Larnard Smith, 39, of Lewistown, PA, was taken into custody just before midnight on Monday, May 12, after Officer Michael Clifford spotted the vehicle parked outside a commercial property on Valley Brook Avenue, according to Detective Capt. Vincent Auteri of the Lyndhurst Police Department.
Smith was the only person in the vehicle, which he did not own, police said. Officers Nicolette Villani and Jorge Fernandez joined Clifford at the scene, where they noticed a handgun case on the floorboard, according to the report
Police said the case was empty, but a search of the car turned up a loaded 9mm Glock 45 handgun, multiple magazines, and hollow-point ammunition hidden in a drawstring backpack.
During a search of Smith himself, police said they found suspected cocaine and drug paraphernalia. He was arrested without incident and taken to the Bergen County Jail, where he faces the following charges:
- Unlawful Possession of a Weapon (2nd degree)
- Certain Persons Not to Possess Weapons (4th degree)
- Possession of Prohibited Ammunition (4th degree)
- Possession of a Controlled Dangerous Substance (3rd degree)
- Possession of Drug Paraphernalia (Disorderly Persons Offense)
A woman from East Orange later arrived on foot and identified herself as Smith’s girlfriend. She told officers he had been picking her up from work nearby and that the vehicle belonged to a friend, police said.
Police said that Smith has prior arrests, including a 2007 burglary, gun charge, and numerous drug arrests.
