Enfield Man Facing Charges After Gun, Drugs Found

ENFIELD, CT — A bizarre day which began with an untimely death at a Thompsonville duplex ended with the arrest of a neighborhood resident on drug and other charges Tuesday.

Bruce A. Moore Jr., 30, of 32 Bigelow Ave., was charged with possession of narcotics, use of drug paraphernalia, second-degree reckless endangerment, possession with intent to sell and possession of a controlled substance.

Bond was set at $75,000, and he was scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday in Enfield Superior Court.

Police Chief Carl Sferrazza outlined the unusual scenario this way:

At 1:31 p.m., emergency personnel were dispatched to a medical call on Bigelow Avenue, which resulted in "an untimely death" from a suspected drug overdose. The cause of death is not confirmed, and the body of the unidentified person is at the chief state medical examiner's office.

Police were notified around 6:35 p.m. of "suspicious activity" involving a Mercedes with Massachusetts plates at the Bigelow Avenue duplex. The caller reported items were being removed from the residence, including a "silver item."

Officers observed the activity, then the Mercedes quickly drove off with two people inside. Police followed the vehicle onto Route 5 northbound, then directed the driver to stop for a motor vehicle violation.

Both the driver and passenger appeared "nervous and shaking," and the passenger, Moore, told officers "his friend had died earlier in the day."

Moore said he took his deceased friend's bags and boxes and put them in the car, and the driver, who has not yet been identified, said there was nothing illegal in the car and they were heading to Westfield, Massachusetts, to a family member's home.

Police asked if there was a gun in the car, and Moore replied there was one in the trunk. Upon inspection of the trunk, officers found a cardboard box containing numerous waxed sleeves and suboxone film strips in a bag. A plastic bag was also found containing a brown powdery substance, which tested positive for cocaine and heroin.

A 9mm Ruger magazine with 10 live rounds was also found in the trunk, as was a .32-caliber magazine with two live rounds, a plastic bag with 10 live .410 shotgun rounds, a digital scale and six Pregabalin pills, a controlled substance.

No weapon was located in the trunk, then Moore suddenly said the gun "is in a green bag in the backyard area" of 32 Bigelow. Police recovered the weapon, a silver 9 mm Ruger, and the bag, which also contained three cell phones and a glass pipe containing cocaine residue.

The case is still under investigation by Enfield police.

Photo courtesy of Enfield Police Department