Salem Man Charged With Drug Trafficking, Resisting Arrest: Police

SALEM, MA — A Salem man is charged with drug trafficking and resisting arrest after police said he threw away baggies full of crack cocaine and fentanyl while trying to run away from an officer on Tuesday.

Police said the officer spotted Lopez Ortega, 21, walking near Lafayette Street on Tuesday and recognized him as having a default arrest warrant. Police said when they confronted Ortega, he ran, throwing what they called "multiple plastic baggies believed to contain drugs."

Police said the officer was able to catch up to and grab Ortega with the help of backup units.

Once the baggies were recovered, police said they were found to contain 5.6 grams of "white, waxy rock" believed to be crack cocaine, 37.5 grams of "light brown powder" believed to be fentanyl and 5.2 grams of "a light blue powder."

"This is consistent with fentanyl that is pressed into pills and distributed as Percocet to unsuspecting consumers," Salem police said. "Counterfeit narcotic pills, specifically Percocet, have been responsible for numerous overdoses."

This is the second bust this week involving what is believed to be crack cocaine and fentanyl in the city.

Ortega was charged with trafficking a Class A substance, fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute a class B substance, crack cocaine, and resisting arrest.

Police said they also seized $513 in cash.

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)