Branford Residents Found With Drugs In Police Parking Lot: North Haven Police

NORTH HAVEN, CT — Two Branford residents were arrested after they were found to be in the possession of narcotics while inside a vehicle that was parked at North Haven Police headquarters during the overnight hours earlier this week, according to police. The situation unfolded at about 4 a.m. Monday morning when a North Haven Police sergeant observed two occupied vehicles in a parking lot designated for police officers’ cars behind police headquarters.

Police said that when the sergeant approached the vehicles, one took off at a high rate of speed and nearly struck several parked police cars and a parking lot island while the operator of the second vehicle was detained. (To sign up for Branford breaking news alerts and more, click here.)

An officer attempted to stop the fleeing vehicle and chased it down Broadway and onto State Street, according to police. The fleeing vehicle had been stolen earlier from a home in New Haven, police said.

The officer terminated the pursuit once the vehicle reached “reckless speeds” on State Street, according to police.

Police said the driver and passenger in the vehicle that was detained claimed they did not know the operator of the stolen vehicle. Officers located narcotics and paraphernalia in the vehicle and the passenger had an active arrest warrant for failure to appear in court, according to police.

Edward Beisel, 26, was charged with the narcotics violation and trespass. Felicia Varriale, 26, was charged with narcotics violations, trespass, and the failure to appear warrant, according to police. Both are Branford residents.

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