METHUEN – Chief Scott J. McNamara reports that the Methuen Police Department arrested a man early Wednesday morning on drug and weapons charges after a traffic stop.
CRISTIAN LUGO, AGE 23, OF METHUEN was arrested and charged with:
- Carrying a Firearm Without a License
- Possession of Ammunition without a license
- Carrying a Loaded Firearm Without a License
- Uninsured Motor Vehicle
- Distribution of a Class D Drug
Methuen Police Officer John Laurenza, who is assigned to the midnight shift, observed a 2007 Gray Honda Accord traveling eastbound on Oakland Avenue around 6:43 a.m. As the car approached Officer Laurenza, it abruptly stopped to allow him to turn off of Emsley Terrace.
Noticing the driver’s behavior as unusual and odd, the officer conducted a query of the car’s registration, through which he learned that it had been revoked for lack of insurance, and that the registered owner – LUGO – had an active warrant for his arrest.
Officer Laurenza stopped the Honda and took LUGO into custody without incident. During a subsequent inventory of the car conducted by Officer James Keating, a loaded Glock 43 9mm handgun, was located in the center console.
Additionally, Methuen Police located marijuana packaged for sale, a scale, sandwich bags and black vinyl material bags, which are typically used for distribution of narcotics, THC vape cartridges, extracts and oils, marijuana edibles and 24 additional 9 mm bullets and one .223 caliber bullets.
“This was excellent work by Officers Laurenza and Keating to first recognize suspicious behavior and then to identify and safely detain a wanted suspect who had a loaded firearm within reach,” Chief McNamara said.
LUGO was expected to be arraigned today in Lawrence District Court.
These are allegations. All suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty.
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