3 Arrested With Multiple Loaded Guns, Knives, Body Armor at Holland Tunnel on Way to NYC

Two senior law enforcement officials say the three suspects are so-called "gun enthusiasts" and have no nexus to terror

Three people were arrested with multiple loaded guns, knives and ballistic vests at the Holland Tunnel Tuesday when police stopped them for driving with a cracked windshield, authorities tell NBC 4 New York.

John Cramsey, 50, and Dean Smith, 53, both of Zionsville, Pennsylvania, and Kimberly Arendt, 29, of Lehighton, were stopped on the New Jersey side of the tunnel around 8 a.m., authorities said.

A search of their vehicle -- a brightly colored Dodge utility vehicle with logo decals for Tonka, Monster energy drinks and another one that read "Higher Ground Tactical", apparently a gun range and shop in Emmaus, Pennsylvania -- revealed the weapons cache. 

trucks-holland-tunnel
Police found a cache of guns and ammo in this truck after stopping it in the Holland Tunnel.

The guns seized included long-range weapons as well as handguns. A camouflage helmet with what appeared to be night goggles was also recovered.

guns-photo-2
The Feast/Collin Flatt
Guns that were seized during a traffic stop in the Holland Tunnel on Tuesday.

Two senior law enforcement officials say the three suspects are so-called "gun enthusiasts" and have no nexus to terror. There is no known threat.

A Colorado man is accused of pouring gas on his girlfriend and setting her ablaze in front of her two young sons. Court records say the victim sustained burns on 60 percent of her body and is hospitalized in serious condition. KUSA’s Anastasiya Bolton reports.

Drugs were in the vehicle along with the guns, according to one law enforcement official. 

Cramsey wrote on Smith's Facebook page early Tuesday morning that he was driving to New York to "do an extraction" of a 16-year-old girl from a hotel room in Brooklyn after an issue involving drugs, The Associated Press reported. Smith replied, "I'm there." It was unclear what, if anything, the weapons had to do with their plans.

Cramsey's 20-year-old daughter died from a heroin overdose four months ago Tuesday and he has since attended town hall meetings around the Allentown area to voice his concerns over the drug epidemic, The Morning Call newspaper in Allentown, Pennsylvania, reported.

"This is a plague and we are losing our brightest and most brilliant minds," Cramsey told the newspaper shortly after his daughter was found dead of an overdose with another man inside an Allentown home.

The truck, which had a picture of the U.S. Constitution and the Second Amendment on the side and sported an arrow as an antenna, was impounded after the stop. It's not clear if the truck was owned by Higher Ground Tactical. NBC 4 New York has reached out to the company for comment. 

The investigation is ongoing.

[NATL] Top News Photos: Pope Visits Japan, and More

Contact Us