Five men have been arrested in New Hyde Park for criminal possession of a weapon, according to the Nassau County Police Department.
Officers from the county’s Bureau of Special Operations said they observed a white 2006 Mercury Marquis traveling south on New Hyde Park Road while on a routine patrol Sunday night. Officials said the vehicle had “extremely dark tints” on all four of its windows and the car’s registration had expired.
Officials pulled the vehicle over near the intersection of New Hyde Park Road and Holiday Gate across the street from the Lake Success Quadrangle. Officials said they detected a “strong odor” of marijuana coming from the vehicle once they approached it. Officials removed all five occupants from the vehicle and noticed a 9 mm pistol under the front passenger seat, according to a news release from the Police Department.
Officials said a further investigation of the vehicle led to a second loaded pistol being found.
Hamlet Espinal, 18, of Pennsauken, New Jersey, Angel Bonilla, 19, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Eddy Martinez, 18, of the Bronx, were arrested, according to officials. On Monday, officials said, Eury Garcia, 19, of Philadelphia, and Alexander Batista Polanco, 18, of Camden, New Jersey, were arrested as well.
Espinal was charged with criminal possession of a forged instrument in the third degree, operation of an unregistered motor vehicle, multiple traffic violations, two counts of criminal possession of a firearm, two counts of criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree and criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree.
Bonilla was charged with two counts of criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree, and two counts of criminal possession of a firearm, and criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree. Martinez was charged with two counts of criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree and two counts of criminal possession of a firearm.
Garcia and Polanco were both charged with two counts of criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree, two counts of criminal possession of a firearm and criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree. All five men are scheduled to be arraigned on Tuesday in Mineola, according to officials.
