WESTFIELD – City police, augmented by other law enforcement officers, swept out across the city yesterday morning to execute 20 warrants resulting from separate investigations by the narcotics unit of the city’s detective bureau.
Det. Sgt. Ray Manos said yesterday afternoon, “Our narcotics unit was able to wrap up many investigations at the same time” and had sought warrants in cases which began as early at last August.
He said “Everybody was a separate investigation” but said the officers “tried to get everybody at once before they started to hide.”
Manos explained that in order to have enough personnel to execute the warrants simultaneously, additional manpower was needed and the State Police Apprehension Unit, federal marshals and members of the Agawam and Southwick police departments provided assistance.
The officers from the other units were paired with Westfield detectives and the members of the community policing unit of the Westfield force so that, while arrests were actually made by city officers, there were enough officers on hand to execute the warrants safely.
In each case, Manos said, undercover officers or cooperating individuals secured the warrants as a result of controlled purchases of drugs.
Since all the suspects were arrested on a warrant, police did not report the specific crimes that each suspect is charged with.
Those charges become part of the public record when the suspects are arraigned.
The 15 suspects arrested in Westfield were brought to Westfield District Court yesterday but the paperwork for most was not completed before press time.
Savier R. Cosme, 19, of 41 Orange St., was one of the first suspects arraigned and was charged with distribution of a Class D drug, marijuana. He was placed on pretrial probation and released pending a May 10 hearing on $2,000 personal surety.
Also arraigned yesterday was Josue A. Rios, 22, of 12 Conner Ave., who was charged with two counts of distribution of a Class B drug, cocaine, as well as a drug violation near a park or school. He was also placed on pretrial probation and released on $2,000 personal surety. He will return to court for a pretrial hearing on April 4.
On Sackett Street, Angela Lynn Lyttle, 23, of 9 Sackett Street, was arrested.
Two persons, Felix Melendez, 42, of 31 Frederick Street, and Leonardo Federico Santiago, 21, of 15 Frederick St., were arrested on Frederick Street.
Two persons were also arrested on Hanover Street – Isac Hernandez, 19, of 10 Hanover St. and Brandon I. Heard, 25, of 9 Hanover Street.
Two arrests were made at 18 Bates St., the resident, Karissa Lee Leblanc, 22, and Luis Vega, 19, of 77 Mechanic Street.
Melissa A. Melloni, 28, was arrested at her home at 33 Elm St. and Jose Luis Matos, 47, of 101 Meadow St., was arrested at another Meadow Street address.
Kevin R. Reno, 24, was arrested at his 17 Maple St. home.
Savuth Vith, 23, of no fixed address, was found on Morris Street and arrested. The arresting detective reports that when he was arrested, Vith said that he was on his way to the court to see what was going on as he had heard of arrests in the city.
Manos said that, in instances when the suspect was not home or did not answer the door, a message was left informing the subject that police were interested in speaking with them.
Two suspects – John M. Stone, 20, of 28 Taylor Ave., and Rebecca L. Hobbs, 34, of no fixed address – called the station and were asked to come to the station because police had paperwork for them.
When they came to the station they learned that the papers were arrest warrants and they were taken into custody.
The details of the individual charges the suspects face will be reported as they become available in the Court Log published in the Westfield News.
Manos said that a 16th suspect, Azim A. Sullivan, 37, of 86 St. James Ave., Springfield was arrested by Springfield police. He said the Sullivan would be arraigned in Springfield District Court and assigned a court date at the Westfield court.
