A New Jersey man driving along NJ route 15 was arrested late Monday night with his 5-year-old son strapped into the passenger seat next to him.
Apparently the wayward father, Christopher Ennis, 31, had taken his son out for more then a late night joy ride. When police searched the car, they found a black bag filled with the boy's toys covering 500 bags of heroin worth over $10,000.
"He brought the 5-year-old along as a decoy so he would appear less suspicious to law enforcement and, if he was stopped, he did not believe police would search a child's toy bag," said a statement from police in Sparta, N.J.
Ennis, of Branchville, was pulled over by police in a routine traffic stop on Route 15 for driving with an expired vehicular inspection sticker, police said.
He was following a car driven by Alex Dewer, 43, of Milford, Pennsylvania., who was pulled over around 10:30 p.m. for driving with counterfeit license plates.
After the men gave police conflicting stories, the officers asked if they could search the vehicles. A confident Ennis - who had a long rap sheet - quickly agreed.
"He must have felt good about giving consent, never thinking we'd find anything," said Sparta police Sgt. John-Paul Beebe
He was dead wrong.
Police found the heroin, hypodermic needles, hidden inside the gym bag under toys and the little boy's clothes.
Police charged Ennis with using a juvenile in a drug distribution scheme, possession of heroin with intent to distribute, child abuse, possession of needles and drug paraphernalia.
Ennis was held on $70,000 bail, and his son was turned over to New Jersey Youth and Family Services.
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