Wildwood Police Make Drug and Weapons Arrest

WILDWOOD — On Sept. 5, 2013, at approximately 7:00 p.m., Wildwood Police Department detectives conducted a motor vehicle stop on a green Ford Expedition in the 100 East block of Rio Grande Avenue. During the course of the motor vehicle stop, several weapons were observes in plain sight within the vehicle. In addition, the driver of the vehicle, Joseph Mitchell, an 18-year-old unemployed mechanic from National Part, New Jersey, was found to have an arrest warrant for his arrest.
Subsequent to his arrest, the vehicle Mitchell was operating was impounded and a search warrant was obtained and executed. As a result of this search warrant, three (3) handguns with ammunition, five (5) various knives, one (1) expandable baton, two (2) wooden clubs, two (2) pairs of “zap” gloves, and one (1) large wooden stick with a metal hook protruding from one end were recovered. Also recovered was one (1) dagger and one (1) stun gun disguised as a cellular phone, both of which are prohibited weapons, as well as a quantity of CDS/methamphetamine.
Joseph Mitchell was charged with the following:
Three counts of Unlawful Possession of a Weapon – crimes of the 2nd degree.
Two counts of Unlawful Possession of a Weapon – crimes of the 4th degree.
Three counts of Possession of a Weapon for Unlawful Purposes – crimes of the 2nd degree.
Two counts of Possession of a Weapon for Unlawful Purposes – crimes of the 3rd degree.
Two counts of Possession of a Prohibited Weapon – crimes of the 4th degree.
One count of Possession of CDS/methamphetamine – a crime of the 3rd degree.
A warrant complaint was authorized and bail was set at $50,000 full cash, no ten percent. Joseph Mitchell was unable to post bail and was lodged in the Cape May County Correctional Center.
This investigation, which was conducted with the assistance of the Wildwood Police Department Patrol Division, the Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office, and the Cape May County Sheriff’s Department K9 Unit, is ongoing and more charges are pending.