MANVILLE: Investigation leads to arrest of two men, seizure of cocaine

A pair of men from Perth Amboy were recently taken into police custody following a narcotics investigation headed by the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office., Officials said the investigation began when members of the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Organized Crime and Narcotics Task Force received a tip on March 17 that Rodolfo Romero-Rosa, 34, and Luis Torres, 24, both of Perth Amboy, would be arriving in the Manville Walmart parking lot in possession of an undisclosed amount of cocaine., As a result of that information, members of the task force, along with the Manville Police Department, established a surveillance perimeter in the area of the Walmart., At approximately 7:30 p.m., officials witnessed Luis and Romero-Rosa enter the parking lot in a white pickup truck. Once there, detectives approached the truck and advised the two men of the ongoing investigation., Police said Torres, the driver of the truck, allowed detectives to search the truck. As a result, approximately three ounces of cocaine was located in the cup holder of a child’s booster seat., Both Torres and Romero-Rosa were taken into police custody without incident and charged with second degree possession of a controlled dangerous substance with the intent to distribute., Officials said the estimated street value of the seized cocaine was approximately $5,000., Both men were processed and lodged in the Somerset County Jail pending a detention hearing.