PORT JERVIS, NY — Detectives arrested an accused heroin dealer near the newly developed 100 Pike St., as a result of surveillance regarding narcotics sales in the area, especially at the lower end of Pike Street. Christopher Day, 26, and two others were arrested near the entrance to the Plaza and the railway station.

Port Jervis Police Chief William Worden said, “They were arrested as a part of surveillance of an undercover narcotics operation. We get a lot of information from the public in the area—when they see something suspicious in the neighborhood, they let us know. We have a lot of cooperation,” he said.

Worden continued, “The arrest took place at 7:45 p.m. Day did not resist the arrest.” Day was taken into custody, and the detectives then went to his residence in Elizabeth Street where they executed a no-knock warrant, and after a search, arrested two more persons. Terry Ayers, 30, and Janine Taunitas, 24, of Matamoras were taken into custody, Ayers for allowing Day to sell heroin from his residence in exchange for a benefit, and Taunitas for being a fugitive from justice from Camden, NJ on probation felony charges.

Three detectives took part in the operation, along with uniformed officers. Detective Sgt. Michael Meyer was in charge, with detectives Kevin Riley and Michael Decker working with him.

An undisclosed quantity of heroin was seized in the operation.

All three were arraigned in Port Jervis City Court before the Honorable James M. Hendry III, and remanded to the custody of the Orange County Sheriff’s Office in lieu of $5,000 cash bail for Day and Ayers. Taunitas was remanded without bail pending extradition proceedings.

All three were on the police radar already. Worden said narcotics is a big problem in the area, with the easy flow of drugs from the metropolitan area and dealers using various forms of transport, including trains, to bring it in.

“Heroin is such a powerfully addictive drug, the key is never to start using in the first place. It affects all age groups; there are no boundaries,” he said.

He added that families need to be very aware when they see signs their kids maybe using drugs and get them into rehabilitation treatment. “It can become a very difficult thing when they do anything to support their habit, including criminal activity.”

He said the fact that it’s now so cheap and abundant in the area aggravates the problem.

But he said there are positive things happening related to education and law enforcement. “All our officers carry Narcan, a nasal spray that can be used in case of overdoses. This year, our officers already saved 12 lives using it.”

He added one problem is the heroin for sale is sometimes laced with other substances that make overdosing much easier.