New York Men Sentenced for Roles in Police Pursuit, Cocaine-Laden SUV Crash

Two New York-area men were sentenced to jail for their roles in a 2016 police pursuit that let to their cocaine-laden SUV crashing in a New Jersey park, prosecutors say.

Angel Ernesto Cesar, of Yonkers, was sentenced to 24 years in prison and Ariel Jazmin, of the Washington Heights section of Manhattan, was sentenced to 16 years Friday, Union County Prosecutor Michael A. Monahan said.

At the time of their arrests, Cesar was 25 and Jazmin was 27 years old.

Prosecutors say that a narcotics investigation by the county’s Narcotics Strike Force and the Linden Police Department led detectives to Alberta Avenue in Linden around 11 p.m. on Jan. 20, 2016 where they allegedly attempted a traffic stop of the Chevrolet Suburban SUV that Cesar and Jazmin were in.

According to prosecutors, Cesar allegedly sped away, steering around several police vehicles, continuing onto a curb and then back onto the street.

The Cesar-driven SUV subsequently entered Warinanco Park in nearby Roselle where it collided with a tree, prosecutors say, adding that Cesar was arrested at the scene, while Jazmin was arrested after a brief foot pursuit.

About one kilogram of cocaine was allegedly recovered at the scene, along with packaged materials made to appear to be additional narcotics, prosecutors say.

The men were convicted in April 2018 of first-degree possession of cocaine with the intent to distribute and two related third-degree drug offenses.

Cesar was additionally convicted of one count of second-degree eluding police, while Jazmin was also convicted on a charge of fourth-degree resisting arrest.

Jazmin was on federal parole for crimes including racketeering and conspiracy to commit murder when he was arrested in Union County, while Cesar also has a previous indictable conviction for robbery in New York, prosecutors say.