Around 10:43 PM on August 20, 2024, Patrolman Christian Negron with the Barnegat Township Police Department observed white 2016 Kia Soul swerving on Barnegat Boulevard S. He eventually activated his emergency lights to initiate a traffic stop, and the driver pulled over in the area of Village Drive and Schooner Avenue. He then exited his patrol car to make contact with the driver, who was identified as Alejandra Escalante. As he was speaking with Alejandra, he detected the odor of alcohol and cannabis. She told Patrolman Negron she had driven there to pay a ticket, and admitted to consuming alcohol earlier that evening. She also admitted to having outstanding warrants, which were later confirmed by dispatch. Based on his suspicion of impairment, Patrolman Negron asked Alejandra to exit the vehicle and perform field sobriety exercises after Patrolmen Peragine, Sa, and Zagacki arrived on scene to assist. Her poor performance on the field sobriety exercises confirmed his suspicions of impairment. Based on her erratic driving, the odor of alcohol, her admission to consuming alcohol earlier that evening, and her inability to satisfactorily perform the field sobriety exercises, Alejandra was placed under arrest for driving under the influence. The vehicle was impounded for a mandatory 12-hour hold under John’s Law. A search of her vehicle yielded the presence of cannabis and an open container of Hennessy Cognac. Patrolman Negron transported Alejandra to the Barnegat Township Police Department for further processing. At the station, the Standard Statement for Motor Vehicle Operators was read to Alejandra, and she agreed to submit breath samples. Alejandra’s Alcotest results indicated a BAC level of 0.047%, which below the legal limit of 0.08%. However, they still suspected that she may be impaired by cannabis because they found unsealed cannabis inside her vehicle and she admitted to smoking earlier that evening. Patrolman Joel Sawyer administered a DRE evaluation upon Alejandra. Alejandra was then asked to consent to a urine and blood test, but she refused. Patrolman Negron got on the phone with Assistant Prosecutor Hurst, who then put them on the phone with Judge Basen. The Judge ultimately approved the warrant for her blood around 1:45 AM. Alejandra was then transported to Southern Ocean Medical Center, where her blood was drawn without incident. After the blood draw, she turned over to the custody of the Edison Township Police Department on their outstanding warrant. The Edison Police transported Alejandra to the Middlesex County Jail. Alejandra’s warrants were for the following occurrences: -Traffic stop in Brick Township, NJ on February 12, 2024 -Traffic stop in Edison Township, NJ on January 29, 2023 -Traffic stop in Newark, NJ on June 5, 2021 She was issued the following citations for this particular arrest: -Operating under the influence (39:4-50) -Reckless driving (39:4-96) -Traffic on marked lanes – unsafe lane change (39:4-88B) -Driving with a suspended registration (39:3-40) -Failure to possess driver license (39:3-29A) -Open container or unsealed cannabis (39:4-51B) Court records indicate that Alejandra has an extensive history of prior arrests. Her prior arrests include the following cases: -Possession (2C:35-10A(3)) in Brick Township, NJ on January 22, 2021 -Shoplifting (2C:20-11B(5)) in Freehold Township, NJ on August 10, 2020 -Possession (2C:35-10A(4)) in East Brunswick, NJ on August 12, 2026 -Possession (2C:35-5B(11)) and operating a motor vehicle while in possession (39:4-49.1) in Sayreville, NJ on August 30, 2014 As of May 12, 2026, Alejandra’s case from August 20, 2024 is still pending in the Barnegat Township Municipal Court. ---------------------------------------------- Please LIKE, SUBSCRIBE, and consider supporting this channel (email us for more information). Our content is shared for educational and news gathering purposes. We are in compliance with YouTube's Fair Use Policy because we edit several long clips into a concise story. This is similar to other law enforcement channels on YouTube. All videos and case documents were obtained pursuant to the New Jersey Open Public Records Act, N.J.S.A. 47:1A-1 et seq. (P.L. 2024, c.16). Defendants are considered innocent until proven guilty. The New Jersey Supreme Court has previously affirmed in Salzano v. North Jersey Media Group, 993 A.2d 778 (2010) that “The fair-report privilege reflects the judgment that the need, in a self-governing society, for free-flowing information about matters of public interest outweighs concerns over the uncompensated injury to a person's reputation.” This video advances a compelling public interest. The summary of events was based on records that are “open to public view through open access to public records” as defined in the Salzano case. In Ramos v. Flowers, 429 N.J. Super. 13, the Appellate Division of the Superior Court has also affirmed the right to film law enforcement interactions.

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