City of Wilmington
News from the Office of Police Chief Michael J. Szczerba
For Immediate Release
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Contact:
M/Sgt. Steven H. Barnes
Wilmington Police Headquarters
300 N. Walnut Street
(302) 576-3162 (office)
Yesterday evening, January 7, 2008 at approximately 4:30 p.m., Wilmington Police patrol officers, acting on a citizen’s information, set up surveillance on a drug deal that was to occur at 4:30 p.m.. At that time, officers were tipped off that the deal was just made in the area of Howard Young Prison. The vehicle (green Honda w/ broken windshield) and suspect descriptions were given and the officers moved in to stop the vehicle, which was exiting the prison parking lot.. The driver of the vehicle did not have a license and when taken from the car., his passenger then fled from the passenger side of the car and was captured after a brief foot pursuit. In the passenger’s possession was a 1.5 x 8 inch package wrapped in newspaper. The package contained 353 heat sealed packets of heroin stamped “white powder”.
The suspects in this case were:
Tomas Velazquez, 27, of the 700 block of Robinson Lane in Wilmington.
Jose Torres, 25, of the 1300 block of Flanders Lane in Newark.
Both were charged with Trafficking Heroin, Maintaining a vehicle for drugs, Conspiracy. They were transported to Howard Young Prison for lack of $24,000.00 bail each.
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