Yesterday, Thursday, December 2, 2010, around 12:45PM, officers from the District B-2 (Roxbury) Drug Control Unit (DCU) arrested suspects, Scott Mason, 23 of Boston charging him with Possession of Class B, and numerous warrants. Suspect, Aldo J. Soto, 19 of Boston was arrested and charged with Unlawful Possession of a Firearm, Unlawful Possession of Ammunition and Conspiracy to Violate the Drug Laws and suspect, Elisaul Sanchez, 20 of Roxbury was also arrested and charged him with Distribution of Class B Drugs, Unlawful Possession of a Firearm, and Unlawful Possession of Ammunition.
Officers from the B-2 DCU were in the area of Hillside St. in Mission Hill conducting surveillance due to citizen complaints of drug sales and activity in the area when they observed suspect Mason standing at the corner of St. Alphonsus and Hillside St. looking around in all directions as if waiting for someone. Officers, based on training and experience, believed that Mason was a prospective drug buyer. Based on the preliminary observation and beliefs, officers decided to continue to monitor Mason. After monitoring the suspect Mason for a few more minutes, suspect Sanchez walked up to Mason and they walked briefly and then walked into a variety store at the corner of Hillside and St. Alphonsus Streets. The two suspects stayed in the store for a few minutes, exited empty handed and then walked in different directions with suspect getting in the passenger side of a car that drove up St. Alphonsus Street.
Officers, based on the totality of the circumstances, stopped suspect Mason for further investigation and located a plastic bag of cocaine in his coat pocket. Suspect Mason was placed under arrest for Possession of Class B and after being placed under arrest questioned officers as to why they hadn’t arrested the “…the other two?” Other officers who had followed the car that picked up suspect Sanchez and were able to stop the car with the assistance of marked units at the intersection of Washington and Cedar Streets. Both occupants of the car were removed and placed under arrest for violation of the drug laws. Once the two occupants were removed from the car, officers located a loaded handgun in the car. Suspect Soto, during the search prior to transport, stated to officers, “I got nothing on me, the only thing I had was in the car and you already found the gun.”
As a result of the above, all suspects were arrested and charged with the above offenses.