Four Nabbed In Southington Crack Bust: Police

SOUTHINGTON, CT — Four Waterbury residents were taken into custody in Southington Thursday morning to face weapons/drug charges associated with a crack cocaine trafficking operation.

The quartet — two men and two women — were apprehended by the Southington Police Department at a local Motel 6/Denny's Restaurant at 625 Queen St. early Thursday morning.

According to the SPD, which released details of the incident Thursday afternoon, those charged were:

• George Estes-James, 30, of Kodak Street, Waterbury, charged with possession of narcotics with intent to sell/dispense; operating a drug factory; possession of a controlled substance; use of drug paraphernalia; violation of pistol permit requirements; illegal possession of a weapon in a motor vehicle; and criminal possession of a firearm.

He was held on a $100,000 bond and later appeared in New Britain Superior Court Thursday.

• Yairi L. Matriz, 27, of Bamford Avenue, Waterbury, was charged with possession of narcotics with intent to sell/dispense; operating a drug factory; possession of a controlled substance; use of drug paraphernalia; illegal possession of a weapon in a motor vehicle; and violation of pistol permit requirements.

She was held on a $100,000 bond and later appeared in New Britain Superior Court Thursday.

• Angel M. Mercado, 29, of North Main Street, Waterbury, was charged with possession of narcotics with intent to sell/dispense; operating a drug factory; possession of a controlled substance; and use of drug paraphernalia.

He was held on a $50,000 bond and later appeared in New Britain Superior Court Thursday.

• Donna Catalano, 40, of East Spring Street, Waterbury, was charged with possession of narcotics with intent to sell/dispense; operating a drug factory; possession of a controlled substance; and use of drug paraphernalia.

She was held on a $50,000 bond and later appeared in New Britain Superior Court Thursday.

According to the SPD, shortly after midnight it the early morning of Thursday, officers were called to Motel 6 to assist with another police department's investigation.

Southington police checked the area and noticed the suspect vehicle was in the parking lot of a nearby Denny's restaurant, police said.

Upon arrival, Southington officers noticed Matriz and Estes-James "engaged in activity indicative of manufacturing drugs for personal use and sales," police said.

According to police, a K-9 police dog search discovered a 0.38-caliber revolver, nine rounds of ammunition, cash, and drug paraphernalia.

Police then investigated a nearby motel room and located two more persons, Mercado and Catalano.

"During an interview with Catalano and Mercado, they observed drug paraphernalia similar to that seized earlier in the vehicle, along with signs of drug use," wrote Southington police in a statement.

In all, police said they seized 97.9 grams of crack cocaine packaged for sale with an estimated street value of $10,000.

All four were taken into custody, individually processed, and charged, police said.