SOUTHBRIDGE – A local man stopped by police for vehicle related infractions on April 7, now faces drug-related charges.
A Police officer witnessed a brown Toyota Corolla not stop for a stop sign with a defective directional signal at Dudley River Rd. and Dresser Hill Rd. and engaged the vehicle for a traffic stop.
The driver did not stop for a time. According to the pursuing officer, the driver threw an item out of the window, and stopped shortly thereafter.
According to Southbridge Police, the driver, Gary Ortiz, 37, of Southbridge, is a known narcotics distributor.
Officers searched the area where the pursuing unit accuses Ortiz of throwing something out of his window. They found a package with several knotted plastic bags containing what they suspect to be Fentanyl.
Ortiz faces charges of:
- Failure to stop at a stop sign
- Failure to stop for police
- Possession with intent to distribute class A [fentanyl]