Springfield police arrest 3 alleged drug dealers in North End, two in South End

On Monday, Springfield police arrested five alleged drug dealers and two alleged users in three separate incidents across the city.

Republican file photo

SPRINGFIELD - As the "City of Homes" works to rebuild after last week's devastating tornadoes, city police are balancing storm-related duties with traditional ones.

On Monday, Springfield police arrested five alleged drug dealers and two alleged users in three separate incidents across the city.

Mehgan Westbrook

Around 3 p.m. Monday, Lt. Alberto Ayala and Sgt. Julio Toledo led a team of officers in a surveillance operation outside the McDonald's restaurant located at 33 Plainfield St. in the city's Memorial Square neighborhood as part of the "North End Initiative" to arrest gang members and drug dealers in that section of the city.

Officers allegedly saw 54-year-old Juan Marrero of Springfield retrieve heroin from a green Volkswagen Jetta driven by two females and sell it to 42-year-old Christine Rutherford of Millers Falls, Mass.

Police arrested Marrero and Rutherford but the Jetta reportedly fled before an arrest could be made.

Shanice Luna

A short while later it was seen in a parking lot outside of 310 Stafford St. with 17-year-old Shanice Luna of 186 Santa Barbara St., and Mehgan Westbrook, 20, of 28 Janet St., both of Springfield, inside it. Police allegedly saw the females selling heroin to 43-year-old Springfield resident Angel Velez.

All three were arrested and a search of the car yielded $295 cash, 100 bags of heroin and a cell phone, Delaney said. The Jetta was also impounded.

Luna and Westbrook were both charged with two counts of distribution of heroin, possession of heroin with the intent to distribute and violating a drug-free school zone.
Velez was charged with possession of heroin.

All five people arrested in this drug sting were taken into custody and held awaiting arraignment in Springfield District Court.

Shazam Suarez

Later in the day on Monday, officers Mike Goggin and John Wajdula arrested two people for allegedly selling drugs on lower Belmont Avenue.

Around 7:30 p.m., the officers set up surveillance outside a mini-mart when they allegedly saw 31-year-old Sharon, Mass. resident Sean Ryan selling drugs. Ryan was allegedly found to be in possession of 18 bags of heroin, an unspecified number of bags of crack and four Clonazepam pills.

Sean Ryan

Ryan was charged with possession of heroin with the intent to distribute and felony and misdemeanor possession of an illegal drug with the intent to distribute.

Just before 11 p.m. Goggin and Wajdula were on patrol in the area around 160 Belmont St. when they saw 17-year-old Shazam Suarez on stairs in the rear of the building. Delaney said the officers saw him concealing a bag underneath him and when they asked him to stand up, they saw the bag contained 14 baggies of crack and $419 cash.

Ryan and Suarez were both taken into custody and held awaiting arraignment in Springfield District Court.