Man Who Left Drugs In Danvers Motel Room Arrested After Chase

DANVERS, MA -- The man believed to have left behind a large quantity of cocaine in a Danvers motel room was arrested by State Police Friday, who had tracked him to a hotel in Friday-- but not before a wild chase on Interstate 495. Thomas Holland, 31, of Taunton, was also wanted in connection with three incidents in Massachusetts and New Hampshire over the past year.

Danvers Police issued an arrest warrant for Holland last week after they recovered more than a kilogram of cocaine from a room in the Econo Lodge. Another man, Jasmine Wilder, 22, of Taunton, was arrested, but Holland fled Danvers Police.

On Friday, State Police saw Holland and a woman identified as Brittany Pasternak, of Somerset, in a car in the parking lot of the hotel around 4:45 pm. When police tried to box Holland in, Pasternak backed his car into a police cruiser and then hit an unmarked police vehicle as he fled. Pasternak then drove onto Interstate 495.

The car weaved through traffic then exited on Route 138. Pasternak then drove back onto 495, according to State Police. As traffic thickened, Pasternak stopped the car and Holland fled on foot. He ran north, trying to open doors of vehicles that were stopped in traffic. Police finally caught up with him and arrested Holland in the middle lane of Interstate 495.

In addition to the Danvers warrant, Holland is wanted in connection with a September shooting in Manchester, NH, and for an outstanding warrant allegedly brandishing a gun in Taunton.

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File photo via Shutterstock.

Dave Copeland can be reached at dave.copeland@patch.com or by calling 617-433-7851. Follow him on Twitter (@CopeWrites) and Facebook (/copewrites).