LAWRENCE — Three people were arrested Wednesday morning on Winthrop Avenue after members of the police department’s Street Narcotics Enforcement Unit observed them selling and buying Percocet pills.
Melvin Difo, 26, of 14 Boxford St., Lawrence, has been charged with distribution of Class B, and distribution of Class B in a school zone. Kelly Marie Vilsmeier, 23, of 9 Pond St., Haverhill, and Devin Joseph DiTomaso, 21, of 9 Pond St., Bradford, were both charged with possession of a Class B drug.
According to a police report on the incident, detectives observed DiTomaso, the driver, and Vilsmeier, a passenger, sitting in a vehicle on Salem Street at South Union Street, next to South Lawrence Common. Vilsmeier was making phone calls on her cell phone.
Detectives believed she may have been setting up a drug sale, so they watched the vehicle for more than two hours. With police tailing them, DiTomaso drove away from that location and headed to the north side of the city, going into McDonald’s, then going to Prospect Hill, where they parked again.
Police continued following the car, into Methuen on Merrimack Street, then onto 495 southbound. The vehicle got off at the Merrimack Street exit, and was driven to Parker Street before going into the Wendy’s parking lot on Route 114. Again, they parked, with Vilsmeier on the phone, before moving again, this time to the parking lot of Blockbuster Video at 67 Winthrop Ave.
That’s when police observed another car pull up alongside the car driven by DiTomaso. A man later identified as Difo got out, went to the passenger side of the car, and handed Vilsmeier something through the open window.
Suspecting they had just witnesssed a drug transaction, detectives split up and stopped both cars.
As one of the suspects was exiting the vehicle, a blue pill fell on the seat.
According to the police report, Vilsmeier told police she had purchased a pill for $25. It was later determined she had purchased 7 pills from Difo.
Police recovered $487 from Difo, and placed two cell phones into custody as well as a car. A small amount of marijuana was also found on Difo.
The following items were taken from area police logs from Wednesday:
LAWRENCE
Man down: 80 Railroad St., 1:50 a.m.
Stolen car: 102 Saratoga St., 4:25 a.m.
Malicious damage: Door locks and ignition column damaged in van in attempted theft of vehicle. 115 Saratoga St., 8:04 a.m.
Larceny: 1 International Way, approximately 100 gallons of diesel fuel stolen from company truck while it was parked overnight. 8:19 a.m.
Stolen car: 1 Grove St., 8:43 a.m.
Breaking and entering: Copper pipe stolen from basement of vacant house, 283 High St., 8:50 a.m.
Arrest: 700 Essex St., 10:25 a.m.
Stolen car: 79 Bailey St., 10:54 a.m.
Stolen car: 58 Osgood St., 10:55 a.m.
Shoplifting: Market BaskEt, 700 Essex St., 3:25 p.m.
Bullet found: Unspent .357 Sig round found in driveway. Placed into police evidence. 4:04 p.m.
Stolen car: Franklin and Haverhill streets, 4:15 p.m.
Malicious damage: 390 Ames St., 7:10 p.m.
Hit and run: Central Bridge, 8:43 p.m.
Assault and battery: 203 Haverhill St., 10:44 p.m.
Robbery: Lowell and Oxford streets, 11:46 p.m.
The following were taken from the Lawrence police log for Tuesday:
Malicious damage: Garden and Union streets, 12:50 a.m.
Shoplifting: 73 Winthrop Ave., 1:03 p.m.
Assault and battery: 201 Boxford St., 2nd Floor, 3:37 p.m.
Home invasion: 32 Kendrick St., 2nd floor, 6:40 p.m.
Malicious damage: 115 Howard St., 6:58 p.m.
METHUEN
Hit and run: McDonald’s, 170 Haverhill St., 1:19 a.m.
Assault: Home Depot, 72 Pleasant Valley St., 1:08 p.m.
Assault: Woman reported man pushed her and stole money, 3 Northwood Drive, 10:20 p.m.
NORTH ANDOVER
Wednesday
Citation issued for speeding: Brentwood Circle and Great Pond Road, 7:20 a.m.
Arrest: David Ginchereau, 37, of 11 Main St., assault and battery on a household member, 11 Main St., 12:15 p.m.
Back door kicked in: 478 Wood Lane, 2:54 p.m.
