bracken.

The same night, at 10:30 p.m., officers Taffin and Middleton observed the same vehicle parked in the same Madison Avenue lot and again discovered Brito-Arias asleep in the driver’s seat, Bracken said.

The officers had to “wake up” Brito-Arias to elicit a response to their commands, Bracken said. Following a short investigation the officers arrested and charged him with possession of synthetic marijuana. Brito-Arias was again released on a summons, Bracken said.

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The following night, on March 20, at about 9 p.m., officers Taffin and Zakaria Bernado observed Brito-Arias asleep inside the same vehicle parked near the intersection of E. Madison and Central avenues, Bracken said.

The officers suspected Brito-Arias to be under the influence of a narcotic and discovered synthetic marijuana during a subsequent search, according to police records. He was arrested and charged with possession of synthetic cannabinoid and he was issued motor vehicle violations for being parked in a no-parking zone, Bracken said.

Bracken confirmed Brito-Arias was again released on a summons.

On March 21, at 2 a.m., Officer Steven Snyder approached a vehicle idling in the middle of Clifton Avenue near Getty Avenue, where he found a "slouched" Brito-Arias, asleep behind the wheel with “obvious signs of inebriation,” Bracken said.

Brito-Arias was arrested and charged with driving while under the influence of what police suspect to be a controlled dangerous substance.

Brito-Arias was released from custody at 1 p.m. on March 21, Bracken said.

“He became a danger to the community,” said a City Hall source who asked not to be identified. "If this happened before the state’s bail reform, the department would’ve held [Brito-Arias] and not put him out on summonses.”

The New Jersey Bail Reform and Speedy Trial Act, enacted in January, eliminates bail for most offenses deemed to be minor crimes. Courts utilize a risk assessment tool to decide if a defendant should be released pre-trial or assigned a cash bail. The law is designed to dramatically decrease the state’s jail population.

Email: Gicas@northjersey.com

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