River Road Panhandler Arrested on Drug Charges

A homeless River Road panhandler who fled when confronted by police Thursday was found a short time later on 6th Street and arrested on drug charges, Lt. James Corcoran said.

Terrance Hayes, 50, was charged with possession of a controlled dangerous substance, possession of hypodermic syringes and obstruction after police apprehended him outside of a 6th Street home, Corcoran said.

Police received a call from a resident around 4 p.m. that a man with an umbrella, later identified as Hayes, was approaching River Road motorists and begging for money, Corcoran said.

According to police, when Officer Luis Vasquez responded to the scene and approached the panhandler at the intersection of River Road and Bellair Avenue, the man tried to dump two needles, 11 bags of heroin and a Xanax analogue into a nearby garbage can, before fleeing. A brief struggle ensued between the panhandler and the officer, and the man ultimately escaped through nearby back yards, police said.

He was apprehended about 20 minutes later with the help of the Bergen County K-9 Unit and the Glen Rock Police Department after he popped out of a yard on 6th Street, Corcoran said.

"It was a team effort," he said. "You got everybody out there looking, you put a push on, he jumps out. Without even one of them he may have gotten away, so everyone plays a role."

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