Melissa Pagan of Budd Lake was a passenger in a vehicle stopped by Officer Michael Zarro for a headlight violation on Route 46

Melissa Pagan of Budd Lake was a passenger in a vehicle stopped by Officer Michael Zarro for a headlight violation on Route 46 when the officer noticed that Pagan had ingested something, which later turned out to be Heroin. She was removed from the vehicle, arrested and placed in the back of Officer Zarro's cruiser.As the officer searched the vehicle and Pagan's purse he discovered a small plastic bag containing a substance that appeared to be cocaine in the car and a glass pipe with suspected drug residue in her purse.When the officer searched the back seat of his police cruiser, he found Heroin that Pagan had attempted to conceal after she was arrested. Once at police headquarters being processed, police found additional drugs believed to be cocaine on Pagan.
While in custody, the 28-year-old drug-ditching damsel told police she was worried about her two children, who were at home. Police went to the home to check on the children, ages 10 and 11, and then notified the state Division of Youth and Family Services who later arrived at the Pagan home and placed the children into protective custody.Pagan has been charged with possession of heroin, possession of cocaine, possession of drug paraphernalia, tampering with evidence and two-counts of endangering the welfare of a child. She is being held at the Morris County Jail in lieu of a $20,000 bond. The driver of the vehicle Officer Zarro stopped, Gregory Hennessey, was cited for failure to maintain lamps.