Port Authority police say officers found a handgun and heroin in one vehicle, and marijuana in the possession of another driver.
FORT LEE -- Port Authority police say officers arrested two people in a 12-hour period on the George Washington Bridge after discovering a handgun and drugs in two separate encounters.
Port Authority police say this .45-caliber semi-automatic pistol was discovered in a car pulled over Tuesday on the George Washington Bridge. (Port Authority Police Department photo)Authorities say Ariel Paulino, 20, was seen around 4:40 p.m. Tuesday driving a 2003 Volvo northbound when an officer at the bridge's toll plaza noticed the vehicle's windshield was cracked.
After pulling Paulino over, police say, the officer noticed the vehicle smelled of marijuana. A search of the vehicle turned up a loaded .45-caliber semi-automatic pistol and a small bag of suspected heroin, according to police.
Paulino, of Jersey City, was arrested on charges of unlawful possession of a weapon and possession of a controlled dangerous substance.
Around 5 a.m. Wednesday, authorities say, officers responded to a report of a Subaru Zipcar that had flipped over on the Fletcher ramp at Lemoyne Avenue in Fort Lee.
Police say the driver, Jaquan V. Brooks of Bayonne, was found to be in possession of suspected marijuana. Brooks, 24, was charged with driving while intoxicated and possession of a controlled dangerous substance.
Authorities say Brooks was treated at Englewood Hospital and Medical Center for minor injuries.
Thomas Moriarty may be reached at tmoriarty@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @ThomasDMoriarty. Find NJ.com on Facebook.