LUDLOW — An alert Ludlow Police officer located a stolen vehicle in town on Friday evening, and subsequently arrested a Springfield man on numerous offenses, including drug and firearms charges.
RAFAEL RIVERA-VAZQUEZ, age 37, of SPRINGFIELD, was arrested and charged with:
- Receiving a Stolen Motor Vehicle
- Failure to Stop for Police
- Operating a Motor Vehicle with License Suspended (Subsequent Offense)
- Resisting Arrest
- Disorderly Conduct
- Possession of a Class A substance (Subsequent Offense)
- Possession of a Class B Substance (Subsequent Offense)
- Possession of a Firearm in a Felony
- Firearm Violation with Three Prior Violent/Drug Crimes
- Carrying Dangerous Weapon (Machete)
- Possession of Ammunition without an FID Card
- Warrant
On Friday, Oct. 24, in the evening, Ludlow Police Officer Geovanny Da Costa was on patrol in the area of East Street when he located a vehicle that was reported stolen. Officer Da Costa stopped the vehicle nearby, and both the driver and a passenger fled on foot from the vehicle.
Following a brief foot pursuit, Officer Da Costa was able to apprehend the driver, who was identified as RIVERA-VAZQUEZ, with assistance from an off-duty Hampden County Sheriff’s Officer.
A subsequent search of RIVERA-VAZQUEZ located a loaded firearm in his waistband, as well as amounts of heroin and crack cocaine.
A subsequent search of the vehicle RIVERA-VAZQUEZ had been driving located a crack pipe, three rounds of ammunition and a machete hidden underneath the passenger’s seat.
Ludlow Police Officer Mike Whitney and his K-9 partner Max attempted to track the passenger who fled the vehicle, but they were unable to locate that individual.
RIVERA-VAZQUEZ was arraigned on Monday in Palmer District Court, where he was ordered held without bail pending a dangerousness hearing.
These are allegations. All defendants are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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