Hallucinating Couple With Child Called Cops, Got Busted for Drugs, Police Say

A Hackettstown man and woman were arrested and charged early Thursday morning, June 26, after police found them hallucinating on drugs with a sleeping child in their hotel room, Mt. Olive Police said.

Officer Michael Sciscione responded to the Marriott Residence Inn on Continental Drive just after 4 a.m. for a report of a man with a knife trying to forcibly enter a room on the fourth floor, Officer Michael Russell said.

When police arrived, no one described by the caller could be located, Russell said. Sciscione made contact with the caller, Alexander Friedland and a woman in his room, Sonia Leal, both 27.

While talking with the couple Sciscione realized both were hallucinating on drugs inside the hotel room, Russell said. The couple gave Sciscione consent to search the room, where he found suspected methamphetamines, suspected hash oils, and drug paraphernalia, Russell said.

During the investigation Sciscione also found a sleeping child in the hotel room’s bed, Russell said. The Division of Child Protection and Permanency was contacted and removed the child into custody, Russell said.

Friedland was taken to the hospital for treatment and was charged with endangering the welfare of a child, possession of a controlled dangerous substance, possession of marijuana/hash oil, possession of drug paraphernalia, and under the influence of a controlled dangerous substance. Friedland was placed in the Morris County Correctional Facility in lieu of $15,000 bail with a 10-percent option.

Leal was charged with endangering the welfare of a child, possession of a controlled dangerous substance, possession of marijuana/hash oil, possession of drug paraphernalia, and under the influence of a controlled dangerous substance. She was lodged in Morris County Correctional Facility in lieu of $25,000 bail with a 10-percent option.

For questions about this post, email jason.koestenblatt@patch.com.