Newark police captain suspended without pay after DWI arrest

🚓 A Newark police captain has been suspended without pay, accused of driving drunk.
🍺 Readington police say Elvis Perez was charged with DWI, careless driving, and failing to maintain a lane.
🚓 Perez's arrest adds to a string of recent DWI cases involving New Jersey officers.

A Newark police captain has been suspended without pay, after being accused of driving drunk in Hunterdon County.

Newark Police Captain Elvis Perez was pulled over on Route 202 in Readington on Saturday night after 11, Daily Voice reported.

Readington police say he is charged with driving while intoxicated, careless driving, and failure to maintain a lane.

On Sunday, Perez was suspended without pay, as he faces an accused motor vehicle violation, Newark Public Safety Director Emanuel Miranda said.

Veteran officer earning $182K faces disciplinary review

In 2024, Perez earned $182,246 in a base salary from the city, according to online salary records.

He has been on the department’s payroll since at least 2015, as a lieutenant.

The suspension was issued as required under the Newark Police Division’s internal disciplinary procedures.

Other New Jersey police officers charged with DWI this year

Earlier this year, at least two other off-duty police officers around New Jersey were similarly charged with DWI.

In May, a rookie Morristown officer was charged after a single-vehicle crash in which her car rolled over.

Two months earlier, a veteran police lieutenant with the North Bergen Police Department was found asleep at the wheel of his car.

Lt. Otoniel “Otto” Cruz had his foot on the brake pedal at an intersection in Palisades Park, Hudson County View reported.

A breathalyzer reading showing a .19 blood alcohol content for Cruz, according to the same report.

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