May 11
At approximately 1 p.m., Officer Brian Porter conducted a motor vehicle stop on the Rt 517 Bypass. Officer Porter obtained information from the backseat passenger, 31-year-old Kyle Talmadge of Franklin, NJ, who was not wearing his seatbelt.
As Officer Porter returned to his patrol car to check Mr. Talmadge’s information, Mr. Talmadge exited the vehicle, jumped over a guardrail and ran into a wooded area. Sparta patrols and Sparta detectives set up a grid and searched the area, which borders Sparta Avenue and Main Street.
Mr. Talmadge was located and taken into custody by the Presbyterian Cemetery. He had a crack stem in his possession and admitted that he tossed crack vials while he was running through the woods. A search of the woods was negative. Mr. Talmadge stated that he ran from the m.v stop because he knew that he had an active NCIC warrant from the Sussex County Sheriff’s Dept.
Mr. Talmadge was placed under arrest and transported to Sparta Police HQ to be processed. He was charged with: Failure to Wear Seatbelt, Failure to Turnover CDS, Poss. of Drug Paraphernalia, Obstruction and Hindering His Own Arrest. He was served with his paperwork and advised of a mandatory court Appearance before being turned over to the S.C. Sheriff’s Dept. on their warrant.
May 15
At about 1:50 am, Police Officer Steven Guido observed a black Ford Ranger, travelling north on Rt 181, crossover the double yellow lines into the opposite lane of travel. Officer Guido stopped the vehicle and approached the driver, 25-year-old Anthony Brown of Andover, and immediately detected the odor of an alcoholic beverage emanating from within the vehicle.
Officer Guido asked Mr. Brown to step out of his vehicle and now smelled an alcoholic beverage coming from Mr. Brown’s mouth as he spoke. Officer Guido conducted Field Sobriety tests and placed Mr. Brown under arrest after completion of the tests. He was transported to Sparta Police HQ to be processed. After completing breath tests, Mr. Brown was charged with: Failure to Maintain Lane, DWI, Careless Driving and Failure to Signal Turn. He was advised of a mandatory court appearance and released to a sober adult. Vehicle was impounded for a State mandated 12-hour period.
May 20
At approximately 2 a.m., patrols responded to Rt 15 for a report of a vehicle travelling north in the southbound lanes. P.O. Taylor May observed the suspect vehicle, being followed by a vehicle that was flashing its headlights, travelling north in the northbound lane. Officer May stopped the suspect vehicle on the Sparta Junction.
The witness, from the vehicle that was flashing his headlights, informed the patrols on scene that the suspect vehicle travelled out of Jefferson in the wrong lane, but crossed the median by East Mountain Rd and also struck a guardrail.
Officer May was able to determine that the driver, 30 yr old Kenneth Broda Jr of Hamburg, N.J.,, and his passenger had been consuming alcoholic beverages at a Club in Jefferson before being stopped in Sparta.
Field Sobriety tests were given and Mr. Broda was placed under arrest for DWI upon completion of testing. He was transported to Sparta Police HQ for processing. Mr Broda was given Breath tests and was charged with: DWI, Reckless/Careless Driving, Leaving Scene of Accident, Fail to Report Accident, Wrong Way on Roadway and Improper Use of Median.
Mr. Broda was advised of a mandatory court appearance and released to a sober adult.