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A patrolling police officer pulled a car over when he saw it swerving repeatedly across double yellow lines on Wednesday, March 29 at approximately 3:30 p.m., according to the Littleton Police Department.
Potential charges rapidly escalated after the police officer realized the driver did not have a license, the passenger had an active arrest warrant out of Texas, and the car held a significant amount of cocaine.
"The attention to detail and dedication to duty that was shown by Patrolman Richard led to the largest drug seizure in the history of the Littleton Police Department, and I commend Patrolman Richard and all of the other officers who assisted on a job well done," said Chief Matthew Pinard.
The car's driver, 38-year-old Erasmo Lira-Mendez, and its passenger, 51-year-old Cornelio-Rene Hernandez, were both arrested and taken into custody. An inventory of the vehicle then revealed 20 bags each holding approximately one kilogram of cocaine.
Lira-Mendez, who was carrying over $1,000 in cash, was charged with the following:
- Trafficking cocaine over 200 grams
- Unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle
- Marked lanes violation
Hernandez was charged with:
- Trafficking cocaine over 200 grams
- An active arrest warrant out of Texas
The men, neither of whom have a known address, were held without bail overnight and arraigned Thursday in Ayer District Court.
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