METHUEN — A 35-year-old New Hampshire woman was arrested after police said they caught her inhaling toxic vapors from a can of Dust-Off as she sat in her car at a stoplight.
Janna Brown, of 9 Chelsari Way, Hampstead, N.H., was charged with illegally inhaling toxic vapors, a practice police call "huffing."
According to police reports, Brown was stopped at a red light Monday at the Route 213 off-ramp to Pleasant Valley Street. Three cruisers — two unmarked and one marked — were behind her.
When the light turned green, Detective Lt. Michael Pappalardo, in an unmarked cruiser, beeped his horn but the car did not move. He pulled up beside the car and said he saw Brown with her head down placing the nozzle of a can of Dust-Off into her mouth and depressing the trigger.
Pappalardo, an experienced drug investigator, immediately recognized what Brown was doing.
Dust-Off and other brands of compressed gas dusters are used by individuals as a means of getting high, police said.
Brown was removed from her car and arrested.
Police said Pappalardo recognized her from a similar "huffing" incident last Friday in which she also was arrested.
Police seized the can of Dust-Off Brown was using from the front seat and found another full can in the car.
The incident occurred about 12:13 p.m. Monday, police said.
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The following were taken from area police logs for Monday:
Lawrence
Car break: 26 Amherst St., 3:26 a.m.
Vandalism: 389 Broadway, 5:20 a.m.
Car break: 243 Salem St., 8:21 a.m.
Burglary: 239 Broadway, 10:17 a.m.
Car theft: 6 Inman St., 10:20 a.m.
Arrest: A 16-year-old Lawrence boy, disorderly conduct, trespassing, 206 S. Union St., 10:50 a.m.
Arrest: A 15-year-old Lawrence boy, disorderly conduct, trespassing, 206 S. Union St., 10:50 a.m.
Theft: 42 Portland St., 11:36 a.m.
Theft: 35 Essex St., 12:19 p.m.
Burglary: 38 Chelmsford St., 1:20 p.m.
Arrest: Hector Delafuente Jr., 36, homeless, shoplifting under $100, assault and battery, 73 Winthrop Ave., 1:31 p.m.
Arrest: Luis Disla-Marte, 43, 43 Bennington St., shoplifting under $100, 700 Essex St., 1:31 p.m.
Car theft: 1 Harriman St., 2:15 p.m.
Burglary: 28 Springfield St., 3:21 p.m.
Arrest: Sasha Perez, 29, 258 Washington St., Haverhill, disorderly conduct, Ames and Butler streets, 5:30 p.m.
Car break: 249 Jackson St., 8:54 p.m.
Arrest: Mark Pimentel, 17, 434 Hampshire St., assault and battery on a household member, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, 434 Hampshire St., 8:55 p.m.
Noise complaint: 473 Essex St., 9:07 p.m.
Disturbance: 387 Hampshire St., 10:37 p.m.
Methuen
Disturbance: 25 High St., 2:20 a.m.
Car break: 222 Pelham St., 8:19 a.m.
Car break: 125 Swan St., 8:45 a.m.
Car crash: 134 Pleasant View St., two cars, no injuries, 2:37 p.m.
Car crash: 91 Pleasant Valley St., two cars, no injuries, 3:40 p.m.
Disturbance: 143 Lowell St., 4:48 p.m.
Vandalism: 96 Pleasant Valley St., 5:05 p.m.
Disturbance: 80 Broadway, 11:30 p.m.
North Andover
Arrest: Robert Lechleider, 20, 32 S. Cross Road, malicious damage to property over $250, two counts, threatening to commit a crime, 32 S. Cross Road.
Car crash: Sullivan and Turnpike streets, two cars, no injuries, 7:41 a.m.
Theft: 360 Winthrop Ave., 1:25 p.m.
Andover
Car crash: River Road, two cars, under investigation, 8:33 a.m.
Theft: Dundee Park, 12:45 p.m.
Burglary: River Road, 1:23 p.m.
Arrest: Arthur Hill, 47, 116 Hickory Hill Road, North Andover, driving after suspension, Route 125 and Gould Road, 8:46 p.m.
