A 37-year-old man from Flushing was taken into custody after state police discovered a significant quantity of cocaine inside his vehicle during a late-night traffic stop in upstate New York.
According to authorities, the vehicle was stopped around 11:15 p.m. on Saturday, March 14, along Interstate 87 in Malta for a traffic-related issue. During the stop, officers conducted further investigation that led to the deployment of a K9 unit.
Police said the K9 alerted officers to the presence of narcotics inside the vehicle. A subsequent search uncovered a package containing approximately half a pound of cocaine. Investigators reported that the drugs were located within arm’s reach of two children seated in the back, both under the age of 16.
The driver, identified as Jonathan Rivera, was arrested at the scene. He now faces two felony counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance, along with two counts of endangering the welfare of a child. Additional traffic violations were also issued.
Rivera was arraigned in Malta and remanded to the Saratoga County Jail without bail pending further court proceedings.
An adult passenger traveling in the vehicle, as well as the two minors, were released without charges, authorities confirmed.
The case remains under investigation.
