Two Worcester Men Arrested for Possession of Heroin & Cocaine

Monday, October 09, 2017

GoLocalWorcester News Team

Two Worcester men were arrested for possession of heroin and cocaine in the area of Hollywood Street in Worcester on Friday morning.

Ariel Vasquez, 32, was charged with Conspiracy to Violate Controlled Substance laws, 2 counts of Possession of Class B Substance with the Intent to Distribute, Distribution of Class B Substance, and Possession of Class A Substance with the Intent to Distribute.

Aneudi Sanabria was charged with Conspiracy to Violate Controlled Substance Laws and Possession of Class B Substance with the Intent to Distribute.

Both men will be arraigned on Tuesday, October 10, at the Worcester County District Courthouse.

The Incident

On Friday, October 6, members of the WPD Vice Squad were on patrol in the area of Hollywood Street. At approximately 10:00 a.m., one of the vice officers observed a male on a cellphone, walking aimlessly back and forth on Hollywood Street. The man, known to vice officers as Sanabria of 1 Grafton Street, was acting in a manner that made the officers suspicious. At this time the undercover officers decided to conduct surveillance on Sanabria.

During the surveillance period, officers saw Sanabria walk to the intersection of Hollywood Street and Oberlin Street. After a short time, a male, later identified as Ariel Vasquez, 26, of 33 May Street, walked up to Sanabria. Both men walked behind a building in an effort to be out of public view. After a very brief moment, the two reemerged, split up, and walked away in opposite directions. It was obvious to the vice officers that the two men had just engaged in a street-level open-air drug transaction.

Officers conducting the surveillance split up and followed the two men once they could no longer see each other. Sanabria was stopped on Hollywood Street just as he was about to enter a livery vehicle. Meanwhile, other vice officers stopped Vasquez in front of 33 May Street.

After having a conversation with Sanabria officers were able to retrieve $1,832 in cash, crib notes detailing the sale of heroin and cocaine and several small plastic baggies that contained 17 grams of crack cocaine.

Officers were speaking with Vasquez outside of his apartment. Based on what was recovered from Sanabria, police were now placing Mr. Vasquez under arrest. At this time, a female stuck her head out of Mr. Vasquez’s apartment and was asking him what was going on. Vasquez mouthed something to her and she immediately retreated back inside of the apartment. Fearing that the female was about to destroy potential evidence, officers were now able to enter the apartment, under exigency circumstances. Keys taken From Vasquez were used to gain entrance to the apartment.

Upon entering the apartment, officers immediately observed a plastic sandwich bag on the kitchen floor that had the corner cut out of it. The plastic bag is consistent with how dealers package narcotics for street level drug transactions. The female was located inside the apartment. The apartment was now secured. Officers spoke with Vasquez and the female and both signed consent forms to allow the officers to search the apartment. Once the forms were signed officers began their search. The search produced 14 grams of heroin and 14 grams of cocaine. The drugs were located at the bottom of a cereal box. The search also discovered a digital scale and a box of plastic sandwich bags.