Fugitive Sought After Guns Found in Teaneck Home, Prosecutor Says

An alleged Teaneck drug dealer accused of shooting at a vehicle near Route 4 early Sunday was arrested this week while authorities search for his associate, the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office said Wednesday night.

Prosecutor’s Office detectives began investigating Durelle Whitening and his neighbor Anthony Trumpet this month for peddling illegal drugs, Prosecutor John L. Molinelli said in a statement.

County investigators met on Monday with Teaneck police who had been eyeing Whitening as the gunman in the weekend incident, Molinelli said. Undercover detectives bought crack cocaine and marijuana from the two, Molinelli said.

The undercover buys and shooting investigation led authorities to obtain search warrants for Trumpet and Whitening’s Cedar Lane apartments.

Molinelli said Whitening had been living with Trumpet for several weeks.

During a search of Trumpet’s apartment, investigators found a defaced sawed-off shotgun with pistol grip, a .25 caliber revolver, a 9mm semi-automatic handgun, marijuana, drug paraphernalia and ammunition for the weapons, according to Molinelli.

A handgun and ammunition was found in Whitening’s home, the prosecutor said.

Just before 5 a.m. Sunday, police said Whitening pulled a gun and fired at a female victim’s vehicle near Congress Avenue and Route 4. Township police found a fragmented bullet in the victim’s vehicle, which was processed by forensics investigators from the sheriff’s office.

Whitening, 28, faces charges including aggravated assault and illegal weapons possession for that incident. He was also charged with cocaine and marijuana distribution in the county drug probe. Combined bail was set at $150,000, with no ten percent option.

Trumpet, 31, was also charged with drug and weapons offenses. He remains at large.

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